Patent ID: 8310376

Claim:
An object classification method for classifying an object during a parking operation involving movement of a vehicle toward the object, comprising: (a) ascertaining a first characteristic quantity from a variation of a first signal received by a distance-measuring sensor in the vehicle; (b) ascertaining a second characteristic quantity from a variation of a second signal received by the distance-measuring sensor; (c) ascertaining a distance traveled by the vehicle between step (a) and step (b); (d) ascertaining a predictive quantity from the ascertained first characteristic quantity, wherein the predictive quantity is associated with the distance ascertained in step (c); (e) comparing the predictive quantity with the second characteristic quantity ascertained in step (b); and (f) generating an object classification signal associated with the object, wherein the object classification signal has a first state if the predictive quantity is less than the second characteristic quantity or a second state if the predictive quantity is greater than or equal to the second characteristic quantity.