Method for assisting vehicle parking using sensors on both a parking vehicle and a parked vehicle
A method of operating a parking assistance system involves operating a first sensor onboard a parking vehicle to obtain a first distance measurement to a parked vehicle, and transmitting a first wireless signal which activates a second sensor onboard the parked vehicle. The second sensor obtains a second distance measurement to the parking vehicle and transmits the result via a second wireless signal. The second wireless signal is received by the parking vehicle which then determines an inter-vehicle distance based on the first and second distance measurements, and uses the inter-vehicle distance to perform a parking maneuver. The transmission of the second distance measurement by the parked vehicle may be contingent upon existence of a condition (such as a sufficient state-or-charge of a vehicle battery or prior consent of an operator) of the parked vehicle when the parked vehicle receives the first wireless signal.
1. A parking assistance method comprising:
operating a first sensor onboard a parking vehicle to obtain a first distance measurement to a parked vehicle;
transmitting a first wireless signal activating a second sensor onboard the parked vehicle;
receiving a second wireless signal from the parked vehicle communicating a second distance measurement obtained from the second sensor; and
determining an inter-vehicle distance based on the first and second distance measurements.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmission of the second distance measurement by the parked vehicle is contingent upon existence of a condition of the parked vehicle when the parked vehicle receives the first wireless signal.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the condition comprises an operator of the parked vehicle previously consenting to activation of the second sensor by a wireless signal.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the condition comprises presence of a predefined minimum state of charge of a battery of the parked vehicle.
5. The method of claim 2 , wherein if the condition does not exist, the parking vehicle determines the inter-vehicle distance based on only the first distance measurement.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of determining an inter-vehicle distance comprises using a minimum value of the first distance measurement and the second distance measurement.
7. A parking assistance method comprising:
determining an inter-vehicle distance onboard a parking vehicle using a first distance measurement from a first sensor onboard the parking vehicle in combination with a second distance measurement from a second distance measurement made by a second sensor onboard a parked vehicle, the second distance measurement transmitted from the parked vehicle to the parking vehicle by wireless communication.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein transmission of the second distance measurement by the parked vehicle is contingent upon existence of a condition of the parked vehicle.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the condition comprises an operator of the parked vehicle previously consenting to activation of the second sensor by a wireless signal transmitted from the parking vehicle.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the condition comprises presence of a predefined minimum state of charge of a battery of the parked vehicle.
11. The method of claim 8 , wherein if the condition does not exist, the parking vehicle determines the inter-vehicle distance based on only the first distance measurement.
12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the inter-vehicle distance is determined to be a minimum value of the first distance measurement and the second distance measurement.
13. A parking assistance method comprising:
in response to a first wireless signal received from a parking vehicle, operating a first sensor onboard a parked vehicle to obtain a first distance measurement to the parking vehicle; and
transmitting a second wireless signal from the parked vehicle to the parking vehicle containing the first distance measurement, the parking vehicle determining an inter-vehicle distance using the first distance measurement and a second distance measurement from a second sensor onboard the parking vehicle.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein transmission of the second distance measurement by the parked vehicle is contingent upon existence of a condition of the parked vehicle when the parked vehicle receives the first wireless signal.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the condition comprises an operator of the parked vehicle previously consenting to activation of the second sensor by a wireless signal.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the condition comprises presence of a predefined minimum state of charge of a battery of the parked vehicle.
17. The method of claim 14 , wherein if the condition does not exist, the parking vehicle determines the inter-vehicle distance based on only the first distance measurement.
18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the inter-vehicle distance is determined to be a minimum value of the first distance measurement and the second distance measurement.