Transmission of parking instructions with clearance distances to self-driving vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10586452-B2
Application number	US-201715784160-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 15, 2017
Priority date	Oct 15, 2017
Publication date	Mar 10, 2020
Grant date	Mar 10, 2020

Abstract

An approach is disclosed that locates available parking spaces from a set of parking spaces, such as in a parking lot. The approach retrieves a clearance distance that needed between a parked vehicle parked in an adjacent parking space to the identified parking space. After retrieving the needed clearance distance, the system transmit an instruction to a self-driving vehicle to park in the identified parking space and leave the clearance distance between the self-driving vehicle and the parked vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A machine-implemented method comprising:
automatically locating an available parking space from a plurality of parking spaces;
retrieving a first clearance distance corresponding to a first parked vehicle parked in a first adjacent parking space to the located parking space, wherein the first clearance distance is based on whether the first parked vehicle is manually driven; and
transmitting an instruction to a self-driving vehicle to park in the located parking space and leaving the first clearance distance between the self-driving vehicle and the first parked vehicle, wherein the self-driving vehicle is selected from a plurality of self-driving vehicles.

2. The machine-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:
retrieving a second clearance distance corresponding to a second parked vehicle located in a second adjacent parking space to the identified parking space; and
transmitting the instruction to the self-driving vehicle to park in the identified parking space and leaving the first clearance distance between the self-driving vehicle and the first parked vehicle and the second clearance distance between the self-driving vehicle and the second parked vehicle.

3. The machine-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:
determining that the first parked vehicle is also a self-driving vehicle; and
setting the first clearance distance to a nominal distance in response to the determination.

4. The machine-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the locating of the available parking space further comprises:
retrieving a vehicle clearance corresponding to the self-driving vehicle;
locating a plurality of available parking spaces; and
selecting the identified available parking space based on an overall parking width that is based on the vehicle clearance, the first clearance distance, and a second clearance distance corresponding to a second parked vehicle located in a second adjacent parking space to the identified available parking space.

5. The machine-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:
identifying that the first parked vehicle is a manually-driven vehicle and that the first adjacent parking space is adjacent to a driver's side of the self-driving and further identifying that the first parked vehicle lacks a passenger-side exit requirement; and
setting the first clearance distance to a human-error allotment distance that is less than a vehicle door-opening distance in response to the identifying.

6. The machine-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:
identifying that the first parked vehicle is a manually-driven vehicle and that an exit requirement exists between the first parked vehicle and the available parking space; and
setting the first clearance distance to a vehicle door-opening distance in response to the identifying.

7. The machine-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the locating, retrieving, and transmitting are performed by a mixed use parking lot manager process.

8. An information handling system comprising: one or more processors; a memory accessible by at least one of the processors; one or more object sensors, accessible by at least one of the processors, that sense vehicles parked in a plurality of parking spaces; a wireless communications adapter accessible by at least one of the processors; and a set of instructions stored in the memory and executed by at least one of the processors to: automatically locate, via the object sensors, an available parking space from a plurality of parking spaces, and storing the available parking space in the memory; retrieve a first clearance distance corresponding to a first parked vehicle parked in a first adjacent parking space to the located parking space, wherein the first clearance distance is based on whether the first parked vehicle is manually driven; and transmit, via the wireless communications adapter, an instruction to a self-driving vehicle to park in the located parking space and leaving the first clearance distance between the self-driving vehicle and the first parked vehicle, wherein the self-driving vehicle is selected from a plurality of self-driving vehicles.

9. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the instructions are further executed by the processors to:
retrieve a second clearance distance corresponding to a second parked vehicle located in a second adjacent parking space to the identified parking space; and
transmit the instruction to the self-driving vehicle to park in the identified parking space and leaving the first clearance distance between the self-driving vehicle and the first parked vehicle and the second clearance distance between the self-driving vehicle and the second parked vehicle.

10. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the instructions are further executed by the processors to:
determine that the first parked vehicle is also a self-driving vehicle; and
set the first clearance distance to a nominal distance in response to the determination.

11. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the location of the available parking space is performed by instructions that are further executed by the processors to:
retrieve a vehicle clearance corresponding to the self-driving vehicle;
locate a plurality of available parking spaces; and
select the identified available parking space based on an overall parking width that is based on the vehicle clearance, the first clearance distance, and a second clearance distance corresponding to a second parked vehicle located in a second adjacent parking space to the identified available parking space, wherein the overall parking width minimizes wasted space in excess of the overall parking width.

12. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the instructions are further executed by the processors to:
identify that the first parked vehicle is a manually-driven vehicle and that the first adjacent parking space is adjacent to a driver's side of the self-driving and further identifying that the first parked vehicle lacks a passenger-side exit requirement; and
set the first clearance distance to a human-error allotment distance that is less than a vehicle door-opening distance in response to the identifying.

13. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the instructions are further executed by the processors to:
identify that the first parked vehicle is a manually-driven vehicle and that an exit requirement exists between the first parked vehicle and the available parking space; and
set the first clearance distance to a vehicle door-opening distance in response to the identifying.

14. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the instructions that locate, retrieve, and transmit are performed by a mixed use parking lot manager process.

15. A computer program product comprising: a non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising a set of computer instructions, the computer instructions effective to: automatically locate, via one or more object sensors, an available parking space from a plurality of parking spaces, and storing the available parking space in a memory; retrieve a first clearance distance corresponding to a first parked vehicle parked in a first adjacent parking space to the located parking space, wherein the first clearance distance is based on whether the first parked vehicle is manually driven; and transmit, via a wireless communications adapter, an instruction to a self-driving vehicle to park in the located parking space and leaving the first clearance distance between the self-driving vehicle and the first parked vehic

Assignees

• Lenovo Singapore Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Kapinos Robert J
• Kingsbury Timothy W
• Li Scott W
• Vanblon Russell S

Classifications

• G06Q20/3224

  Transactions dependent on location of M-devices · CPC title

• G07F17/246

  provided with vehicle proximity-detectors (detecting hidden masses, e.g. metal detectors, G01V, e.g. G01V3/00; proximity switches per se H03K17/00; traffic control systems G08G1/00) · CPC title

• G07F17/0057

  for the hiring or rent of vehicles, e.g. cars, bicycles or wheelchairs (car rental G07B15/00) · CPC title

• G08G1/143 Primary

  inside the vehicles · CPC title

• G06Q20/145

  Payments according to the detected use or quantity · CPC title