Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Marc Roeber

Torsten Wey

Dirk Gunia

Gerald Doerne

Florian Vieten

Christoph Schlaug

Thomas Edward Pilutti

Amin Kashi

Patrick Hanneken

A method for operating a parking assistance function of a motor vehicle is described, wherein the motor vehicle comprises at least one sensor for detecting the road surrounding the motor vehicle. The method includes the following steps: Finding and specifying a free parking space; Determining a trajectory for parking the motor vehicle in the parking space and a sequence of an at least partially automated parking process; Determining at least one outer boundary line of the road surface required for parking along the identified trajectory; Detecting at least one road user approaching the determined outer boundary line on the road by means of at least one sensor; Determining the distance of the road user approaching the determined outer boundary line from the outer boundary line; if the determined distance falls below a specified first threshold, outputting a warning signal to the approaching road user.

Method for operating a parking assistance function of a motor vehicle

A vehicle includes processors, a display, and a drone comprising a camera and sensors. The processors receive an input indicating a destination, generate a zone including the destination, cause the drone to capture images of the zone, identify an unoccupied parking spot from the images of the zone, and present the unoccupied parking spot on the display.

Vehicle and method for detecting a parking space via a drone

Various embodiment include a system and a method for recognizing road signs. An image of a road sign may be captured by least one image sensor. A vehicle computer may receive the image data representing one or more road signs along a route and display one or more images of the road sign based on the image data. The display may be capable of presenting one or more status of the road sign based on one or more travel states for the vehicle. These travel states may include at least one of an amount of elapsed travel time, distance travelled, or speed.

Arrangement and method for recognizing road signs

Various embodiments include a system and a method for recognizing road signs. An image of a road sign may be captured by least one image sensor. A vehicle computer may receive the image data representing one or more road signs along a route and display one or more images of the road sign based on the image data. The display may be capable of presenting one or more status of the road sign based on one or more travel states for the vehicle. These travel states may include at least one of an amount of elapsed travel time, distance travelled, or speed.

A method and apparatus for determining whether to alert a driver of a vehicle to the presence of a traffic sign in the vehicle's driving environment. An optical system on-board the vehicle detects the traffic sign and determine information related to the sign. Driving maneuvers carried out by the vehicle are monitored to determine driving situation information. The driving situation information and the traffic sign information are used to determine a probability that the sign is pertinent for the vehicle under the current driving conditions. If the probability is above a threshold, the driver is alerted to the traffic sign. The probability of the pertinence of the traffic sign may be further determined on the basis of lane-specific information such as vehicle position relative to a freeway exit ramp start or end, or performance of a lane change by the vehicle.

Device and method for traffic sign recognition

A navigation system provides a position of the vehicle on a segment of a roadway and identifies a change in speed limit relative to the current segment of the roadway. A traffic sign recognition system determines a speed limit information presentation zone of the current segment of the roadway after determining that a speed limit of the approaching segment of the roadway is lower than a speed limit of the current segment of the roadway and/or a current speed of the vehicle. Thereafter, the traffic sign recognition system assesses the position of the vehicle relative to the speed limit information presentation zone. In response to determining that the vehicle is within the speed limit information presentation location, the traffic sign recognition system displays a visual representation of a speed limit sign designating the speed limit of the approaching segment of the roadway.

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Dusseldorf, Germany

Marc Roeber