# US 10,308,243 B2 · Vehicle remote park assist with occupant detection > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,308,243 B2 - Document ID: US10308243B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/220,083 - Filed: 2016-07-26 - Published: 2018-02-01 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-26 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Erick Michael Lavoie - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10308243B2 ## CPC - B60W 30/06: Automatic manoeuvring for parking - B60W 50/14: Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention - B62D 15/027: {Parking aids, e.g. instruction means} - B62D 15/0285: {Parking performed automatically} - G06N 7/01: Probabilistic graphical models, e.g. probabilistic networks - B60W 2050/143: {Alarm means} - B60W 2420/403: Image sensing, e.g. optical camera - B60W 2420/408: Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar - B60W 2420/54: Audio sensitive means, e.g. ultrasound - B60W 2754/30: Longitudinal distance - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT - B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M) - G06N: COMPUTING ARRANGEMENTS BASED ON SPECIFIC COMPUTATIONAL MODELS ## Abstract Systems and methods are disclosed for vehicle remote park assist with occupant detection. An example disclosed vehicle includes range detection sensors and a remote parking unit. The example range detection sensors determine whether a target parking space is narrow. The example remote parking unit, in response to a request from a mobile device external to the vehicle, when the target parking space is narrow, scans, with occupant detection sensors, the interior of the vehicle. Additionally, the example remote parking unit, in response to detecting an occupant in the vehicle, sends a first notification to the mobile device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle comprising: range detection sensors to determine whether a target parking space is narrow; and a remote parking unit to: responsive to a request from a mobile device external to the vehicle: when the target parking space is narrow: scan, with occupant detection sensors, an interior of the vehicle; and responsive to detecting no occupants in the vehicle, send, to the mobile device, a first notification indicating that the target parking space is narrow. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the range detection sensors include at least one of a plurality of ultrasonic sensors, a RADAR, a LiDAR, an infrared sensors, or a camera. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the occupant detection sensors include at least one of an ultrasonic sensor, a weight sensor, a camera, a heartbeat sensor, or an RFID reader. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the target parking space is narrow when a width of the target parking space is less than a width of the vehicle with doors of the vehicle open to facilitate entering and exiting the vehicle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein when the target parking space is not narrow, the remote parking unit is to determine a likelihood that the target parking space will become narrow. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the remote parking unit is to, when the target parking space is likely to become narrow, scan, the with occupant detection sensors, the interior of the vehicle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the remote parking unit is to determine the likelihood at least in part by receiving navigation data from an external server, the navigation data indicating one or more locations with a narrow parking space. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the remote parking unit is to determine the likelihood at least in part by scanning, via the range detection sensors: one or more parking spaces that are similar to the target parking space; and one or more objects surrounding the one or more parking spaces. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the remote parking unit is to, in response to detecting an occupant in the vehicle, activate a warning produced by the vehicle. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the warning includes at least one of activating a horn in a short burst pattern, flashing lights of the vehicle, or activating hazard light of the vehicle. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the remote parking unit is to, when the target parking space is narrow, send a second notification to the mobile device. ### Claim 12 A method to remotely park a vehicle comprising: determining, with range detection sensors, whether a target parking space is narrow; in response to a request from a mobile device external to the vehicle: when the target parking space is narrow: scanning, with occupant detection sensors, an interior of the vehicle; and in response to detecting no occupants in the vehicle, sending, via a processor, to the mobile device, a first notification indicating that the target parking space is narrow. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the range detection sensors include at least one of a plurality of ultrasonic sensors, a RADAR, a LiDAR, an infrared sensors, or a camera. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the occupant detection sensors include at least one of an ultrasonic sensor, a weight sensor, a camera, a heartbeat sensor, or an RFID reader. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the target parking space is narrow when a width of the target parking space is less than a width of the vehicle with doors of the vehicle open to facilitate entering and exiting the vehicle. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, including, when the target parking space is not narrow, determining a likelihood that the target parking space will become narrow. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, including, when the target parking space is likely to become narrow, scanning, the with occupant detection sensors, the interior of the vehicle. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, including, in response to detecting an occupant in the vehicle, activating a warning produced by the vehicle. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein activating the warning includes at least one of activating a horn in a short burst pattern, flashing lights of the vehicle, or activating hazard light of the vehicle. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, including, when the target parking space is narrow, sending a second notification to the mobile device. ### Claim 21 A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising instruction that, when executed, cause a vehicle to: determine, with range detection sensors, whether a target parking space is narrow; in response to a request from a mobile device external to the vehicle: when the target parking space is narrow; scan, with occupant detection sensors, an interior of the vehicle; and in response to detecting no occupants in the vehicle, send, to the mobile device, a first notification indicating that the target parking space is narrow.