Autonomous parking methods and systems for autonomous vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018357906-A1
Application number	US-201715620434-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 12, 2017
Priority date	Jun 12, 2017
Publication date	Dec 13, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for an autonomous vehicle to perform an autonomous parking maneuver is provided. The method includes operating the autonomous vehicle to a destination and then operating the autonomous vehicle to a first parking location at the destination utilizing stored first coordinates of the first parking location. Next the autonomous vehicle determines whether the first parking location is available and performs the autonomous parking maneuver at the first location when the first parking location is available.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for programming an autonomous vehicle to perform an autonomous parking maneuver, comprising:
operating the autonomous vehicle to a first parking location; and storing data representing first coordinates for the first parking location; wherein the autonomous vehicle may perform a next autonomous parking maneuver using the first coordinates when the first parking location is available.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
operating the autonomous vehicle to a second parking location; and storing data representing second coordinates for the second parking location; wherein the autonomous vehicle may perform a next autonomous parking maneuver using the first coordinates when the first parking location is available and utilizing the second coordinates when the first parking location is not available and the second parking location is available.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing destination information associated with the first parking location.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing a value representing a number of parking locations adjacent to the first parking location in which the autonomous vehicle may perform a next autonomous parking maneuver when the first parking location is not available.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first parking location comprises a temporary parking location and the method further comprises storing data representing a parking time limit for parking in the temporary parking location.

6 . A method for an autonomous vehicle to perform an autonomous parking maneuver, comprising:
operating the autonomous vehicle to a destination; operating the autonomous vehicle to a first parking location at the destination utilizing stored first coordinates of the first parking location; determining whether the first parking location is available; and performing the autonomous parking maneuver at the first location when the first parking location is available.

7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising performing the autonomous parking maneuver at any available parking location when the first parking location is not available.

8 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
operating the autonomous vehicle to a second parking location at the destination utilizing stored second coordinates of the second parking location when the first parking location is not available; determining whether the second parking location is available; and performing the autonomous parking maneuver at the second location when the second parking location is available.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising performing the autonomous parking maneuver at any available parking location when the first and second parking locations are not available.

10 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
determining whether one of a predetermined number of parking locations adjacent to the first parking location is available; and performing the autonomous parking maneuver at any available parking location of the predetermined number of parking locations adjacent to the first parking location.

11 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the first parking location comprises a temporary parking location and the method further comprises:
performing the autonomous parking maneuver at the temporary parking location when the temporary parking location is available; determining whether a parking time limit for parking at the temporary parking location has expired; remaining in the temporarily parking locating until the parking time period has expired; and operating the autonomous vehicle away from the temporary parking location after the parking time period has expired.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising returning to the temporary parking location after a time period to determine whether the temporary parking location has become available.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising performing the autonomous parking maneuver at any available parking location when the temporary parking location remains unavailable.

14 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising operating the autonomous vehicle away from the temporary parking location when the temporary parking location is not available and returning to the temporary parking location after a time period to determine whether the temporary parking location has become available.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising performing the autonomous parking maneuver at the any available parking location when the temporary parking location remains unavailable.

16 . A method for performing a drop off/pick up operation via an autonomous vehicle, comprising:
operating the autonomous vehicle to a destination; operating the autonomous vehicle to a temporary parking location at the destination utilizing stored coordinates of the temporary parking location; determining whether the temporary parking location is available; and performing the autonomous parking maneuver at the temporary location when the temporary parking location is available; and remaining in the temporary parking location until the drop off/pick up operation is complete or a parking time limit has expired.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the autonomous vehicle determines that the drop off/pick up operation is complete upon receiving an instruction to proceed to another destination.

18 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising returning to the temporary parking location after a time period to determine whether the temporary parking location has become available.

19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising performing the autonomous parking maneuver at any available parking location when the temporary parking location remains unavailable.

20 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising performing the autonomous parking maneuver at any available parking location after the parking time limit expires.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Yaldo Valor
• Song Xiaofeng F

Classifications

• G08G1/142

  external to the vehicles · CPC title

• G08G1/144

  on portable or mobile units, e.g. personal digital assistant [PDA] · CPC title

• G08G1/202

  Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching · CPC title

• B62D15/0285 Primary

  Parking performed automatically · CPC title

• G08G1/146

  where the parking area is a limited parking space, e.g. parking garage, restricted space · CPC title