# US 10,369,988 B2 · Autonomous parking of vehicles inperpendicular parking spots > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,369,988 B2 - Document ID: US10369988B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/406,370 - Filed: 2017-01-13 - Published: 2018-07-19 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-01-13 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Eric Hongtei Tseng; Li Xu; Kyle Simmons; Douglas Blue - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10369988B2 ## CPC - B60W 30/06: Automatic manoeuvring for parking - B60W 10/04: including control of propulsion units - B60W 10/184: with wheel brakes - B60W 10/20: including control of steering systems - B62D 15/0285: {Parking performed automatically} - G05D 1/0055: {with safety arrangements} - G05D 1/0212: {with means for defining a desired trajectory (involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287)} - 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 2520/14: Yaw - B60W 2520/16: Pitch - B60W 2520/28: Wheel speed - B60W 2552/00: Input parameters relating to infrastructure - B60W 2556/00: Input parameters relating to data - 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) - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES ## Abstract Method and apparatus are disclosed for autonomous parking of vehicles in perpendicular parking spots. An example vehicle includes a front corner, a camera, and an autonomous vehicle parker. The autonomous vehicle parker is to detect, via the camera, a perpendicular parking spot and an outer boundary of the perpendicular parking spot, determine a linear parking path located within the perpendicular parking spot and based on the outer boundary, and autonomously turn into the perpendicular parking spot such that the front corner travels along the linear parking path. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle comprising: a front corner; a camera; and an autonomous vehicle parker to: detect, via the camera, a perpendicular parking spot and an outer boundary of the perpendicular parking spot; determine a linear parking path located within the perpendicular parking spot and based on the outer boundary, wherein the linear parking path extends in a first direction and is spaced apart from the outer boundary in a second direction crossing the first direction; and autonomously turn into the perpendicular parking spot such that the front corner travels along the linear parking path. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the autonomous vehicle parker identifies a target parking position located within the perpendicular parking spot and determines the linear parking path further based on the target parking position. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the autonomous vehicle parker determines the linear parking path to be parallel to the outer boundary of the perpendicular parking spot. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the autonomous vehicle parker identifies a first end and a second end opposite the first end of the linear parking path. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the autonomous vehicle parker determines the first end based on a target parking position and a minimum turning radius. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the autonomous vehicle parker autonomously turns at the minimum turning radius between the first end of the linear parking path and the target parking position. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the autonomous vehicle parker determines the second end based on the outer boundary of the perpendicular parking spot. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the autonomous vehicle parker determines a vehicle orientation at which the vehicle is to be positioned at the second end of the linear parking path based on a target parking position, a minimum turning radius, and a length of the linear parking path. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the autonomous vehicle parker determines whether to park in the perpendicular parking spot based on a passing distance to the perpendicular parking spot, the vehicle orientation at the second end of the linear parking path, and the minimum turning radius. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the autonomous vehicle parker determines turning radii that cause the front corner to travel along the linear parking path based on a first distance between a front axle and a rear axle, a vehicle width, and a second distance between the front axle and the front corner. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the turning radii vary as the autonomous vehicle parker autonomously turns along the linear parking path. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the autonomous vehicle parker autonomously turns along the linear parking path in a single forward motion to at least one of reduce a passing distance between the vehicle and the linear parking path and reduce a width of the perpendicular parking spot in which the autonomous vehicle parker is able to park. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, including at least one of a radar sensor, a lidar sensor, and an ultrasonic sensor to further detect the perpendicular parking spot and the outer boundary of the perpendicular parking spot. ### Claim 14 A method for autonomously parking a vehicle into a perpendicular parking spot, the method comprising: detecting, via a sensor, the perpendicular parking spot and an outer boundary of the perpendicular parking spot; determining, via a processor, a linear parking path located within the perpendicular parking spot and based on the outer boundary, wherein the linear parking path extends in a first direction and is spaced apart from the outer boundary in a second direction crossing the first direction; and autonomously turning into the perpendicular parking spot such that a front corner of the vehicle travels along the linear parking path. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further including identifying a target parking position located within the perpendicular parking spot, wherein determining the linear parking path is further based on the target parking position. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further including identifying a first end and a second end opposite the first end of the linear parking path based on the outer boundary of the perpendicular parking spot, a target parking position, and a minimum turning radius of the vehicle. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further including autonomously turning at the minimum turning radius between the first end of the linear parking path and the target parking position. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further including: determining a vehicle orientation at which the vehicle is to be positioned at the second end of the linear parking path based on a target parking position, the minimum turning radius, and a length of the linear parking path; and determining whether to park in the perpendicular parking spot based on a passing distance between the vehicle and the perpendicular parking spot, the vehicle orientation of the vehicle at the second end of the linear parking path, and the minimum turning radius of the vehicle. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further including determining turning radii that cause the front corner to travel along the linear parking path based on a first distance between a front axle and a rear axle of the vehicle, a vehicle width of the vehicle, and a second distance between the front axle and the front corner of the vehicle. ### Claim 20 A tangible computer readable medium including instructions which, when executed, cause a vehicle to: detect, via a camera, a perpendicular parking spot and an outer boundary of the perpendicular parking spot; determine, via a processor, a linear parking path located within the perpendicular parking spot and based on the outer boundary, wherein the linear parking path extends in a first direction and is spaced apart from the outer boundary in a second direction crossing the first direction; and autonomously turn into the perpendicular parking spot such that a front corner travels along the linear parking path.