Patent ID: 8056667

Claim:
A method of controlling a parallel parking of a vehicle between a first object and a second object in response to an available parking distance therebetween, the method comprising the steps of: remotely sensing a distance between the first object and the second object; comparing the distance to a first predetermined distance and a second predetermined distance wherein the first predetermined distance is greater than the second predetermined distance; if the distance is greater than the first predetermined distance, then performing an autonomous first steering strategy maneuver for parking the vehicle between the first object and second object, the first steering strategy maneuver consisting of a first predetermined number of steering cycles for parking the vehicle; and if the distance is between the first predetermined distance and the second predetermined distance, then performing an autonomous second steering strategy maneuver for parking the vehicle between the first and second object, the second steering strategy maneuver consisting of a second predetermined number of steering cycles for parking the vehicle wherein the second predetermined number of cycles is greater than the first predetermined number of steering cycles; wherein the first steering strategy maneuver comprises a single steering cycle to park the vehicle, and wherein the first predetermined distance L 1 used to determine whether to apply the single cycle steering strategy is derived from the following equation: L 1 =[( b 2 ) 2 +4( a 1 )( R 1 )] 1/2 +b 1 where b 1 is a longitudinal distance from a rear of the vehicle to a rear axle of the vehicle, b 2 is a longitudinal distance from a front of the vehicle to the rear axle of the vehicle, a 1 is half of a width of the vehicle along the rear axle, and R 1 is a distance from a midpoint of the rear axle to a center of the turning radius of the vehicle.