Method for identifying parking areas and/or free spaces

US9747791B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Robert Bosch GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Philipp Mayer · Stuttgart, DE
• Manuel Maier · Eßlingen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 21, 2016
• Grant date: Aug 29, 2017
• Expiry date: Apr 21, 2036

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G08G1/147
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A method for identifying free spaces (parking not permitted) and/or permitted parking areas, vehicles transmitting pieces of information about possible parking spaces (PPS) to a central computer facility (CCF). Positions of PPS are detected with vehicle surroundings sensors, and the detected PPS are evaluated based on the data collected, a categorization being performed for recording the PPS, with positions, in a CCF database and evaluating the data using a cluster analysis. When the analysis is performed, PPS are assigned to a street portion, a function is assigned to the street portion, which is given by the quotient of the frequency of PPS detections in a certain position along the street portion and the number of vehicle passages through the street portion and a weighting factor from the evaluation. A free space is inferred when the function value is greater than a predefined second limiting value and/or a parking area is inferred when the function value is within a predefined range. Also described is a device for assisting a driver, a central computer facility, and a related computer program.