Aspects of the disclosure relate to parking of vehicles in parking areas. Currently, parking areas are divided, such as via painted partitioning lines, into a fixed number of parking spaces of predetermined size. Therefore, the number and size of parking spaces in a parking area cannot be altered on demand to more efficiently accommodate a varying number of vehicles with varying sizes in the parking area. Exemplary embodiments of the disclosure address these problems, both individually and collectively.
Certain embodiments are described for virtually configuring parking spaces in a parking area. An exemplary embodiment includes an apparatus having at least one processor configured to receive at least one request for parking a vehicle in a parking area, to virtually partition a portion of the parking area based on at least one of (a) dimensions of the vehicle or (b) attributes of the parking area, in the response to the request, to dynamically assign the virtually partitioned portion of the parking area to the vehicle, in response to the at least one request for parking the vehicle; and a data storage unit configured to communicate with the processor and to store information on the virtually partitioned portions.
Another exemplary embodiment includes an apparatus having a means for receiving at least one request for parking a vehicle in a parking area; means for virtually partitioning a portion of the parking area based on at least one of (a) dimensions of the vehicle or (b) attributes of the parking area, in the response to the request; and means for dynamically assigning the virtually partitioned portion of the parking area to the vehicle, in response to the at least one request for parking the vehicle.
Another exemplary embodiment includes a method comprising receiving at least one request for parking a vehicle in a parking area; virtually partitioning a portion of the parking area based on at least one of (a) dimensions of the vehicle or (b) attributes of the parking area, in the response to the request; and dynamically assigning the virtually partitioned portion of the parking area to the vehicle, in response to the at least one request for parking the vehicle.
Aspects of the disclosure are illustrated by way of example. In the accompanying figures, like reference numbers indicate similar elements.
Examples are described herein in the context of virtually configuring parking spaces in a parking area. Embodiments provided in the following description are illustrative only and not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Reference will now be made in detail to implementations of examples as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The same reference indicators will be used throughout the drawings and the following description to refer to the same or like items.
In the interest of clarity, not all of the routine features of the examples described herein are shown and described. It will, of course, be appreciated that in any such actual implementation, numerous implementation-specific details may nevertheless exist in order to achieve goals such as compliance with application- and business-related constraints, and that these specific goals can vary from one implementation to another.
The term “virtual partitioning” as used throughout the specification refers to a partitioning that is not based on or relies on fixed markers defining dimensions of a partitioned portion, such as via painted partitioning lines defining a parking space in a parking lot, but rather to a partitioning characterized by dimensions that can be altered on the fly based on the needs of the vehicle. The term “dynamically assigning” as used throughout the specification refers to an assignment that performed as the demand arises.
As described in greater detail below, parking spaces in parking area 20 have virtually configured perimeters. As such, parking area 20 either does not have predetermined, fixed partitioning markings (e.g. via painted partitioning lines) to define its parking spaces, or such fixed partitioning markings are not used by the implementations described in this disclosure in determining parking space(s) for vehicle(s) in parking area 20.
In an exemplary embodiment, vehicle(s) 10 are configured to communicate via communication device(s) 11, such as by wireless means 14, with communication device(s) 6 on a remote server 5, such as one residing in a data cloud 3. Remote server 5 includes processor(s) 5a and data storage unit(s) 5b. Processor(s) 5a is configured to receive request(s) for parking vehicle(s) 10, such as vehicles 10a or 10b, in parking area 20, and to virtually partition portion(s), such as portions 20a or 20b, of parking area 20 based on (a) dimensions of vehicles 10a or 10b and/or (b) attributes of parking area 20, in response to the received request. Data storage unit(s) 5b, coupled to processor(s) 5a, are configured to store information, such as attributes of parking area 20, and virtually partitioned portion(s) such as 20a or 20b. In an exemplary embodiment, the dimensions and other pertinent attribute(s) of the vehicle(s) are obtained from database(s), such as a look-up table(s), containing information, such as the make, model, year, etc., of the vehicle(s).
In remote server 5, processor(s) 5a define virtual perimeter(s) of partitioned portion(s), such as perimeters 20a1 and 20b1 (illustrated as dashed-lines), which define portions 20a and 20b respectively, as shown in
As shown in
In an exemplary embodiment, in response to received parking request(s) from vehicles 10a and 10b, processor(s) 5a dynamically assign virtually partitioned portion(s) of parking area 20, such as portions 20a and 20b, to vehicles 10a and 10b, as shown in
Next, in block 320, processor(s) 5a virtually partitions portions 41 and 42 (discussed later in reference to
Processor(s) 5a may also determine a location within parking area 20 for virtually partitioned portions 41 and 42, based on attributes of parking area 20, such as covered region(s) 25 under covering structure(s) 26 (e.g. car port), or handicap designation region(s) 27. In the exemplary embodiment shown in
Parking area 20 may further be virtually partitioned to more portion(s), such as portions 43 through 52, as shown. For simplicity of illustration,
Next, in block 330, processor(s) 5a dynamically assigns, (e.g. on the fly as the demand arises), virtually partitioned portion(s) 41 and 42 of parking area 20 to corresponding vehicle(s), such as vehicles 10a and 10b, respectively. The assignment is then communicated to parking system(s) 12 of each vehicle 10a and 10b.
Next in block 340, vehicles 10a and 10b are guided to their respective assigned virtually partitioned portions 41 and 42. In an exemplary embodiment, a virtual route is defined for each vehicle to its virtually partitioned portion. For example, as shown in
In an exemplary embodiment, each of processor(s) 12 housed within vehicles 10a and 10b is configured to obtain virtual representation information for their respective virtual routes 4c and 4d, such as from remote server 5, and to autonomously navigate vehicle 10a and 10b based on obtained virtual representation information. Alternatively or additionally, virtual routes 4c and 4d may be presented to a driver in vehicle 10a and/or 10b, to help the driver see the virtual route that has been established, so the vehicle can be autonomously, semi-autonomously, or manually driven to the virtually partitioned portions. As discussed below in further detail with respect to
In an exemplary embodiment, sensors 13 on each of vehicle 10a and 10b are configured to monitor a movement of vehicles 10a and 10b toward their assigned virtually partitioned portions 41 and 42. Each of sensor(s) 13 is configured to perform one or more types of scene observation such as via a camera, thermal sensing such as infrared, Light Detection And Ranging (LIDAR) or Radio Detection and Ranging (RADAR), amongst other forms of sensing. It is also contemplated that sensor(s) 13 could be distributed throughout vehicle 10 in different configurations or arrangements that provide improved data gathering, operating either as stand-alone sensors or as a collection of sensors working together.
In another exemplary embodiment, sensor(s) 40 may also be placed at location(s) within sensing range of parking area 20 (such as atop a covering structure 26), so to monitor movement of vehicles 10a and 10b, and to report the information to remote server 5 for guidance accuracy purposes. Sensor(s) 40 may also provide remote server 5 with additional information, such as traffic dynamics within parking area 20, and availability of any unoccupied portion(s) in parking area 20.
In another exemplary embodiment, each of processor(s) 12 housed within vehicles 10a and 10b is configured to obtain virtual representation information for their respective virtual routes 4c and 4d, such as from remote server 5, and to display virtual markers to drivers of vehicle 10a and 10b, as described below in conjunction with
As shown in
In another example, an autonomously navigated vehicle, such as vehicle 10c, is initially assigned to a portion 71 in proximity of tree 33 so to be under a shade 33a of tree 33. As the day progresses, such as from morning to late afternoon, shade 33a of tree 33 is moved due to the changing position of the overhead sun, from portion 71 to portion 72. Vehicle 10c is then dynamically reassigned to portion 72 to be once again placed under shade 33a of tree 33.
Next, in block 620, vehicles 10a and 10c, are guided to their respective new virtually partitioned portions, such as portions 28 and 72 in parking area 20, such as along routes 7a and 7c in direction of arrows 10a2 and 10c1, as shown in
It is understood that specific order or hierarchy of steps in the processes is an illustration of exemplary approaches. Based upon design preferences, it is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the processes may be rearranged. Further, some steps may be combined or omitted. The accompanying method claims recite various steps in a sample order. Unless otherwise specified, the order in which the steps are recited is not meant to require a particular order in which the steps must be executed.
The previous description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various aspects described herein. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects.
Operations described in the present disclosure may be controlled and/or facilitated by software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. Operations described in the present disclosure may be controlled and/or facilitated by software executing on various machines, such as in the above-described remote server 5, vehicle(s) 10, or an on-site server (not shown), or any combination thereof. Such operations may also be controlled and/or facilitated specifically-configured hardware, such as field-programmable gate array (FPGA) specifically configured to execute the various steps of particular method(s). For example, relevant operations can be implemented in digital electronic circuitry, or in computer hardware, firmware, software, or in a combination thereof. In one example, a device may include a processor or processors. The processor may be coupled to a computer-readable medium, such as a random access memory (RAM). The processor may execute computer-executable program instructions stored in memory, such as executing one or more computer programs. Such processors may comprise a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and/or state machines. Such processors may further comprise programmable electronic devices such as PLCs, programmable interrupt controllers (PICs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), programmable read-only memories (PROMs), electronically programmable read-only memories (EPROMs or EEPROMs), or other similar devices.
Such processors may comprise, or may be in communication with, media, for example computer-readable storage media, that may store instructions that, when executed by the processor, can cause the processor to perform the steps described herein as carried out, or assisted, by a processor. Examples of computer-readable media may include, but are not limited to, an electronic, optical, magnetic, or other storage device capable of providing a processor, such as the processor in a web server, with computer-readable instructions. Other examples of media comprise, but are not limited to, a floppy disk, CD-ROM, magnetic disk, memory chip, ROM, RAM, ASIC, configured processor, optical media, magnetic tape or other magnetic media, and/or any other medium from which a computer processor can read. The processor, and the processing, described may be in one or more structures, and may be dispersed through one or more structures. The processor may comprise code for carrying out one or more of the methods (or parts of methods) described herein.
The foregoing description has been presented only for the purpose of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise forms disclosed. Numerous modifications and adaptations thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.
Reference herein to an example or implementation means that a particular feature, structure, operation, or other characteristic described in connection with the example may be included in at least one implementation of the disclosure. The disclosure is not restricted to the particular examples or implementations described as such. The appearance of the phrases “in one example,” “in an example,” “in one implementation,” or “in an implementation,” or variations of the same in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same example or implementation. Any particular feature, structure, operation, or other characteristic described in this specification in relation to one example or implementation may be combined with other features, structures, operations, or other characteristics described in respect of any other example or implementation.
Use herein of the word “or” is intended to cover inclusive and exclusive OR conditions. In other words, A or B or C includes any or all of the following alternative combinations as appropriate for a particular usage: A alone; B alone; C alone; A and B only; A and C only; B and C only; and A and B and C.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/381,302, filed Aug. 30, 2016, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62381302 | Aug 2016 | US |