Granted Patent B2

US 12,728,755 · App. 18/177,984 · Granted Sep 8, 2026

Inventors: Raj Sohmshetty (Canton, MI); Yifan Chen (Ann Arbor, MI); Smruti Panigrahi (Novi, MI); Hussein Chami (Dearborn, MI)

Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC

B60L53/65B60L53/35G08G1/141G08G1/148B60L2240/62

Abstract

Claims (73)

1 . A method for managing a plurality of vehicles of a parking lot, wherein the parking lot includes, an exit lane, an entry lane, and one or more charging lanes, the method comprising:

obtaining parking lot data associated with the parking lot, wherein the parking lot data indicates an availability of a plurality of parking spaces of the parking lot;

obtaining vehicle data associated with the plurality of vehicles, wherein the vehicle data includes one or more physical characteristics of each of the plurality of vehicles, one or more electrical charging characteristics of each of the plurality of vehicles, or a combination thereof;

dynamically defining one or more parking characteristics of the parking lot based on the vehicle data and the parking lot data, wherein dynamically defining the one or more parking characteristics comprises defining the plurality of parking spaces to form a grid arrangement in which parking space dimensions alternate by row or column based on vehicle types of the plurality of vehicles; and

controlling a movement of the plurality of vehicles via the exit lane, the entry lane, and the one or more charging lanes based on the vehicle data and the one or more parking characteristics of the parking lot.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more physical characteristics of each of the plurality of vehicles comprises a vehicle type of each of the plurality of vehicles, a vehicle width of each of the plurality of vehicles, a vehicle length of each of the plurality of vehicles, or a combination thereof.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more electrical charging characteristics of each of the plurality of vehicles comprises an amount of electrical energy of each of the plurality of vehicles, a charging time of each of the plurality of vehicles, a position of a charging port of each of the plurality of vehicles, or a combination thereof.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more parking characteristics of the parking lot comprises one or more parking space widths of the plurality of parking spaces, one or more parking space lengths of the plurality of parking spaces, a number of the plurality of parking spaces, an arrangement of the plurality of parking spaces, or a combination thereof.

5 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

obtaining charging station data associated with a plurality of charging stations disposed proximate to the one or more charging lanes;

determining, based on the one or more electrical charging characteristics of the vehicle data, whether a given vehicle from among the plurality of vehicles has a given amount of electrical energy that is less than a threshold amount of electrical energy; and

in response to determining that the given amount of electrical energy is less than the threshold amount of electrical energy:

identifying a given charging station from among the plurality of charging stations based on the charging station data; and

controlling a movement of the given vehicle to travel to the given charging station along a given path defined by the exit lane and the one or more charging lanes.

6 . The method of claim 5 further comprising, in response to determining that the given amount of electrical energy is less than the threshold amount of electrical energy:

identifying one or more impeding vehicles from among the plurality of vehicles based on a set of parking spaces from among the plurality of parking spaces, wherein the set of parking spaces are associated with the given vehicle; and

controlling a movement of the one or more impeding vehicles along a taxi path defined by one of the exit lane and the entry lane.

7 . The method of claim 5 further comprising, in response to determining that the given amount of electrical energy is less than the threshold amount of electrical energy:

obtaining robot data associated with a plurality of robots, wherein the robot data indicates a positional characteristic of each of the plurality of robots of each of the plurality of robots;

identifying a given robot from among the plurality of robots based on the robot data; and

controlling a movement of the given robot to travel along the one or more charging lanes to the given charging station.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the one or more charging lanes include a gantry, and wherein controlling the movement of the given robot further comprises broadcasting a command to the given robot to travel along the gantry proximate to the given charging station.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the given robot is a mobile robot, and wherein controlling the movement of the mobile robot further comprises broadcasting a command to the mobile robot to autonomously travel along the one or more charging lanes proximate to the given charging station.

10 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether a given parking space from among the plurality of parking spaces is available based on the parking lot data; and

controlling, in response to determining the given parking space is available, a movement of a given vehicle from among the plurality of vehicles to travel to the given parking space along a given path defined by the entry lane, the one or more charging lanes, or a combination thereof.

11 . The method of claim 10 further comprising:

identifying one or more impeding vehicles from among the plurality of vehicles based on a set of parking spaces from among the plurality of parking spaces, wherein the set of parking spaces are associated with the given vehicle; and

controlling a movement of the one or more impeding vehicles and the given vehicle along a parking operation path defined by the exit lane, the entry lane, or a combination thereof.

12 . A system for managing a plurality of vehicles of a parking lot, wherein the parking lot includes, an exit lane, an entry lane, and one or more charging lanes, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more nontransitory computer-readable mediums comprising instructions that are executable by the one or more processors, wherein the instructions comprise:

obtaining parking lot data associated with the parking lot, wherein the parking lot data indicates an availability of a plurality of parking spaces of the parking lot;

obtaining vehicle data associated with the plurality of vehicles, wherein the vehicle data includes one or more physical characteristics of each of the plurality of vehicles and one or more electrical charging characteristics of each of the plurality of vehicles, wherein:

the one or more physical characteristics of each of the plurality of vehicles comprises a vehicle type of each of the plurality of vehicles, a vehicle width of each of the plurality of vehicles, a vehicle length of each of the plurality of vehicles, or a combination thereof; and

the one or more electrical charging characteristics of each of the plurality of vehicles comprises an amount of electrical energy of each of the plurality of vehicles, a position of a charging port of each of the plurality of vehicles, a charging time of each of the plurality of vehicles, or a combination thereof;

dynamically defining one or more parking characteristics of the parking lot based on the vehicle data and the parking lot data, wherein dynamically defining the one or more parking characteristics comprises defining the plurality of parking spaces to form a grid arrangement in which parking space dimensions alternate by row or column based on vehicle types of the plurality of vehicles, and wherein the one or more parking characteristics of the parking lot comprises one or more parking space widths of the plurality of parking spaces, one or more parking space lengths of the plurality of parking spaces, a number of the plurality of parking spaces, an arrangement of the plurality of parking spaces, or a combination thereof; and

controlling a movement of the plurality of vehicles via the exit lane, the entry lane, and the one or more charging lanes based on the vehicle data and the one or more parking characteristics of the parking lot.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the instructions further comprise:

obtaining charging station data associated with a plurality of charging stations disposed proximate to the one or more charging lanes;

determining, based on the one or more electrical charging characteristics of the vehicle data, whether a given vehicle from among the plurality of vehicles has a given amount of electrical energy that is less than a threshold amount of electrical energy; and

in response to determining that the given amount of electrical energy is less than the threshold amount of electrical energy:

identifying a given charging station from among the plurality of charging stations based on the charging station data; and

controlling a movement of the given vehicle to travel to the given charging station along a given path defined by the exit lane and the one or more charging lanes.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the instructions further comprise, in response to determining that the given amount of electrical energy is less than the threshold amount of electrical energy:

identifying one or more impeding vehicles from among the plurality of vehicles based on a set of parking spaces from among the plurality of parking spaces, wherein the set of parking spaces are associated with the given vehicle; and

controlling a movement of the one or more impeding vehicles along a taxi path defined by one of the exit lane and the entry lane.

15 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the instructions further comprise, in response to determining that the given amount of electrical energy is less than the threshold amount of electrical energy:

obtaining robot data associated with a plurality of robots, wherein the robot data indicates a positional characteristic of each of the plurality of robots of each of the plurality of robots;

identifying a given robot from among the plurality of robots based on the robot data; and

controlling a movement of the given robot to travel along the one or more charging lanes to the given charging station.

16 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the instructions further comprise:

determining whether a given parking space from among the plurality of parking spaces is available based on the parking lot data; and

controlling, in response to determining the given parking space is available, a movement of a given vehicle from among the plurality of vehicles to travel to the given parking space along a given path defined by the entry lane, the one or more charging lanes, or a combination thereof.

17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the instructions further comprise:

identifying one or more impeding vehicles from among the plurality of vehicles based on a set of parking spaces from among the plurality of parking spaces, wherein the set of parking spaces are associated with the given vehicle; and

controlling a movement of the one or more impeding vehicles and the given vehicle along a parking operation path defined by the exit lane, the entry lane, or a combination thereof.

18 . A method for managing a plurality of vehicles of a parking lot, wherein the parking lot includes, an exit lane, an entry lane, and one or more charging lanes, the method comprising:

obtaining parking lot data associated with the parking lot, wherein the parking lot data indicates an availability of a plurality of parking spaces of the parking lot;

obtaining vehicle data associated with the plurality of vehicles, wherein the vehicle data includes one or more physical characteristics of each of the plurality of vehicles and one or more electrical charging characteristics of each of the plurality of vehicles, wherein:

the one or more physical characteristics of each of the plurality of vehicles comprises a vehicle type of each of the plurality of vehicles, a vehicle width of each of the plurality of vehicles, a vehicle length of each of the plurality of vehicles, or a combination thereof; and

the one or more electrical charging characteristics of each of the plurality of vehicles comprises an amount of electrical energy of each of the plurality of vehicles, a position of a charging port of each of the plurality of vehicles, a charging time of each of the plurality of vehicles, or a combination thereof;

dynamically defining one or more parking characteristics of the parking lot based on the vehicle data and the parking lot data, wherein dynamically defining the one or more parking characteristics comprises defining the plurality of parking spaces to form a grid arrangement in which parking space dimensions alternate by row or column based on vehicle types of the plurality of vehicles, and wherein the one or more parking characteristics of the parking lot comprises one or more parking space widths of the plurality of parking spaces, one or more parking space lengths of the plurality of parking spaces, a number of the plurality of parking spaces, an arrangement of the plurality of parking spaces, or a combination thereof; and

controlling a movement of the plurality of vehicles via the exit lane, the entry lane, and the one or more charging lanes based on the vehicle data and the one or more parking characteristics of the parking lot.

19 . The method of claim 18 further comprising:

obtaining charging station data associated with a plurality of charging stations disposed proximate to the one or more charging lanes;

determining, based on the one or more electrical charging characteristics of the vehicle data, whether a given vehicle from among the plurality of vehicles has a given amount of electrical energy that is less than a threshold amount of electrical energy; and

in response to determining that the given amount of electrical energy is less than the threshold amount of electrical energy:

identifying a given charging station from among the plurality of charging stations based on the charging station data; and

controlling a movement of the given vehicle to travel to the given charging station along a given path defined by the exit lane and the one or more charging lanes.

20 . The method of claim 18 further comprising:

determining whether a given parking space from among the plurality of parking spaces is available based on the parking lot data; and

controlling, in response to determining the given parking space is available, a movement of a given vehicle from among the plurality of vehicles to travel to the given parking space along a given path defined by the entry lane, the one or more charging lanes, or a combination thereof.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (32)