Method for carrying out an automatic parking process of a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10286903-B2
Application number	US-201515518045-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2015
Priority date	Oct 27, 2014
Publication date	May 14, 2019
Grant date	May 14, 2019

Abstract

A method (and corresponding parking facility management server, parking system, and computer program) for carrying out an automatic parking process of a vehicle includes a reservation request for a parking position of a parking facility being sent to a parking facility management server via a communication network, navigation data for an autonomous navigation to the reserved parking position corresponding to the reservation request being received by the vehicle via the communication network, and the vehicle autonomously navigating in the parking facility to the reserved parking position based on the navigation data. It is preferably provided that the vehicle autonomously pulls into the parking position, pulls out of this parking position, and travels back to a drop-off position or pick-up position, from which a driver of the vehicle may pick up the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling an automatic parking process of a vehicle, the method comprising:
sending, by the vehicle and via a communication network, a reservation request for a parking position of a parking facility to a parking facility management server;
receiving, by the vehicle and via the communication network, navigation data for an autonomous navigation to the reserved parking position corresponding to the reservation request; and
the vehicle autonomously navigating in the parking facility to the reserved parking position based on the navigation data;
wherein either:
(a) the vehicle is an electric vehicle, the parking position includes a charging function for charging a vehicle battery, and the method further comprises (1) automatically starting a charging process for the electric vehicle using the charging function after the vehicle has pulled into the parking position and (2) responsive to completion of the charging process, autonomously re-parking the vehicle into a new parking position; or
(b) the method further includes, (1) receiving from the parking facility management server a start signal sent by the parking facility management server in response to a parking time included in the reservation request being exceeded, and (2) the vehicle responding to the start signal by autonomously navigating the parking facility away from the reserved parking position.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
when an anticipated arrival time of the vehicle at the parking facility is later than a parking start time included in the transmitted reservation request, transmitting a reservation modification request to the parking facility management server via the communication network in order to be able to modify the reservation.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reservation request includes one or more of the following parking parameters: parking duration, start of parking, end of parking, size of the parking position, woman's parking position, family parking position, parking position having a charging station for electric vehicles, parking position having a monitoring function, and payment function.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the navigation data include one or more of the following data: map data from a digital map of the parking facility, route data regarding a route to be traveled in the parking facility, traffic data relating to at least one of one or more permissible maximum speeds in the parking facility and right-of-way rules that apply in the parking facility or in critical areas of the parking facility.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein a route to the parking space is ascertained, the vehicle autonomously traveling the ascertained route to the parking space.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is the electric vehicle, the parking position includes the charging function for charging the vehicle battery, and the method further comprises the automatic starting charging process for the electric vehicle after the vehicle has pulled into the parking position.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises, after the charging process is completed, the autonomous re-parking the vehicle into the new parking position.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving additional information and the vehicle autonomously traveling to the parking position based also on the additional information.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the vehicle at least one of autonomously pulling into the parking position and autonomously pulling out of the parking position.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method includes the receiving from the parking facility management server the start signal sent by the parking facility management server in response to the parking time included in the reservation request being exceeded, and the vehicle responding to the start signal by autonomously navigating the parking facility away from the reserved parking position.

11. A parking facility management server for a parking facility, the server comprising:
a communication interface to a communication network; and
a processor;
wherein:
the processor is configured to:
receive, via the communication interface, a reservation request for a parking position of a parking facility for a vehicle;
responsive to the request, ascertain the parking position and navigation data for an autonomous navigation in the parking facility to the parking position; and
transmit the navigation data to the vehicle and via the communication interface; and

one or both of the following:
(a) the parking position includes a charging function for charging a vehicle battery of the vehicle, and the processor is configured to, responsive to completion of a charging process that is automatically started for charging the vehicle with the charging function after the vehicle has pulled into the parking position, control the vehicle to begin an autonomous re-parking of the vehicle into a new parking position; and
(b) the processor is configured to, responsive to a parking time included in the reservation request being exceeded, control the vehicle to begin autonomously navigating the parking facility away from the reserved parking position.

12. The parking facility management server of claim 11 , wherein the communication interface is configured to receive a reservation modification request, including a likely arrival time of the vehicle at the parking facility, and the processor is configured to modify the reservation with respect to the anticipated arrival time depending on the reservation modification request.

13. The parking facility management server of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to control a monitoring system for at least one of monitoring and documenting at least one of autonomous travel of the vehicle in the parking facility, a movement of the vehicle into a parking space in the parking facility, and a movement of the vehicle out of the parking space in the parking facility.

14. The parking facility management server of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to set an electronic occupancy status of the parking position to available or occupied according to an actual occupancy.

15. The parking facility management server of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to:
reserve for the vehicle a parking position that includes the charging function for charging the vehicle battery; and
automatically initiate the charging process after the vehicle has pulled into the parking position.

16. The parking facility management server of claim 11 , wherein the parking position includes the charging function for charging the vehicle battery, and the processor is configured to, responsive to the completion of the charging process that is automatically started for charging the vehicle with the charging function after the vehicle has pulled into the parking position, control the vehicle to begin an autonomous re-parking of the vehicle into a new parking position.

17. The parking facility management server of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to, responsive to the parking time included in the reservation request being exceeded, control the vehicle to begin autonomously navigating the parking facility away from the reserved parking position.

18. A method for operating a parking facility management server, the method comprising:
receiving, via a communication interface to a communication network, a reservation request for a parking position of a parking facility for a vehicle; and
responsiv

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Irion Albrecht
• Mathony Hans-Joerg
• Nicodemus Rolf
• Hoffmann Stefan
• Nordbruch Stefan

Classifications

• G08G1/096741

  where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle · CPC title

• G08G1/096816

  where the complete route is transmitted to the vehicle at once · CPC title

• G08G1/096775

  where the origin of the information is a central station · CPC title

• G08G1/142

  external to the vehicles · CPC title

• G08G1/168

  Driving aids for parking, e.g. acoustic or visual feedback on parking space · CPC title