Vehicular collaboration for vehicular parking area availability detection

Embodiments for using vehicular collaboration for vehicular parking area availability detection by a processor. An indication, having a degree of certainty according to a plurality of factors for obtaining a vehicular parking area, may be provided upon receiving data capturing one or more vehicular parking areas from one or more devices of at least one of a plurality of collaborative vehicles in substantially close proximity to the one or more vehicular parking areas.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates in general to computing systems, and more particularly to, various embodiments for using vehicular collaboration for vehicular parking area availability detection by a processor.

Description of the Related Art

Vehicles of every kind, size, and energy consumption are prevalent in every aspect of today's society, as people are more mobile today than likely at any time in recorded history. Attendant with the proliferation of vehicles have been certain limitations associated with navigating a vehicle through urban settings and locating an available parking area at or near a desired destination. For example, drivers of automotive vehicles in urban settings frequently waste a lot of time driving around a parking lot in search of an open or optimal parking lot location also referred to as a parking spot or parking area. Searching for an open or optimal parking area location only compounds the navigation task of the vehicle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Various embodiments for using vehicular collaboration for vehicular parking area availability detection by a processor, are provided. In one embodiment, by way of example only, a method for using a vehicular collaboration system for vehicular blind spot detection by a processor is provided. An indication, having a degree of certainty according to a plurality of factors for obtaining a vehicular parking area, may be provided upon receiving data capturing one or more vehicular parking areas from one or more devices of at least one of a plurality of collaborative vehicles in substantially close proximity to the one or more vehicular parking areas.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A common problem to operators of motor vehicles (e.g., “drivers”) is the difficulty in identifying and locating a parking area (e.g., a parking spot or “parking stall”) near a location of a target destination. To alleviate locating a parking spot, some parking lot facilities have provided an indication in a parking garage or parking lot that there are parking spaces available. However, the designated parking spot locations are typically not provided to the vehicle driver. Furthermore, when no indication of available parking locations/spots are identified by any type of signage, drivers often find themselves wasting time driving around a parking lot trying to find an available parking spot. Even worse, some drivers park in travel lanes or restricted areas of a parking lot area such as, for example, when anticipating a vehicle to exit a parking stall only to later find the driver's vehicle is either too large for the desired parking spot or the vehicle never exits the parking spot.

Thus, the mechanisms of the present invention use a vehicular collaboration system for using vehicular collaboration for vehicular parking area availability detection. An indication, having a degree of certainty according to a plurality of factors for obtaining a vehicular parking area, may be provided upon receiving data capturing one or more vehicular parking areas from one or more devices of at least one of a plurality of collaborative vehicles in substantially close proximity to the one or more vehicular parking areas.

In one aspect, the present invention provides a solution utilizing a video input device on one or more vehicles coupled with image recognition capabilities to identify and locate available or “open” parking spaces (e.g., no vehicle parked in that particular parking space). For example, the present invention may identify different parking space images unique to a selected geographical area (e.g., an urban area, province and/or country). The various shapes and sizes of a parking area may be determined and distinguished so as to match a vehicle being driven within the parking area (e.g., a small car or motorcycle is matched with an available parking stall having the shape and size compatible with the small car or motorcycle).

As an additional aspect, the present invention may identify various colors painted or drawn in a parking location and/or on curbs for identifying various types of parking locations or restricted areas (e.g., a handicap parking spot, red zones (“emergency”) for no parking, deliveries only, etc.). One or more signs used to identify open parking areas and/or ‘permit only’ parking areas may be identified.

Using the vehicular collaboration system/network for vehicular parking area availability detection, collaborating vehicles in the vehicular collaboration system/network may identify parking spots in an area of interest for the driver of a vehicle in the vehicular collaboration system/network that indicates an intent to obtain a parking spot. Also, one or more of the collaborating vehicles driving a similar route as a vehicle expressing interest for parking can be used to confirm the space availability of an available parking spot so that available parking spots may be provided to an availability map while recently reoccupied spots are deleted from the parking availability map.

In one aspect, the vehicular collaboration system/network may include crowd source data, where one or more applications rely on traffic sources such as public sector and private entity sources, which can provide updated or real-time traffic data. For example, the vehicular collaboration system/network may include a mobile application, such as “Waze®” (available from Waze Ltd.), that may automatically collect traffic data and road condition information from users as they drive. The vehicular collaboration system/network may rely on crowd sourced data to present updated traffic information to users of the application. The vehicular collaboration system/network may consider traditional traffic sources when presenting traffic information to its users. The vehicular collaboration system/network may utilize image recognition data via one or more collaborative vehicles, such as, for example, crowd sourced data via image recognition, which may include image data that may be monitored and updated in real-time (e.g., on a continual basis that monitors and identifies each state change).

In one aspect, one or more cameras and sensors may be placed or located at one or more locations of a vehicle (e.g., dashboard, front or rear bumpers, wheel-well, or other locations suitable for mounting or securing a camera) in order to determine one or more available and open parking areas. That is, one or more available and open parking areas may be detected in front of, behind, and/or to one or more sides of the vehicle using the vehicular collaboration system.

In an additional aspect, the vehicular collaboration system may be employed as a “car-net” capturing one or more angles, views, and/or dimensions of the vehicle and one or more geographical areas (e.g., a parking lot with one or more parking stalls/spots) by using one or more cameras and/or sensor based devices of nearby, neighboring cars, which alert the vehicle and/or vehicular collaboration network that one or more available and open parking areas are detected. The vehicular collaboration system may include using collaborative images, video, sounds, or other sensor-based device data via a social “car-net” through sharing of information. The collaborative data may be combined to form a 360-degree view of the vehicle that may extend to a selected location (such as a parking lot) capable of being displayed such as, for example, in a display system of the vehicle. A navigational route may be determined and presented in order for the vehicle to successfully and safely navigate to one or more identified parking areas.

The vehicular collaboration system may be employed without changes to any road infrastructures and without having to install expensive parking sensors in any target destination (e.g., a parking lot). Once an operator of a vehicle is made aware of a parking vacancy through an on-screen reporting display of one or more vehicles in the vehicular collaboration system, the operators of one or more vehicles may advise a centralized server or “HUB” of the vehicular collaboration system via an interactive GUI or other communication means (e.g., a voice activated detection system of a vehicle in communication with the vehicular collaboration system) of their intent to secure or park in one of the available parking spots.

More specifically, the vehicular collaboration system may be employed using one or more sensors associated with one or more parking spaces. For example, one or more sensors or camera devices embedded, installed, and/or directed to one or more parking spaces may be used in the vehicular collaboration system. As a specific example, one or more sensors installed in a parking space may also be employed in the vehicular collaboration system. Also, one or more camera systems (e.g., installed on buildings, signs, posts, and/or other parking stalls), which may capture a field of view (FOV) of one or more parking spots may also be employed in the vehicular collaboration system.

For example, the HUB may determine or calculate one or more distances and traffic conditions facing each of the parking seekers. Each driver may then receive a rank based on their own locations compared to the other drivers who might be looking for the same parking spot. In this way, the drivers who happen to be at the bottom of the ranking list would have real time info to decide if they'd even attempt to get to that parking spot. This ranking system may assist in reducing traffic congestion since not all active seekers would be converging into an already congested area.

The vehicular collaboration system may be in a virtual computing environment that may be in an Internet of Things (IoT) network. It should be noted that the Internet of Things (IoT) is an emerging concept of computing devices that may be embedded in objects, especially appliances, and connected through a network. An IoT network may include one or more IoT devices or “smart devices”, which are physical objects such as appliances with computing devices embedded therein. Many IoT devices are devices that are independently operable, but they may also be paired with a control system or alternatively a distributed control system such as one running over a cloud computing environment. Thus, the vehicular collaboration system may be employed and used, as described herein, in an IoT device or “smart device” (e.g., a navigation system, entertainment system, computer, and/or smart phone or tablet, and the like), which may be located internal or external to a vehicle associated with the vehicular collaboration system.

It should be noted that as used herein, “vehicle” may include one or more variety types of modes of transportation. For example, vehicle may include automobiles (e.g., car, sport utility vehicle “SUV”, trucks, etc.), off-road vehicles (e.g., all-terrain vehicles “ATV”) bicycles, motorcycles, trains, subways, ships, boat, aircrafts, watercrafts, sail crafts, hovercrafts, golf carts, and/or other types of transportation or movable objects. In an additional aspect, vehicle may include one or more types of transportation or movable objects that require a license and/or registration (e.g., a driver's license issued by a governmental or regulatory agency) in order to operate and move about a roadway, highway, railways, and/or other means for operating the one or more types of transportation or movable objects.

Additional aspects of the present invention and attendant benefits will be further described, following.

Characteristics are as follows:

Service Models are as follows:

Deployment Models are as follows:

In the context of the present invention, and as one of skill in the art will appreciate, various components depicted inFIG. 1may be located in a moving vehicle. For example, some of the processing and data storage capabilities associated with mechanisms of the illustrated embodiments may take place locally via local processing components, while the same components are connected via a network to remotely located, distributed computing data processing and storage components to accomplish various purposes of the present invention. Again, as will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, the present illustration is intended to convey only a subset of what may be an entire connected network of distributed computing components that accomplish various inventive aspects collectively.

Hardware and software layer60includes hardware and software components. Examples of hardware components include: mainframes61; RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) architecture, such as PowerPC, based servers62; servers63; blade servers64; storage devices65; and networks and networking components66. In some embodiments, software components include network application server software67and database software68.

As described herein, the present invention provides for a vehicular collaboration system or “Networked Communities” that aids in the finding of vacant parking spots (unoccupied parking areas) and also identifying and determining when an unoccupied parking spot is being re-occupied. For example, upon starting the vehicular collaboration system application on either a mobile device, or via on-board navigation, communication may be established with a centralized server or “HUB”, which may be in a cloud computing environment (e.g., cloud computing environment50ofFIG. 2). Vehicle Collaboration System510(seeFIG. 5) may be advised on how many video input devices are operable on a collaborative vehicle and the vehicle's location. If a collaborative vehicle in the vehicular collaboration system utilizes just one input device, then only its relative perspective to recognize open parking markers may be used and may be dependent on the direction the vehicle is traveling. In this way, the vehicular collaboration system can identify which of the collaborative vehicle(s) can confirm the availability of a previously reported parking space and monitor reports from relevant cars without actively requesting/receiving information from the vehicular collaboration system community. This helps to ensure a highest level of certainty about available parking stalls506(see available parking stall506ofFIG. 5). It should be noted that in one aspect the vehicular collaboration system may provide connectivity between cloud computing environment50and items54A,54B,54C, and54N.

In one aspect, using two [or more] input devices, mounted on each of the collaborative vehicles, enables for constant (e.g., real-time) monitoring of a geographical area (e.g., a curb area) passed by that vehicle. This allows a multiple-perspective input to identify open parking (e.g., looking for curb area makings or other specific open parking indicators), as the vehicle travels.

For example, if a vehicle is already parked, then these curb area makings may be obscured and that space would be identified as “not available” or “occupied”. If these curb area makings are visible to one or more other collaborative vehicles, then that respective space may be identified to the service provided as open and the vehicular collaboration system community is alerted. These input devices may communicate through one or more various types of wireless communication standards, such as for example, a third generation partnership project (3GPP) radio access network (RAN) long term evolution (LTE) system, Wi-Fi/Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) networks, High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, a combination thereof, and/or other wireless communication protocols, such as with either an IoT device (e.g., a smart phone or “user equipment”) or the vehicle's on-board navigational systems. This info may then update the vehicular collaboration system to report one or more collaborative vehicles' location and “piggyback” that information of the location of the open and available parking stall506.

Other collaborative vehicles within the vehicular collaboration system network, traveling along one or more similar routes may confirm on an ongoing basis, the availability of the parking slots, using the collaborative data received from each one of the collaborative vehicles. This keeps the data relevant for the subscribing vehicular collaboration system community.

In an additional aspect, based on publicly provided information, one or more of a plurality of factors (e.g., parking thresholds) may be set by a user of the vehicular collaboration system to limit parking space candidates. For example, the plurality of factors or parking thresholds may include, but are not limited to, restricting parking to certain times of travel by the user, restrictions based on how long parking is allowed (e.g., a maximum of 1 hour as compared to a need for 6 hours of parking), one or more road construction restrictions, parking facility or parking lot restrictions, emergency parking or handicap/special need restrictions, parking costs (e.g., metered parking per hour), and distance to or from a travel destination (e.g., no parking spaces wanted over a certain distance to or from a target destination).

In one aspect, once a parking vacancy (e.g., an unoccupied parking area) is discovered and reported to the vehicular collaboration system network, one or more drivers who are actively seeking a parking space may report their intent to pursue one or more particular parking spots. The vehicular collaboration system may determine or calculate an estimated time of arrival (“ETA”) for each car/driver and ranks the car/driver, based on the interested driver's current location and their target destination. This information may then be plotted in real time against the other interested drivers' locations, who have also expressed an interest in one or more of the particular parking slots. In this way, only a few drivers will actually be vying for the reported open parking spot in the target destination vicinity. Updates in real time may also be provided to each car/driver so as to alert the interested drivers if/when the one or more of the particular parking slots become occupied prior to the car/driver's arrival. Each state change of the one or more of the particular parking slots may also be tracked and monitored (e.g., a particular parking slot changing from occupied to unoccupied or unoccupied to occupied). Each state change may also be reflected in real time to the availability map. For example, if an unoccupied parking slot is being broadcast or plotted on the availability map and then becomes occupied, the availability map may be refreshed in real-time to remove the now occupied parking slot from the map.

A recalculated parking availability map would then be sent to drivers that previously registered to find a new open spot near their planned destination. If no parking space is reported as open, the original defined search radius may be automatically expanded (via a pre-determined user input) allowing a wider search grid. In one aspect, recalculated parking availability may include one or more exclusion zones from being posted on the availability map. For example, the recalculated parking availability may include one or more exclusion zones from being posted on the availability map and may include weather related restriction areas such as, for example, areas indicated for snow days when ½ of the street does not allow parking so that snow removal can be done, or scheduled celebrations, holidays, parades that isolate one or more parking areas such as city or public parking areas.

As an additional embodiment, the vehicular collaboration system network may also receive one or more manual updates from one or more users or vehicles such as, for example, via text entry and/or by Bluetooth voice commands, about a recently vacated parking spot. For example, an operation of a vehicle may send a text message or audible command via an IoT device (e.g., a voice command over a smart phone) stating their intent to leave and exit a parking stall or may report a parking stall as being empty (e.g., “I am now getting in my car and leaving the parking lot at the grocery store” or “I see that a parking stall is now available on the street near the sports arena”). These updates not only include the location of the now open parking spot, but may also include the shape and size of the vehicle leaving the parking spot. This information may be automatically uploaded into a new recalculated parking availability map that is then sent to any driver/collaborative vehicle that has expressed an interest in parking at/or near this location. Vehicular collaboration system network members searching in the targeted vicinity may be alerted to the available parking location and also receive an estimation of the shape and size of the available parking spot. The drivers/collaborative vehicles may be alerted if their vehicles are within the shape and size parameters of the parking spot and/or if their vehicle is outside of the shape and size parameters of an available parking spot, which may be designed for a sub-compact vehicle such as, for example, when their vehicle may be a large truck, van, or sport utility vehicle (“SUV”).

Turning toFIG. 4, a block diagram of various hardware400including a vehicle402equipped with various functionality as will be further described is shown in which aspects of the mechanisms of the illustrated embodiments may be realized. Vehicle402may be driven by an occupant and/or by using self-driving technology (e.g., autopilot). A variety of IoT devices, such as cameras404(including UV/thermal cameras and the like) and sensor devices406(e.g., audio input devices, recording devices, temperature sensors, atmospheric sensors, biological sensors, or other sensor devices to record or broadcast a wide variety of data) may be installed in or around the vehicle402. It should be noted that vehicle402may be one of an automobile, off-road vehicle, bicycle, motorcycle, train, subway, ship, boat, aircraft, watercraft, sail craft, hovercraft, golf cart, and/or other type of transportation or movable object.

In one embodiment, the various cameras404and sensors406associated with the vehicle402may be monitored over time (e.g., in real time over a period of time). Certain data may be obtained from the respective cameras and sensor devices, such as one or more areas (e.g., parking areas) that may be visible and/or be non-visible to an occupant (e.g., driver) of the vehicle402. In this manner, the cameras404and sensors406may capture one or more geographical areas (e.g., a parking lot area with one or more parking stalls/spots, a curb area of a parking lane, and the like) within view of the various cameras404and sensors406and display the field of view and notification/alerts on a display system410, such as a vehicle's display device located inside the vehicle that is viewable to an occupant of the vehicle. For example, a parking stall located in front, rear, or side of the vehicle may be detected and displayed in the display system410. The vehicle402may use one or more IoT devices, such as the various cameras404and sensors406to broadcast (e.g., in real-time or on-demand) a video and/or photographic image of a targeting parking area (e.g., a parking stall or curb area of a parking lane), a video of the targeting parking area, and/or any audible tone, sound, or speech relating to the availability of the targeting parking area. For example, a video of the targeting parking area and a voice of the driver indicating the parking stall is “available” or unoccupied may be broadcast to one or more collaborative vehicles in a vehicular collaboration system network. The broadcast may alert one or more drivers/collaborative vehicles desiring to park in the targeting parking area of the parking area's availability.

It should be noted that one or more cameras and/or sensors such as cameras and/or sensors408,410(e.g., proximity, pressure, etc.) may also be installed on, in, or about a roadway system, pavement, curbs, parking meters, railways, airports, buildings, traffic signs or lights, intersections, areas adjacent to and/or underneath where a vehicle parks, and/or other areas capable of capturing a field of view (FOV) and/or capturing an object or signal. For example, cameras and/or sensors408,410may be a camera array capturing a parking area and/or a sensor array embedded in the pavement (or curb, parking meter, etc.) as part of a vehicular collaboration system network of information.

Turning toFIG. 5, a block diagram of various hardware500equipped with various functionality as will be further described is shown in which aspects of the mechanisms of the illustrated embodiments may be realized. In one aspect, one or more of the components, modules, services, applications, and/or functions described inFIGS. 1-4may be used inFIG. 5.

For example, computer system/server12ofFIG. 1may be included inFIG. 5and may be connected to other computing nodes (such as computer systems of vehicles) over a distributed computing network, where additional data collection, processing, analytics, and other functionality may be realized. The computer system/server12ofFIG. 1, may include a vehicle collaboration system510, along with other related components in order to analyze and detect geographical areas (e.g., a parking lot area with one or more parking stalls/spots, a curb area of a parking lane, and the like) collected from the cameras or from the one or more sensors of one or more collaborative vehicles in a vehicular collaboration system network, such as collaborative vehicles502,508that may be parked in occupied parking stalls518and522.

In one embodiment, the vehicular collaboration system510may be in communication via network or communication link575with one or more vehicles such as, for example, vehicle502and508. In one aspect, the vehicular collaboration system510may be an independent computing service provided by one or more computing systems and servers (not show (e.g., a “HUB”) for illustrative convenience but may be included in one or more components, modules, services, applications, and/or functions ofFIGS. 1-4) and external to the vehicles502and508. In an additional embodiment, the vehicular collaboration system510may be located and installed within one or more vehicles such as, for example, vehicles502and508. Vehicles502and508may be associated with the vehicle collaboration system510via one or more pre-authorization operations and/or may be instantaneously joined to the vehicular collaboration system510via a series of authentication operations to join and grant permission to the vehicular collaboration system510to gain access to one or more IoT devices and/or computing systems of vehicles502and508for sharing the collaborative data.

It should be noted that vehicles included in the vehicular collaboration system510may be one of an automobile, off-road vehicle, bicycle, motorcycle, train, subway, ship, boat, aircraft, watercraft, sail craft, hovercraft, golf cart, and/or other type of transportation or movable object.

More specifically, the vehicular collaboration system510may incorporate processing unit16(“processor”) and memory28ofFIG. 1, for example, to perform various computational, data processing and other functionality in accordance with various aspects of the present invention. The vehicular collaboration system510may also include a parking area detection module520, image collaboration module530, notification (alert) module540, and rating module550, each of which may be controlled and in communication with processing unit16and memory28.

Each vehicle502and508may have installed thereon one or more internet of things (IoT) devices, such as cameras and sensor based devices504a-dto gather data surrounding the vehicle or nearby vehicles, such as images (e.g., images of one or more vehicles), lane markings (e.g., parking lane markings, motions, sounds, and/or other environmental data). Each of the IoT devices may capture one or more geographical areas (e.g., a parking lot area with one or more parking stalls/spots, one or more vehicles in a parking area (and/or the absence of a vehicle in parking area), a curb area of a parking lane, parking lane markings, curb markings, and the like) from the devices504a-dmounted to each of the vehicles502and508. Each of the captured images may be included in a collaboration of images.

In general, the vehicle collaboration system510may receive a collaboration of images, videos, data, sounds, biological data, signals, and/or a combination thereof capturing one or more parking areas from one or more IoT devices504a-dlocated on each one of a plurality of collaborative vehicles, such as vehicles502and/or508(e.g., a camera or sensor), in substantially close proximity to vehicles502and508, for aiding in determining one or more occupied or unoccupied parking areas of a target destination.

For example, the processing component16may determine, from captured data from the one or more IoT devices504a-dof both vehicles502and508, an unoccupied parking area located between each of the vehicles502and508. In addition, the processing component16may send one or more signals to other computing or control components of the vehicle collaboration system510to trigger a notification via notification module540of the detected unoccupied parking area located between vehicles502and508. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that additional factors, such as the parking area's geographical position, shape, size, and/or other defined parking factors or parameters may be observed and/or determined from vehicles502and508(or other collaborative vehicles not depicted for illustrative convenience) available through a distributed computing environment that may be used to assist with receiving a collaboration of images, videos, or other sensor data from one or more IoT devices504a-dupon capturing the one or more parking areas.

The plurality of factors or parking thresholds may include, but are not limited to, a user profile (e.g., user likes/dislikes relating to parking areas, historical data relating to driving patterns and/or parking patterns and preferences, travel patterns, favorite target destinations, frequently visited parking areas, data relating types of vehicles the user may drive or own and/or shapes, sizes, makes, models, or dimensions of the types of vehicles the user may drive), lane markings (including the size, shape, dimensions, length, width of the lane markings, presence or absence of lane marking, etc.), restricted parking times, required parking times of an operator of a vehicle, restricted travel times of each operator or one or more collaborative vehicles, restrictions based on how long parking is allowed (e.g., a maximum of 1 hour as compared to a need for 6 hours of parking), one or more road construction restrictions, parking facility or parking lot restrictions, emergency parking or handicap/special need restrictions, parking costs (e.g., metered parking per hour), and distance to or from a travel destination (e.g., no parking spaces wanted over a certain distance to or from a target destination).

The various cameras and sensors, such as devices504a-d, associated with the vehicle502or508may monitor the vehicle502or508over a selected time period (e.g., in real time) upon activation of the vehicle collaboration system510. Certain data may be obtained from the respective cameras and sensor devices504a-d, such as one or more parking areas, which may be the detected unoccupied parking area506located between vehicles502and508or more specifically, the detected unoccupied parking area506located between parking lanes505. In this manner, the camera and sensors504a-dmay capture one or more parking areas which may include lane markings (e.g., the lane markings505), signage, or other image detectable means by the camera and/or sensors504a-d.

The image collaboration module530may request access to the collaborative vehicles, such as vehicle502or508, in substantially close proximity to one of the vehicles, such as vehicle502or508, for receiving an image from each imaging or sensing device associated with the vehicles502and508, wherein each received image is included in the collaboration of images. Upon receiving permission to access the cameras and sensor based devices504a-dof each of the vehicles502and508in the vehicle collaboration system510, the image collaboration module530may collect, gather, and process the data received from each of the respective cameras and sensor devices504a-dfrom vehicles502and/or508.

The parking area detection module520may use the processed data from the image collaboration module530to detect a parking area (and one or more parking lanes505) and determine whether the parking area is unavailable (e.g., occupied) for parking and/or available (e.g., unoccupied) for parking, such as parking area506, which may include one or more parking lanes, such as parking lanes505. More specifically, the parking area detection module520may detect one or more parking lanes, such as parking lanes505, vehicles, objects, emergency marking, signs, or articles in the one or more parking areas506using the collaboration of images (e.g., collaboration of data) received from one or more of the devices504a-d.

The notification module540may be signaled to provide an alert or an alarm, which may indicate to the collaborative vehicles, such as vehicle502or508, the parking area(s), such as parking area506, is available or unavailable. The notification module540may provide a notification to the vehicle upon detecting the parking area506. The notification module540may broadcast an audible alert via a speaker device associated with one or more collaborative vehicles, such as vehicle502or508. The notification module540may also provide an alternative parking area (not shown for illustrative convenience) to enable the vehicle to circumvent the parking area506and park in an alternative parking area.

For example, in one aspect, the warning or alert may be displayed within one or more graphical user interfaces (GUI), displays systems, and/or navigational systems of the vehicle. Alternatively, the notification module540may signal a device such as, devices504a-d, which may be a microphone, to broadcast an alert, sound, alarm, or audible command to a driver of one or more of the collaborative vehicles, such as vehicle502and/or508.

The rating module550may also assist in preventing an anticipated movement of the vehicle upon detecting the parking area506in the one or more non-visible areas. For example, the rating module550may signal one or more computing systems, such as a computing or control system of a vehicle responsible for breaking or stopping, to cause a braking force to the vehicle to terminate a forward motion or a rearward motion of the vehicle upon detecting the object in the one or more non-visible areas. In one aspect, the rating module550itself may signal one or more mechanical systems of the vehicle to cause the braking force to stop the vehicle or prevent movement of the vehicle. Moreover, the rating module550may also signal or direct additional control systems of the vehicle, such as vehicle502or508, to terminate the operation of an engine or transmission, cease power to the transmission, and/or temporarily disengage the transmission from forward or rearward operation to a neutral or park position.

Turning now toFIG. 6, a method600for using vehicular collaboration for vehicular parking area availability detection by a processor is depicted, in which various aspects of the illustrated embodiments may be implemented. The functionality600may be implemented as a method executed as instructions on a machine, where the instructions are included on at least one computer readable medium or one non-transitory machine-readable storage medium. The functionality600may start in block602. An indication, having a degree of certainty), according to a plurality of factors for obtaining a vehicular parking area, may be provided (via a graphical user interface “GUI” of a computing system of a vehicle) upon receiving data capturing one or more vehicular parking areas from one or more devices of at least one of a plurality of collaborative vehicles in substantially close proximity to the one or more vehicular parking areas, as in block604. The functionality600may end, as in block606.

Turning now toFIG. 7, a method700for using vehicular collaboration for vehicular parking area availability detection by a processor is depicted, in which various aspects of the illustrated embodiments may be implemented. The functionality700may be implemented as a method executed as instructions on a machine, where the instructions are included on at least one computer readable medium or one non-transitory machine-readable storage medium. The functionality700may start in block702. One or more parking stalls may be captured from one or more devices from one or more vehicles in a vehicular collaboration network (e.g., captured data of parking stalls forming vehicular collaboration information), as in block704. That is, a camera and/or sensor based device, installed on one or more vehicles in the vehicular collaboration system associated with the vehicle may be activated to capture one or more parking stalls. In one aspect, the camera and/or sensor based devices of the vehicle and/or vehicular collaboration information received from one or more vehicles associated with a vehicular collaboration system may be gathered and analyzed to both detect and determine a size, width, and availability of the parking stalls.

An indication may be received from one or more vehicles indicating an intent to obtain an available parking stall, as in block706. The indication, which may include a target destination and a preference for a size, location, distance from a target location, driver preference (e.g., whether or not the driver desires to park next to other vehicles, preference for parking in a handicap parking stall based on a driver's physical condition, preference for parking in a favorite parking stall, and the like), and/or other defined or selected factors, may be provided using a direction control means of the vehicle. Each of the one or more vehicles (e.g., providing an indication of intent for obtaining a parking stall) may be rated according to a degree of certainty based on a plurality of factors for obtaining the available parking stall, as in block708. In other words, a degree of certainty may be a percentage representing what the chances are for the driver of each vehicle to obtain an open, available, parking stall. For example, the vehicular collaboration network may analyze the plurality of factors and calculate a percentage such as, for example, 85% for obtaining an open, available, parking stall in one or more preferred locations of a target destination. The ratings may be provided to each of the one or more vehicles, as in block710. In one aspect, using one or more computing systems of the vehicle, such as a navigation system and/or self-driving (“autopilot”) system, the vehicle may be enabled, using the information about the open, available, parking stalls, to navigate, move, and position the vehicle to the open, available, parking stalls. The functionality700may end, as in block712.

In one aspect, in conjunction with and/or as part of at least one block ofFIGS. 6-7, the operations of methods600and/or700may include each of the following. The operations of methods600and/or700may determine the degree of certainty according to the plurality of factors for limiting a number of candidates for obtaining the vehicular parking area, wherein the plurality of factors include defined travel times of a user, a length of allowable parking time of the vehicular parking area, parking costs of the vehicular parking area, a distance from a travel origin to the vehicular parking area, a size of the vehicular parking area, a size of a vehicle, average length of time the one or more vehicular parking areas are occupied, or a combination thereof. The one or more vehicular parking areas may be captured from one or more camera or sensor based devices mounted to the at least one of the plurality of collaborative vehicles.

The operations of methods600and/or700may detect an availability of the vehicular parking area in the one or more vehicular parking areas using a collaboration of images or video stream, detect an unavailability of the vehicular parking area in the one or more vehicular parking areas using the collaboration of images or video stream, and/or provide an alert in the indication such that the alert provides the availability of the vehicular parking area or the unavailability of the vehicular parking area.

An estimated time of arrival (ETA) may be calculated and/or determined based on a current location of a vehicle and distance from the current location to the vehicular parking area, and each one of the plurality of collaborative vehicles in a collaborative vehicle network may be ranked according the calculated ETA. The operations of methods600and/or700may provide, in a GUI of a computing system of a vehicle, a map containing availability of the one or more vehicular parking areas within a defined geographical region. One or more alternative vehicular parking areas may also be determined within an expanded area of the defined geographical region. The operations of methods600and/or700may also display, in real time in the GUI, each state change (e.g. occupied to unoccupied or unoccupied to occupied) of the vehicular parking area.