Predictive parking due to weather

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11479239-B2
Application number	US-202017097727-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2020
Priority date	Nov 13, 2020
Publication date	Oct 25, 2022
Grant date	Oct 25, 2022

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure provide a parking method and system for a vehicle. For example, the parking system can include a processor and an output circuit. As another example, the parking system can include the processor and a compelling unit. The processor can be configured to determine whether a first weather condition, such as snowing, raining, icing and hailing, at a first parking location meets a first criterion, and identify, when the first weather condition meets the first criterion, a second parking location at which a second weather condition meets a second criterion different from the first criterion. The output unit can be configured to output an alert to the vehicle parked at the first parking location indicating that the vehicle is to be moved to the second parking location. The compelling unit can be configured to compel the vehicle to move to the second parking location.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A parking method for an autonomous vehicle, comprising:
determining whether a first weather condition at a first parking location meets a first criterion;
identifying, when the first weather condition meets the first criterion, a second parking location at which a second weather condition meets a second criterion different from the first criterion;
outputting with an output unit an alert to the autonomous vehicle parked at the first parking location indicating that the autonomous vehicle is to be moved to the second parking location; and
compelling the autonomous vehicle to move to the second parking location.

2. The parking method of claim 1 , wherein the first weather condition includes snowing, and the first criterion includes at least one of a snowfall amount of the snowing exceeding a snowfall amount threshold and a snowing duration of the snowing being less than a snowing duration threshold.

3. The parking method of claim 1 , wherein the first weather condition includes raining, and the first criterion includes at least one of a rainfall amount of the raining exceeding a rainfall amount threshold and a raining duration being less than a raining duration threshold.

4. The parking method of claim 3 , wherein the first criterion further includes the first parking location being located in a flood zone.

5. The parking method of claim 1 , wherein the first weather condition includes hailing, and the first criterion includes at least one of a hailstone size of the hailing exceeding a hailstone size threshold, a hail thickness of the hailing exceeding a hail thickness threshold and a hailing duration of the hailing exceeding a hailing duration threshold.

6. The parking method of claim 5 , wherein the first criterion further includes the first parking location being uncovered.

7. The parking method of claim 1 , wherein the first weather condition includes icing, and the first criterion includes at least one of an ice amount of the icing exceeding an ice amount threshold and an icy road duration of the icing exceeding an icy road duration threshold.

8. The parking method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining navigation information from the first parking location to the second parking location; and
moving the autonomous vehicle based on the navigation information.

9. The parking method of claim 1 , wherein the parking method includes outputting an alert to the autonomous vehicle parked at the first parking location indicating that the autonomous vehicle is to be moved to the second parking location.

10. A parking system for an autonomous vehicle, comprising:
a memory configured to store a first criterion and a second criterion different from the first criterion;
a processor coupled to the memory that is configured to determine whether a first weather condition at a first parking location meets the first criterion, and identify, when the first weather condition meets the first criterion, a second parking location at which a second weather condition meets the second criterion; and
an output unit coupled to the processor that is configured to output an alert to the autonomous vehicle parked at the first parking location indicating that the autonomous vehicle is to be moved to the second parking location; and
a compelling unit coupled to the processor that is configured to compel the autonomous vehicle to move to the second parking location.

11. The parking system of claim 10 , wherein the first weather condition includes snowing, and the first criterion includes at least one of a snowfall amount of the snowing exceeding a snowfall amount threshold and a snowing duration of the snowing being less than a snowing duration threshold.

12. The parking system of claim 10 , wherein the first weather condition includes raining, and the first criterion includes at least one of a rainfall amount of the raining exceeding a rainfall amount threshold and a raining duration being less than a raining duration threshold.

13. The parking system of claim 12 , wherein the first criterion further includes the first parking location being located in a flooding area.

14. The parking system of claim 10 , wherein the first weather condition includes hailing, and the first criterion includes at least one of a hailstone size of the hailing exceeding a hailstone size threshold, a hail thickness of the hailing exceeding a hail thickness threshold and a hailing duration of the hailing exceeding a hailing duration threshold.

15. The parking system of claim 14 , wherein the first criterion further includes the first parking location being uncovered.

16. The parking system of claim 10 , wherein the first weather condition includes icing, and the first criterion includes at least one of an ice amount of the icing exceeding an ice amount threshold and an icy road duration of the icing exceeding an icing road duration threshold.

17. The parking system of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine navigation information from the first parking location to the second parking location, and move the vehicle based on the navigation information.

18. The parking system of claim 10 , wherein the parking system includes the output unit.

19. The parking system of claim 10 , wherein the parking system includes the compelling unit.

Assignees

• Toyota Res Inst Inc

Inventors

• Arechiga-Gonzalez Nikos
• Kong Soonho
• Decastro Jonathan
• Permenter Frank
• Park Dennis

Classifications

• B60W40/02

  related to ambient conditions · CPC title

• B60W2050/143

  Alarm means · CPC title

• B62D15/0285 Primary

  Parking performed automatically · CPC title

• G08G1/147

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

• G01C21/3685

  the POI's being parking facilities · CPC title