DE102024102815A1 - Method for assisting at least one person seeking a parking space in an area by means of a system set up for this purpose - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for assisting at least one person (4) seeking a parking space in an area (9) by means of a system. For this purpose, at least one vehicle to be parked in the area (9) is determined, wherein the entry or exit of at least one vehicle (4, 7) into or from the area is detected (9) by at least one sensor device (6) of at least one vehicle (3) already parked in the area (9). A vehicle (4) entering the area (9) is classified as a vehicle to be parked, wherein a vehicle (7) exiting the area (9) is classified as a non-parked vehicle. As a result, a non-parked vehicle simultaneously signals an available parking space (5), which is communicated to a person seeking a parking space (4) for assistance.

Description

The invention relates to a method for assisting at least one person seeking a parking space in an area by means of a system designed for this purpose.

The current availability of a parking space on the curb is not managed, regardless of whether it is subject to a fee. At most, proximity sensors are used in parking garages to detect whether a parking space is occupied by a vehicle.

In some cases, for example, in a paid and/or gated parking area, one or more barriers are used to record how many vehicles have entered until the parking spaces in the area are fully occupied. As soon as the maximum number of vehicles entering is reached, a signal is given that the parking area is fully occupied (the barrier remains closed) until no vehicles exit. However, this requires a demarcated area.

However, a person looking for a parking space will not be directed to an area, in particular a parking area and/or a street with one or more possible available parking spaces.

The DE 102011 086 268 A1 discloses a method for detecting a free parking space. A sensor of a vehicle is used to detect a parking space, whereby information about the vehicle's position is transmitted along with information about the parking space to a database or other road users.

The WO 2010 142 803 A1 describes a method for detecting vehicles using a magnetic field sensor that is used to detect vehicles entering and/or leaving a parking area.

The DE 10 2015 215 693 A1 describes a method and apparatus for identifying a curbside parking space. A vehicle is used to detect the predefined vertical height of a curbside parking space.

The disadvantage of these known methods is the high number of sensors required.

The invention is based on the object of quantifying the utilization of an area, in particular a parking area and/or a street, with regard to available parking spaces.

The problem is solved by the subject matter of the independent patent claims. Advantageous developments of the invention are described by the dependent patent claims, the following description, and the figures.

The invention relates to a method for assisting at least one person seeking a parking space in an area by means of a system designed for this purpose.

First, at least one vehicle is identified in the area, referred to here as the "vehicle to be parked," because it is assumed that this vehicle is searching for a parking space in the area and has thus preceded the parking seeker in occupying a free space. At least one sensor device of at least one already parked vehicle counts or records the entry or exit of at least one vehicle into or out of the area. The at least one sensor device can comprise, for example, a camera and/or a radar system and/or a lidar.

A vehicle entering the zone is classified as a vehicle to be parked, while a vehicle leaving the zone is classified as a non-parking vehicle. This non-parking vehicle simultaneously signals an available parking space, which is communicated to a parking seeker to assist them, e.g., via a notification via WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) and/or mobile communications. By balancing the occupied and available parking spaces, an estimate can be determined of how many parking spaces should be free in the zone in total. This can be signaled to the parking seeker to assist them. Vehicles driving through the zone are automatically eliminated.

“Vehicle” can mean a motor vehicle, motor car, passenger car, truck, passenger bus or motorcycle.

Preferably, the entry or exit of at least one vehicle into the area is detected by two or more already parked vehicles in the same area, in particular at the edge or border of the area. This ensures reliable detection compared to the use of only one already parked vehicle, since, for example, one parked vehicle can be positioned at the entrance or entrance to the area and the other parked vehicle at the exit or exit of the area, thus reliably detecting the entry and exit of incoming or outgoing vehicles. can be detected. Conversely, the area or the boundary of the area can be determined by a geoposition of the at least one available parked vehicle, as available in such a vehicle via a GNSS receiver (GNSS - Global Navigation Satellite System).

The advantage of using at least one already parked vehicle compared to a barrier or an automated parking system lies in its flexibility and cost-effectiveness. By integrating one or more sensor devices into at least one existing parked vehicle, a system can be implemented without the use of additional physical infrastructure. This not only reduces installation costs but also allows for easy adaptation to different environments, such as a parking area and/or a single street or at least one road. Furthermore, fewer sensors are required, as there is no individual monitoring of individual spaces.

The invention also includes embodiments which provide additional advantages.

A further development provides that the method or the determination step further comprises the recording of dimensions, for example using car2X, car-to-x, or vehicle2vehicle communication (this is the term for a communication technology that allows information to be exchanged between vehicles and is intended to contribute to increased road safety), in particular with regard to the front and/or rear axle and/or the turning circle of at least one vehicle entering or exiting. At a given point in time, occupied parking space dimensions are then documented based on the received dimensions. In the given context, the "parking space dimensions" refer to the dimensions of at least one parking space.

This process results in a mapping or cartography of the area, whereby, for example, a heat map can be used to visualize the occupancy of the area with regard to at least one available parking space.

Information about an available parking space can then be provided to at least one parking space seeker based on the documented parking space dimensions. For example, the system can inform the parking space seeker that a vehicle with comparable dimensions recently left the area in question. Therefore, a suitable parking space for the parking space seeker is now likely available. The length of the parking space seeker's vehicle can therefore be compared with the available parking space length. To carry out the comparison, the dimensions such as length and/or width and/or height can first be extracted from the dimensional measurements. A comparison can then be carried out using a comparison algorithm, whereby the comparison algorithm compares the recorded dimensional measurements with the documented parking space dimensions. The comparison algorithm can use metrics such as the percentage match of the length and/or width and/or height to determine how well an entering vehicle fits into an available parking space. For this purpose, a threshold value can be set to determine the degree of match at which a parking space is considered suitable.

Based on the comparison result, a confidence or probability can then be calculated that indicates how well the parking space matches the dimensions of the entering vehicle. This can be based, for example, on the percentage match between the dimensions and the parking space dimensions. If the confidence exceeds a predefined threshold, the parking space is reported to the user as available. These steps can be supported, for example, by machine learning and/or artificial intelligence. The availability of the parking space can then be communicated with the respective calculated confidence.

A further development provides that the at least one parking space seeker controls a vehicle entering the area, wherein at least one sensor device of the entering vehicle checks whether the at least one parking space classified as available is actually available, thereby generating control data that is sent to a server of the system and made available for correcting the documented parking space dimensions. In other words, the entering vehicle uses at least one sensor to check whether the parking space classified as available is actually free. This enables efficient use of more available parking spaces in the area. Furthermore, unnecessary driving around by the parking space seeker can be reduced. The ability to correct the documented parking space dimensions based on actual usage patterns enables the aforementioned mapping or a correction of the mapping for the area. This can also contribute to better parking space planning in the future. Overall, this makes it possible to provide iteratively improveable parking space search support.

A further development stipulates that the area includes a parking area and/or a street. The underlying procedure is applicable to both This can be applied to both parking areas and streets. Other possible environments are also conceivable. Geofences can be used to define such an area.

A further development proposes scaling the system to multiple parking areas that are logically interconnected. When a parking area is completely full, alternative routes to the nearest free parking area are provided. This allows for more reliable prevention of congestion in an area. Overall, the overall availability of available parking spaces can be improved.

A further development provides for information to be exchanged between the at least one vehicle and the system server via car2x and/or air interfaces. The information describes an arrival time of a vehicle entering the area and/or a required charging time of a parked or already parked vehicle and/or calendar events of at least one vehicle (with user consent) and/or an average parking time in the area and/or of the at least one parking space seeker, and a utilization of the parking area is forecast. The time spent searching for a parking space can thus be reduced.

• • fahrende Fahrzeugklasse,
• • Fahrzeuginsassenzustand,
• • berufliche Nutzung und/oder
• • parkplatzsuchende Angewohnheit (des Nutzers oder Parkplatzsuchenden).

A further development provides that the occupancy of the parking area is forecast based on at least one of the following pieces of information received from a parking space seeker:

• • driving vehicle class,
• • Vehicle occupant condition,
• • professional use and/or
• • parking space seeking habit (of the user or parking space seeker).

Therefore, if the system receives information about the vehicle class and detects that one or more users are looking for a parking space with a larger vehicle (e.g., SUV, sport utility vehicle, or van), this could indicate a greater need for space. As a result, the user's confidence that they will find a suitable parking space may be reduced, especially if occupancy is already high, e.g., 70 to 90 percent in percentage points, and SUVs or vans have a harder time finding a parking space at a comparable occupancy rate.

For example, if the information about the vehicle's occupant status indicates that the vehicle has multiple occupants (e.g., a family or passengers), the prediction may indicate that larger parking spaces or those near family-friendly amenities may be more in demand. The confidence of finding an available parking space may then be correspondingly low if, for example, such parking spaces are already scarce.

For example, if the system detects that a vehicle is being used for business purposes (e.g., a delivery vehicle from a parcel service), the forecast could indicate that this parking seeker is likely to park for a short period of time, such as only 3 to 15 minutes. The system can then forecast occupancy based on such short-term parking.

Suppose the system receives information that a parking space seeker frequently searches for a parking space, for example, two to six times a week, i.e. generally with a frequency within a specified range of values, at peak times or generally at a specified time interval. The forecast can then indicate that increased demand (i.e., demand above a specified threshold) for parking spaces is to be expected at certain comparable times of day, so that the confidence to be calculated for finding a parking space at non-comparable times of day may be higher or correspondingly higher. Confidence refers to the degree or certainty with which the system assumes that the parking space seeker will find a suitable and/or available parking space.

Additionally or alternatively, the speed of a respective vehicle and/or an environmental condition, in particular the weather, can be recorded in order to dynamically map the utilization of an area in terms of available parking spaces via the system, in particular via the heat map. For example, bad weather conditions could influence the demand for parking spaces in certain areas.

A further development provides that the system has an artificial neural network that is trained using the information to determine at least one potentially available parking space and thereby generates forecast data, e.g. in the form of a forecast, in particular as a message or file, which is sent to the at least one parking space seeker. The artificial neural network can be trained in a user-specific manner and can provide the user with a respective Calculate user-specific confidence. This allows the user to determine whether an available parking space is suitable for them.

A further development provides for entry and exit to be additionally determined using at least one sensor device, in particular a camera and/or a motion sensor of the system and/or by means of a geofence. This allows for a more accurate calculation of the respective confidence level, since capacity utilization can be determined more precisely.

For use cases or application situations that may arise during the method and which are not explicitly described here, it may be provided that, in accordance with the method, an error message and/or a request to enter user feedback is issued and/or a default setting and/or a predetermined initial state is set.

The invention also includes the control device for the system. The control device can have a data processing device or a processor device configured to carry out an embodiment of the method according to the invention. For this purpose, the processor device can have at least one microprocessor and/or at least one microcontroller and/or at least one FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) and/or at least one DSP (Digital Signal Processor). In particular, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphical Processing Unit), or an NPU (Neural Processing Unit) can be used as the microprocessor. Furthermore, the processor device can have program code configured to carry out the embodiment of the method according to the invention when executed by the processor device. The program code can be stored in a data memory of the processor device. The processor device can be based, for example, on at least one circuit board and/or on at least one SoC (System on Chip).

The invention includes the system comprising the various components and/or the at least one sensor device for detecting a utilization of an area with regard to available parking spaces.

This is an integrated solution consisting of hardware and software. The system can also provide one or more interfaces, for example, as a mobile application, to transmit relevant information, such as a calculated confidence and/or a forecast, to one or more applications or to another system or vehicle.

The invention also includes further developments of the system according to the invention that have features already described in connection with the further developments of the method according to the invention. For this reason, the corresponding further developments are not described again here.

As a further solution, the invention also encompasses a computer-readable storage medium comprising program code which, when executed by a computer or computer network, causes the computer or computer network to execute an embodiment of the method according to the invention. The storage medium can be provided at least partially as a non-volatile data memory (e.g., as a flash memory and/or as an SSD - solid state drive) and/or at least partially as a volatile data memory (e.g., as a RAM - random access memory). The storage medium can be arranged in the computer or computer network. However, the storage medium can also be operated, for example, as a so-called app store server and/or cloud server on the Internet. The computer or computer network can provide a processor circuit with, for example, at least one microprocessor. The program code can be provided as binary code and/or as assembly code and/or as source code of a programming language (e.g., C) and/or as a program script (e.g., Python).

The invention also encompasses combinations of the features of the described embodiments. The invention therefore also encompasses implementations that each comprise a combination of the features of several of the described embodiments, unless the embodiments are described as mutually exclusive.

• 1 eine schematische Darstellung einer erfindungsgemäßen Ausführungsform; und
• 2 eine schematische Darstellung einer Skalierung der erfindungsgemäßen Ausführungsform.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described below. Shown are:

• 1 a schematic representation of an embodiment of the invention; and
• 2 a schematic representation of a scaling of the embodiment according to the invention.

The exemplary embodiments explained below are preferred embodiments of the invention. In the exemplary embodiments, the described components of the embodiments each represent individual features of the invention that are to be considered independently of one another, which also independently of one another. Therefore, the disclosure is intended to encompass combinations of the features of the embodiments other than those illustrated. Furthermore, the described embodiments can also be supplemented by further features of the invention already described.

In the figures, the same reference symbols designate elements with the same function.

1 shows an area 9, which can be configured as a parking area 9a, 9b, 9c and/or a street. In the area 9, an incoming vehicle 4 is shown at an entrance 1 and an outgoing vehicle 7 at an exit 2. Furthermore, two already parked vehicles 3 and an available parking space 5 are shown.

The vehicle 4 entering or to be parked in the area 9 can be determined by at least one sensor device 6 of the at least one vehicle 3 already parked in the area 9, wherein an entry or exit of passing vehicles 4, 7 into or from the area 9 can be detected by the at least one already parked vehicle 3. The vehicle 4 entering the area 9 can be classified as a vehicle to be parked, wherein a vehicle 7 exiting the area 9 can be classified as a non-parking vehicle. A non-parking vehicle can simultaneously signal an available parking space 5.

3 shows a schematic representation of a scaling according to the concept. Shown are three parking areas 9a, 9b, 9c, which can be logically interconnected. Reference symbols 1a, 1b, and 1c, as well as 2a, 2b, and 2c, represent the corresponding entrances and exits of the respective parking areas 9a, 9b, 9c. If a parking area 9a, 9b, 9c is completely full, one or more alternative routes to the nearest free parking area 9a, 9b, 9c can be provided for a user or parking space seeker 4.

Area 9 or an infrastructure of area 9 can be gradually documented or mapped using the system and used to document or record the utilization or capacity of a road and/or parking area 9a, 9b, 9c. This can be achieved, for example, depending on the length of a vehicle 4, 7 entering or exiting.

At least one, preferably two or more parked vehicles 3 along a road or in or at a parking area 9a, 9b, 9c can be used as entry and exit counters. The at least one sensor device 6 of the at least one parked vehicle 3 can be configured, for example, as a rear-view radar and/or surround-view camera and/or LIDAR. For example, one parked vehicle 3 can be arranged at the entrance or at the entrance 1 of the area 9 and the second parked vehicle 3 can be arranged at the exit or at the exit 2 of the area 9, so that further or other vehicles 4, 7 entering or exiting the area 9 between the two parked vehicles 3 are detected and/or counted.

Using Car2X, additional information, such as vehicle dimensions and/or the user's parking space-searching habits, can be exchanged with the system.

The at least one vehicle 3, 4, 7 can exchange information with the system in real time, so that the system can determine redundantly and/or anonymously that, for example, the entering vehicle 4 was actually parked in the parking area 9a, 9b, 9c.

Parking sensors and/or cameras and/or radars and/or lidars from the incoming vehicles 4 can also be used, for example, to detect distances between the vehicles 3, i.e. available parking spaces 5, or to redundantly check whether there are actually empty or available parking spaces 5 in the respective area 9.

Thus, the parking space seeker 4 can be guided specifically to parking areas 9a, 9b, 9c, e.g., via a vehicle navigation system, where they may have the best chance of finding an available parking space 5. A respective confidence can therefore be calculated for each parking area 9a, 9b, 9c, whereby the confidence can then be converted, for example, into a scalable factor that represents the most cost-effective alternative in terms of time and distance to a parking area 9a, 9b, 9c. This can mean that the system not only takes into account the availability of parking spaces 5, but also the costs in the form of time and distance that a user or parking space seeker 4 would have to spend to get to an available parking space 5 and/or area 9.

The system can be scaled to several parking areas 9a, 9b, 9c, which can be logically networked with each other, comprising, for example, one or more parking garages and/or an entire city.

It may be intended that one or more models, e.g. comprising an artificial neural network, are based on months or years consolidated information is trained to provide forecasts about the possible development of a parking situation, particularly with regard to occupancy (with the appropriate confidence for the respective parking space seeker 4).

Further information, such as a speed of the vehicle 4, 7 entering or leaving the area 9, can also be exchanged with the system via car2x (car to everything) or air interfaces, as well as the arrival time of an entering vehicle 4 and/or necessary charging time and/or calendar events (with user consent) and/or the average parking time in the area 9, in particular on the street and/or in or at the parking area 9a, 9b, 9c.

Overall, the examples show how a method for detecting at least one available parking space 5 and supporting parking space seekers 4 can be provided.

List of reference symbols

1

Entrance

2

Exit

3

already parked vehicle

4

incoming vehicle

5

available parking space

6

Sensor device

7

departing vehicle

9

Area

9a, 9b, 9c

Parking area

QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• DE 102011 086 268 A1 [0005]
• WO 2010 142 803 A1 [0006]
• DE 10 2015 215 693 A1 [0007]

Claims (11)

Method for assisting at least one person (4) seeking a parking space in an area (9) by means of a system set up for this purpose by: determining at least one vehicle to be parked in the area (9), wherein the entry or exit of at least one vehicle (4, 7) into or from the area (9) is detected by at least one sensor device (6) of at least one vehicle (3) already parked in the area (9), wherein a vehicle (4) entering the area (9) is classified as a vehicle to be parked and a vehicle (7) leaving the area (9) is classified as a non-parked vehicle, whereby a non-parked vehicle simultaneously signals an available parking space (5), which is communicated to a person (4) seeking a parking space for assistance. Procedure according to Claim 1 , wherein the determining further comprises: - receiving dimensions of the at least one vehicle (4, 7) entering or leaving, - documenting the parking space dimensions occupied at a respective time based on the received dimensions, - providing the information about an available parking space (5) based on the documented parking space dimensions for the at least one parking space seeker (4). Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one parking space seeker (4) controls a vehicle (4) entering the area (9), wherein at least one sensor device of the entering vehicle (4) is used to check whether the at least one parking space (5) classified as available is actually available, and thereby control data is generated which is sent to a server of the system and provided for correcting the documented parking space dimensions. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the area (9) comprises a parking area (9a, 9b, 9c) and/or a road. Procedure according to Claim 4 , wherein the system is scaled to several parking areas (9a, 9b, 9c) which are logically interconnected, and when a parking area (9a, 9b, 9c) is completely full, alternative routes to the nearest free parking area (9a, 9b, 9c) are provided. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein information is exchanged between the at least one vehicle (3, 4, 7) and the server of the system by means of car2x and/or air interfaces, wherein the information describes an arrival time of a vehicle (4) entering the area (9) and/or a necessary charging time of a parked or already parked vehicle (3, 4) and/or calendar events of at least one vehicle (3, 4, 7) and/or an average parking time in the area (9) of the at least one parking space seeker (4), and a utilization of the parking area (9a, 9b, 9c) is forecast. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a utilization of the parking area (9a, 9b, 9c) is predicted based on at least one of the following information to be received from a parking space seeker (4): - vehicle class being driven, - vehicle occupant status, - professional use and/or - parking space seeking habit. Procedure according to Claim 6 or 7 , wherein the system comprises an artificial neural network which is trained by means of the information to determine at least one possibly available parking space (5) and thereby generates forecast data which are sent to the at least one parking space seeker (4). Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the entry and exit are determined by means of at least one sensor device (6) of the system and/or by means of geofence. Control device, wherein the control device comprises a processor device having program instructions which, when executed by the processor device, cause it to carry out a method according to one of the preceding method claims. System comprising a control device according to Claim 10 .