# US 11,440,538 B2 · Vehicle parking assist apparatus

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- Number: US 11,440,538 B2
- Document ID: US11440538B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/998,568
- Filed: 2020-08-20
- Published: 2021-04-15
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2019-10-11
- Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Yasutaka Matsunaga; Yuusuke Nomura
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11440538B2

## CPC

- B60W 30/06: Automatic manoeuvring for parking
- B60K 35/10: Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
- B60K 35/22: Display screens
- B60K 35/28: characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
- B60K 35/81: for controlling displays
- B60R 11/04: Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
- B62D 15/028: {Guided parking by providing commands to the driver, e.g. acoustically or optically}
- B62D 15/0285: {Parking performed automatically}
- B60K 2360/119: Icons
- B60K 2360/1438: Touch screens
- B60K 2360/173: Reversing assist
- B60K 2360/175: Autonomous driving
- B60K 2360/176: Camera images
- B60R 2300/105: using multiple cameras
- B60R 2300/806: for aiding parking
- 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
- B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
- B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- 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)

## Abstract

A vehicle parking assist apparatus registers information on a parking lot as parking lot information and executes a parking assist control with using the parking lot information. The vehicle parking assist apparats allows a user of a vehicle to request a deletion of the parking lot information as the vehicle parking assist apparatus executes the parking assist control without using the parking lot information and prevents the user of the vehicle from requesting the deletion of the parking lot information as the vehicle parking assist apparatus executes the parking assist control with using the parking lot information. The vehicle parking assist apparatus deletes the parking lot information when the deletion of the parking lot information is requested.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vehicle parking assist apparatus comprising:
at least one sensor mounted on a vehicle to detect information on a parking lot used to autonomously park the vehicle in the parking lot; and
an electronic control unit which can execute a parking assist control to autonomously park the vehicle in the parking lot with using the information on the parking lot detected by the at least one sensor,
wherein:
the electronic control unit is configured to:
register the information on the parking lot as parking lot information, wherein the parking lot information includes first parking lot information and second parking lot information; and
execute the parking assist control with using the parking lot information; and
the electronic control unit is further configured to:
when the electronic control unit executes the parking assist control without using one of the first parking lot information and the second parking lot information, allow a user of the vehicle to request a deletion of the one of the first parking lot information and the second parking lot information;
when the electronic control unit executes the parking assist control with using the one of the first parking lot information and the second parking lot information, prevent the user of the vehicle from requesting the deletion of the one of the first parking lot information and the second parking lot information; and
delete the one of the first parking lot information and the second parking lot information when the deletion of the one of the first parking lot information and the second parking lot information is requested.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vehicle parking assist apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein:
the vehicle parking assist apparatus further comprises a display;
the electronic control unit can display an information deleting image on the display to which the user of the vehicle can apply a touch interaction to request the deletion of the parking lot information; and
the electronic control unit is configured:
to display the information deleting image on the display to allow the user of the vehicle to request the deletion of the parking lot information as the electronic control unit executes the parking assist control without using the parking lot information;
not to display the information deleting image on the display to prevent the user of the vehicle from requesting the deletion of the parking lot information as the electronic control unit executes the parking assist control with using the parking lot information.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The vehicle parking assist apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein:
the parking lot information includes a first parking lot information and a second parking lot information; and
the electronic control unit is further configured:
to allow the user of the vehicle to request the deletion of the first parking lot information and the deletion of the second parking lot information as the electronic control unit executes the parking assist control without using the first parking lot information and the second parking lot information;
to (i) allow the user of the vehicle to request the deletion of the first parking lot information and (ii) prevent the user of the vehicle from requesting the deletion of the second parking lot information as the electronic control unit executes the parking assist control with using the second parking lot information without using the first parking lot information; and
to (i) allow the user of the vehicle to request the deletion of the second parking lot information and (ii) prevent the user of the vehicle from requesting the deletion of the first parking lot information as the electronic control unit executes the parking assist control with using the first parking lot information without using the second parking lot information.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The vehicle parking assist apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein:
the vehicle parking assist apparatus further comprises a display;
the electronic control unit can display a first information deleting image on the display to which the user of the vehicle can apply a touch interaction to request the deletion of the first parking lot information and display a second information deleting image on the display to which the user of the vehicle can apply the touch interaction to request the deletion of the second parking lot information; and
the electronic control unit is configured:
to display the first information deleting image and the second information deleting image on the display to allow the user of the vehicle to request the deletion of the first parking lot information and the deletion of the second parking lot information as the electronic control unit executes the parking assist control without using the first parking lot information and the second parking lot information;
to display the first information deleting image on the display without displacing the second information deleting image to (i) allow the user of the vehicle to request the deletion of the first parking lot information and (ii) prevent the user of the vehicle from requesting the deletion of the second parking lot information as the electronic control unit executes the parking assist control with using the second parking lot information without using the first parking lot information; and
to display the second information deleting image on the display without displaying the first information deleting image to (i) allow the user of the vehicle to request the deletion of the second parking lot information and (ii) prevent the user of the vehicle from requesting the deletion of the first parking lot information as the electronic control unit executes the parking assist control with using the first parking lot information without using the second parking lot information.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The vehicle parking assist apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein:
the parking log information includes a first parking lot information and a second parking lot information; and
the electronic control unit is further configured:
to allow the user of the vehicle to request the deletion of the first parking lot information and the deletion of the second parking lot information as the electronic control unit executes the parking assist control without using the first parking lot information and the second parking lot information;
to prevent the user of the vehicle from requesting the deletion of the first parking lot information and the deletion of the second parking lot information as the electronic control unit executes the parking assist control with using the second parking lot information without using the first parking lot information; and
to prevent the user of the vehicle from requesting the deletion of the first parking lot information and the deletion of the second parking lot information as the electronic control unit executes the parking assist control with using the first parking lot information without using the second parking lot information.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The vehicle parking assist apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein:
the vehicle parking assist apparatus further comprises a display;
the electronic control unit can display a first information deleting image on the display to which the user of the vehicle can apply a touch interaction to request the deletion of the first parking lot information and display a second information deleting image on the display to which the user of the vehicle can apply the touch interaction to request the deletion of the second parking lot information; and
the electronic control unit is configured:
to display the first information deleting image and the second information deleting image on the display to allow the user of the vehicle to request the deletion of the first parking lot information and the deletion of the second parking lot information as the electronic control unit executes the parking assist control without using the first parking lot information and the second parking lot information;
not to display the first information deleting image and the second information deleting image on the display to prevent the user of the vehicle from requesting the deletion of the first parking lot information and the deletion of the second parking lot information as the electronic control unit executes the parking assist control with using the second parking lot information without using the first parking lot information; and
not to display the first information deleting image and the second information deleting image on the display to prevent the user of the vehicle from requesting the deletion of the first parking lot information and the deletion of the second parking lot information as the electronic control unit executes the parking assist control with using the first parking lot information without using the second parking lot information.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The vehicle parking assist apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein:
the at least one sensor is at least one camera mounted on the vehicle to take images of views surrounding the vehicle; and
the at least one camera detects information on the taken image of the parking lot as the information on the parking lot.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The vehicle parking assist apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein:
the at least one camera includes:
a front camera which takes the image of the view ahead of the vehicle;
rear camera which takes the image of the view behind the vehicle;
a left camera which takes the image of the view at the left side of the vehicle; and
a right camera which takes the image of the view at the right side of the vehicle.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The vehicle parking assist apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein:
the at least one sensor is at least one camera mounted on the vehicle to take images of views surrounding the vehicle; and
the at least one camera detects information on feature points in the taken image of the parking lot as the information on the parking lot.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The vehicle parking assist apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein:
the electronic control unit is configured to execute the parking assist control with realizing a relationship in position between the vehicle and the parking lot by comparing the information on the parking lot currently detected by the at least one sensor with the parking lot information.

### Claim 11

A vehicle parking assist apparatus comprising:
at least one sensor mounted on a vehicle to detect information on a parking lot used to autonomously park the vehicle in the parking lot; and
an electronic control unit which can execute a parking assist control to autonomously park the vehicle in the parking lot with using the information on the parking lot detected by the at least one sensor,
wherein:
the electronic control unit is configured to:
register the information on the parking lot as parking lot information, wherein the parking lot information includes first parking lot information and second parking lot information; and
execute the parking assist control with using the parking lot information; and
the electronic control unit is further configured to:
when the electronic control unit executes the parking assist control without using one of the first parking lot information and the second parking lot information, delete the one of the first parking lot information and the second parking lot information when a deletion of the one of the first parking lot information and the second parking lot information is requested by a user of the vehicle; and
when the electronic control unit executes the parking assist control with using the one of the first parking lot information and the second parking lot information, not delete the one of the first parking lot information and the second parking lot information even when the deletion of the one of the first parking lot information and the second parking lot information is requested by the user of the vehicle.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The vehicle parking assist apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein:
the vehicle parking assist apparatus further comprises a display; and
the electronic control unit is configured:
to display an information deleting image on the display to which the user of the vehicle can apply a touch interaction to request the deletion of the parking lot information; and
to determine that the deletion of the parking lot information is requested when the touch interaction is applied to the information deleting image.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The vehicle parking assist apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein:
the parking lot information includes a first parking lot information and a second parking lot information; and
the electronic control unit is configured:
to delete the first parking lot information when the deletion of the first parking lot information is requested as the electronic control unit executes the parking assist control without using the first parking lot information and the second parking lot information;
to delete the second parking lot information when the deletion of the second parking lot information is requested as the electronic control unit executes the parking assist control without using the first parking lot information and the second parking lot information;
to delete the first parking lot information when the deletion of the first parking lot information is requested as the electronic control unit executes the parking assist control with using the second parking lot information without using the first parking lot information;
not to delete the second parking lot information even when the deletion of the second parking lot information is requested as the electronic control unit executes the parking assist control with using the second parking lot information without using the first parking lot information;
to delete the second parking lot information when the deletion of the second parking lot information is requested as the electronic control unit executes the parking assist control with using the first parking lot information without using the second parking lot information; and
not to delete the first parking lot information even when the deletion of the first parking lot information is requested as the electronic control unit executes the parking assist control with using the first parking lot information without using the second parking lot information.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The vehicle parking assist apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein:
the vehicle parking assist apparatus further comprises a display; and
the electronic control unit is configured:
to (i) display a first information deleting image on the display to which the user of the vehicle can apply a touch interaction to request the deletion of the first parking lot information and (ii) display a second information deleting image on the display to which the user of the vehicle can apply the touch interaction to request the deletion of the second parking lot information;
to determine that the deletion of the first parking lot information is requested when the touch interaction is applied to the first information deleting image; and
to determine that the deletion of the second parking lot information is requested when the touch interaction is applied to the second information deleting image.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The vehicle parking assist apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein:
the at least one sensor is at least one camera mounted on the vehicle to take images of a view surrounding the vehicle; and
the at least one camera detects information on the images of the parking lot as the information on the parking lot.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The vehicle parking assist apparatus as set forth in claim 15, wherein:
the at least one camera includes:
a front camera which takes the image of the view ahead of the vehicle;
a rear camera which takes the image of the view behind the vehicle;
a left camera which takes the image of the view at the left side of the vehicle; and
a right camera which takes the image of the view at the right side of the vehicle.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

The vehicle parking assist apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein:
the at least one sensor is at least one camera mounted on the vehicle to take images of views surrounding the vehicle; and
the at least one camera detects information on feature points in the taken image of the parking lot as the information on the parking lot.

### Claim 18 (depends on 11)

The vehicle parking assist apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein:
the electronic control unit is configured to execute the parking assist control with realizing a relationship in position between the vehicle and the parking lot by comparing the information on the parking lot currently detected by the at least one sensor with the parking lot information.