Method and system for automatic detection of parking zones

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10235580-B2
Application number	US-201715720470-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2017
Priority date	Apr 1, 2015
Publication date	Mar 19, 2019
Grant date	Mar 19, 2019

Abstract

A method automatically detects parking zones in at least one residential street, wherein a) a computing unit is provided; b) information in the form of panoramic images of the at least one residential street is inputted from an external data store; c) information in the form of street data of the at least one residential street is inputted from a map database; d) an internal database is generated, which persists the panoramic images; e) the inputted panoramic images are analyzed for the presence of vehicles; f) the inputted panoramic images are analyzed for the presence of street signs and traffic signs; g) from the analyses of the presence of vehicles and the presence of street signs and traffic signs for at least one selected residential street, expected existing no-parking/no-stopping zones are determined; h) a data set that contains the detected information regarding identified vehicles, street signs, and the markings of no-parking/no-stopping zones and parking zones is generated, and i) the information contained in the data set is visualized on a terminal unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for displaying parking zones on at least one street, the method comprising the acts of:
a) receiving, by a computing unit, panorama images of the at least one street from an external data memory;
b) receiving, by the computing unit, road data for the at least one street from a map database;
c) generating an internal database, which internal data base persists the panorama images;
d) analyzing the received panorama images so as to identify vehicles are present on the at least one street;
e) analyzing the received panorama images so as to identify road signs and/or traffic signs are present on the at least one street;
f) using the analyses of the panorama images with respect to the presence of vehicles, road signs and/or traffic signs to determine, for the at least one street, where existing no-parking/no stopping zones are to be expected along the at least one street, wherein no-parking/no-stopping zones are locations where vehicles may not validly park/stop;
g) generating and storing a data record that contains information pertaining to detected vehicles and road signs as well as markings for no-parking/no stopping zones and parking zones; and
h) generating a composite graphic that superimposes indicia delineating areas corresponding to the expected no-parking/no-stopping zones on a plan view map of the at least one street, based on the information contained in the data record, and displaying the generated composite graphic on a terminal.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the panorama images received in act (a) are satellite photographs or images of the at least one street that are produced by camera movements.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the panorama images comprise information pertaining to geoposition of the panorama image, a direction of travel, a road name and/or pertaining to a depth map, wherein the information is historic data.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the road data received in act (b) comprise information pertaining to road lanes and/or pertaining to road types.

5. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the information in the form of panorama images and road data is transmitted by an interface of the computing unit that is communicatively connected to the internal database, to the external data memory, and/or to the map database.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein in act (d) the analysis of the panoramic images for vehicle detection is performed by segmentation of the panorama images.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the analysis is performed by image recognition software.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein in act (e) the analysis of the panoramic images for traffic signs and road signs is performed by recognition of shape and coloration of the road signs.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the analysis is performed by image recognition software.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein in act (h) the information contained in the data record is visualized by virtue of said information being depicted on a separate display of a terminal.

11. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon program code that, when executed by a computing unit, carries out the method of claim 1 .

12. A system for displaying parking zones with respect to at least one street, the system comprising:
a computing unit; and
a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon program code that, when executed by the computing unit, carries out the acts of:
a) receiving, by the computing unit, panorama images of the at least one street from an external data memory;
b) receiving, by the computing unit, road data for the at least one street from a map database;
c) generating an internal database, which internal data base persists the panorama images;
d) analyzing the received panorama images so as to identify vehicles present on the at least one street;
e) analyzing the received panorama images so as to identify road signs and traffic signs present on the at least one street;
f) using the analyses of the panorama images with respect to the presence of vehicles, road signs and traffic signs to determine, for the at least one street, where existing no-parking/no stopping zones are to be expected along the at least one street, wherein no-parking/no-stopping zones are locations where vehicles may not validly park;
g) generating and storing a data record that contains information pertaining to detected vehicles and road signs as well as markings for no-parking/no stopping zones and parking zones; and
h) generating a composite graphic that superimposes indicia delineating areas corresponding to the expected no-parking/no-stopping zones on a plan view map of the at least one street, based on the information contained in the data record, and displaying the generated composite graphic on a terminal.

Assignees

• Bayerische Motoren Werke Ag

Inventors

• Belzner Heidrun
• Kotzor Daniel
• Haltakov Vladimir
• Maya Andrej

Classifications

• G06K9/00651

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06K9/00818

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06K9/00812 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G08G1/147

  where the parking area is within an open public zone, e.g. city centre · CPC title

• G08G1/144 Primary

  on portable or mobile units, e.g. personal digital assistant [PDA] · CPC title