# US 10,479,332 B2 · Vehicle parking assist system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,479,332 B2 - Document ID: US10479332B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/813,214 - Filed: 2017-11-15 - Published: 2018-03-15 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2015-07-31 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: John Bales; Michael Hafner - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10479332B2 ## CPC - B60T 7/22: initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle {, or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle} - B60T 8/1708: {for lorries or tractor-trailer combinations} - B60T 2201/022: Collision avoidance systems - B60T 2201/10: Automatic or semi-automatic parking aid systems - B60T: VEHICLE BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF; BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF, IN GENERAL (electrodynamic brake systems for vehicle, in general B60L; brakes per se, i.e. devices where braking effect occurs, including ultimate brake actuators, F16D); ARRANGEMENT OF BRAKING ELEMENTS ON VEHICLES IN GENERAL; PORTABLE DEVICES FOR PREVENTING UNWANTED MOVEMENT OF VEHICLES; VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS TO FACILITATE COOLING OF BRAKES ## Abstract A method for assisting in parking a vehicle, comprises the steps of: initiating a parking sequence having a reference velocity; altering a velocity of the vehicle to about the reference velocity by generating a brake torque during a first mode of operation of a controller; outputting the brake torque to a disturbance estimator; storing the brake torque within the disturbance estimator; and utilizing the brake torque from the disturbance estimator in a second mode of operation of the controller to stop the vehicle at a target location. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for assisting in parking a vehicle, comprising the steps of: initiating a parking sequence having a reference velocity; altering a velocity of the vehicle to about the reference velocity by generating a brake torque during a first mode of operation of a controller; outputting the brake torque to a disturbance estimator; storing the brake torque within the disturbance estimator; and utilizing the brake torque from the disturbance estimator in a second mode of operation of the controller to stop the vehicle at a target location. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of: transitioning the controller from the first mode to the second mode once the vehicle crosses a threshold distance from the target location. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the controller operates in a proportional-integral control during the first mode of operation and in a proportional-derivative control during the second mode of operation. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the controller operates on a velocity error signal in the first mode of operation and a distance error signal in the second mode of operation. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the vehicle is stopped at the target location with essentially no overshoot. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the controller operates on a distance error signal in the second mode of operation. ### Claim 7 A method for assisting in parking a vehicle, comprising the steps of: initiating a parking sequence having a reference velocity; altering a velocity of the vehicle to about the reference velocity by generating a brake torque during a first mode of operation of a controller; outputting the brake torque to a disturbance estimator; and utilizing the brake torque in a second mode of operation of the controller to stop the vehicle at a target location. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the second mode of the controller is operated in a proportional-derivative control based on a distance error signal. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of: storing the brake torque within the disturbance estimator. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of: transitioning the controller from the first mode to the second mode once the vehicle crosses a threshold distance from the target location. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the control module is configured to operate in the first mode, the second mode and a third mode. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the first mode is operated in a proportional-integral control based on a velocity error signal. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the second mode of the control module is configured to be operated in a proportional-derivative control based on a distance error signal. ### Claim 14 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the controller operates on a velocity error signal in the first mode of operation and a distance error signal in the second mode of operation. ### Claim 15 A method for assisting in parking a vehicle, comprising the steps of: initiating a parking sequence having a reference velocity; altering a velocity of the vehicle to about the reference velocity by generating a brake torque during a first mode of operation of a controller; and utilizing the brake torque in a second mode of operation of the controller to stop the vehicle at a target location. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of: outputting the brake torque to a disturbance estimator. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of: storing the brake torque within the disturbance estimator. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of: transitioning the controller from the first mode to the second mode once the vehicle crosses a threshold distance from the target location. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the controller operates in a proportional-integral control during the first mode of operation and in a proportional-derivative control during the second mode of operation. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein the controller operates on a velocity error signal in the first mode of operation and a distance error signal in the second mode of operation.