U.S. patent application number 16/193119 was filed with the patent office on 2020-05-21 for systems and methods for determining parking availability on floors of multi-story units.
This patent application is currently assigned to Toyota Motor North America, Inc.. The applicant listed for this patent is Toyota Motor North America, Inc.. Invention is credited to Kotaro Hashimoto, Eric Randell Schmidt.
Application Number | 20200160711 16/193119 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 70332647 |
Filed Date | 2020-05-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20200160711 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Schmidt; Eric Randell ; et
al. |
May 21, 2020 |
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETERMINING PARKING AVAILABILITY ON FLOORS
OF MULTI-STORY UNITS
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.
Inventors: |
Schmidt; Eric Randell;
(Northville, MI) ; Hashimoto; Kotaro; (Frisco,
TX) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Toyota Motor North America, Inc. |
Plano |
TX |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Toyota Motor North America,
Inc.
Plano
TX
|
Family ID: |
70332647 |
Appl. No.: |
16/193119 |
Filed: |
November 16, 2018 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04W 4/46 20180201; H04W
4/02 20130101; G08G 1/146 20130101; G08G 1/143 20130101; H04W 4/44
20180201; G06K 9/00812 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G08G 1/14 20060101
G08G001/14; G06K 9/00 20060101 G06K009/00; H04W 4/44 20060101
H04W004/44; H04W 4/46 20060101 H04W004/46 |
Claims
1. A vehicle comprising: one or more processors; one or more memory
modules; and machine readable instructions stored in the one or
more memory modules that cause the vehicle to perform at least the
following when executed by the one or more processors: determine a
first time when the vehicle enters a floor of a multi-story unit;
determine a second time when the vehicle exits the floor of the
multi-story unit; measure a staying time for the vehicle being on
the floor of the multi-story unit based on the first time and the
second time; determine whether the floor of the multi-story unit
includes an available parking space based on the staying time; and
transmit a notification to another vehicle in response to
determination that the floor of the multi-story unit includes no
available parking space.
2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the machine readable
instructions stored in the one or more memory modules, when
executed by the one or more processors, cause the vehicle to:
determine whether the staying time is less than a first threshold
time; and determine that the floor of the multi-story unit includes
no available parking space in response to the staying time being
less than the first threshold time.
3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the machine readable
instructions stored in the one or more memory modules, when
executed by the one or more processors, cause the vehicle to:
determine whether the staying time is less than a first threshold
time; determine whether the staying time is less than a second
threshold time, the second threshold time being less than the first
threshold time; and determining that the floor of the multi-story
unit includes no available parking space in response to
determination that the staying time is less than the first
threshold time and greater than the second threshold time.
4. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the machine readable
instructions stored in the one or more memory modules, when
executed by the one or more processors, cause the vehicle to:
receive the first threshold time from an edge computing device of
the multi-story unit through V2X communication.
5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the machine readable
instructions stored in the one or more memory modules, when
executed by the one or more processors, cause the vehicle to:
transmit the staying time to an edge computing device of the
multi-story unit.
6. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a navigation module
for determining a location of the vehicle, wherein the machine
readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules,
when executed by the one or more processors, cause the vehicle to:
receive a map of the floor of the multi-story unit from an edge
computing device of the multi-story unit; determine the first time
when the vehicle enters the floor of the multi-story unit based on
a first current location of the vehicle on the map of the floor;
and determine the second time when the vehicle exits the floor of
the multi-story unit based on a second current location of the
vehicle on the map of the floor.
7. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising an altimeter, wherein
the machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory
modules, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the
vehicle to: determine that the vehicle is on the floor of the
multi-story unit based on a signal from the altimeter.
8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the machine readable
instructions stored in the one or more memory modules, when
executed by the one or more processors, cause the vehicle to:
determine whether a travel distance of the vehicle on the floor of
the multi-story unit is greater than a threshold distance;
determine whether the staying time is less than a first threshold
time; and determine that the floor of the multi-story unit includes
no available parking space in response to the staying time being
less than the first threshold time and determination that the
travel distance of the vehicle on the floor of the multi-story unit
is greater than the threshold distance.
9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the machine readable
instructions stored in the one or more memory modules, when
executed by the one or more processors, cause the vehicle to:
receive the threshold distance from an edge computing device of the
multi-story unit.
10. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising one or more imaging
sensors for capturing images of parking spaces, wherein the machine
readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules,
when executed by the one or more processors, cause the vehicle to:
determine whether any of the parking spaces on the floor of the
multi-story unit is unoccupied by a vehicle by processing the
images; determine whether the staying time is less than a first
threshold time; and determine that the floor of the multi-story
unit includes no available parking space in response to the staying
time being less than the first threshold time and determination
that all of the parking spaces on the floor of the multi-story unit
are occupied by vehicles.
11. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising one or more imaging
sensors for capturing images of parking spaces, wherein the machine
readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules,
when executed by the one or more processors, cause the vehicle to:
determine whether any of the parking spaces on the floor of the
multi-story unit is unoccupied by a vehicle by processing the
images; determine whether the staying time is less than a first
threshold time; and determine that the floor of the multi-story
unit includes an available parking space for another vehicle
smaller than the vehicle in response to the staying time being less
than the first threshold time and determination that one of the
parking spaces on the floor of the multi-story unit is unoccupied
by a vehicle.
12. A method for transmitting information on availability of
parking spaces in a multi-story unit, the method comprising:
determining a first time when a vehicle enters a floor of the
multi-story unit; determining a second time when the vehicle exits
the floor of the multi-story unit; measuring a staying time for the
vehicle being on the floor of the multi-story unit based on the
first time and the second time; determining whether the floor of
the multi-story unit includes an available parking space based on
the staying time; and transmitting a notification to another
vehicle in response to determination that the floor of the
multi-story unit includes no available parking space.
13. The method of claim 12, further comprising: determining whether
the staying time is less than a first threshold time; and
determining that the floor of the multi-story unit includes no
available parking space in response to the staying time being less
than the first threshold time.
14. The method of claim 12, further comprising: determining whether
the staying time is less than a first threshold time; determining
whether the staying time is greater than a second threshold time,
the second threshold time being less than the first threshold time;
and determining that the floor of the multi-story unit includes no
available parking space in response to determination that the
staying time is less than the first threshold time and greater than
the second threshold time.
15. The method of claim 13, further comprising: receiving the first
threshold time from an edge computing device of the multi-story
unit.
16. The method of claim 12, further comprising: receiving a map of
the floor of the multi-story unit from an edge computing device of
the multi-story unit; determining the first time when the vehicle
enters the floor of the multi-story unit based on a current
location of the vehicle on the map of the floor; and determining
the second time when the vehicle exits the floor of the multi-story
unit based on a current location of the vehicle on the map of the
floor.
17. The method of claim 12, further comprising: determining whether
a travel distance of the vehicle on the floor of the multi-story
unit is greater than a threshold distance; determining whether the
staying time is less than a first threshold time; and determining
that the floor of the multi-story unit includes no available
parking space in response to the staying time being less than the
first threshold time and in response to determination that the
travel distance of the vehicle on the floor of the multi-story unit
is greater than the threshold distance.
18. The method of claim 17, further comprising: receiving the
threshold distance from an edge computing device of the multi-story
unit.
19. The method of claim 12, further comprising: determining whether
any of the parking spaces on the floor of the multi-story unit is
unoccupied by a vehicle by processing images captured by one or
more imaging sensors; determining whether the staying time is less
than a first threshold time; and determining that the floor of the
multi-story unit includes no available parking space in response to
the staying time being less than the first threshold time and
determination that all of the parking spaces on the floor of the
multi-story unit are occupied by vehicles.
20. The method of claim 12, further comprising: determining whether
any of the parking spaces on the floor of the multi-story unit is
unoccupied by a vehicle by processing the images captured by one or
more imaging sensors; determining whether the staying time is less
than a first threshold time; and determining that the floor of the
multi-story unit includes an available parking space for another
vehicle smaller than the vehicle in response to the staying time
being less than the first threshold time and determination that one
of the parking spaces on the floor of the multi-story unit is
unoccupied by a vehicle.
21. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the machine readable
instructions stored in the one or more memory modules, when
executed by the one or more processors, cause the vehicle to:
determine that the vehicle is in a multi-story unit based on a
location of the vehicle.
22. The method of claim 12, further comprising: determining that
the vehicle is in a multi-story unit based on a location of the
vehicle.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present specification generally relates to systems and
methods for determining parking availability on floors of
multi-story units and, more specifically, to systems and methods
for determining parking availability on floors of multi-story units
based on traveling times of vehicles on the floors.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Parking availability information is beneficial to drivers
who are looking for available parking spaces in a garage, or
parking lot. Some garages or parking lots have sensors installed to
monitor available parking spaces in the parking garages and parking
lots, and to provide available parking space information to drivers
by displaying the information at the entrance of the parking
garages or the parking lots, or changing lights installed above the
parking spaces, respectively. However, installation of the
monitoring system is not only expensive but also time consuming.
Accordingly, more efficient and less expensive way of monitoring
parking spaces is needed.
SUMMARY
[0003] In one embodiment, a vehicle for transmitting information
about parking space availability is provided. The 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.
[0004] In another embodiment, a method for transmitting information
on availability of parking spaces in a multi-story unit is
provided. The method includes determining a first time when a
vehicle enters a floor of the multi-story unit, determining a
second time when the vehicle exits the floor of the multi-story
unit, measuring a staying time for the vehicle being on the floor
of the multi-story unit based on the first time and the second
time, determining whether the floor of the multi-story unit
includes an available parking space based on the staying time, and
transmitting a notification to another vehicle in response to
determination that the floor of the multi-story unit includes no
available parking space.
[0005] These and additional features provided by the embodiments
described herein will be more fully understood in view of the
following detailed description, in conjunction with the
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] The embodiments set forth in the drawings are illustrative
and exemplary in nature and not intended to limit the subject
matter defined by the claims. The following detailed description of
the illustrative embodiments can be understood when read in
conjunction with the following drawings, where like structure is
indicated with like reference numerals and in which:
[0007] FIG. 1 depicts a system for determining an available parking
space on a floor of a multi-story unit, according to one or more
embodiments shown and described herein;
[0008] FIG. 2 depicts a schematic illustration of various
components of a system for determining an available parking space
on a floor of a multi-story unit, according to one or more
embodiments shown and described herein;
[0009] FIG. 3 depicts a vehicle driving on a floor of a multi-story
unit, according to one or more embodiments shown and described
herein;
[0010] FIG. 4 depicts a vehicle driving on a floor of the
multi-story unit and monitoring an available parking space,
according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein;
and
[0011] FIG. 5 depicts a flowchart for transmitting information
about parking availability among vehicles on a multi-story unit,
according to one or more embodiments shown and described
herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0012] FIG. 1 generally depicts one embodiment of vehicles
monitoring available parking spaces in a multi-story unit (e.g., a
parking garage). A vehicle determines that the vehicle is in a
multi-story unit, e.g., based on its location, determines a first
time when the vehicle enters a floor of the multi-story unit, and
determines a second time when the vehicle exits the floor of the
multi-story unit. The vehicle measures a staying time on the floor
of the multi-story unit based on the first time and the second
time, and determines whether the floor of the multi-story unit
includes an available parking space based on the staying time. If
it is determined that the floor of the multi-story unit includes no
available parking space, the vehicle transmits a notification to
another vehicle (e.g., through a wireless communication). Based on
the measured staying time on a floor of a multi-story unit, the
vehicle may determine whether the floor has no vacancy and transmit
the information about no vacancy to other vehicles. Various
embodiments of the systems and methods for determining parking
availability on floors of multi-story units based on traveling
times of vehicles on the floors are described in greater detail
herein.
[0013] Referring now to FIG. 1, a system 100 for determining an
available parking space on a floor of a multi-story unit is
depicted. In embodiments, one vehicle transmits information about
available parking space on a floor of the multi-story unit (e.g., a
parking garage, etc.) to another vehicle. FIG. 1 depicts a first
vehicle 102, a second vehicle 110, and a third vehicle 160 on a
multi-story unit 150. The first vehicle 102, the second vehicle
110, or the third vehicle 160 may be an automobile or any other
passenger or non-passenger vehicle such as, for example, a
terrestrial, aquatic, and/or airborne vehicle. In some embodiments,
the first vehicle 102, the second vehicle 110, or the third vehicle
160 is an autonomous vehicle that navigates its environment with
limited human input or without human input.
[0014] In FIG. 1, the first vehicle 102 is on the second floor of
the multi-story unit 150, the second vehicle 110 is on the first
floor of the multi-story unit 150, and the third vehicle 160 is on
the second floor of the multi-story unit 150. In embodiments, the
first vehicle 102 drives around on the second floor of the
multi-story unit 150 in order to find a parking space. The second
vehicle 110 enters the first floor and then goes up to the second
floor of the multi-story unit 150 to find a parking space on the
second floor. The third vehicle 160 bypasses the second floor and
goes up to the third floor. For example, the third vehicle 160
bypasses the second floor because it has a reserved parking space
on the third floor, or the driver of the third vehicle 160 prefers
parking on the third floor.
[0015] In some embodiments, the first vehicle 102 may include
imaging sensors 104 (e.g., camera, LIDAR, other sensors). For
example, a camera or LIDAR may capture images of a vacant parking
space and process the images to determine that a parking space is
available. The vehicle may also determine the location of the
available parking space, e.g., using GPS. The second vehicle 110 or
the third vehicle 160 may include sensors similar to the imaging
sensors 104. Each of the first vehicle 102, the second vehicle 110,
and the third vehicle 160 may communicate the location of the
available parking space to other vehicles or edge computing
devices. Each of the first vehicle 102, the second vehicle 110, and
the third vehicle 160 further includes network interface hardware
106 and an electronic control unit ("ECU") 108 (See FIG. 2). The
imaging sensors 104, network interface hardware 106, and ECU 108
are described in greater detail herein with respect to FIG. 2.
[0016] The system 100 may also include a first edge computing
device 112 that includes network interface hardware 116. The first
edge computing device 112 may include a processor 140 (FIG. 2) and
one or more memory modules 142 (FIG. 2) for storing
processor-readable instructions as described in greater detail with
respect to FIG. 2. In some embodiments, the first edge computing
device 112 may be a roadside unit ("RSU"). In embodiments, the
system 100 may include a second edge computing device 114. The
first edge computing device 112 and the second edge computing
device 114 may further include network interface hardware. In some
embodiments, the second edge computing device 114 may be an RSU.
The first edge computing device 112 and the second edge computing
device 114 may maintain a data connection with one another via the
network interface hardware 116 and may be a part of a larger
network of computing devices (e.g., a grid computing network). In
some embodiments, the first vehicle 102, the second vehicle 110 and
the third vehicle 160 establish an edge server connection with one
or more of the first edge computing device 112 and the second edge
computing device 114 using the network interface hardware 106 of
the first vehicle 102, the second vehicle 110, and the third
vehicle 160 and the network interface hardware 116 of the first
edge computing device 112 and the second edge computing device
114.
[0017] The first vehicle 102, the second vehicle 110, the third
vehicle 160, the first edge computing device 112, and the second
edge computing device 114 may form data connections with one
another via their respective network interface hardware 106, 116.
The first vehicle 102, the second vehicle 110, the third vehicle
160, the first edge computing device 112, and the second edge
computing device 114 may transmit image data and other data over
the data connections.
[0018] Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, additional features and
details of the system 100 are described. FIG. 2 is a schematic
showing the various systems of each of the first vehicle 102 and
the second vehicle 110 of FIG. 1. While the third vehicle 160 is
not shown in FIG. 2, the third vehicle 160 may have similar
elements as the first vehicle 102 and the second vehicle 110. It is
to be understood that the first vehicle 102 and the second vehicle
110 are not limited to the systems and features shown in FIG. 2 and
that each may include additional features and systems. As shown in
FIG. 2, the first vehicle 102 includes a data unit 118 for
generating, processing, and transmitting data. The second vehicle
110 may include a second data unit 120 which may be substantially
similar to the data unit 118 of the first vehicle 102.
[0019] The data unit 118 may include the ECU 108, the network
interface hardware 106, the imaging sensors 104, an ignition sensor
122, a navigation module 124, and one or more motion sensors 136
that may be connected by a communication path 126. The network
interface hardware 106 may connect the first vehicle 102 to
external systems via an external connection 128. For example, the
network interface hardware 106 may connect the first vehicle 102 to
one or more other vehicles directly (e.g., a direct connection to
the second vehicle 110 such as V2V communication) or to an external
network such as a cloud network 129.
[0020] Still referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the ECU 108 may be any
device or combination of components comprising a processor 132 and
a non-transitory processor readable memory module 134. The
processor 132 may be any device capable of executing a
processor-readable instruction set stored in the non-transitory
processor readable memory module 134. Accordingly, the processor
132 may be an electric controller, an integrated circuit, a
microchip, a computer, or any other computing device. The processor
132 is communicatively coupled to the other components of the data
unit 118 by the communication path 126. Accordingly, the
communication path 126 may communicatively couple any number of
processors 132 with one another, and allow the components coupled
to the communication path 126 to operate in a distributed computing
environment. Specifically, each of the components may operate as a
node that may send and/or receive data. While the embodiment
depicted in FIG. 2 includes a single processor 132, other
embodiments may include more than one processor.
[0021] The non-transitory processor readable memory module 134 is
coupled to the communication path 126 and communicatively coupled
to the processor 132. The non-transitory processor readable memory
module 134 may comprise RAM, ROM, flash memories, hard drives, or
any non-transitory memory device capable of storing
machine-readable instructions such that the machine-readable
instructions can be accessed and executed by the processor 132. The
machine-readable instruction set may comprise logic or algorithm(s)
written in any programming language of any generation (e.g., 1GL,
2GL, 3GL, 4GL, or 5GL) such as, for example, machine language that
may be directly executed by the processor 132, or assembly
language, object-oriented programming (OOP), scripting languages,
microcode, etc., that may be compiled or assembled into machine
readable instructions and stored in the non-transitory processor
readable memory module 134. Alternatively, the machine-readable
instruction set may be written in a hardware description language
(HDL), such as logic implemented via either a field-programmable
gate array (FPGA) configuration or an application-specific
integrated circuit (ASIC), or their equivalents. Accordingly, the
functionality described herein may be implemented in any
conventional computer programming language, as pre-programmed
hardware elements, or as a combination of hardware and software
components. While the embodiment depicted in FIG. 2 includes a
single non-transitory processor readable memory module 134, other
embodiments may include more than one memory module.
[0022] Still referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, one or more imaging
sensors 104, such as one or more cameras, are coupled to the
communication path 126 and communicatively coupled to the processor
132. While the particular embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2
shows an icon with one camera and reference is made herein to
"camera" in the singular with respect to the data unit 118, it is
to be understood that this is merely a representation and
embodiments of the system may include one or more cameras having
one or more of the specific characteristics described herein.
[0023] The imaging sensor 104 may be any device having an array of
sensing devices capable of detecting radiation in an ultraviolet
wavelength band, a visible light wavelength band, or an infrared
wavelength band. The imaging sensor 104 may have any resolution. In
some embodiments, one or more optical components, such as a mirror,
fish-eye lens, or any other type of lens may be optically coupled
to the imaging sensor 104. In embodiments described herein, the
imaging sensor 104 may provide image data to the ECU 108 or another
component communicatively coupled to the communication path 126.
The image data may include image data of the environment around the
first vehicle 102. For example, the image data includes pictures of
parking spaces of the multi-story unit 150 along with vehicles on
the parking spaces. In embodiments in which the first vehicle 102
is an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle, the imaging sensor 104
may also provide navigation support. That is, data captured by the
imaging sensor 104 may be used by the navigation module 124 to
autonomously or semi-autonomously navigate the first vehicle
102.
[0024] The imaging sensor 104 may operate in the visual and/or
infrared spectrum to sense visual and/or infrared light.
Additionally, while the particular embodiments described herein are
described with respect hardware for sensing light in the visual
and/or infrared spectrum, it is to be understood that other types
of sensors are contemplated. For example, the systems described
herein could include one or more LIDAR sensors, radar sensors,
sonar sensors, or other types of sensors and that such data could
be integrated into or supplement the data collection described
herein to develop a fuller real-time traffic image.
[0025] In operation, the imaging sensor 104 captures image data and
communicates the image data to the ECU 108 and/or to other systems
communicatively coupled to the communication path 126. The image
data may be received by the processor 132, which may process the
image data using one or more image processing algorithms. Any known
or yet-to-be developed video and image processing algorithms may be
applied to the image data in order to identify an item or
situation. Example video and image processing algorithms include,
but are not limited to, kernel-based tracking (such as, for
example, mean-shift tracking) and contour processing algorithms. In
general, video and image processing algorithms may detect objects
and movement from sequential or individual frames of image data.
One or more object recognition algorithms may be applied to the
image data to extract objects and determine their relative
locations to each other. Any known or yet-to-be-developed object
recognition algorithms may be used to extract the objects or even
optical characters and images from the image data. Example object
recognition algorithms include, but are not limited to,
scale-invariant feature transform ("SIFT"), speeded up robust
features ("SURF"), and edge-detection algorithms.
[0026] The network interface hardware 106 may be coupled to the
communication path 126 and communicatively coupled to the ECU 108.
The network interface hardware 106 may be any device capable of
transmitting and/or receiving data with external vehicles or
servers directly or via a network, such as the cloud network 129.
Accordingly, network interface hardware 106 can include a
communication transceiver for sending and/or receiving any wired or
wireless communication. For example, the network interface hardware
106 may include an antenna, a modem, LAN port, Wi-Fi card, WiMax
card, mobile communications hardware, near-field communication
hardware, satellite communication hardware and/or any wired or
wireless hardware for communicating with other networks and/or
devices. In embodiments, network interface hardware 106 may include
hardware configured to operate in accordance with the Bluetooth
wireless communication protocol and may include a Bluetooth
send/receive module for sending and receiving Bluetooth
communications.
[0027] In some embodiments, the first vehicle 102 may be
communicatively coupled to a network such as the cloud network 129.
In embodiments, the cloud network 129 may include one or more
computer networks (e.g., a personal area network, a local area
network, grid computing network, wide area network, etc.), cellular
networks, satellite networks and/or a global positioning system and
combinations thereof. Accordingly, the first vehicle 102 can be
communicatively coupled to the cloud network 129 via a wide area
network, via a local area network, via a personal area network, via
a cellular network, via a satellite network, or the like. Suitable
local area networks may include wired Ethernet and/or wireless
technologies such as, for example, wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi).
Suitable personal area networks may include wireless technologies
such as, for example, IrDA, Bluetooth, Wireless USB, Z-Wave,
ZigBee, and/or other near field communication protocols. Suitable
personal area networks may similarly include wired computer buses
such as, for example, USB and FireWire. Suitable cellular networks
include, but are not limited to, technologies such as LTE, WiMAX,
UMTS, CDMA, and GSM.
[0028] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, in embodiments, the first
vehicle 102 may connect with one or more external vehicles (e.g.,
the second vehicle 110) and/or external processing devices (e.g.,
the first edge computing device 112) via a direct connection. The
direct connection may be a vehicle-to-vehicle connection ("V2V
connection"). The V2V connection may be established using any
suitable wireless communication protocols discussed above. A
connection between vehicles may utilize sessions that are time
and/or location-based. In embodiments, a connection between
vehicles may utilize one or more networks to connect (e.g., the
cloud network 129), which may be in lieu of, or in addition to, a
direct connection (such as V2V) between the vehicles. By way of
non-limiting example, vehicles may function as infrastructure nodes
to form a mesh network and connect dynamically/ad-hoc. In this way,
vehicles may enter/leave the network at will such that the mesh
network may self-organize and self-modify over time. Other
non-limiting examples include vehicles forming peer-to-peer
networks with other vehicles or utilizing centralized networks that
rely upon certain vehicles and/or infrastructure (e.g., the first
edge computing device 112). Still other examples include networks
using centralized servers and other central computing devices to
store and/or relay information between vehicles.
[0029] Referring to FIG. 2, the ignition sensor 122 may generate an
ignition off signal based on an ignition status of the first
vehicle 102. The ignition sensor 122 may transmit the ignition off
signal to the ECU 108. The ECU 108 may receive the ignition off
signal and cause the data unit 118 to transmit the status of the
first vehicle to the first edge computing device 112 in response to
receiving the ignition off signal. The first edge computing device
112 may determine that the first vehicle 102 is parked in response
to receiving the ignition off signal from the first vehicle
102.
[0030] In embodiments, the data unit 118 may include one or more
motion sensors 136 for detecting and measuring motion and changes
in motion of the first vehicle 102. Each of the one or more motion
sensors 136 is coupled to the communication path 126 and
communicatively coupled to the one or more processors 132. The
motion sensors 136 may include inertial measurement units. Each of
the one or more motion sensors 136 may include one or more
accelerometers and one or more gyroscopes. Each of the one or more
motion sensors 136 transforms sensed physical movement of the first
vehicle 102 into a signal indicative of an orientation, a rotation,
a velocity, or an acceleration of the first vehicle 102.
[0031] In embodiments, the data unit 118 may include the navigation
module 124. The navigation module 124 may be configured to obtain
and update positional information of the first vehicle 102 and to
display such information to one or more users of the first vehicle
102. The navigation module 124 may be able to obtain and update
positional information based on geographical coordinates (e.g.,
latitudes and longitudes), or via electronic navigation where the
navigation module 124 electronically receives positional
information through satellites. In embodiments, the navigation
module 124 may include a GPS system. The navigation module 124 may
also include an altimeter to measure the altitude of the first
vehicle 102. The components of the second data unit 120 of the
second vehicle 110 are exactly the same as the components of the
data unit 118 of the first vehicle 102 in the embodiment depicted
in FIG. 2, though in some embodiments the components may
differ.
[0032] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the first edge computing device
112 may include the network interface hardware 116 which may be
communicatively coupled to a control unit 138 including a processor
140 and a non-transitory processor readable memory module 142 via a
communication path 127.
[0033] The network interface hardware 116 may be coupled to the
communication path 127 and communicatively coupled to the control
unit 138. The network interface hardware 116 may be any device
capable of transmitting and/or receiving data with external
vehicles or servers directly or via a network, such as the cloud
network 129. Accordingly, network interface hardware 116 can
include a communication transceiver for sending and/or receiving
any wired or wireless communication. For example, the network
interface hardware 116 may include an antenna, a modem, LAN port,
Wi-Fi card, WiMax card, mobile communications hardware, near-field
communication hardware, satellite communication hardware and/or any
wired or wireless hardware for communicating with other networks
and/or devices. In embodiments, network interface hardware 116 may
include hardware configured to operate in accordance with the
Bluetooth wireless communication protocol and may include a
Bluetooth send/receive module for sending and receiving Bluetooth
communications.
[0034] The control unit 138 may include the processor 140 and the
non-transitory processor readable memory module 142. The processor
140 may be any device capable of executing the processor-readable
instruction set stored in the non-transitory processor readable
memory module 142. Accordingly, the processor 140 may be an
electric controller, an integrated circuit, a microchip, a
computer, or any other computing device. The processor 140 is
communicatively coupled to the communication path 127. Accordingly,
the communication path 127 may communicatively couple any number of
processors 140 with one another, and allow the components coupled
to the communication path 127 to operate in a distributed computing
environment. Specifically, each of the components may operate as a
node that may send and/or receive data. While the embodiment
depicted in FIG. 2 includes a single processor 140, other
embodiments may include more than one processor.
[0035] The non-transitory processor readable memory module 142 is
coupled to the communication path 127 and communicatively coupled
to the processor 140. The non-transitory processor readable memory
module 142 may comprise RAM, ROM, flash memories, hard drives, or
any non-transitory memory device capable of storing
machine-readable instructions such that the machine-readable
instructions can be accessed and executed by the processor 140. The
machine-readable instruction set may comprise logic or algorithm(s)
written in any programming language of any generation (e.g., 1GL,
2GL, 3GL, 4GL, or 5GL) such as, for example, machine language that
may be directly executed by the processor 140, or assembly
language, object-oriented programming (OOP), scripting languages,
microcode, etc., that may be compiled or assembled into machine
readable instructions and stored in the non-transitory processor
readable memory module 142. Alternatively, the machine-readable
instruction set may be written in a hardware description language
(HDL), such as logic implemented via either a field-programmable
gate array (FPGA) configuration or an application-specific
integrated circuit (ASIC), or their equivalents. Accordingly, the
functionality described herein may be implemented in any
conventional computer programming language, as pre-programmed
hardware elements, or as a combination of hardware and software
components. While the embodiment depicted in FIG. 2 includes a
single non-transitory processor readable memory module 142, other
embodiments may include more than one memory module.
[0036] FIG. 3 depicts a vehicle driving on a floor of a multi-story
unit, according to one or more embodiments shown and described
herein. In FIG. 3, the first vehicle 102 is on the second floor of
the multi-story unit 150. In embodiments, the first vehicle 102
enters the second floor by passing an entering point 310. The
entering point 310 may be a point which is located at the entrance
of the second floor. In this embodiment, the first vehicle 102
moves upward from the first floor of the multi-story unit to the
second floor, and enters the entering point 310. The first vehicle
102 may determine that it reached the entering point 310 using the
navigation module 124. For example, the first vehicle 102 may
receive information about the map of the second floor including the
entering point 310 from the first edge computing device 112. The
navigation module 124 may determine the current location of the
first vehicle 102 on the map of the second floor and determine
whether the current location matches with the entering point 310.
In some embodiments, the first vehicle 102 may receive, from the
first edge computing device 112, an indication that the first
vehicle 102 entered the second floor of the multi-story unit 150.
For example, when the first vehicle 102 is within a predetermined
distance from the first edge computing device 112, the first edge
computing device 112 transmits an indication that the first vehicle
102 entered the second floor of the multi-story unit 150.
[0037] The ECU 108 of the first vehicle 102 may determine the time
when the first vehicle 102 enters the second floor of the
multi-story unit 150. In embodiments, the ECU 108 of the first
vehicle 102 may determine that the first vehicle 102 entered the
second floor when the first vehicle 102 reached the entering point
310. The ECU 108 may determine that the first vehicle reached the
entering point 310 of the second floor at 12:23 pm. In some
embodiments, the ECU 108 of the first vehicle 102 may determine
that the first vehicle 102 entered the second floor when the first
vehicle receives, from the first edge computing device 112, the
notification that first vehicle 102 entered the second floor of the
multi-story unit 150.
[0038] The first vehicle 102 may move along a path 330 to find a
parking spot on the second floor. If the first vehicle 102 does not
find an available parking spot on the second floor, the first
vehicle 102 ends up being at an exit point 320 of the second floor.
The exit point may be a point which is located at the exit of the
second floor. In this embodiment, the first vehicle 102 may pass
the exit point 320 and move upward to the third floor. The first
vehicle 102 may determine that it reached the exit point 320 using
the navigation module 124. For example, the first vehicle 102 may
receive information about the map of the second floor including the
exit point 320 from the first edge computing device 112. The
navigation module 124 may determine that the current location of
the first vehicle 102 overlaps with the exit point 320 on the map
of the second floor. The ECU 108 may determine the time when the
first vehicle 102 reaches the exit point 320. For example, the ECU
108 may determine that the first vehicle reached the exit point 320
of the second floor at 12:25 pm.
[0039] Based on the time when the first vehicle 102 reached the
entering point 310 and the time when the first vehicle reached the
exit point 320, the ECU 108 may determine a staying time for which
the first vehicle 102 stayed on the second floor. In this example,
the first vehicle 102 stayed on the second floor for two minutes.
The ECU 108 may transmit information about the staying time to the
first edge computing device 112. Then, the ECU 108 may determine
whether there is any available parking space on the second floor of
the multi-story unit 150 based on the staying time. In embodiments,
the ECU 108 may determine whether the staying time is less than a
first threshold time. For example, the threshold time may be 10
minutes. If the ECU 108 determines that the staying time is less
than the threshold time, the ECU 108 determines that there is no
available parking space on the second floor. In this example,
because the first vehicle stayed on the second floor for 2 minutes
which is less than the threshold time of 10 minutes, the ECU 108
determines that there is no available parking space on the second
floor. Then, the ECU 108 may communicate the information about the
availability of the parking space on the second floor to the first
edge computing device 112. The first edge computing device 112 may
transmit the information about the availability of the parking
space on the second floor to other edge computing device, e.g., the
second edge computing device 114 in FIG. 1. The second edge
computing device 114 may broadcast the information about the
availability of the parking space on the second floor to vehicles
on the first floor of the multi-story unit 150, e.g., the second
vehicle 110.
[0040] In some embodiments, the first vehicle 102 may transmit the
information about the availability of the parking space on the
second floor to other vehicles through V2V communication. For
example, the first vehicle 102 may transmit the information about
the availability of the parking space on the second floor to the
second vehicle 110 on the first floor.
[0041] A vehicle may withhold determining that there is no parking
space on the second floor even if the staying time is less than the
first threshold time. In some embodiments, the vehicle may withhold
determining that there is no parking space on the second floor if
the staying time is less than a second threshold time (e.g., 10
seconds) that is less than the first threshold time. For example,
the third vehicle 160 in FIG. 1 bypasses the second floor of the
multi-story unit 150 as described above. The staying time of the
third vehicle 160 on the second floor may be 10 seconds. Because
the staying time is less than the second threshold time (e.g., 30
seconds), the ECU of the third vehicle 160 may withhold determining
that there is no available parking space on the second floor. In
embodiments, if the staying time is less than the first threshold
time but greater than the second threshold time, a vehicle may
determine that there is no parking space on the second floor.
[0042] In some embodiments, a vehicle may withhold determining that
there is no parking space on the second floor if a travel distance
of the vehicle is less than a threshold distance. The threshold
distance may be set, for example, as 90% of the total distance of
the path 330 in FIG. 3. The vehicle may receive the threshold
distance from the first edge computing device 112. For example, the
travel distance of the third vehicle 160 in FIG. 1 on the second
floor is about 5 meters and the threshold distance may be 90
meters. Because the travel distance of the third vehicle 160 is
less than the threshold distance, the ECU of the third vehicle 160
may withhold determining that there is no available parking space
on the second floor. In embodiments, if the drive distance is
greater than the threshold distance and the staying time is less
the first threshold time, a vehicle may determine that there is no
parking space on the second floor.
[0043] FIG. 4 depicts the first vehicle 102 driving on a floor of
the multi-story unit 150, according to one or more embodiments
shown and described herein. In embodiments, the first vehicle 102
may include multiple imaging sensors 104. The imaging sensors 104
may be positioned on the side of the first vehicle 102 such that
the imaging sensors 104 may capture images of parking spaces as the
first vehicle 102 drives around in the multi-story unit 150. For
example, the imaging sensors 104 may capture images of the parking
spots 402, 404, 406, and 408 as shown in FIG. 4. The parking spots
402, 406, and 408 are occupied by vehicles 412, 414, and 416,
respectively. The ECU 108 of the first vehicle may process images
from the imaging sensor 104 and determine the parking spot 404 is
not occupied by a vehicle. The first vehicle 102 may not park on
the parking spot 404 even if no vehicle occupies the parking spot
404 because the space on the parking spot 404 may be too tight for
the first vehicle 102 to fit in. For example, the vehicle 412
parked very close to the borderline between the parking spot 402
and the parking spot 404. Then, the first vehicle 102 may continue
to follow the path 330 and reach the exit point 320 as shown in
FIG. 3.
[0044] As discussed above with reference to FIG. 3, the ECU 108 of
the first vehicle 102 may determine the staying time during which
the first vehicle 102 stayed on the second floor based on the time
when the first vehicle 102 reached the entering point 310 and the
time when the first vehicle reached the exit point 320. If the
staying time is less than the threshold time, and the ECU 108
determines that there is no parking space unoccupied by a vehicle,
the ECU 108 determines that there is no available parking space on
the second floor of the multi-story unit 150. Then, the ECU 108 may
transmit information that there is no available parking space on
the second floor of the multi-story unit 150 to the first edge
computing device 112 and/or other vehicles.
[0045] If the duration is less than the threshold time but the ECU
determines that there is at least one parking space unoccupied by a
vehicle, the ECU 108 may determine that there is a parking space
for a vehicle that is smaller than the first vehicle 102. The ECU
108 then transmits information that there is a parking space for a
vehicle that is smaller than the first vehicle 102 to the first
edge computing device 112 and/or other vehicles. For example, if
the first vehicle 102 is a full-size SUV, then the first vehicle
102 may transmit information that there is a parking space for a
vehicle that is smaller than a full-size SUV to the first edge
computing device 112 and/or other vehicles. The second vehicle 110,
which may be an intermediate size SUV, on the first floor of the
multi-story unit 150 may receive the information directly from the
first vehicle 102 or from the second edge computing device 114 that
receives the information from the first edge computing device 112.
The second vehicle 110 may enter the second floor of the
multi-story unit 150 and move along the path 330. The imaging
sensors of the second vehicle 110 may capture images of the parking
spots 402, 404, 406, and 408 as shown in FIG. 4. The parking spots
402, 406, and 408 are occupied by vehicles 412, 414, and 416,
respectively. The ECU 108 of the second vehicle 110 may process
images from the imaging sensor 104 and determine the parking spot
404 is not occupied by a vehicle. If the second vehicle 110 reaches
the exit point 320 in less than the threshold time, e.g., reaches
the exit point 320 in 1 minute, but the ECU 108 of the second
vehicle 110 determines that there is at least one parking space
unoccupied by a vehicle, the ECU 108 of the second vehicle 110
determines that there is a parking space for a vehicle that is
smaller than the second vehicle 110. For example, the second
vehicle 110 may transmit information that there is a parking space
for a vehicle that is smaller than an intermediate-size SUV to the
first edge computing device 112 and/or other vehicles.
[0046] FIG. 5 depicts a flowchart for transmitting information
about parking availability among vehicles on a multi-story unit,
according to one or more embodiments shown and described
herein.
[0047] In step 510, an ECU of a vehicle determines that the vehicle
is in a multi-story unit. In embodiments, the ECU of the first
vehicle 102 may determine whether the first vehicle 102 is in a
multi-story unit based on the current location of the first vehicle
102 using the navigation module 124. For example, if the navigation
module 124 indicates that the current location of the vehicle
corresponds to the location of a multi-story unit, e.g., a parking
garage, the first vehicle 102 determines that the first vehicle 102
is in a multi-story unit.
[0048] In step 520, the ECU of the vehicle determines a first time
when the vehicle enters a floor of the multi-story unit. In
embodiments, the ECU 108 of the first vehicle 102 may determine
that the first vehicle 102 enters the floor of the multi-story unit
150 based on information received from the first edge computing
device 112 on the floor of the multi-story unit. The first vehicle
102 may determine that the first vehicle 102 enters the second
floor of the multi-story unit 150 when the first vehicle 102
reaches the entering point 310 shown in FIG. 3. For example, the
ECU 108 may determine that the first vehicle 102 reached the
entering point 310 of the second floor at 12:23 pm.
[0049] In step 530, the ECU of the vehicle determines a second time
when the vehicle exits a floor of the multi-story unit. In
embodiments, the ECU 108 of the first vehicle 102 may determine
that the vehicle exits the floor of the multi-story unit when the
first vehicle 102 reaches the exit point 320. For example, the ECU
108 may determine that the first vehicle 102 reached the exit point
320 of the second floor at 12:25 pm.
[0050] In step 540, the ECU of the vehicle measures a staying time
for the vehicle being on a floor of the multi-story unit. In
embodiments, based on the time when the first vehicle 102 reached
the entering point 310 and the time when the first vehicle reached
the exit point 320, the ECU 108 may determine the duration during
which the first vehicle 102 stayed on the second floor. In this
example, the first vehicle 102 stayed on the second floor for two
minutes.
[0051] In step 550, the ECU of the vehicle determines whether the
floor of the multi-story unit includes an available parking space
based on the time. In embodiments, the ECU 108 may determine
whether the duration is less than a first threshold time. If the
ECU 108 determines that the duration is less than the threshold
time, the ECU 108 determines that there is no available parking
space on the second floor.
[0052] The first threshold time may be a fixed amount, for example,
10 minutes. In some embodiments, the first threshold time may be
dynamically updated based on the actual staying time of vehicles
parked on the floor. The first edge computing device 112 may store
the first threshold time and transmit it to vehicles coming into
the second floor of the multi-story unit 150. The first threshold
time may be updated to a minimum staying time among the actual
staying times of vehicles parked on the floor. For example, the
current first threshold time may be 12 minutes. The first edge
computing device 112 may collect staying times of the vehicles that
parked on the second floor for a past certain period of time (e.g.,
past 24 hours) and determine that the minimum staying time is 9
minutes. Then, the first edge computing device 112 updates the
first threshold time to 9 minutes.
[0053] In some embodiments, the ECU 108 determines whether the
staying time is less than a second threshold time that is less than
the first threshold time. For example, the second threshold time
may be 30 seconds. If the staying time is less than the second
threshold time, the ECU 108 may withhold determining that there is
no available parking space on the second floor. For example, the
third vehicle 160 in FIG. 1 bypasses the second floor of the
multi-story unit 150 as described above. The staying time of the
third vehicle 160 on the second floor may be 10 seconds. Because
the staying time is less than the second threshold time (e.g., 30
seconds), the ECU of the third vehicle 160 may withhold determining
that there is no available parking space on the second floor.
[0054] In step 560, the ECU of the vehicle transmits a notification
to another vehicle, through a wireless communication, related to
availability of the floor. In embodiments, the ECU of the vehicle
may transmit a notification that there is no available parking
space on the second floor of the multi-story unit 150 to the first
edge computing device 112 through V2X communication. The first edge
computing device 112 may relay the notification to the second edge
computing device 114 which then transmits the notification to the
vehicles on the first floor of the multi-story unit 150. In some
embodiments, the first vehicle 102 may transmit a notification that
there is no available parking space on the second floor of the
multi-story unit 150 to vehicles on the first floor through V2V
communication. In some embodiments, the first vehicle 102 may
broadcast a notification that there is no available parking space
on the second floor of the multi-story unit 150 to the vehicles in
the multi-story unit 150 and/or the vehicles proximate to the
multi-story unit 150.
[0055] It should now be understood that a vehicle determines a
staying time on a floor of a multi-story unit. Based on the staying
time, the vehicle determines whether the floor includes an
available parking space without obtaining additional information
for example, image data. If the vehicle determines that there is no
available parking space on the floor, the vehicle transmits that
information to other vehicles. Accordingly, vehicles may determine
that the parking spaces on the floor are fully occupied and
broadcast information about the parking spaces on the floor even
without sensors (e.g., imaging sensors) for monitoring parking
spaces.
[0056] It is noted that the terms "substantially" and "about" may
be utilized herein to represent the inherent degree of uncertainty
that may be attributed to any quantitative comparison, value,
measurement, or other representation. These terms are also utilized
herein to represent the degree by which a quantitative
representation may vary from a stated reference without resulting
in a change in the basic function of the subject matter at
issue.
[0057] While particular embodiments have been illustrated and
described herein, it should be understood that various other
changes and modifications may be made without departing from the
spirit and scope of the claimed subject matter. Moreover, although
various aspects of the claimed subject matter have been described
herein, such aspects need not be utilized in combination. It is
therefore intended that the appended claims cover all such changes
and modifications that are within the scope of the claimed subject
matter.
* * * * *