US 10,769,949 B2Granted

Parking facilitation systems and methods

AssigneeToyota Motor North America, Inc.

InventorsMichael C. Edwards, Randall M. Harris, Nutonya L. Parker, Ashok Ramadass, Kotaro Hashimoto, James H. Kikuma

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Abstract

Systems and methods for collaborative parking assistance using a parking facilitation circuit are provided. A method may include: using information from a plurality of sensors to locate one or more available parking spaces in a determined area; characterize the located available parking spaces to generate parking space parameters for each of the available parking spaces; generating a parking space map comprising an indication of available parking spaces, locations of the available parking spaces and parking space parameters for the available parking spaces; filtering the parking space map to include as available parking spaces only those one or more available parking spaces that, based on the parking space parameters, are compatible with a vehicle intended to park in the determined area; and providing the filtered parking space map to a user interface of the vehicle.

Claims37

Dependent claims

A parking assistance system, comprising:

a communication interface to receive sensor information from a plurality of sensors;
an availability determination circuit to use the sensor information to determine one or more available parking spaces from among the plurality of potential parking spaces;
a parameter determination circuit to determine parking space parameters corresponding to the available parking spaces, to use information from a sensor to determine the presence of an obstruction rendering an available parking space at least partially obstructed, and to include information regarding the obstruction to the determined parking space parameters for the at least partially obstructed available parking spot;
a comparison circuit to compare vehicle profile information for a given vehicle to the parking space parameters, including the obstruction information, to identify one or more available parking spaces compatible with the given vehicle;
a parking space mapping circuit to generate a parking space map of identified compatible available parking spaces to the given vehicle that can be provided to the given vehicle;
a communication circuit to receive a parking space reservation identifying a parking space selected for reservation by a user of the given vehicle from one or more of the identified compatible available parking spaces on the parking space map, the parking space reservation received from the user of the given vehicle in advance of the given vehicle's arrival at the parking space;
and
based on the parking space reservation, the parking assistance system updating parking space availability data to reflect unavailability of the parking space selected for reservation by the user.

5 more elements

A method of collaborative parking assistance using a parking facilitation circuit, the method comprising:

using information from a plurality of sensors to locate one or more available parking spaces in a determined area;
using information from a sensor to determine the presence of an obstruction rendering an available parking space at least partially obstructed;
characterize the located available parking spaces to generate parking space parameters for each of the available parking spaces, wherein the parking space parameters for an obstructed parking spot comprise information regarding the obstruction;
generating a parking space map comprising an indication of available parking spaces, locations of the available parking spaces and parking space parameters for the available parking spaces;
filtering the parking space map to include as available parking spaces only those one or more available parking spaces that, based on the parking space parameters, are compatible with a vehicle intended to park in the determined area;
providing the filtered parking space map to a user interface of the vehicle for viewing by an occupant of the vehicle;
receiving a parking space reservation identifying a parking space selected for reservation by the occupant of the vehicle from the compatible available parking spaces on the filtered parking space map, the parking space reservation received from the occupant of the vehicle in advance of the vehicle's arrival at the parking space selected for reservation;
and
based on the parking space reservation, updating the filtered parking space map to reflect unavailability of the parking space selected for reservation by the occupant of the vehicle.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/226,602Filed 19 Dec 2018
Published: US 2020/0202716 A125 Jun 2020
Granted: 8 Sep 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

G08G 1/143
With means giving the indication of available parking spaces: inside the vehicles
G08G 1/0108
Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions: based on the source of data
G08G 1/096855
Systems involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle: where the output is provided in a suitable form to the driver
G08G 1/146
Where the indication depends on the parking areas: where the parking area is a limited parking space, e.g. parking garage, restricted space

Family

US 2020/0202716 A1Pre-grant publication · published 25 Jun 2020
US 10,769,949 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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