Communications: electrical – Vehicle parking indicators
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-16
2002-11-19
Wu, Daniel J. (Department: 2632)
Communications: electrical
Vehicle parking indicators
C340S903000, C340S436000, C340S549000, C340S901000, C340S937000, C180S204000, C180S446000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06483442
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a parking aid system for aiding a driver in carrying out reverse parking or parallel parking.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional parking aid system is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 11-157404 that identifies a parking space according to surrounding obstructions which are detected by, for example, a camera, radar or corner sensor. The parking aid system then calculates a recommended trajectory or locus from the current position of the vehicle to the above-mentioned parking space. The recommended trajectory is displayed over a parking space image on a display unit so as to direct the driver to, for example, steer, brake, accelerate or shift gear, and thus parking is assisted.
However, the above-mentioned conventional parking aid system requires not only various types of sensors such as cameras, radars and comer sensors for identifying a parking space, but also requires a high performance arithmetic unit for calculating the recommended trajectory from the current vehicle position to the parking space and the driving operations required to move the vehicle along the recommended trajectory. Thus, the conventional parking aid system suffers from high costs and the time required for parking is undesirably long due to a long calculation time performed by the arithmetic unit. Furthermore, if the driving operations required to move the vehicle along the recommended trajectory become complicated, the driver cannot instinctively tell whether or not the vehicle can be moved to the parking space by those operations and may feel anxious. Moreover, in using the conventional parking aid system, the driver ends up paying too much attention to the operational instructions and less attention to the surroundings of the vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a parking aid system that overcomes the above-described drawbacks of the conventional parking aid system.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a parking aid system that can effectively aid a driver in a parking operation by having a simple structural arrangement.
In accordance with a first characteristic of the present invention, the parking aid system includes a display unit to visually display to a driver a target parking position, a subject vehicle position, an expected parking position in the case where the subject vehicle travels with a predetermined steering angle, and an operation switch for selecting a parking aid mode. The display unit displays when the parking aid mode is selected by the operation switch, the target parking position, the subject vehicle position, and the expected parking position, as well as a change in at least one of the subject vehicle position, and the expected parking position, relative to the target parking position according to a change in at least one of the movement of the subject vehicle and the steering angle.
In accordance with the above-mentioned arrangement, when the parking aid mode is selected, the display unit displays not only the target parking position, the subject vehicle position, and the expected parking position, but also a change in the subject vehicle position or the expected parking position relative to the target parking position accompanying the subject vehicle movement or the steering operation. The driver can thus proceed based on the above-mentioned information so that the expected parking position coincides with the target parking position, and confirm on the display unit that the subject vehicle can be moved to the target parking position by the driver's operation. The driver can thus guide the subject vehicle easily and reliably to the target parking position without feeling anxious. Furthermore, since there is no need for an image processing device for detecting the target parking position or need for calculation of the driver's operations required for moving the subject vehicle along an expected trajectory, the parking aid system can be realized with very low cost.
Furthermore, in accordance with a second characteristic of the present invention, the display unit also visually displays to the driver an expected trajectory when the subject vehicle travels with a predetermined steering angle as well as a change in the expected trajectory relative to the target parking position according to a change in at least one of the subject vehicle movement and the steering angle.
In accordance with the above-mentioned arrangement, the display unit displays not only the expected trajectory of the subject vehicle, but also a change in the expected trajectory of the subject vehicle relative to the target parking position accompanying movement of the subject vehicle or operation of the steering. The driver can therefore proceed based on the above-mentioned information so that the expected parking position coincides with the target parking position and guide the subject vehicle to the target parking position more accurately.
Furthermore, in accordance with a third characteristic of the present invention, the predetermined steering angle is a maximum steering angle either to the right or the left.
In accordance with the above-mentioned arrangement, since the expected trajectory and the expected parking position when the subject vehicle travels towards the target parking position are determined by estimating the maximum steering angle to the right or the left, the driver can guide the subject vehicle to the target parking position merely by holding the steering wheel at the maximum steering angle position. Thus, the driver's operation becomes simple, the driver does not feel anxious, and, the driver is able to pay attention to the subject vehicle surroundings.
Furthermore, in accordance with a fourth characteristic of the present invention, the parking aid system further includes first determination means for determining the occurrence of the expected parking position coinciding with the target parking position, a predetermined amount of time that passed in the coincident state, and the time immediately before the coincidence of positions based on a change in at least one of the subject vehicle movement and the steering angle.
In accordance with the above-mentioned arrangement, since the occurrence of any of the events of the expected parking position coinciding with the target parking position, a predetermined amount of time passing in the coincident state, and the time immediately before the coincidence of positions is determined based on a change in the subject vehicle movement or the steering angle, the driver can easily determine whether the subject vehicle can move to the target parking position and thus reliably recognize the timing for starting to reverse the subject vehicle towards the target parking position without feeling anxious.
Furthermore, in accordance with a fifth characteristic of the present invention, the parking aid system further includes notifying means for notifying the driver when the first determination means has determined the occurrence of any of the events of the expected parking position coinciding with the target parking position, a predetermined time having passed in the coincident state, and the time immediately before the coincidence of positions.
In accordance with the above-mentioned arrangement, since the notifying means notifies the driver the occurrence of any of the events of the expected parking position coinciding with the target parking position, a predetermined time having passed in the coincident state, and the time immediately before the coincidence of positions, the driver can easily determine whether or not the subject vehicle can move to the target parking position and thus more reliably recognize the timing for starting to reverse the subject vehicle towards the target parking position without feeling anxious.
Furthermore, in accordance with a sixth characteristic of the present invention, the notifying means notifies the driver using so
Ohyama Yasuharu
Sakai Katsuhiro
Shimizu Yasuo
Arent Fox Kintner & Plotkin & Kahn, PLLC
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Nguyen Tai T.
Wu Daniel J.
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