# US 10,311,733 B2 · Method for operating a detection device of a motor vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,311,733 B2 - Document ID: US10311733B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/073,743 - Filed: 2017-01-16 - Published: 2019-01-10 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2016-01-29 - Assignees: Audi AG - Applicants: Audi AG - Inventors: Nikoletta Sofra - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10311733B2 ## CPC - G08G 1/143: {inside the vehicles} - B60W 40/10: related to vehicle motion - G07B 15/02: taking into account a variable factor such as distance or time, e.g. for passenger transport, parking systems or car rental systems (G07B15/06 takes precedence; taximeters G07B13/00; parking meters per se G07F17/24) - G08G 1/0112: {from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]} - G08G 1/0129: {for creating historical data or processing based on historical data} - G08G 1/0141: {for traffic information dissemination} - G08G 1/096716: {where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control} - G08G 1/096758: {where no selection takes place on the transmitted or the received information} - G08G 1/096775: {where the origin of the information is a central station} - G08G 1/148: {Management of a network of parking areas} - G06Q 2240/00: Transportation facility access, e.g. fares, tolls or parking - 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}) - 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 - G07B: TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS - 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 ## Abstract The invention relates to a method for operating a detection device in a motor vehicle for a trip to a destination, wherein, by means of the detection device and on the basis of sensor data of the motor vehicle and/or on the basis of status data of at least one vehicle component of the motor vehicle, it is determined locally in the motor vehicle whether the motor vehicle is in a search phase, during which a driver of the motor vehicle is no longer driving toward the destination but rather is searching for a parking opportunity for the motor vehicle, and a duration of the search phase is determined by means of the detection device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for operating a motor vehicle for a trip to a destination, the method comprising: locally determining, by a detection device based on sensor data of the motor vehicle and status data of at least one vehicle component, whether the motor vehicle is in a search phase during which a driver of the motor vehicle is no longer driving toward the destination but is searching for a parking opportunity for the motor vehicle; determining, by the detection device, a search duration of the search phase; determining, by at least one environmental sensor device of the motor vehicle during the determination of the search duration, environmental sensor data which describes at least one environmental condition and which are present during the search phase at the destination, the environmental sensor data including weather data and a time of day; communicating the environmental sensor data together with the determined search duration to a vehicle-external server device; and in the vehicle-external server device: collecting and analyzing the search duration and search duration data of other motor vehicles; generating statistical estimates that indicate a statistically expected estimated search duration for the parking opportunity within a destination region within which the destination lies by differentiating the collected search durations based on corresponding times of day, a day of the week, and the weather condition, wherein the statistical estimates are dependent on the time of day and the day of the week and the weather condition, and wherein the statistical estimates are determined as time data depending on a respective destination. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein, for determining the search duration, the destination is stored in the detection device and the detection device recognizes a beginning of the search phase depending on a distance between the motor vehicle and the destination. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein, for determining the search duration, the search phase is recognized based on at least one predetermined pattern of a driving behavior of the driver. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the time data is received from the vehicle-external server device and is provided to the motor vehicle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein a position of a paid parking location in the destination region is determined and a time value of time required for parking the motor vehicle at the paid parking location and for transferring from the parking location to the destination is determined and the determined time value of the time required is output to the motor vehicle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein a cost for parking the motor vehicle at the paid parking location is determined and output to the driver. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein within the destination region, a partial region is determined, such that a shortest expected search duration is obtained, the method further comprising providing a navigation indication in the motor vehicle that leads to the partial region. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, further comprising: receiving, by the detection device, calendar data; determining a required time of arrival at the destination; and determining a time of departure for starting the trip based on the time of arrival, an expected driving time from a predetermined trip starting point to the destination region, and the time data. ### Claim 9 A detection device, comprising: one or more circuits and/or processors configured to: determine, based on sensor data of a motor vehicle and status data of at least one vehicle component, whether the motor vehicle is in a search phase during which a driver of the motor vehicle is no longer driving toward a destination but is searching for a parking opportunity for the motor vehicle; determine a search duration of the search phase; and communicate environmental sensor data received from at least one environment sensor data together with the determined search duration to a vehicle-external server device.