Vehicle Parking Indicators Patents (Class 340/932.2)
  • Patent number: 10703412
    Abstract: A method is described for parking a vehicle in a parking space. In the method, a parking aid device having a function that parks in a parking space on an oncoming lane is activated. An available parking space on the oncoming lane is located via sensors. A starting position of the vehicle on the oncoming lane for automatic parking in the parking space is established such that upon moving the vehicle on the oncoming lane into the established starting position, and the parking aid device automatically parks the vehicle in the parking space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Frederic Stefan
  • Patent number: 10696295
    Abstract: When a driver performs a driving operation in the parking operation, a control unit of a parking assist device performs acceleration in accordance with the driving operation by the driver under a condition that a distance to a target stop position from a position of the own vehicle is larger than a predetermined distance, and after the acceleration, the control unit performs deceleration so that the own vehicle stops in a range to a limit stop position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yuki Nakada
  • Patent number: 10699575
    Abstract: An example method described herein includes receiving an image stream of a non-demarcated parking zone; identifying dimensions of the non-demarcated parking zone; determining an overall area of the non-demarcated parking zone based on the dimensions of the non-demarcated parking zone; calculating a capacity of the non-demarcated parking zone based on the dimensions of the overall area and predetermined vehicle dimensions; determining a number of vehicles parked in the non-demarcated parking zone based on the image stream and an object detection model, wherein the object detection model is configured to detect vehicles in the image stream that are parked in the non-demarcated parking zone; determining a parking availability of the non-demarcated parking zone based on the number of vehicles parked in the non-demarcated parking zone and the capacity; and performing an action associated with the parking availability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventors: Udit Batra, Ilker Ozsaracoglu, Kasiana J P McLenaghan, David L. Tucker, Mohammad Naimur Rahman
  • Patent number: 10691954
    Abstract: Embodiments detailed herein can include performing an initial calibration that maps each optical character of the plurality of optical characters visible in a field-of-view of a digital camera of a wide-area parking space monitoring system with corresponding parking spaces. The digital camera of the system may capture an image facing downward toward the parking spaces. The system may identify one or more optical characters that are visible within the image. The system may determine one or more parking spaces of the plurality of parking spaces that are mapped to the identified one or more optical characters, The system may output an indication of the determined one or more parking spaces that indicates the one or more parking spaces are available.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: DISK Network L.L.C.
    Inventors: William Michael Beals, Karam J. Saab
  • Patent number: 10692382
    Abstract: Methods and devices assist in a parking maneuver of a vehicle. The vehicle includes a parking aid that produces a first signal. The first signal is perceptible in an interior of the vehicle during a parking maneuver. A signal property of the first signal is adapted to a currently prevailing distance of the vehicle from a parking obstruction. The first signal is converted into a second signal that is perceptible by an operator located outside the vehicle. The second signal is transmitted to the operator disposed outside the vehicle during a remotely-controlled performance of the parking maneuver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Andreas Urhahne, Robert Spahl
  • Patent number: 10687026
    Abstract: A shovel includes a lower travelling body; an upper turning body pivotably attached to the lower traveling body; a camera attached to the upper turning body; a processor; and a memory that includes instructions, which when executed, cause the processor to generate an output image including a camera image captured by the camera; and to display an image representing an extending direction of a work target surface or a direction orthogonal to the extending direction and the camera image while superposing the image on the camera image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: SUMITOMO(S.H.I.) CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takeya Izumikawa, Hidehiko Katoh
  • Patent number: 10685501
    Abstract: A parking enforcement device includes a weather resistant housing, a processor disposed inside of the housing, a memory disposed inside of the housing and coupled to the processor, a network interface disposed in the housing and coupled to the processor, and a first camera coupled to the processor. The camera monitors a first parking space. A second camera remote from the parking meter monitors a second parking space and is networked to the processor. The processor is configured to recognize when a vehicle enters either of the first and second parking spaces and to determine if a parking violation min either of the spaces has occurred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: Municipal Parking Services Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas G. Hudson, Joseph M. Caldwell, Richard C. Gage
  • Patent number: 10685567
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining a parking area (8) for parking a motor vehicle (1), in which the motor vehicle (1) is moved relative to a potential parking space (9), a road marking (11) and at least one object (12, 16) delimiting the potential parking space (9) are recognized on the basis of sensor data of at least one sensor (4) of the motor vehicle (1) during the movement of the motor vehicle (1) relative to the potential parking space (9), and the parking area (8) within the potential parking space (9) is determined on the basis of the recognized road marking (11) and the at least one object (12, 16), wherein an orientation for the parking area (8) is determined on the basis of the road marking (11), an orientation of the at least one object (12, 16) is determined, and the parking area (8) is determined in dependence on a comparison between the determined orientation for the parking area (8) and the determined orientation of the at least one object (12, 16).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: Valeo Schalter und Sensoren GmbH
    Inventor: Frank Blinkle
  • Patent number: 10674236
    Abstract: Devices and meters comprising: a housing configured to mount to a pole supporting an existing meter, the housing defining an interior; a sensor within the interior of the housing, the sensor configured to collect environmental information pertaining to the local external environment of the existing meter; a wireless radio within the interior of the housing, the wireless radio configured to transmit the environmental information to the existing meter or to a remote server in communication with the existing meter; a power unit within the interior of the housing, the power unit supplying power to the sensor and the wireless radio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: IPS GROUP, INC.
    Inventors: David William King, Alexander Schwarz, Stephen John Hunter, Chad P. Randall
  • Patent number: 10673842
    Abstract: A method is provided. The method includes providing an authentication code onto a reference article associated with a person, determining a signature associated with the authentication code, imaging a candidate article to determine an image signature, and comparing the associated signature with the image signature to determine whether the candidate article is the reference article. A related system and imaging device are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: CertiRx, Inc.
    Inventors: Darrell Jerome Freeman, Thomas J. Mercolino, Hersh Ashok Tapadia
  • Patent number: 10670706
    Abstract: A detection device for detecting the presence of a living being at a predetermined location within a monitored area comprises an evaluation unit configured to evaluate radar radiation received by a radar unit from an assigned radar area included in said monitored area in response to radar radiation emitted by said radar unit to detect if a living being is present within said radar area and to localize a detected living being within said radar area, and a detection unit configured to correlate the location of a detected living being in said radar area with a set of predetermined locations in said monitored area to detect the presence of a living being at a predetermined location of said monitored area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Andreas Schwager, Honghui Yan, Norihito Mihota, Ralf Boehnke
  • Patent number: 10661786
    Abstract: An autonomous parking assist apparatus and a method for assisting parking using the apparatus are provided. The autonomous parking assist apparatus includes an environment information detector that detects surrounding environment information of a vehicle and a processor that senses a change in a parking environment using the environment information detector after the vehicle is parked. Additionally, the processor determines whether a realignment of the vehicle is required and performs the realignment of the vehicle based on the determined result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Jun Soo Kim
  • Patent number: 10665102
    Abstract: A parking system includes first and second communicators. The first communicator is configured to be mounted on a vehicle and perform communication. The second communicator is configured to be mounted on a communication device owned by a user and perform communication. The first and second communicators are configured to communicate with a wireless communication service in a mutually exclusive manner by using the same information as service setting information. At least one of the vehicle and the communication device enables the first communicator in the vehicle to communicate by using the wireless communication service in at least one of a first period during execution of automatic parking, and a second period during execution of pick-up traveling, by transmitting a switching request for switching an active communicator in the wireless communication service, to a management apparatus managing a relationship between the service setting information and a related communicator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomomi Hase, Noriaki Ikemoto
  • Patent number: 10657812
    Abstract: A notification system includes a notification unit configured to notify a second person of position information relating to a parking position of a vehicle and auxiliary information to help the second person to find the vehicle after the vehicle is moved and parked by a first person.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tohru Yanagida, Chikage Kubo, Ai Fujimura, Shunsuke Noda, Satoshi Usui
  • Patent number: 10655981
    Abstract: A method is provided for updating parking area information in a navigation system for a vehicle. The method includes the following steps: detecting a parking area by way of data received at least one device on at least one vehicle; determining information relating to the parking area which at least partially relates to characterizing characteristics of the parking area; analyzing the determined information in relation to an adequate characterization of the parking area; comparing the determined information with data of at least one database; and updating the database in the event of a deviation between the determined information and the data of the database.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Andreas Falk, Christina Breining, Christian Connette, Sebastian Gruenwedel, Bernhard Kisslinger, Benjamin Sobotta
  • Patent number: 10650679
    Abstract: A parking navigation method, device and system are provided. The parking navigation method comprises: acquiring initial location information of a vehicle; acquiring a target planned path based on a preset rule according to the initial location information and target parking location information; and sequentially turning on lighting devices on the target planned path, to guide the vehicle to travel to a target parking location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignees: BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD., BOE OPTICAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Wei Xie
  • Patent number: 10652455
    Abstract: Disclosed in some examples is a method of guided video capture, the method including identifying a video capture template, the video capture template including a plurality of target video parameters, each of the target video parameters corresponding to one of a plurality of video capture directions; while capturing video, selecting a video capture direction from the plurality of video capture directions based on video parameters of captured video and the plurality of target video parameters using a processor and presenting the selected video capture direction to a user on a display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: eBay Inc.
    Inventor: John Patrick Edgar Tobin
  • Patent number: 10647210
    Abstract: Each time the charging of an electric vehicle is executed at a charging station, charging information is acquired which is information on a charged capacity by one charging or a time required for one charging, and identification information of the electric vehicle is acquired. Each charging time, the acquired charging information and the acquired identification information are stored in an information storage unit so that they are associated with each other. The identification information of an electric vehicle is acquired which is waiting for charging at a charging station as a calculation object for which a charging wait time is calculated. The charging information corresponding to the acquired identification information of the electric vehicle waiting for charging is extracted from the stored charging information. The charging wait time at the charging station as the calculation object is calculated on the basis of the extracted charging information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Haruyuki Saito, Takeshi Tsuda
  • Patent number: 10650680
    Abstract: A parking lot mapping system includes a server. The server is remote from a plurality of vehicles, and includes a receiver, an electronic controller and a storage device. The receiver is configured to receive data transmitted from the vehicles, the data including a route traveled and a stopping position of each of the vehicles. The electronic controller is configured to determine that each vehicle has entered a parking lot, and form a map of the parking lot including parking lot routes and parking spots based on accumulation of the data including the stopping position of each vehicle and the route traveled by each of the vehicles after determination that each vehicle vehicles has entered the parking lot. The storage device is configured to store the map of the parking lot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Mauro Della Penna, Naoki Kojo, Daisuke Saito
  • Patent number: 10643471
    Abstract: A method for detecting parked vehicles, wherein parking regions in a parking area are identified and/or defined, a transponder is arranged in or on a vehicle, the transponder automatically repeatedly transmits an identification signal, the identification signal is received by at least one radio device, a position of the vehicle is calculated and an identification of the transponder is determined by means of a control device on the basis of the identification signal, it is determined whether the vehicle is one of the parking regions, it is determined on the basis of the identification signal whether the vehicle is parked, provided that the vehicle is parked in one of the parking regions, the identification of the transponder and the parking region used by the vehicle are transferred to a registration server, and the registration server outputs a status signal for the parking region used on the basis of the identification of the transponder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: CLEVERCITI SYSTEMS GMBH
    Inventor: Thomas Hohenacker
  • Patent number: 10635114
    Abstract: Vehicle positioning in a parking area is provided by obtaining vehicle information of vehicles for positioning in the parking area, identifying unutilized parking space in the parking area, then based on recognizing a vehicle movement event, determining an optimized layout for the vehicles, the optimized layout including position for each vehicle of the vehicles, the vehicle movement event including (i) actual or anticipated arrival of an arriving vehicle to be positioned in the parking area or (ii) actual or anticipated departure of a departing vehicle departing from the parking area, and positioning one or more vehicles of the vehicles to conform to the determined optimized layout, the positioning including automatically controlling movement of at least one autonomous vehicle of the one or more vehicles and repositioning a vehicle, of the one or more vehicles, that is a different vehicle than the arriving vehicle or departing vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sarbajit K. Rakshit, Shilpa S. Shetty
  • Patent number: 10638028
    Abstract: A mobile photographing apparatus includes an image sensor provided in a mobile body, a storage section configured to store map information within a moving range of the mobile body, and a control section configured to receive target identification information including information on a moving photographing target generated in accordance with a user's operation, acquire information on a photographing position based on the target identification information, perform movement control to cause the mobile body to move in order for the image sensor to pick up an image of the photographing target based on the information on the photographing position and the map information, and cause the image sensor to pick up an image of the photographing target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akinobu Sato, Koichi Shintani, Kenji Homma, Yoshihisa Ogata, Manabu Tajima
  • Patent number: 10636304
    Abstract: A driving support system includes a first monitoring device on a first object, the first monitoring device having a first controller, a first camera, and a first display, a second monitoring device on a second object, the second monitoring device having a second controller and a second camera, and a server in communication with the first and second monitoring devices. The first and second controllers are each detect a target in images acquired from the respective first or second camera, calculate target information for the target, and transmit the target information to the server. The server generates list information including the target information from the first and second monitoring devices, and transmits the list information to the first and second monitoring devices. The first controller further generates a map according to the list information received from the server, and displays the map on the first display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Marie Takada, Masanobu Shirakawa
  • Patent number: 10636305
    Abstract: A vehicle includes one or more processors, one or more memory modules, and machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules. The vehicle determines that the vehicle is in a multi-story unit, determines a first time when the vehicle enters a floor of the multi-story unit, determines a second time when the vehicle exits the floor of the multi-story unit, measures a staying time for the vehicle being on the floor of the multi-story unit based on the first time and the second time, determines whether the floor of the multi-story unit includes an available parking space based on the staying time, and transmits a notification to another vehicle in response to determination that the floor of the multi-story unit includes no available parking space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Eric Randell Schmidt, Kotaro Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 10636308
    Abstract: Systems and methods for collision avoidance include a plurality of sensors respectively disposed on a plurality of movable objects, wherein each sensor is configured to transmit signals indicating the location of the movable object. The system further includes a receiver configured to receive the transmitted signals and a controller in communication with the receiver. The controller is configured to monitor the received signals from the plurality of sensors indicating the locations of the movable objects to determine a direction of travel of each movable object based on locations of the movable objects over time. The controller is further configured to determine an intersection region of the direction of travel of at least two movable objects and generate an output signal to provide an alert at the intersection region of the at least two movable objects, when at least one movable object is within a predetermined proximity of the intersection region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: John William Glatfelter, David Lee Howick
  • Patent number: 10629078
    Abstract: A method, system and product for computer-aided hunting for location-based events. The computer-aided hunting may be based on providing an automatic suggestion of a proposed waiting location. A method includes computing, a proposed location for a driver of a vehicle, wherein the proposed location is an approximated location where the vehicle can wait until a location-based event occurs occurring in a geographical area. The computing includes: computing, for each potential location within the geographical area, computing a measurement indicative of an estimated elapsed time until the location based event occurring in a proximity of the potential location; and selecting the proposed location from the potential location based on the computed measurements, and providing the proposed location to the driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: ANAGOG LTD.
    Inventors: Gil Levy, Yaron Aizenbud
  • Patent number: 10629076
    Abstract: A method includes a plurality of first motor vehicles traveling along a section of a street in the same direction of travel; scanning of a right side of the street by a first sensor directed laterally to the right, and a left side of the street by a second sensor directed laterally to the left on each first motor vehicle; determining right parking spaces on the right side of the street based on data from the first sensor and left parking spaces on the left side of the street based on data from the second sensor; ascertaining a confidence value based on a first accumulation with which right parking spaces were determined in the section, and based on a second accumulation with which left parking spaces were determined in the section; and assigning the confidence value to the section and to the direction of travel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Philipp Mayer
  • Patent number: 10628962
    Abstract: Systems and methods for determining the amount of time that an object occupies a predetermined space are provided. In one implementation, a system comprises a sensor configured to determine a start time when a recognizable object enters a predetermined space. The sensor is further configured to determine an end time when the recognizable object leaves the predetermined space. The system also includes a processing device configured to determine an elapsed time, based on the start time and the end time, when the recognizable object remains in the predetermined space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: WORLDCAM LLC
    Inventors: Andrew Slattery, Shane Pitman
  • Patent number: 10628688
    Abstract: A learning method for detecting unoccupied parking spaces by using probability distributions on decision points of the unoccupied parking spaces and relational linear segment information on relationships among the decision points is provided. And the method includes steps of: (a) a learning device performing (i) a process of instructing a first CNN to apply a first CNN regression operation to a parking circumstance image, to thereby calculate each of one or more estimated probability distributions, and (ii) a process of instructing a second CNN to apply a second CNN regression operation to the parking circumstance image, to thereby generate estimated relational linear segment information; and (b) the learning device instructing a loss layer to perform (i) a process training parameters in the first CNN by performing backpropagation using a first loss, and (ii) a process of training of parameters in the second CNN by performing backpropagation using a second loss.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: Stadvision, Inc.
    Inventors: Kye-Hyeon Kim, Yongjoong Kim, Hak-Kyoung Kim, Woonhyun Nam, SukHoon Boo, Myungchul Sung, Dongsoo Shin, Donghun Yeo, Wooju Ryu, Myeong-Chun Lee, Hyungsoo Lee, Taewoong Jang, Kyungjoong Jeong, Hongmo Je, Hojin Cho
  • Patent number: 10621867
    Abstract: A method for providing vehicle assistance to a vehicle when parking in a parking lot is provided. The method includes identifying, by the path controller, one or more available parking spaces based on the one or more images. The method includes displaying, on a user interface in communication with the path controller, a representation of the identified one or more available parking spaces, and receiving, on the user interface, a driver selection of a representation of the identified one or more available parking spaces. The method includes determining, by the path controller, a path from a current position of the vehicle to an available parking space associated with the driver selection of the representation. The method includes instructing, a drive system of the vehicle, to autonomously drive the vehicle along the path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Dalong Li, Ibro Muharemovic, Dominik Froehlich, Steffen Hartmann
  • Patent number: 10623925
    Abstract: A communication device to be mounted in a vehicle includes a short-range communication unit configured to perform a first wireless communication in a first communication range, a wide-area communication unit configured to perform a second wireless communication in a second communication range larger than the first communication range, a first information acquisition unit configured to acquire first vehicle information from another vehicle located in the first communication range, through the first wireless communication, a communication control unit configured to permit, when the first information acquisition unit has acquired the first vehicle information including predetermined information, acquisition of second vehicle information through the second wireless communication, and a second information acquisition unit configured to acquire, when the acquisition of the second vehicle information through the second wireless communication is permitted, the second vehicle information from another vehicle located i
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: Alpine Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Takao Itatsu
  • Patent number: 10614711
    Abstract: A system for monitoring a parking facility for motor vehicles, including a radio transmitter for transmitting a radio signal with a predetermined level within the parking facility, a radio receiver for receiving the radio signal within the parking facility, a measuring device for measuring a level of the received radio signal, a processor for comparing the measured level to the predetermined level, the processor being designed to ascertain whether an object is located within the parking facility, based on the comparison. A corresponding method, a parking facility for motor vehicles, as well as a computer program are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Stefan Nordbruch
  • Patent number: 10614714
    Abstract: A method for classifying a parking spot identified with the aid of a distance-based detection process for validity, including the following: comparing a position of the identified parking spot to a digital parking facility map which includes positions of valid and invalid parking areas; and classifying the identified parking spot as a valid or an invalid parking spot as a function of the comparison. Also described are a corresponding device, a corresponding parking guidance system, a corresponding motor vehicle, and a computer program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Christian Abeling, Philipp Mayer
  • Patent number: 10604185
    Abstract: A method for assisting a parking procedure of a motor vehicle in an available parking space. An electronic parking assistance system (EPAS) is operated to: acquire information related to a parking area having multiple parking spaces arranged adjacent and parallel to one another; generate a virtual map including positions of an available space, two flanking vehicles parked on opposed sides of the available space, and at least one additional vehicle parked alongside one of the two flanking parked vehicles on a side opposite from the available space; and determine a parking position in the available space considering the respective positions of the flanking vehicles and the additional vehicle. A vehicle steering system and/or braking system and/or powertrain is operated by the EPAS to guide the motor vehicle to the parking position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ahmed Benmimoun, Lars Kuhnert, Georg Neugebauer, Nadja Wysietzki, Ralf Brune
  • Patent number: 10593212
    Abstract: A method for an autonomous vehicle to perform an autonomous parking maneuver is provided. The method includes operating the autonomous vehicle to a destination and then operating the autonomous vehicle to a first parking location at the destination utilizing stored first coordinates of the first parking location. Next the autonomous vehicle determines whether the first parking location is available and performs the autonomous parking maneuver at the first location when the first parking location is available.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Valor Yaldo, Xiaofeng F. Song
  • Patent number: 10593129
    Abstract: Methods, computer program products, and systems are presented. The method computer program products, and systems can include, for instance: obtaining user information of a vehicle driver user, the vehicle driver user being a user of a computer based system for managing a parking area; processing information of the user information; and outputting a communication to control an indicator system based on the processing, wherein the indicator system is provided as a fixture of the parking area and wherein the indicator system is configured to provide indications viewable by vehicle drivers driving within the parking area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Edwin J. Bruce, Romelia H. Flores
  • Patent number: 10593209
    Abstract: Tracking movements of mobile devices may provide insight into parking space availability for transports deemed to be associated with those mobile devices. One example method of operation may include tracking movements of mobile devices within a predefined geographical area, identifying a first movement of a first mobile device as being limited to a predetermined threshold distance, identifying a second movement of the first mobile device as having a movement speed that is greater than a movement speed of the first movement, and designating the mobile device as being inside a transport leaving a parking spot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: OPEN INVENTION NETWORK LLC
    Inventor: David Gerard Ledet
  • Patent number: 10589674
    Abstract: A system for detecting a height of an obstacle for parking assistance, may include a distance measurement module including a distance sensor measuring a distance from an obstacle existing at a side of a vehicle and a wireless transmitter wirelessly transmitting a detecting value of the distance sensor; a wireless receiver receiving the detecting value of the distance sensor from the wireless transmitter; and a controller determining a height of the obstacle on the basis of the received detecting value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Sung Min Ji
  • Patent number: 10586453
    Abstract: A controller of a first vehicle specifies a position of an unoccupied parking space, from a detected position of the first vehicle and an image shot with a camera. A server-side controller transmits target parking space information indicating a position of a parking space within a predetermined range from a position of a second vehicle which has transmitted a request, of the positions of the parking spaces indicated by vacant parking space information from the first vehicle, to the second vehicle. A controller of the second vehicle obtains the target parking space information from the server. An informer of the second vehicle informs the position of the parking space indicated by the obtained target parking space information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoru Sakuma, Shuhei Yamamoto, Munehiro Kamiya, Hideo Hasegawa, Shinji Kurachi, Tomoya Shimizu
  • Patent number: 10586450
    Abstract: Disclosed is a dynamic parking regulation method, from a set of payment terminals arranged on the roadway for the sale and issuing of at least rights to park, wherein each is associated with a right to park in a parking space, wherein the method includes the following steps implemented by each payment terminal provided with a data capture device that is designed to capture data that is representative of the occupation of the parking space close by: capturing data that is representative of the occupation of the parking space close to the given terminal with the aid of the capture device; and obtaining an updated right to park based on the occupation of a parking place determined as a function of at least the captured data, and issuing at least one right to park as a function of updated right to park.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: FLOWBIRD
    Inventor: David Lagnié
  • Patent number: 10579061
    Abstract: Provided are a parking assistance device for a vehicle and a parking control method thereof, capable of preventing collision with a stopper within a parking space by assisting parking in alignment with a parking reference line set with respect to an object located at a distance closest to the self vehicle among distances to objects located around a found parking space. The parking assistance device includes: a parking space searching unit configured to search for a parking space for parking of a self vehicle; a reception unit configured to receive sensing signals sensed from objects located around the parking space; a reference object determination unit configured to use the sensing signals to determine an object closest to the self vehicle as a reference object among the objects located around the parking space; and a parking reference line setting unit configured to set the parking reference line based on a front end of the determined reference object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: MANDO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tak Gen Kim
  • Patent number: 10576967
    Abstract: A parking assistance device is applied to a vehicle equipped with a camera for capturing an image of an area in front of the vehicle and is configured to assist forward parking of the vehicle in a parking space. The parking assistance device includes: a position estimation unit which, in a situation where the vehicle is advancing toward the parking space in a lateral passage of the parking space, estimates, based on an image captured by the camera, at least one of a first corner position, which is a near-side corner position at a vehicle entrance part of the parking space, and a second corner position, which is a far-side corner position at the vehicle entrance part, before the vehicle passes by the parking space; and a space recognition unit which recognizes the parking space for forward parking based on the at least one estimated corner position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yu Maeda, Taketo Harada, Mitsuyasu Matsuura, Hirohiko Yanagawa
  • Patent number: 10573179
    Abstract: An illuminating device, an illuminating guidance system and an illuminating guidance method are provided. The method includes: detecting a vehicle entering a parking lot to generate vehicle entrance information by a detector; detecting at least one vacant parking space of the parking lot to generate vacant parking space information by a sensor; receiving the vehicle entrance information and the vacant parking space information to plan a guidance path by a controller; and controlling the LED light board to provide a guidance light pattern by the controller, thereby guiding the vehicle to the vacant parking space according to the guidance light pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignees: LITE-ON ELECTRONICS (GUANGZHOU) LIMITED, Lite-On Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Chin-Jui Tu, Chien-Lung Wang, Ming-Hung Chien
  • Patent number: 10556780
    Abstract: A vehicle position detection and guidance system for use with an automotive service lift having a pair of runways onto which a vehicle is driven in order to be elevated. The system consists of a LiDAR sensor disposed to provide a field of view encompassing a volume of space extending upward from the upper surface of each lift runway, as well as the intervening region between the runways. The LiDAR sensor to observes at least the leading tread surfaces of two or more wheels on a vehicle approaching the service lift, and a volume of space below the vehicle. Output from the LiDAR sensor is conveyed to a processing system, which monitors the wheel positions relative to the runway surfaces, and provides output indicating steering corrections, obstructions, and a vehicle stopping point as the vehicle is driven onto the runways and/or the lift elevation changes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: Hunter Engineering Company
    Inventors: Matthew John Zecher, Michael Olsen, Nicholas J. Colarelli, III
  • Patent number: 10560825
    Abstract: A digital intercom system has first and second master stations. Each master station has hardware and software configured to allow duplex communication between a plurality of communication devices. The software is further configured to run a plurality of settings for directing communication between the communication devices of each master station. The master stations are configured to allow duplex communication between the devices of each master station. Inter-master channels define parameters for communication between the communication devices of each master station. The settings of the master stations can be modified based on input entered into a browser based program run on a first input/output device by a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: David Clark Company Incorporated.
    Inventors: Nicholas Cannata, Natan Keddem
  • Patent number: 10549762
    Abstract: A system and method to distinguish between a lane change and a turn of a vehicle as an intended movement of the vehicle based on a driver-initiated motion toward an adjacent lane that is adjacent to a lane occupied by the vehicle include obtaining input from one or more sources. The one or more sources include a sensor system or a communication system. The method also includes processing the input from the one or more sources to obtain indirect information that indicates a direction of travel in the lane adjacent or to obtain direct information specific to a location of the vehicle, determining whether the lane change or the turn is more likely to be the intended movement based on the indirect information or the direct information, and modifying an action of a vehicle system based on the determining whether the lane change or the turn is more likely.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Mohammad Naserian, Allan K. Lewis
  • Patent number: 10545025
    Abstract: A method of operation of a navigation system includes: detecting a trigger event based on a context information being free of an operation input satisfying a cue condition; selecting an operation mode representing a listen mode based on detecting the trigger event; identifying a message template linked to the cue condition; and generating a system initiated inquiry with a control unit based on the message template and the selection of the listen mode for presenting on a device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: Telenav, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory Stewart Aist, Aliasgar Mumtaz Husain, Casey Carter, Shalu Grover, Naveen Kumar Vandanapu
  • Patent number: 10528829
    Abstract: An apparatus configured to park a vehicle includes a plurality of cameras configured to acquire images of surroundings of the vehicle; a display configured to display an around-view image showing a view around the vehicle that is generated by combining the images acquired by the plurality of cameras; and a processor. The processor is configured to determine a first input that is applied on the around-view image displayed on the display; display, according to the first input that has been applied on the around-view image, a parking guide image representing a user-specified parking region for the vehicle; determine whether there is an actual parking region that matches the displayed parking guide image representing the user-specified parking region; and based on a determination that there is an actual parking region that matches the displayed parking guide image, provide a signal that controls a parking operation of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Ilho Kim, Nami Oh
  • Patent number: 10529233
    Abstract: A vehicle includes processors, a display, and a drone comprising a camera and sensors. The processors receive an input indicating a destination, generate a zone including the destination, cause the drone to capture images of the zone, identify an unoccupied parking spot from the images of the zone, and present the unoccupied parking spot on the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Florian Vieten, Marc Roeber, Patrick Hanneken
  • Patent number: 10529234
    Abstract: A method, system and product for computer-aided hunting for location-based events. The computer-aided hunting may be based on providing an automatic suggestion of a proposed waiting location. A method comprising: computing, a proposed location for a driver of a vehicle, wherein the proposed location is an approximated location where the vehicle can wait until a location-based event occurs occurring in a geographical area, wherein said computing comprises: computing, for each potential location within the geographical area, computing a measurement indicative of an estimated elapsed time until the location based event occurring in a proximity of the potential location; and selecting the proposed location from the potential location based on the computed measurements; and providing the proposed location to the driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: ANAGOG LTD.
    Inventors: Gil Levy, Yaron Aizenbud