IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,442,657
Granted Patent B2
US 12,442,657 · App. 17/115,890 · Granted Oct 14, 2025

Vehicle path determination

Inventors: Hamid M. Golgiri (Livonia, MI); Chenhao Ma (Canton, MI); Tony Tae-Jin Pak (Garden City, MI); Arnav Sharma (Canton, MI); Ahmed Benmimoun (Aachen, DE)
Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
G01C21/3811G01C21/3885
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,442,657
App. No.
17/115,890
Granted
Oct 14, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vehicle is determined to be in a parking area based on vehicle sensor data. A mapping operation mode is activated based on determining the vehicle is in the parking area. A travel path of the vehicle through the parking area is recorded based on receiving a user input selecting the mapping operation mode. A map of the parking area is updated based on the recorded travel path.

Claims (28)

1. A system, comprising a computer including a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:

determine a vehicle is in a parking area that includes a plurality of sub-areas based on vehicle sensor data;

activate a mapping operation mode based on determining the vehicle is in the parking area;

then record a travel path of the vehicle through the parking area based on receiving a user input selecting the mapping operation mode;

update a map of the parking area based on the recorded travel path; and

operate the vehicle based on the map by actuating a vehicle component.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to determine that the vehicle is in the parking area based additionally on map data.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to input the sensor data into a machine learning program that outputs an identification of the parking area.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to deactivate the mapping operation mode based on determining the vehicle is in a road area.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to, upon determining a portion of the recorded travel path is outside the parking area, remove the portion of the travel path from the map.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to determine a confidence estimate based on identifying an object in the sensor data, and determine that the vehicle is in the parking area based additionally on the confidence estimate.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to determine that the vehicle is in the parking area based on the confidence estimate being greater than a first threshold, and to determine that the vehicle is in a road area based on the confidence estimate being less than a second threshold, the second threshold is less than the first threshold.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to, upon determining the confidence estimate is between the first and second threshold, determine that the vehicle is in the parking area or in the road area based on second sensor data.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to stop recording the travel path based on receiving a second user input deselecting the mapping operation mode.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to stop recording the travel path based on determining the vehicle is outside the parking area for a predetermined time.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to stop recording the travel path based on determining the vehicle is outside the parking area and a distance between the vehicle and the parking area is greater than a threshold.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to, upon determining, from the sensor data, that the vehicle is in an unknown area, determine that the vehicle is in the parking area based on second sensor data obtained after the vehicle moves a threshold distance.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to deactivate the mapping operation mode based on determining, from the second sensor data, that the vehicle is in the unknown area.

14. A method, comprising:

determining a vehicle is in a parking area that includes a plurality of sub-areas based on vehicle sensor data;

activating a mapping operation mode based on determining the vehicle is in the parking area;

then recording a travel path of the vehicle through the parking area based on receiving a user input selecting the mapping operation mode;

updating a map of the parking area based on the recorded travel path; and

operating the vehicle based on the map by actuating a vehicle component.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising determining the vehicle is in the parking area based additionally on map data.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising inputting the sensor data into a machine learning program that outputs an identification of the parking area.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising deactivating the mapping operation mode based on determining the vehicle is in a road area.

18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising, upon determining a portion of the recorded travel path is outside the parking area, removing the portion of the travel path from the map.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 9, 2020
From: GOLGIRI, HAMID M.; MA, CHENHAO; PAK, TONY TAE-JIN; SHARMA, ARNAV; BENMIMOUN, AHMED
To: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 054586/0894 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220178715A1 · Jun 9, 2022
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