System and method for generating a parking alert

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9758092-B2
Application number	US-201514970184-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 15, 2015
Priority date	Dec 15, 2015
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

Various aspects of a system and method to generate a parking alert are disclosed herein. The system comprises one or more circuits controlled by an electronic control unit (ECU) in a first vehicle. The one or more circuits are configured to detect a second vehicle within a predetermined distance with respect to the first vehicle. A parking violation alert is communicated to the second vehicle and one or more users associated with the second vehicle. The communication of the parking violation alert is based on the detection of the second vehicle within the predetermined distance with respect to the first vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for generation of an alert, comprising:
circuitry in an electronic control unit present in a first vehicle, said circuitry being configured to:
detect a second vehicle within a first distance with respect to said first vehicle;
communicate, based on the detection, a parking violation alert to said detected second vehicle and at least one user terminal associated with said detected second vehicle; and
update at least one map of a parking environment based on parking status information received from said detected second vehicle.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said parking violation alert comprises at least one of an identification of said first vehicle, said first distance, a notification that corresponds to a violation of parking alert, a direction that corresponds to said first distance, or a second distance by which said first distance is breached.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said first distance is based on at least one of a size of said first vehicle, a direction of said first vehicle, or a lane marking on a surface, wherein said first vehicle is located on said surface.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said circuitry is further configured to communicate at least one of a parking alert, said parking violation alert, or a parking acknowledgement notification to said second vehicle based on a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication channel, wherein said V2V communication channel is established between said first vehicle and said second vehicle based on a Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC).

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said circuitry is further configured to communicate said parking violation alert to said second vehicle based on remote access of a Digital Information Console (DIC) of said second vehicle,
wherein said communicated parking violation alert is displayed at said DIC.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said circuitry is further configured to communicate said parking violation alert to said second vehicle based on at least one of honking by said first vehicle, a projection of a laser beam from said first vehicle, alert information, or blinking of indicators of said first vehicle.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one user terminal corresponds to an owner of said second vehicle.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said circuitry is further configured to communicate:
a parking alert to said second vehicle, wherein said parking alert provides an assistance to said second vehicle to park within said first distance; and
a parking acknowledgement notification to said second vehicle based on said second vehicle parked beyond said first distance from said first vehicle.

9. A system to monitor a parking environment, comprising:
circuitry in a parking control unit, said circuitry being configured to:
determine parking status information based on vehicle data received from a set of first vehicles or at least one captured image of said parking environment;
generate a parking violation alert for a second vehicle based on said determined parking status information;
communicate said generated parking violation alert to said second vehicle and at least one user terminal associated with said second vehicle, wherein said communicated parking violation alert comprises an identifier of at least one first vehicle of said set of first vehicles; and
update at least one map of said parking environment based on said determined parking status information.

10. The system according to claim 9 , wherein said circuitry is further configured to detect a movement of said second vehicle within a distance of said at least one first vehicle of said set of first vehicles.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein said circuitry is further configured to detect said movement of said second vehicle, based on at least one of a plurality of ultrasonic sensors, an imaging device, a radio detection and ranging (RADAR) unit coupled with a camera, or a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) unit, installed on said parking control unit.

12. The system according to claim 9 , wherein said circuitry is further configured to determine at least one path for a movement of each of said set of first vehicles based on said determined parking status information.

13. The system according to claim 9 , wherein said circuitry is further configured to establish a communication channel with said set of first vehicles based on an infrastructure-to-vehicle (I2V) network, wherein said I2V network is based on a Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC) protocol.

14. The system according to claim 13 , wherein said circuitry is further configured to receive said determined parking status information from at least one second vehicle of said set of first vehicles based on said established communication channel.

15. The system according to claim 9 , wherein said circuitry is further configured to receive, from at least one second vehicle of said set of first vehicles or said second vehicle, at least one of a Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC) message identification, a latitude, a longitude, an elevation, a position accuracy, a transmission and a speed heading, a steering angle, an acceleration, a brake system status, a size, a direction, or an identifier.

16. The system according to claim 9 , wherein said determined parking status information comprises at least one of an availability of a nearest parking space adjacent to at least one second vehicle of said set of first vehicles, a size of an available nearest parking space adjacent to said at least one second vehicle of said set of first vehicles, a size of said at least one second vehicle of said set of first vehicles, or a distance with respect to said at least one second vehicle of said set of first vehicles.

17. The system according to claim 9 , wherein said at least one user terminal corresponds to an owner of said second vehicle.

18. A first vehicle comprising:
a battery unit;
a display device; and
circuitry in an electronic control unit (ECU) used in said first vehicle, said circuitry being configured to:
detect a second vehicle within a distance with respect to said first vehicle, wherein said first vehicle is stationary;
communicate, based on the detection, a parking violation alert to said detected second vehicle and at least one user terminal associated with said second vehicle; and
update at least one map of a parking environment based on parking status information received from said detected second vehicle,
wherein said parking status information corresponding to said detected second vehicle within said distance with respect to said first vehicle, is indicated on said display device which is powered by said battery unit.

19. A method for generation of an alert, comprising:
detecting, by a first vehicle, a second vehicle within a distance with respect to said first vehicle;
communicating, based on the detection, by said first vehicle, a parking violation alert to said detected second vehicle and at least one user terminal associated with said detected second vehicle; and
updating, by said first vehicle, at least one map of a parking environment based on parking status information received from said detected second vehicle.

20. A method for monitoring a parking environment, comprising:
determining, by a parking control unit, parking status information based on vehicle data received from a set of first vehicles or at least one captured image

Assignees

• Sony Corp

Inventors

• PAL Pralay Kumar
• Chintalapoodi Pramod
• Tanaka Sho

Classifications

• G08G1/163

  involving continuous checking · CPC title

• B60Q5/005

  automatically actuated · CPC title

• B60Q1/48 Primary

  for parking purposes · CPC title

• G08G1/149 Primary

  coupled to means for restricting the access to the parking space, e.g. authorization, access barriers, indicative lights · CPC title