Automated Vehicle Positioning at Parking Ticket Machines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Drivers face difficulty in comfortably maneuvering their vehicles to park in garages, especially without dedicated infrastructure for automated valet parking systems, as existing solutions require specific equipment in the parking garage.
Innovation Solution
An automated vehicle method using on-board sensor systems to detect ticket machines and maneuver the vehicle to align closely with them, allowing for fully or partially automated control of longitudinal and lateral movements to obtain a parking ticket without relying on external infrastructure, and can also be used for entering or leaving the garage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If automated valet parking is implemented using external infrastructure (sensor systems, cameras), then the barrier can be automatically opened and the vehicle can drive into the parking garage fully automated, but the parking garage must be equipped with dedicated infrastructure which limits adaptability
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle performs the detection and maneuvering functions itself using its own sensor systems and control units, without requiring the parking garage to provide specialized infrastructure. The vehicle autonomously detects the ticket machine, calculates the maneuver trajectory, and executes the positioning maneuver independently.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having the parking garage infrastructure detect and guide the vehicle (traditional approach), the invention reverses the detection direction by having the vehicle's own sensors detect the garage's ticket machine and use that information to autonomously maneuver into position.
2Adaptability or versatility
If drivers manually maneuver the vehicle to the ticket machine, then no special infrastructure is needed, but the driving experience is uncomfortable and requires steering corrections
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the mechanical steering and positioning actions with an automated control system that uses sensor data, trajectory calculation, and automated steering control to maneuver the vehicle, eliminating the need for manual steering corrections while maintaining compatibility with existing parking garages.
3Ease of operation
If the vehicle positions itself very close to the ticket machine (below 80 cm distance), then the driver can easily reach the button, but precise lateral positioning control is required
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit continuously receives feedback from the sensor system during the maneuvering process, comparing the actual position with the desired trajectory and making real-time adjustments to achieve precise positioning within 80 cm of the ticket machine.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary detection of the ticket machine's exact location and pre-calculates the optimal maneuver trajectory before execution, ensuring that the vehicle will achieve the required positioning accuracy when the maneuver is completed.
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is a method for automatically driving an automated vehicle into and/or out of a parking garage. The method comprises detecting a ticket machine being installed at an access and/or an exit road of a parking garage using sensor data captured by an on-board sensor system of the vehicle, and maneuvering the vehicle to the detected ticket machine such that a distance between a window of the vehicle next to a driver seat of the vehicle and the detected ticket machine is below 80 cm. The vehicle controls a longitudinal and/or lateral movement of the vehicle during maneuvering the vehicle to the detected ticket machine.