Vehicle parking navigation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11348343-B1
Application number	US-202017126309-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 18, 2020
Priority date	Dec 18, 2020
Publication date	May 31, 2022
Grant date	May 31, 2022

Abstract

A sub-area in an area is identified as an authorized sub-area for a vehicle to access based on detecting a first object in the sub-area from first sensor data. Then a parameter of the first object is determined from the first sensor data. Upon detecting a second object in the sub-area from second sensor data, a parameter of the second object is determined based on the second sensor data. The sub-area is determined valid based on determining the parameter of the second object is different than the parameter of the first object.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system, comprising a computer including a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:
upon approaching a sub-area in an area, identify the sub-area as an authorized sub-area for a vehicle to access based on detecting a first object in the sub-area from first sensor data;
then determine a parameter of the first object from the first sensor data;
upon approaching the sub-area at a future time, detect a second object in the sub-area from second sensor data obtained at the future time;
then determine a parameter of the second object based on the second sensor data; and
determine the sub-area is valid based on determining the parameter of the second object is different than the parameter of the first object;
wherein the sub-area is a ground surface area sized to accommodate at most one of the vehicle, the first object, or the second object at a given time.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to, upon determining the sub-area is valid, update a map of the area to include the valid sub-area.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to, upon identifying the sub-area, update a map of the area to include the authorized sub-area.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to, upon approaching the valid sub-area at a second future time and detecting the valid sub-area is unoccupied from third sensor data obtained at the second future time, operate the vehicle into the valid sub-area.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to, upon identifying the sub-area, determine a location of the vehicle and then operate the vehicle to move away from the sub-area.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to obtain the second sensor data based on the vehicle returning to the location at the future time.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to detect the sub-area based on a map of the area.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to detect the sub-area based on the first sensor data.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to prevent the vehicle from operating into an invalid sub-area.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to, upon identifying the first object and the second object, determine the sub-area is valid based further on the first object being different than the second object.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein each parameter is a dimension of the respective object.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein each parameter is an orientation of the respective object relative to the vehicle.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to determine the sub-area is valid based further on a map of the area.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to determine the sub-area is invalid based on determining, via the second sensor data, that the sub-area is unoccupied.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to identify the sub-area as unauthorized based on determining, via the first sensor data, that the sub-area is unoccupied.

16. A method, comprising:
upon approaching a sub-area in an area, identifying the sub-area as an authorized sub-area for a vehicle to access based on detecting a first object in the sub-area from first sensor data;
then determining a parameter of the first object from the first sensor data;
upon approaching the sub-area at a future time, detecting a second object in the sub-area from second sensor data obtained at the future time;
then determining a parameter of the second object based on the second sensor data; and
determining the sub-area is valid based on determining the parameter of the second object is different than the parameter of the first object;
wherein the sub-area is a ground surface area sized to accommodate at most one of the vehicle, the first object, or the second object at a given time.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising, upon determining the sub-area is valid, updating a map of the area to include the valid sub-area.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising, upon identifying the first object and the second object, determining the sub-area is valid based further on the first object being different than the second object.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein each parameter is a dimension of the respective object.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein each parameter is an orientation of the respective object relative to the vehicle.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Ma Chenhao
• Pak Tony Tae-Jin
• Golgiri Hamid M
• Benmimoun Ahmed

Classifications

• G08G1/168

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

• G08G1/143

  inside the vehicles · CPC title

• B62D15/0285

  Parking performed automatically · CPC title

• G06V20/586 Primary

  of parking space · CPC title

• G06V20/58

  Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads · CPC title