Driving assistance device for vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12033401-B2
Application number	US-202217829870-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 1, 2022
Priority date	Jun 29, 2021
Publication date	Jul 9, 2024
Grant date	Jul 9, 2024

Abstract

A driving assistance device for a vehicle includes a traveling environment recognizer, a parking space detector, an evaluation value calculator, and a parking space setter. The traveling environment recognizer is configured to recognize traveling environment information related to an outside of the vehicle. The parking space detector is configured to, in a case where the vehicle has entered a parking lot, detect one or more parking spaces available to the vehicle based on the traveling environment information. The evaluation value calculator is configured to calculate one or more evaluation values for the one or more parking spaces, each of the one or more evaluation values including an exit hindrance factor as an evaluation item. The parking space setter is configured to select, with priority, a parking space for parking the vehicle from among the one or more parking spaces. The evaluation value of the parking space is relatively high.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A driving assistance device for a vehicle, the driving assistance device comprising:
a traveling environment recognizer configured to recognize traveling environment information related to an outside of the vehicle;
a parking space detector configured to, in a case where the vehicle has entered a parking lot, detect parking spaces available to the vehicle based on the traveling environment information;
an evaluation value calculator configured to calculate an evaluation value for each of the parking spaces, the evaluation value reflecting an exit hindrance factor as an evaluation item; and
a parking space setter configured to select, with priority, a parking space for parking the vehicle from among the parking spaces based on the evaluation value for each of the parking space,
wherein the evaluation value of the parking space calculated by the evaluation value calculator is higher than the evaluation value for any remaining parking space.

2. The driving assistance device for the vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the evaluation value calculator is configured to evaluate a possible exit direction of the vehicle from each of the parking spaces as the exit hindrance factor.

3. The driving assistance device for the vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the evaluation value calculator is configured to evaluate a surface condition in each of the parking spaces as the exit hindrance factor.

4. The driving assistance device for the vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the evaluation value calculator is configured to evaluate a surface condition in each of the parking spaces as the exit hindrance factor.

5. The driving assistance device for the vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein the evaluation value calculator is configured to evaluate the surface condition at least based on whether snow is present on a surface of each of the parking spaces.

6. The driving assistance device for the vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the evaluation value calculator is configured to evaluate the surface condition at least based on whether snow is present on a surface of each of the parking spaces.

7. The driving assistance device for the vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the evaluation value calculator is configured to evaluate an inclination of each of the parking spaces as the exit hindrance factor.

8. The driving assistance device for the vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the evaluation value calculator is configured to evaluate an inclination of each of the parking spaces as the exit hindrance factor.

9. The driving assistance device for the vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein the evaluation value calculator is configured to evaluate an inclination of each of the parking spaces as the exit hindrance factor.

10. The driving assistance device for the vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the evaluation value calculator is configured to evaluate an inclination of each of the parking spaces as the exit hindrance factor.

11. The driving assistance device for the vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein the evaluation value calculator is configured to evaluate an inclination of each of the parking spaces as the exit hindrance factor.

12. The driving assistance device for the vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein the evaluation value calculator is configured to evaluate an inclination of each of the parking spaces as the exit hindrance factor.

13. The driving assistance device for the vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the evaluation value calculator is configured to calculate the evaluation value of the parking spaces so that the evaluation value of the parking spaces becomes higher as the exit hindrance factor decreases.

14. The driving assistance device for the vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the evaluation value calculator is configured to:
determine, based on the traveling environment information, whether a possible exit direction from a given parking space among the parking spaces of which evaluation value is to be calculated is two forward and reverse directions, a forward direction, or a reverse direction;
in response to determining that the possible exit direction is the two forward and reverse directions, calculate the evaluation value of the given parking space as a first value;
in response to determining that the possible exit direction is the forward direction, calculate the evaluation value of the given parking space as a second value lower than the first value; and
in response to determining that the possible exit direction is the reverse direction, calculate the evaluation value of the given parking space as a third value lower than the second value.

15. The driving assistance device for the vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the evaluation value calculator is configured to:
determine, based on the traveling environment information, whether there is snow in a given parking space among the parking spaces of which evaluation value is to be calculated;
in response to determining that there is no snow in the given parking space, calculate the evaluation value of the given parking space as a first value; and
in response to determining that there is snow in the given parking space, calculate the evaluation value of the given parking space as a second value lower than the first value.

16. The driving assistance device for the vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the evaluation value calculator is configured to:
determine, based on the traveling environment information, whether there is snow in a given parking space among the parking spaces of which evaluation value is to be calculated;
in response to determining that there is no snow in the given parking space, calculate the evaluation value of the given parking space as a first value;
in response to determining that there is snow in the given parking space, determine whether a road surface of the given parking space has compacted snow or noncompacted snow;
in response to determining that the road surface of the given parking space has compacted snow, calculate the evaluation value of the given parking space as a second value lower than the first value; and
in response to determining that the road surface of the given parking space has non compacted snow, calculate the evaluation value of the given parking space as a third value lower than the second value.

17. The driving assistance device for the vehicle according to claim 16 ,
wherein the evaluation value calculator is configured to:
in response to the determining that there is snow in the given parking space, calculate height from a road surface on which a wheel of the vehicle is in contact to a surface of snow on the given parking space;
when the calculated height is less than or equal to a predetermined value, determine that the road surface of the given parking space has compacted snow; and
when the calculated height is greater than the predetermined value, determine that the road surface of the given parking space has non-compacted snow.

18. The driving assistance device for the vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the evaluation value calculator is configured to:
determine, based on the traveling environment information, whether an inclination of a road surface of a given parking space among the parking spaces of which evaluation value is to be calculated is flat, downhill in an exit direction, or uphill in the exit direction;
in response to determining that the inclination of the road surface of the given parking space is flat, calculate the evaluation value

Assignees

• Subaru Corp

Inventors

• Harada Reo
• Koiji Masayoshi
• Yagi Otoki
• Heta Tomomi
• Nguyen Cong Kien

Classifications

• G01C21/3461

  Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types or segments such as motorways, toll roads or ferries · CPC title

• G06V20/588

  Recognition of the road, e.g. of lane markings; Recognition of the vehicle driving pattern in relation to the road · CPC title

• B62D15/027

  Parking aids, e.g. instruction means · CPC title

• G01C21/3602

  Input other than that of destination using image analysis, e.g. detection of road signs, lanes, buildings, real preceding vehicles using a camera · CPC title

• G01C21/3685

  the POI's being parking facilities · CPC title