Systems and methods for detecting parking spot numbers for use by a machine learning model to predict available spots

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12536908-B2
Application number	US-202318212983-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2023
Priority date	Jun 22, 2023
Publication date	Jan 27, 2026
Grant date	Jan 27, 2026

Abstract

In some implementations, the device may include receiving, via an image sensor associated with a vehicle, an image of a parking area. In addition, the device may include determining that the image of the parking area includes an available parking spot; analyzing the image of the parking area to locate a number associated with the available parking spot; determining that the vehicle is entering the available parking spot; creating, in response to the vehicle entering the available parking spot, a generated image that includes the number associated with the available parking spot based on the image of the parking area; and displaying the generated image on a vehicle display in response to the vehicle occupying the available parking spot.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for recognizing numbers associated with parking spots, the method comprising:
receiving, via an image sensor associated with a vehicle, an image of a parking area; determining that the image of the parking area includes an available parking spot; analyzing the image of the parking area to locate a physical number in the image associated with the available parking spot; determining that the vehicle is entering the available parking spot; creating, in response to the vehicle entering the available parking spot, a generated image that includes the physical number associated with the available parking spot based on the image of the parking area; and displaying the generated image on a vehicle display in response to the vehicle occupying the available parking spot.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the available parking spot is recognized based on lines visible in the image of the parking area.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein identification of the physical number associated with the available parking spot is determined via a processor programmed to perform optical character recognition.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the image of the parking area is received in response to the vehicle traveling at a speed below a predetermined threshold.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sending, to a user device, via a network, a notification which includes the generated image and the physical number associated with the available parking spot after a predetermined amount of time, where the predetermined amount of time indicates a time limit associated with the available parking spot.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the predetermined amount of time is received, via an interface with a computing device associated with the parking area.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
storing a metadata associated with the image of the parking area; training a machine learning model based on a stored image of the parking area, a stored number associated with the available parking spot, and the stored metadata associated with the image of the parking area; receiving, from the vehicle, a vehicle location and a current time; determining, by the machine learning model, an at least one available parking spot based on the vehicle location and the current time; and displaying to a user, via the vehicle display, the at least one available parking spot in the parking area associated with the vehicle location.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
analyzing the image of the parking area to locate a special status associated with the available parking spot, wherein the special status may include at least one of a handicap privileges, a compact car privileges, and an electric charging privileges; receiving, from the user, a request to find the available parking spot having the special status; determining, by the machine learning model, the at least one available parking spot based on the vehicle location, the current time, and the special status; and displaying, on the vehicle display, the at least one available parking spot in the parking area associated with the vehicle location and the special status.

9 . A device for recognizing numbers associated with parking spots comprising:
one or more processors configured to:
receive, via an image sensor associated with a vehicle, an image of a parking area;
determine that the image of the parking area includes an available parking spot;
analyze the image of the parking area to locate a physical number in the image associated with the available parking spot;
determine that the vehicle is entering the available parking spot;
create, in response to the vehicle entering the available parking spot, a generated image that includes the physical number associated with the available parking spot based on the image of the parking area; and
display the generated image on a vehicle display in response to the vehicle occupying the available parking spot.

10 . The device of claim 9 , wherein the available parking spot is recognized based on lines visible in the image of the parking area.

11 . The device of claim 9 , wherein identification of the physical number associated with the available parking spot is determined via a processor programmed to perform optical character recognition.

12 . The device of claim 9 , wherein the image of the parking area is received in response to the vehicle traveling at a speed below a predetermined threshold.

13 . The device of claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
send, to a user device, via a network, a notification which includes the generated image and the physical number associated with the available parking spot after a predetermined amount of time, where the predetermined amount of time indicates a time limit associated with the available parking spot.

14 . The device of claim 13 , wherein the predetermined amount of time is received, via an interface with a computing device associated with the parking area.

15 . The device of claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
store a metadata associated with the image of the parking area; train a machine learning model based on a stored image of the parking area, a stored number associated with the available parking spot, and the stored metadata associated with the image of the parking area; receive, from the vehicle, a vehicle location and a current time; determine, by the machine learning model, an at least one available parking spot based on the vehicle location and the current time; and display to a user, via the vehicle display, the at least one available parking spot in the parking area associated with the vehicle location.

16 . The device of claim 15 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
analyze the image of the parking area to locate a special status associated with the available parking spot, wherein the special status may include at least one of a handicap privileges, a compact car privileges, and an electric charging privileges; receive, from the user, a request to find the available parking spot having the special status; determine, by the machine learning model, the at least one available parking spot based on the vehicle location, the current time, and the special status; and display, on the vehicle display, the at least one available parking spot in the parking area associated with the vehicle location and the special status.

17 . A system for recognizing numbers associated with parking spots comprising:
one or more processors configured to: receive, via an image sensor associated with a vehicle, an image of a parking area; determine that the image of the parking area includes an available parking spot; analyze the image of the parking area to locate a physical number in the image associated with the available parking spot; determine that the vehicle is entering the available parking spot; create, in response to the vehicle entering the available parking spot, a generated image that includes the physical number associated with the available parking spot based on the image of the parking area; and display the generated image on a vehicle display in response to the vehicle occupying the available parking spot.

18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
send, to a user device, via a network, a notification which includes the generated image and the physical number ass

Assignees

• Connaught Electronics Ltd

Inventors

• Scott Daniel Bartram

Classifications

• G06V2201/10

  Recognition assisted with metadata · CPC title

• G06V30/18 Primary

  Extraction of features or characteristics of the image · CPC title

• G06V20/63

  Scene text, e.g. street names · 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

• G06V20/586

  of parking space · CPC title