US 11,810,368 B2
Parking assist apparatus
Yu Hiei, Chiryu (JP); Daiki Maruki, Toyota (JP); and Miho Shiotani, Toyota (JP)
Assigned to TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Toyota (JP)
Filed by TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Toyota (JP)
Filed on Dec. 17, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/553,996.
Claims priority of application No. 2021-10807 (JP), filed on Jan. 27, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0237927 A1, Jul. 28, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G06V 20/58 (2022.01); G06V 20/56 (2022.01); G06V 10/60 (2022.01); B60W 30/06 (2006.01); G06N 5/04 (2023.01); G06T 7/70 (2017.01)
CPC G06V 20/586 (2022.01) [B60W 30/06 (2013.01); G06N 5/04 (2013.01); G06T 7/70 (2017.01); G06V 10/60 (2022.01); G06V 20/588 (2022.01); B60W 2556/10 (2020.02); G06T 2207/30264 (2013.01)] 4 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A parking assist apparatus comprising:
an image processing apparatus which extracts at least one characteristic point contained in an image of a surrounding region of a vehicle, the image being captured by a camera, and which obtains a piece of information regarding the characteristic point;
a positioning apparatus which measures a position of the vehicle; and
a control apparatus configured to register a piece of information regarding at least one characteristic point contained in an image of a scene of an entrance of a parking lot captured by the camera and the position of the vehicle at a point in time when the vehicle has stopped after having reached the entrance of the parking lot, the piece of information and the position of the vehicle being registered as parking lot information of the parking lot,
the control apparatus being configured to determine whether or not the vehicle has reached the entrance of the parking lot by comparing the registered information regarding the characteristic point with the information regarding the characteristic point contained in the image of the surrounding region of the vehicle captured by the camera, and to assist a driver of the vehicle in parking the vehicle into the parking lot whose parking lot information has been registered, in the case where the control apparatus determines that the vehicle has reached the entrance of the parking lot whose parking lot information has been registered,
wherein, when a distance between the vehicle and the entrance of the parking lot whose parking lot information has been registered becomes equal to or shorter than a threshold distance while the vehicle is traveling, the image processing apparatus extracts the characteristic point contained in the image of the surrounding region of the vehicle captured by the camera, and, when the distance is longer than the threshold distance, the image processing apparatus does not extract the characteristic point contained in the image of the surrounding region of the vehicle captured by the camera.