IP Library Granted Patent US 10,586,452
Granted Patent B2
US 10,586,452 · App. 15/784,160 · Granted Mar 10, 2020

Transmission of parking instructions with clearance distances to self-driving vehicles

Inventors: Robert J. Kapinos (Durham, NC); Timothy W. Kingsbury (Cary, NC); Scott W. Li (Cary, NC); Russell S. VanBlon (Raleigh, NC)
Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
G08G1/143G06Q20/127G06Q20/145G06Q20/3224G07F17/0057G07F17/246G08G1/146G08G1/162G08G1/165G08G1/168G06Q20/14G06Q30/0284
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,586,452
App. No.
15/784,160
Granted
Mar 10, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

An approach is disclosed that locates available parking spaces from a set of parking spaces, such as in a parking lot. The approach retrieves a clearance distance that needed between a parked vehicle parked in an adjacent parking space to the identified parking space. After retrieving the needed clearance distance, the system transmit an instruction to a self-driving vehicle to park in the identified parking space and leave the clearance distance between the self-driving vehicle and the parked vehicle.

Claims (55)

1. A machine-implemented method comprising:

automatically locating an available parking space from a plurality of parking spaces;

retrieving a first clearance distance corresponding to a first parked vehicle parked in a first adjacent parking space to the located parking space, wherein the first clearance distance is based on whether the first parked vehicle is manually driven; and

transmitting an instruction to a self-driving vehicle to park in the located parking space and leaving the first clearance distance between the self-driving vehicle and the first parked vehicle, wherein the self-driving vehicle is selected from a plurality of self-driving vehicles.

2. The machine-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

retrieving a second clearance distance corresponding to a second parked vehicle located in a second adjacent parking space to the identified parking space; and

transmitting the instruction to the self-driving vehicle to park in the identified parking space and leaving the first clearance distance between the self-driving vehicle and the first parked vehicle and the second clearance distance between the self-driving vehicle and the second parked vehicle.

3. The machine-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining that the first parked vehicle is also a self-driving vehicle; and

setting the first clearance distance to a nominal distance in response to the determination.

4. The machine-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the locating of the available parking space further comprises:

retrieving a vehicle clearance corresponding to the self-driving vehicle;

locating a plurality of available parking spaces; and

selecting the identified available parking space based on an overall parking width that is based on the vehicle clearance, the first clearance distance, and a second clearance distance corresponding to a second parked vehicle located in a second adjacent parking space to the identified available parking space.

5. The machine-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying that the first parked vehicle is a manually-driven vehicle and that the first adjacent parking space is adjacent to a driver's side of the self-driving and further identifying that the first parked vehicle lacks a passenger-side exit requirement; and

setting the first clearance distance to a human-error allotment distance that is less than a vehicle door-opening distance in response to the identifying.

6. The machine-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying that the first parked vehicle is a manually-driven vehicle and that an exit requirement exists between the first parked vehicle and the available parking space; and

setting the first clearance distance to a vehicle door-opening distance in response to the identifying.

7. The machine-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the locating, retrieving, and transmitting are performed by a mixed use parking lot manager process.

8. An information handling system comprising: one or more processors; a memory accessible by at least one of the processors; one or more object sensors, accessible by at least one of the processors, that sense vehicles parked in a plurality of parking spaces; a wireless communications adapter accessible by at least one of the processors; and a set of instructions stored in the memory and executed by at least one of the processors to: automatically locate, via the object sensors, an available parking space from a plurality of parking spaces, and storing the available parking space in the memory; retrieve a first clearance distance corresponding to a first parked vehicle parked in a first adjacent parking space to the located parking space, wherein the first clearance distance is based on whether the first parked vehicle is manually driven; and transmit, via the wireless communications adapter, an instruction to a self-driving vehicle to park in the located parking space and leaving the first clearance distance between the self-driving vehicle and the first parked vehicle, wherein the self-driving vehicle is selected from a plurality of self-driving vehicles.

9. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the instructions are further executed by the processors to:

retrieve a second clearance distance corresponding to a second parked vehicle located in a second adjacent parking space to the identified parking space; and

transmit the instruction to the self-driving vehicle to park in the identified parking space and leaving the first clearance distance between the self-driving vehicle and the first parked vehicle and the second clearance distance between the self-driving vehicle and the second parked vehicle.

10. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the instructions are further executed by the processors to:

determine that the first parked vehicle is also a self-driving vehicle; and

set the first clearance distance to a nominal distance in response to the determination.

11. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the location of the available parking space is performed by instructions that are further executed by the processors to:

retrieve a vehicle clearance corresponding to the self-driving vehicle;

locate a plurality of available parking spaces; and

select the identified available parking space based on an overall parking width that is based on the vehicle clearance, the first clearance distance, and a second clearance distance corresponding to a second parked vehicle located in a second adjacent parking space to the identified available parking space, wherein the overall parking width minimizes wasted space in excess of the overall parking width.

12. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the instructions are further executed by the processors to:

identify that the first parked vehicle is a manually-driven vehicle and that the first adjacent parking space is adjacent to a driver's side of the self-driving and further identifying that the first parked vehicle lacks a passenger-side exit requirement; and

set the first clearance distance to a human-error allotment distance that is less than a vehicle door-opening distance in response to the identifying.

13. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the instructions are further executed by the processors to:

identify that the first parked vehicle is a manually-driven vehicle and that an exit requirement exists between the first parked vehicle and the available parking space; and

set the first clearance distance to a vehicle door-opening distance in response to the identifying.

14. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the instructions that locate, retrieve, and transmit are performed by a mixed use parking lot manager process.

15. A computer program product comprising: a non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising a set of computer instructions, the computer instructions effective to: automatically locate, via one or more object sensors, an available parking space from a plurality of parking spaces, and storing the available parking space in a memory; retrieve a first clearance distance corresponding to a first parked vehicle parked in a first adjacent parking space to the located parking space, wherein the first clearance distance is based on whether the first parked vehicle is manually driven; and transmit, via a wireless communications adapter, an instruction to a self-driving vehicle to park in the located parking space and leaving the first clearance distance between the self-driving vehicle and the first parked vehicle, wherein the self-driving vehicle is selected from a plurality of self-driving vehicles.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the instructions are further executed by the processors to:

retrieve a second clearance distance corresponding to a second parked vehicle located in a second adjacent parking space to the identified parking space; and

transmit the instruction to the self-driving vehicle to park in the identified parking space and leaving the first clearance distance between the self-driving vehicle and the first parked vehicle and the second clearance distance between the self-driving vehicle and the second parked vehicle.

17. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the instructions are further executed by the processors to:

determine that the first parked vehicle is also a self-driving vehicle; and

set the first clearance distance to a nominal distance in response to the determination.

18. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the location of the available parking space is performed by instructions that are further executed by the processors to:

retrieve a vehicle clearance corresponding to the self-driving vehicle;

locate a plurality of available parking spaces; and

select the identified available parking space based on an overall parking width that is based on the vehicle clearance, the first clearance distance, and a second clearance distance corresponding to a second parked vehicle located in a second adjacent parking space to the identified available parking space, wherein the overall parking width minimizes wasted space in excess of the overall parking width.

19. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the instructions are further executed by the processors to:

in response to identifying that the first parked vehicle is a manually-driven vehicle and that the first adjacent parking space is adjacent to a driver's side of the self-driving and further identifying that the first parked vehicle lacks a passenger-side exit requirement, setting the first clearance distance to a human-error allotment distance that is less than a vehicle door-opening distance in response to the identifying;

in response to identifying that the first parked vehicle is a manually-driven vehicle and that an exit requirement exists between the first parked vehicle and the available parking space, setting the first clearance distance to a vehicle door-opening distance in response to the identifying; and

in response to identifying that the first parked vehicle is also a self-driving vehicle, setting the first clearance distance to a nominal distance in response to the determination.

20. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the instructions that locate, retrieve, and transmit are performed by a mixed use parking lot manager process.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 10, 2025
From: LENOVO PC INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
To: LENOVO SWITZERLAND INTERNATIONAL GMBH
Reel/Frame 069870/0670 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 16, 2021
From: LENOVO (SINGAPORE) PTE LTD
To: LENOVO PC INTERNATIONAL LTD
Reel/Frame 055939/0434 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE NAME OF THE SECOND LISTED INVENTOR PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 043866 FRAME 0626. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Oct 17, 2017
From: KAPINOS, ROBERT J.; KINGSBURY, TIMOTHY W.; LI, SCOTT W.; VANBLON, RUSSELL S.
To: LENOVO (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
Reel/Frame 044255/0259 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 15, 2017
From: KAPINOS, ROBERT J.; KINGSBURY, TIMOTH W.; LI, SCOTT W.; VANBLON, RUSSELL S.
To: LENOVO (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
Reel/Frame 043866/0626 →
Cited By (1)
US 12,469,390