Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Navigation
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-01
2001-07-24
Cuchlinski, Jr., William A. (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Navigation
C701S207000, C701S214000, C701S023000, C701S024000, C340S932200, C235S384000, C414S227000, C705S013000, C705S418000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06266609
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for automatically detecting information relating to empty parking spaces in a traffic network, such as in a town, as well as to a device for performing the method.
2. Description of the Related Art
With regard to detecting empty parking spaces, it is known for large parking garages and their parking control systems in large towns to detect the number of empty or available bays in parking garages with the aid of sensors at the entrance and exit of the parking garage. These systems determine the amount of cars in the garage and compare it to the total number of bays. The availability of parking spaces is indicated via displays on main roads. However, this known method is limited to parking garages or spaces with a limited number of entrances that can be monitored.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is for the empty parking space in a traffic network, such as in a town, to be detected in a way which is as simple as possible, cost-effective and optimized efficiently.
The object is achieved by a method for automatically acquiring information at a control center from a navigation system of a first vehicle in a traffic network related to occupied parking spaces in the traffic network, comprising the steps of (a) transmitting standstill information related to a stationary phase of the first vehicle and a location of the first vehicle from the navigation system of the first vehicle to the control center; (b) generating empty parking space information at the control center for parking spaces in the traffic network in response to the standstill information transmitted in said step (a); and (c) transmitting the empty parking space information from the control center to the navigation system of a second vehicle.
The method according to the invention effectively monitors the occupation proportion of parking spaces without the installation of loop detectors in every parking bay of a traffic network of a town. The method also allows differentiation to be made when outputting the occupation proportion with regard to different zones of the town. The method according to the present invention uses navigation systems which are installed in vehicles which will also be used in future in vehicles for the purpose of navigation and for detecting traffic data by vehicles moving along with the traffic flow. The method uses these detectors so that the availability of parking spaces can be detected without expensive modifications to the parking space or the vehicle.
In principle, the method determines that a vehicle is parked when the vehicle is stationary and fulfills other prescribed conditions such as having the engine turned off. The stationary vehicles in a town or a part of a town can be compared in zones with known data (for example from a historical data bank of information, detected according to the invention, on vehicles), so that the proportion of parking spaces occupied can be established. Furthermore, when the position of a vehicle can be determined very accurately and the positions of parking possibilities are also very accurately known, it is also possible to output advice on individual parking possibilities to vehicles requesting the same.
Different types of information may be generated with the aid of the detected information on empty parking space and transmitted to vehicles. For example, a percentage of empty parking space may be outputted as a proportion of the total parking spaces. The proportion may also refer to the total parking space of a differentiated zone. It is possible, furthermore, to output information such as which zones of a town have a sufficiently high percentage of empty parking spaces, i.e., areas where parking is readily available. It is also possible to output detailed position data regarding individual empty parking bays when such data are known sufficiently accurately. The vehicle navigation system may then use this information to determine a path to the parking space and output navigation advice, which has been generated in the navigation system or a control center, for getting to the specific parking space.
With regard to a device for carrying out the method, a control center comprises a parking space data processing device for generating information which is to be output at navigation systems and can be generated from information relating to existing parking space and stored information relating to parking space no longer empty and reported by vehicles. A short message transceiver for mobile radio point-to-point messages is used to receive queries from navigation systems with regard to empty parking space, and to transmit answers to navigation systems with regard to empty parking spaces.
The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of the disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages, and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the drawing and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5091727 (1992-02-01), Nahmood
patent: 5504314 (1996-04-01), Farmont
Beaulieu Yonel
Cohen & Pontani, Lieberman & Pavane
Cuchlinski Jr. William A.
DDG Gesellschaft für Verkehrsdaten mbH
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