Cooperative parking

Abstract

A system, a method, and a service for cooperative parking between vehicles. A parking vehicle has a transmitter to send a parking signal to parked vehicles in proximity to a parking space. A parked vehicle receives the parking signal, activates one or more position sensors mounted on the parked vehicle, activates its engine or auxiliary motor, disengages any locking mechanism such as brakes or the transmission, and moves itself away from the parking space. Once the parking vehicle has parked successfully or after a predetermined time delay, the parked vehicle may move to a position closer to the parking vehicle but still far enough away to avoid collision as determined by the position sensor and turn off its engine or auxiliary motor and re-engage its locking mechanism. The cooperative parking system may include a switch and a transmitter, either contained within a hand-held programmable device or within the parking vehicle. Preferably, all vehicles have the transmitter and the receiver to activate and respond to parking requests.

1 - 2 . (canceled) 
   
   
       3 . A cooperative parking system, comprising:
 a switch to initiate the cooperative parking system, the switch physically located in a parking vehicle, and   a transmitter connected to the switch, the transmitter to transmit a park signal to a receiver,   the switch causing the transmitter to transmit the park signal to a parked vehicle indicating that the driver wishes the parked vehicle to accommodate the parking vehicle.   
   
   
       4 . The cooperative parking system of  claim 3  wherein the switch is manually operated by a driver of the parking vehicle. 
   
   
       5 . The cooperative parking system of  claim 3  wherein the switch is integrated into an on-board computer within the parking vehicle. 
   
   
       6 . (canceled) 
   
   
       7 . A cooperative parking system, comprising:
 a portable device having:
 a switch to initiate the cooperative parking system; and 
 a transmitter connected to the switch, the transmitter to transmit a park signal to a receiver; and 
 a microprocessor 
   wherein the park signal is transmitted to one or more closest parked vehicles having a receiver within range of the portable device.   
   
   
       8 . The cooperative parking system of  claim 3  wherein the switch can be automatically operated by an ignition within a parking vehicle. 
   
   
       9 . A cooperative parking system, comprising:
 a switch to initiate the cooperative parking system; and   a transmitter connected to the switch, the transmitter to transmit a park signal to receiver:   wherein the park signal indicates that a parked vehicle will be removed from a parking space and the park signal requests other parked vehicles to move to accommodate removal of the parked vehicle.   
   
   
       10 . The cooperative parking system of  claim 3  wherein the park signal is transmitted from a parking vehicle to the closest parked vehicles within range of the parking vehicle. 
   
   
       11 . The cooperative parking system of  claim 10  wherein the closest parked vehicles transmit a park signal to the next closest parked vehicles within range of the closest parked vehicles. 
   
   
       12 . The cooperative parking system of  claim 3   wherein the park signal is transmitted from a parking vehicle to a plurality of parked vehicles within a range of a parking space in which the parking vehicle desires to park, indicating that the plurality of parked vehicles within the range should move to accommodate parking of the parking vehicle.   
   
   
       13 - 16 . (canceled) 
   
   
       17 . A computer program product in a computer-readable medium, for encoding a processing device within a vehicle to enable cooperative parking, comprising:
 instructions to receive a parking signal emitted from a transmitter;   instructions to activate a position sensor in response to the parking signal;   instructions to disengage a parking brake on the vehicle, if engaged;   instructions to disengage a transmission on the vehicle, if engaged;   instructions to move the vehicle away from a source of the parking signal until the position sensor indicates there is no more room;   instructions to wait;   instructions to move the vehicle toward the source of the parking signal until the position sensor indicates to stop movement;   instructions to engage a parking brake, if any;   instructions to engage the transmission into a parked gear.   
   
   
       18 . The computer program product in a computer-readable medium, for encoding a processing device within a vehicle to enable cooperative parking of  claim 17 , wherein the instructions to wait further comprises waiting a timed delay. 
   
   
       19 . The computer program product in a computer-readable medium, for encoding a processing device within a vehicle to enable cooperative parking of  claim 17 , wherein the instructions to wait further comprises waiting to receive a parked signal from the source of the parking signal. 
   
   
       20 . The computer program product in a computer-readable medium, for encoding a processing device within a vehicle to enable cooperative parking of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 instructions to receive a parking signal emitted from a transmitter;   instructions to activate a position sensor in response to the parking signal;   instructions to disengage a parking brake on the vehicle, if engaged;   instructions to disengage a transmission on the vehicle, if engaged;   instructions to move the vehicle from its original position away from a source of the parking signal until the position sensor indicates there is no more room;   instructions to wait;   instructions to return the vehicle to its original position;   instructions to engage a parking brake, if any; and   instruction to engage the transmission into a parked gear.   
   
   
       21 - 22 . (canceled) 
   
   
       23 . The cooperative parking system of  claim 7 , wherein the portable device transmits a park signal to the next closest parked vehicles within range of the portable device. 
   
   
       24 . The cooperative parking system of  claim 23 , wherein the portable device transmits a park signal to the next closest parked vehicles within range of the portable device. 
   
   
       25 . The cooperative parking system of  claim 7 ,
 wherein the portable device transmits a park signal to a plurality of parked vehicles within a range of the portable device located in or adjacent to a parking space in which a parking vehicle desires to park, indicating that the plurality of parked vehicles within the range should move to accommodate parking of the parking vehicle.   
   
   
       26 . The cooperative parking system of  claim 7 , wherein the portable device transmits a park signal indicating that a parked vehicle will be removed from a parking space and the park signal requests other parked vehicles to move to accommodate removal of the parked vehicle. 
   
   
       27 . The cooperative parking system of  claim 7 , further comprising a computer program product in a computer-readable medium in the microprocessor, for encoding the microprocessor to enable cooperative parking, comprising:
 instructions to transmit a parking signal emitted from a transmitter to the closest parked vehicles within range of the portable device;   in response to the parking signal, instructions to activate a position sensor in one or more of the closest parked vehicles within range of the portable device;   instructions to disengage a parking brake, if engaged, on the one or more closest parked vehicles within range of the portable device;   instructions to disengage a transmission, if engaged, on the one or more closest parked vehicles within range of the portable device;   instructions to move the one or more closest parked vehicles within range of the portable device vehicle away from a source of the parking signal until the position sensor of a respective one or more closest parked vehicle indicates there is no more room;   instructions to wait;   instructions to move the one or more closest parked vehicles toward the source of the parking signal until the position sensor of a respective one or more closest parked vehicle indicates to stop movement;   instructions to engage a parking brake, if any, of the one or more closest parked vehicles that were moved;   instructions to engage the transmission into a parked gear of the one or more closest parked vehicles that were moved.   
   
   
       28 . The cooperative parking system of  claim 27 , wherein the instructions to wait further comprises waiting a timed delay. 
   
   
       29 . The cooperative parking system of  claim 27 , wherein the instructions to wait further comprises waiting to receive a parked signal from the source of the parking signal.