Systems and methods for executing remotely-controlled automated vehicle parking operations

A method comprising:

• determining that a camera of a handheld device is pointed towards a vehicle;
• displaying, upon a display screen of the handheld device, a first image of the vehicle;
• and
• executing a software application in the handheld device to carry out a remotely-controlled automated vehicle parking operation of the vehicle, the software application comprising a path prediction procedure that predicts a direction of movement of the vehicle during the remotely-controlled automated vehicle parking operation.

A handheld device comprising:

• a display screen;
• a camera;
• a memory that stores computer-executable instructions;
• and
• a processor configured to access the memory and execute the computer-executable instructions to at least:
• displaying, upon a display screen, a first image of a vehicle;
• and
• execute a remotely-controlled automated vehicle parking operation of the vehicle, the remotely-controlled automated vehicle parking operation comprising:
• detecting an illumination level on the vehicle in the first image;
• modifying the illumination level based on comparing the illumination level to a preset illumination threshold for establishing a visual lock between a camera of the handheld device and the vehicle;
• establishing the visual lock between the handheld device and the vehicle after modifying the illumination level;
• and
• using the visual lock to automatically track a movement of the vehicle during the remotely-controlled automated vehicle parking operation.