# US 10,308,244 B2 · Systems for automatic driverless movement for self-parking processing

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- Number: US 10,308,244 B2
- Document ID: US10308244B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/444,328
- Filed: 2017-02-28
- Published: 2017-06-15
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2011-04-22
- Assignees: Emerging Automotive, LLC
- Applicants: Emerging Automotive, LLC
- Inventors: Angel A. Penilla; Albert S. Penilla
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10308244B2

## CPC

- B60L 53/14: Conductive energy transfer
- B60L 3/0015: {Prevention of collisions}
- B60L 50/66: {Arrangements of batteries}
- B60L 53/305: {Communication interfaces}
- B60L 53/31: Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
- B60L 53/65: involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
- B60L 53/665: {Methods related to measuring, billing or payment}
- B60L 53/68: Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
- B60L 53/80: Exchanging energy storage elements, e.g. removable batteries
- B60L 58/12: responding to state of charge [SoC]
- B60W 10/184: with wheel brakes
- B60W 10/20: including control of steering systems
- B60W 30/06: Automatic manoeuvring for parking
- B60W 30/08: {Active safety systems} predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision {or attempting to minimise its consequences}
- B60W 30/09: Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
- B60W 30/095: Predicting travel path or likelihood of collision
- B60W 50/082: {Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling}
- B60W 50/16: Tactile feedback to the driver, e.g. vibration or force feedback to the driver on the steering wheel or the accelerator pedal
- B62D 15/029: {Steering assistants using warnings or proposing actions to the driver without influencing the steering system}
- G01C 21/3407: {specially adapted for specific applications}
- G01C 21/3469: {Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects}
- G01C 21/3679: {Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities (G01C21/3611 takes precedence)}
- G01S 5/0072: {Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems}
- G01S 13/931: of land vehicles
- G01S 17/931: of land vehicles
- G05D 1/00: Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots (drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00)
- G05D 1/0011: {associated with a remote control arrangement}
- G05D 1/0022: {characterised by the communication link (data switching networks in general H04L12/00)}
- G05D 1/0088: {characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours (using knowledge based models G06N5/00)}
- G05D 1/021: {specially adapted to land vehicles}
- G05D 1/0278: {using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS}
- G05D 1/226: Communication links with the remote-control arrangements
- G05D 1/246: using environment maps, e.g. simultaneous localisation and mapping [SLAM]
- G06Q 10/02: Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
- G06Q 10/20: Administration of product repair or maintenance
- G06Q 20/18: involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
- G06Q 20/308: {using the Internet of Things}
- G06Q 30/0201: Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
- G06Q 30/0643: {graphically representing goods, e.g. 3D product representation}
- G06Q 30/0645: Rental transactions; Leasing transactions
- G06Q 50/06: Energy or water supply
- G07C 5/008: {communicating information to a remotely located station (transmission systems for measured values G08C)}
- G07C 5/02: Registering or indicating driving, working, idle, or waiting time only (apparatus forming part of taximeters G07B13/00)
- G07F 15/005: {dispensed for the electrical charging of vehicles (electrical charging as such, B60L50/00)}
- G08G 1/161: {Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication}
- G08G 1/162: {event-triggered}
- G08G 1/163: {involving continuous checking}
- G08G 1/165: {for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees}
- G08G 1/166: {for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes}
- G08G 1/168: {Driving aids for parking, e.g. acoustic or visual feedback on parking space}
- H04W 4/02: Services making use of location information
- H04W 4/024: Guidance services
- B60L 2240/547: Voltage
- B60L 2240/622: by satellite navigation
- B60L 2240/70: Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
- B60L 2260/22: Standstill, e.g. zero speed
- B60L 2260/32: Auto pilot mode
- B60R 2300/105: using multiple cameras
- B60R 2300/50: characterised by the display information being shared, e.g. external display, data transfer to other traffic participants or centralised traffic controller
- B60R 2300/70: characterised by an event-triggered choice to display a specific image among a selection of captured images
- B60W 2050/143: {Alarm means}
- B60W 2554/00: Input parameters relating to objects
- B60W 2554/4041: Position
- B60W 2554/801: Lateral distance
- B60W 2554/806: Relative heading
- B60W 2556/00: Input parameters relating to data
- B60W 2556/50: of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
- B60W 2556/65: Data transmitted between vehicles
- B60W 2754/10: Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
- B62D 15/0265: {Automatic obstacle avoidance by steering}
- G01S 2013/9316: {combined with communication equipment with other vehicles or with base stations}
- G01S 2013/932: {using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction}
- G01S 2013/9321: {Velocity regulation, e.g. cruise control}
- H04W 4/80: Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
- H04W 84/12: WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
- Y02D 30/70: in wireless communication networks
- Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
- Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
- Y02T 10/72: Electric energy management in electromobility
- Y02T 90/12: Electric charging stations
- Y02T 90/14: Plug-in electric vehicles
- Y02T 90/16: Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
- Y02T 90/167: Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
- Y04S 30/14: Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing
- B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
- 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)
- G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S)
- G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
- G07F: COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS (coin sorting G07D3/00; coin testing G07D5/00; {handling coins or paper currencies apart from payment activated apparatus G07D; payment architectures, schemes or protocols G06Q20/00})
- G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93})
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)
- B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
- Y04S: SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS

## Abstract

A method for navigating a vehicle automatically from a current location to a destination location without a human operator is disclosed. The method includes identifying a vehicle location using global positioning system (GPS) data regarding the vehicle. Also included is identifying that the vehicle location is near or at a parking location. Then, using mapping data defined for the parking location. The mapping data at least in part is used to find a path at the parking location to avoid a collision of the vehicle with at least one physical structure when the vehicle is automatically moved at the parking location. The method includes instructing the electronics of the vehicle to proceed with controlling the vehicle to automatically move from the current location to the destination location at the parking location. The electronics use as input at least part of the mapping data and sensor data collected from around the vehicle by at least two vehicle sensors. The path is configured to be updatable dynamically based on changes in the destination location or changes along the path. The destination location is a parking spot for the vehicle at the parking location.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for navigating a vehicle automatically from a current location to a destination location without a human operator, the method comprising:
identifying a vehicle location using global positioning system (GPS) data regarding the vehicle;
determining that the vehicle location is within a proximity of a parking location using said GPS data and that the vehicle location remains in said proximity so as to indicate that a threshold amount of time has passed for the vehicle location being proximate to the parking location;
accessing mapping data for the parking location upon confirming that the threshold amount of time has passed for the vehicle being proximate to the parking location, and using mapping data defined for the parking location, the mapping data at least in part used to find a path at the parking location to avoid a collision of the vehicle with at least one physical structure when the vehicle is automatically moved at the parking location, wherein the mapping data is processed by electronics of the vehicle so that when the vehicle is automatically moved collision with the at least one physical structure is avoided;
instructing the electronics of the vehicle to proceed with controlling the vehicle to automatically move from the current location to the destination location at the parking location, the electronics use as input at least part of the mapping data and sensor data collected from around the vehicle by at least two vehicle sensors, the path is configured to be updatable dynamically based on changes in the destination location or changes along the path, the destination location being a parking spot for the vehicle at the parking location;
wherein the parking spot is an ad-hoc parking spot that is constructed by defining boundaries in which the vehicle is to park, the ad-hoc parking spot is not a pre-marked parking spot, and said mapping data is used for the ad-hoc parking spot.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the parking location includes a plurality of sensors, and data of at least one of said sensors is communicated to the electronics of the vehicle.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein sensors of the vehicle and sensors of the parking location are used to avoid collision with objects in the parking location.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the sensors of the parking location include sensors of one or more vehicles located in the parking location.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the parking location is one of a parking garage, a parking lot, a private property area, a garage and drive-way, a private residence, a public location, or a combination of private and public spaces.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein instructing the electronics of the vehicle to proceed with controlling the vehicle to automatically move is initiated via a remote computing device, and the remote computing device is a computing device that is either portable or not portable and the remote computing device has access to the Internet to communicate with a server and the electronics of the vehicle, the electronics of the vehicle enabling wireless communication via one or more of a peer-to-peer communication, or Wi-Fi communication, or a near field communication (NFC), or a Bluetooth communication.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the proximity of a parking location is one of an entrance of the parking location, or a drop-off location of the parking location.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein said accessing is one of downloading of the mapping data from a cloud server or from a local computing device associated with the parking location.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising,
initiating a paring of the vehicle with a computer of the parking location after the threshold amount of time has passed.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising,
determining that information from the mapping data needs updating based on information received by said vehicle or other vehicles, the updating is configured to change information in the mapping data to remove inaccurate mapping data.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein information from the mapping data that needs updating includes location of objects or location of GPS locations of sensors in the parking location.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising,
calibrating data associated with the parking location, the calibrated data includes data associated with objects of the parking location or sensors associated with the parking location.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the ad-hoc parking spot has virtual boundaries, the vehicle when parked in the destination location that is said ad-hoc parking spot moved to said destination location by following the path using a combination of two or more of said mapping data, GPS data and said vehicles sensors of the vehicle.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein sensors in the parking location are associated to GPS location data.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein when said parking location is a parking structure, sensors of the parking location are associated to an internal network for additionally guiding said vehicle during times when the GPS data is not available.

### Claim 16

A method for navigating a vehicle automatically from a current location to a destination location without a human operator, the method comprising:
identifying a vehicle location using global positioning system (GPS) data regarding the vehicle;
determining that the vehicle location is within a proximity of a parking location using said GPS data and that the vehicle location remains in said proximity so as to indicate that a threshold amount of time has passed for the vehicle location being proximate to the parking location;
accessing mapping data for the parking location upon confirming that the threshold amount of time has passed for the vehicle being proximate to the parking location, and using mapping data defined for the parking location, the mapping data at least in part used to find a path at the parking location to avoid a collision of the vehicle with at least one physical structure when the vehicle is automatically moved at the parking location, wherein the mapping data is processed by electronics of the vehicle so that when the vehicle is automatically moved collision with the at least one physical structure is avoided;
instructing the electronics of the vehicle to proceed with controlling the vehicle to automatically move from the current location to the destination location at the parking location, the electronics use as input at least part of the mapping data and sensor data collected from around the vehicle by at least two vehicle sensors, the path is configured to be updatable dynamically based on changes in the destination location or changes along the path, the destination location being a parking spot for the vehicle at the parking location, and collecting sensor data from the parking location by the vehicle;
wherein the collected sensor data is used to construct part of the mapping data.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the collected sensor data is from one or more additional vehicles and said collected sensor data is utilized to update or build at least part of the mapping data.

### Claim 18

A method for navigating a vehicle automatically from a current location to a destination location without a human operator, the method comprising:
identifying a vehicle location using global positioning system (GPS) data regarding the vehicle;
determining that the vehicle location is within a proximity of a parking location using said GPS data;
accessing mapping data for the parking location, the mapping data at least in part used to find a path at the parking location to avoid a collision of the vehicle with at least one physical structure when the vehicle is automatically moved at the parking location, wherein the mapping data is processed by electronics of the vehicle so that when the vehicle is automatically moved collision with the at least one physical structure is avoided;
instructing the electronics of the vehicle to proceed with controlling the vehicle to automatically move from the current location to the destination location at the parking location, the electronics use as input at least part of the mapping data and sensor data collected from around the vehicle by at least two vehicle sensors, the path is configured to be updatable dynamically based on changes in the destination location or changes along the path, the destination location being a parking spot for the vehicle at the parking location, and
correcting mapping data regarding a physical location of at least one sensor or object associated with the parking location based on a report back from the vehicle or another vehicle that the sensor or the object does not have coordinates that match the mapping data.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein the parking spot is one of a marked spot or predefined spot or is an ad-hoc parking spot that is not marked.