FORM 2
THE PATENT ACT 1970
(39 OF 1970)
&
THE PATENTS RULE, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(SEE SECTION 10; RULE 13)
"INTELLIGENT PARKING ASSISTANCE AND LOAD PREDICTION SYSTEM FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES"
MAHINDRA & MAHINDRA LIMITED
AN INDIAN COMPANY,
R&D CENTER, AUTOMOTIVE
SECTOR,
89, M.I.D.C, SATPUR,
NASHIK-422 007,
MAHARASHTRA, INDIA.
THE FOLLOWING SPECIFICATION DESCRIBES THE NATURE OF THE INVENTION AND MANNER IN WHICH IT IS TO BE PERFORMED

FIELD OF THE INVENTION:-
The present invention is related to an intelligent system that assists the driver of a vehicle to park the vehicle irrespective of the geometry of the parking place. More particularly the present invention is related to the system that facilitate the effective and accurate reverse parking of a vehicle in an enclosed parking space such as garage.
BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION:-
The existing parking assistance systems for automotive vehicles are provided with sensors mounted in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle mostly at the front end and at the rear end of the vehicle. These systems are useful in limited parking places based on the geometry of the parking place.
Some of the parking assistance systems available on automotive vehicles are provided with sensors laterally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. The use of this kind of system is limited to parking the vehicle in case of parallel parking lots. The existing parking assistance systems do not detect the potholes or drainages coming in the parking path which may be unsafe and may lead damage to the vehicles and/or accident of the vehicle.
These prior art systems are not addressing the system that assist the driver to park the vehicle in motor garage where the top (sliding) doors of the garage may hit the top surface of the vehicle thereby damaging the vehicle.
Camera based parking assistance system are available in the public domain but these are quite costly to mount around the geometry of the vehicle. Also for detecting the potholes, camera based systems even though with complex algorithms may not differentiate between an object present any drainage, pothole present.

OBJECTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION:-
The main object of the present invention is to provide an intelligent parking assistance system for automotive vehicles.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an intelligent parking assistance system for automotive vehicles wherein the system interprets the obstacles coming in any of the directions of the vehicle that may cause potential damage to the vehicle and alerts the driver of a vehicle.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide passive safety features in automotive body electronics.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an intelligent parking assistance system that detects the obstacle around the vehicle while parking, classify the obstacles in different types and accordingly warns the driver of an vehicle.
Yet another object of the present invention is to overcome the drawbacks of prior art systems available in public domain.
SUMMARY OF PRESENT INVENTION:-
An intelligent parking assistance system as described in the present invention warns the driver of a vehicle through visual and audio modes when the vehicle is being parked. Whenever the vehicle reaches the parking place / zone and the system taken to control by the driver, the system will perform the parking space estimation according to the vehicle geometry and the sensor mounting position followed by classification of obstacles wherever an obstacle is detected and then the systems communicates to the driver through a visual indication and audio message so that the driver gets the idea about the proximity of the vehicle from all directions and can change the vehicle path for safe and effective parking of an vehicle.

Accordingly the invention provides an intelligent vehicle parking assistance system comprising ultrasonic based sensors with transmitter and receiver mounted round the geometry of the vehicle; a controller unit having connection the said sensors to activate and decode the said sensors to receive and/or transmit signal from the said sensors; a display unit and acoustic unit connected to the said controller unit to display the information processed and analyzed by the said controller unit; an embedded software is loaded in the said, controller unit to perform such way that the said sensors is activated manually or the sensing speed of vehicle below the certain threshold and /or when the vehicle moves in the reverse direction and analyze the signal the nature of the obstacle with each of the sensor signal transmitting and receiving data.
DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES:-
The present invention and its advantages can be better understood from the following description when it is read in conjunction with the figures, wherein
Figure 1 presents a diagrammatic representation of the system architecture in accordance with the present invention.
Figure 2 is a diagrammatic representation showing the transmitter receiver sections mounted at the rear of the vehicle facing ground as per the present invention.
Figure 3 is a diagrammatic representation showing the transmitter receiver sections mounted around the exterior of the vehicle, shown as side view.
Figure 4 is a diagrammatic representation showing the transmitter receiver sections mounted around the rear exterior of the vehicle, shown as front view.

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic representation showing the transmitter receiver sections mounted on front top and front bottom of the vehicle, shown as front view.
Figure 6 is a diagrammatic representation of the display unit showing the display sections for each of the sensor, which will progressively get activated when ever an obstacle is progressively moving towards that particular sensor.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION:-
..;.P;.In accordance with the present invention, an intelligent vehicle parking assistance system comprises of ultrasonic based sensing system and a visual and audio feedback system to warn the driver of a vehicle. The system comprises of sensors, controller unit, warning system and communication path. Referring to figure 1 the sensors are connected to an interface controller unit. The sensor connection to the controller unit is hard wired or any protocol. A visual and audio display unit is conneted o the said controller unit.
The ultrasonic sensors having working frequency of 40 KHz are placed around the geometry of the vehicle. The figures 2 to 5 illustrates the location of sensors mounted around the geometry of vehicle. More particularly the sensors are mounted in the front side, rear side and side sensors front top sensor and rear top sensor and rear bottom sensor. The ultrasonic transmitter-receiver section sends ultrasonic signal as well as receives back them (if at all any reflection is there). The controller unit of the system gives activation signal to sensors and also decodes information sent by sensors. The information processed and analyzed by the controller unit is sent is sent on to a display unit and acoustic
The system can be made activated by the driver / occupant of the vehicle whenever the driver realises he has to park the vehicle or the system will automatically come into working whenever the vehicle speed is below certain

threshold and whenever the vehicle is engaged in reverse gear. When vehicle is getting reversed if no obstacle or no ditch is detected the system will not give any warning. Whenever any pothole or any obstacle is detected then it will trigger the visual and acoustic warning system and the visual warning comes in the form of illuminating of a LED section progressively on the corresponding side (which consists of GREEN, ORANGE and RED) along with the progressive change in the activation frequency of a buzzer. The figure 6 illustrates the Display in the display unit showing progressive display sections of Front top sensor, Rear top sensor, Rear bottom sensor and also illustrates Display in the display unit showing progressive display sections of Front sensors, Rear sensors, Side sensors.
The system may not detect the obstacle properly when the vehicle speed is greater than 7 Kmph because of the inherent property of the ultrasonic system.
The data that is captured from sensors is made available to share with other systems in the vehicle, such as the vehicle height detected by rear bottom sensor (facing ground )can be interpreted as the load that is present in the vehicle and the data can be shared with Active suspension system to adjust the damping of the suspension. This is possible if vehicle is equipped with active suspension system.
The controller is loaded with an embedded software which is programmed
on basis following functional features:-
i) to activate the ultrasonic sensors when driver will switch on or on basis
of speed of vehicle when it is below the certain thresh hold and/or when
vehicle is made to move in reverse direction.
ii) analyze the signal the nature of the obstacle with each of the sensor
signal transmitting and receiving data.
iii) sense the height of the vehicle on the basis of bottom sensor data and
send control signal to the active suspend system to adjust the damping of
the suspension,

The present system can detect "positive obstacles" and "negative obstacles". An example of positive obstacles are posts, curbs etc where as a negative obstacle are potholes, drains, manholes which are present in some places which will be dangerous. Thus the present invention addresses the safety of driver as well as of the vehicle while parking where probabilistic potholes/drainages/ditches and garage doors/roof linings at parking places are present. This system can be achieved equally well with Radar, ultrasonic and infrared sensors. But ultrasonic are chosen because of cost and because of their diverging beam type when compared to infrared sensors.

WE CLAIM:-
1. An intelligent vehicle parking assistance system comprising ultrasonic based sensors with transmitter and receiver mounted round the geometry of the vehicle; a controller unit having connection the said sensors to activate and decode the said sensors to receive and/or transmit signal from the said sensors; a display unit and acoustic unit connected to the said controller unit to display the information processed and analyzed by the said controller unit; an embedded software is loaded in the said controller unit to perform such way that the said sensors is activated manually or the sensing speed of vehicle below the certain threshold and /or when the vehicle moves in the reverse direction and analyze the signal the nature of the obstacle with each of the sensor signal transmitting and receiving data.
2. An intelligent vehicle parking assistance system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the said sensors hard wired or any protocol to the said controller.
3. An intelligent vehicle parking assistance system as claimed in claims 1 and 2 wherein the said ultrasonic sensors are having working frequency of 40 KHZ.
4. An intelligent vehicle parking assistance system as claimed in claims 1 to
3 the said sensors mounted round the geometry of the vehicle includes
front top and bottom, back top and bottom and, transverse sides top and
bottom as herein illustrated in drawings.
5. An intelligent vehicle parking assistance system as claimed in claims 1 to
4 wherein the said visual display unit is in the form of illuminating of a
LED section progressively on corresponding side along with the
progressive change in the activation of frequericy of buzzer.

6. An intelligent vehicle parking assistance system as claimed in claims 1 to
5 wherein the said LED section includes LED of green, orange and red
colour.
7. An intelligent vehicle parking assistance system as claimed in claims 1 to
6 wherein the said display unit and acoustic unit integrated inside the
IRVM (Inside Rear-View Mirror) or as an independent module
anywhere inside the vehicle.
8. An intelligent vehicle parking assistance with load prediction system for
automobile vehicle as claimed in claims 1 to 7 wherein the vehicle height
detected by rear bottom sensor (facing ground) connected to the said
controller unit is interpreted as the load that is present in the vehicle and
the data is shared with Active suspension system interfaced with said
controller unit to adjust the damping of the suspension.