Method for determining parking spaces and free-parking space assistance system

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium on which is stored a computer program for determining parking spaces, the computer program, when executed by a programmable device, causing the programmable device to perform:

• ascertaining, by traffic participants, information about free parking spaces;
• communicating the information to a cloud computing system, the cloud computing system storing information about the free parking spaces in retrievable fashion in a parking space map, the cloud computing system ascertaining and providing a free parking space in at least one of:
• i) a local surrounding environment of a traffic participant of the traffic participants, and ii) an environment of a known navigation destination;
• and
• visually presenting information about the provided parking space on a display device of the traffic participant;
• wherein the display device is a head-up display, the head-up display blending virtual objects into the field of view of a driver of the traffic participant;
• wherein the traffic participants are vehicles equipped with environmental acquisition devices that, when traveling past free parking spaces, ascertain the free parking spaces, independently of whether parking space markings are present;
• and
• wherein the visually presenting step includes visually displaying on the head-up display virtual boundary lines for the provided parking space and a virtual parking space symbol between the virtual boundary lines, the virtual boundary lines being visibly separate from the virtual parking symbol, the head-up display blending the virtual boundary lines and the virtual parking space symbol into the field of view of the driver;
• wherein the provided parking space is a free parking space without parking space markings.

A free parking space assistance system, comprising:

• at least one first vehicle having an environmental acquisition device and a communication unit, the environmental acquisition device being set up to ascertain free parking spaces in the surrounding environment of the first vehicle when traveling past the free parking spaces, and the communication unit being set up to transmit ascertained information about the free parking spaces, the ascertainment of the free parking spaces by the at least one first vehicle being independent of whether parking space markings are present;
• a cloud computing system that is set up to receive information about the free parking spaces from the at least one first vehicle and to store the information in a parking space map, the cloud computing system further set up to provide the information about the free parking spaces on request, the cloud computing system designed to ascertain and provide a free parking space in at least one of:
• a local environment of a traffic participant, and an environment of a known navigation destination;
• and
• at least one second vehicle having a display device, the display device visually presenting information about the provided parking space;
• wherein the display device is a head-up display, the head-up display blending virtual objects into the field of view of a driver of the second vehicle;
• and
• wherein the head-up display visually displays virtual boundary lines for the provided parking space and a virtual parking space symbol between the virtual boundary lines, the virtual boundary lines being visibly separate from the virtual parking space symbol, the head-up display blending the virtual boundary lines and the virtual parking space symbol into the field of view of the driver;
• wherein the provided parking space is a free parking space without parking space markings.