Determining a parking position based on visual and non-visual factors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9679485-B2
Application number	US-201514851546-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 11, 2015
Priority date	Sep 11, 2015
Publication date	Jun 13, 2017
Grant date	Jun 13, 2017

Abstract

A computer-implemented method includes: receiving, by a computing device, images of adjacent vehicles parked directly adjacent to an open parking space; determining, by the computing device, visual factors and non-visual factors of the adjacent vehicles based on the images; determining, by the computing device, risk scores for each of the adjacent vehicles based on the visual factor and the non-visual factors; determining, by the computing device, a parking position within the open parking space based on the risk scores; and outputting, by the computing device, information regarding the parking position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving, by a computing device through computer network communication, images of adjacent vehicles parked directly adjacent to an open parking space;
determining, by the computing device, visual factors and non-visual factors of the adjacent vehicles based on the images by obtaining data from a dedicated database;
determining, by the computing device, risk scores for each of the adjacent vehicles based on the visual factors and the non-visual factors;
determining, by the computing device, a parking position within the open parking space based on the risk scores; and
outputting, by the computing device through the computer network communication, information regarding the parking position to a user device to aid the user in parking the user's vehicle in the open parking space in accordance with the information regarding the parking position.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the images are received from one or more camera devices implemented in an autonomous vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the parking position is closer to the adjacent vehicle having a lower risk score.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the non-visual factors is based on vehicle identification information included in the images.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the images are received from one or more camera devices associated with a parking facility.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the visual factors include one or more of:
overall vehicle size;
door size;
door type;
condition; and
distance to another adjacent parked vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the non-visual factors include one or more of:
vehicle history information,
vehicle accident history information,
and
published vehicle data.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the visual and the non-visual factors are weighted, and wherein determining the risk scores is based on the weightings.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a risk score for the open parking space based on the risk scores of each adjacent vehicle; and
outputting the risk score for the open parking space.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein a service provider at least one of creates, maintains, deploys and supports the computing device via the computer network communication.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein steps of claim 1 are provided by a service provider on a subscription, advertising, and/or fee basis via the computer network communication.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the computing device includes software provided as a service in a cloud environment associated with a computer network.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising deploying a system for selecting a parking space and providing navigation direction to the selected parking space, comprising providing a computer infrastructure operable to perform the steps of claim 1 .

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the parking position within the open parking space based on the risk scores further includes determining the parking position as relatively closer to a lower risk adjacent vehicle based on the risk scores.

15. A computer program product for determining a parking position for a vehicle, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions being executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to:
receive images of adjacent vehicles parked directly adjacent to an open parking space when a user of an autonomous vehicle instructs the autonomous vehicle to park in the open parking space;
determine visual factors and non-visual factors of the adjacent vehicles based on the images;
determine risk scores for each of the adjacent vehicles based on the visual factors and the non-visual factors;
determine a parking position within the parking space based on the risk scores; and
output information regarding the parking position to the user of the autonomous vehicle or to a vehicle interface system of the autonomous vehicle to cause the autonomous vehicle to park in the open space in accordance with the determined parking position.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the parking position is closer to the adjacent vehicle having a lower risk score.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the program instructions to determine the non-visual factors cause the computing device to determine the non-visual factors based on vehicle identification information included in the images.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the visual factors include one or more of:
overall vehicle size;
vehicle door size;
vehicle door type;
vehicle condition;
and
distance to another adjacent parked vehicle.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the non-visual factors include one or more of:
vehicle history information;
vehicle accident history information;
and
published vehicle data.

20. A system comprising:
a CPU, a computer readable memory and a computer readable storage medium associated with a computing device;
program instructions to receive images of adjacent vehicles parked directly adjacent to an open parking space;
program instructions to determine visual factors and non-visual factors of the adjacent vehicles based on the images;
program instructions to determine risk scores for each of the adjacent vehicles based on the visual factors and the non-visual factors;
program instructions to determine a risk score for the open parking space based on the risk scores of each adjacent vehicle;
program instructions to determine a parking position within the parking space based on the risk scores;
program instructions to output information regarding the parking position to a user device to aid the user in parking the user's vehicle in the open parking space in accordance with the information regarding the parking position; and
program instructions to output the risk score for the open parking space,
wherein the program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage medium for execution by the CPU via the computer readable memory.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Bostick James E
• Ganci Jr John M
• Keen Martin G
• Rakshit Sarbajit K

Classifications

• G08G1/143 Primary

  inside the vehicles · CPC title

• B62D15/0285 Primary

  Parking performed automatically · CPC title

• G08G1/0175

  by photographing vehicles, e.g. when violating traffic rules · CPC title

• G06V20/586

  of parking space · CPC title

• G06V2201/08

  Detecting or categorising vehicles · CPC title