Intelligent Parking Assist System
Encyclopedia
Intelligent Parking Assist System (IPAS), also known as the Advanced Parking Guidance System (APGS) for Lexus
models in the United States, is the first production automatic parking
system developed by Toyota Motor Corporation
in 2004 initially for the Japanese market hybrid
Prius models and later Lexus models. The technology assists drivers in parking their vehicle
. On vehicles equipped with the IPAS, via an in-dash screen and button controls, the car can steer itself into a parking space with little input from the user. The first version of the system was deployed on the Prius Hybrid
sold in Japan in 2003. In 2006, an upgraded version debuted for the first time outside Japan on the Lexus LS
luxury sedan, which featured the automatic parking technology among other brand new inventions from Toyota. In 2009, the system appeared on the third generation Prius sold in the U.S. In Asia and Europe, the parking technology is marketed as the Intelligent Park Assist System for both Lexus and Toyota models, while in the U.S. the Advanced Parking Guidance System name is only used for the Lexus system.
and maneuvered the vehicle appropriately. This was done by an onboard computer
which used a camera
built into the forward and rear of the car. Sensors located at similar locations detected the proximity of nearby vehicles. The dashboard
displayed an image of the lot, and the driver would then have to determine the exact position that the vehicle in the lot via the arrows which appeared on the screen. Using the arrows, the user would set the location of the vehicle in the space. When satisfied, the user pressed the "Set" button, which then activated the IPAS. The system then took over steering control to maneuver the vehicle.
Early versions of this system had difficulty detecting objects, including cat
s, baby prams
and pedestrian
s. Secondly when the driver activated the system in a too small a space, the system constantly flashed warning signals to inform the user of the danger of hitting the vehicle. User assistance is required in such situations. In 2005, an upgraded version added recognition capability for parking stripes. A later version of this parking technology, launched in 2006, added integration with parking sensors. This latest version could calculate the steering maneuvers needed for parallel
or reverse parking
, and help determine that the car has enough clearance for a particular space with colored screen displays which indicated adequate or inadequate space.
The IPAS/APGS use computer processors which are tied to the vehicle's (sonar
warning system) feature, backup camera
, and two additional forward sensors on the front side fenders. The sonar park sensors, known as "Intuitive Parking Assist" or "Lexus Park Assist", includes multiple sensors on the forward and rear bumpers which detect obstacles, allowing the vehicle to sound warnings and calculate optimum steering angles during regular parking. These sensors plus the two additional parking sensors are tied to a central computer processor, which in turn is integrated with the backup camera system to provide the driver parking information.
When the sonar park sensors feature is used, the processor(s) calculate steering angle data which are displayed on the navigation/camera touchscreen along with obstacle information. The Intelligent Parking Assist System expands on this capability and is accessible when the vehicle is shifted to reverse (which automatically activates the backup camera). When in reverse, the backup camera screen features parking buttons which can be used to activate automated parking procedures. When the Intelligent Parking Assist System is activated, the central processor calculates the optimum parallel or reverse park steering angles and then interfaces with the Electric Power Steering systems of the vehicle to guide the car into the parking spot.
with the system, drivers first pull up alongside the parking space. They move forward until the vehicle's rear bumper passes the rear wheel of the car parked in front of the open space. Then, shifting to reverse automatically activates the backup camera
system, and the car's rear view appears on dash navigation/camera display. The driver's selection of the parallel park guidance button on the navigation/camera touchscreen causes a grid to appear (with green or red lines, a flag symbol representing the corner of the parking spot, and adjustment arrows).
The driver is responsible for checking to see if the representative box on the screen correctly identifies the parking space; if the space is large enough to park, the box will be green in color; if the box is incorrectly placed, or lined in red, using the arrow buttons moves the box until it turns green. Once the parking space is correctly identified, the driver presses OK and take his/her hands off the steering wheel, while keeping the foot on the brake pedal. When the driver slowly releases the brake, while keeping the foot on the brake pedal, the car will then begin to back up and steer itself into the parking space.
The reverse parking
procedure is virtually identical to the parallel parking procedure. The driver approaches the parking space, moving forward and turning, positioning the car in place for backing into the reverse parking spot. The vehicle rear has to be facing the reverse parking spot, allowing the backup camera to 'see' the parking area. Shifting to reverse automatically activates the backup camera system, and the driver selects the reverse park guidance button on the navigation/camera touchscreen (the grid appears with green or red lines, a flag symbol representing the corner of the parking spot, and adjustment arrows; reverse parking adds rotation
selection). After checking the parking space and engaging the reverse park procedure, the same exact parking process occurs as the car reverse parks into the spot.
The system is set up so that at any time the steering wheel is touched or the brake firmly pressed, the automatic parking will disengage. The vehicle also cannot exceed a set speed, or the system will deactivate. When the car's computer voice issues the statement "The guidance is finished", the system has finished parking the car. The driver can then shift to drive and make adjustments in the space if necessary.
The debut of the parking technology in the United States in 2006 received widespread media attention, with demonstrations performed on television shows ranging from cable news programming to The Oprah Winfrey Show
. In automotive publications, the feature garnered mixed reviews, with opinions on its utility varying from useful to impractical, depending on the parking situation and driver.
A video from CNBC showed the system working "quite effectively" with a first-time user and other reviewers found that the system worked smoothly. A video produced by Automobile Magazine
demonstrates how the system makes parking more difficult, due to some complexity to the touchscreen.
A demonstration by Winding Road magazine.
The system was also referenced by competitors Audi
and Hyundai
in their own advertisements. Audi marketed their 2007 A4
as "the luxury car for people who can park themselves," and showed a professional driver swing into a tight parallel parking space. Hyundai's advertisement for the 2007 Azera
listed a side-by-side feature comparison between the Azera and the LS460
, reaching a conclusion that although the Azera lacks automatic parking, the cost savings could easily go towards valet service.
Lexus
is the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corporation. First introduced in 1989 in the United States, Lexus is now sold globally and has become Japan's largest-selling make of premium cars. The Lexus marque is marketed in over 70 countries and territories worldwide, and has...
models in the United States, is the first production automatic parking
Automatic parking
Automatic parking is an autonomous car maneuvering from a traffic lane into a parking place to perform parallel parking, perpendicular or angle parking. The automatic parking aims to enhance the comfort and safety of driving in constrained environments where much attention and experience is...
system developed by Toyota Motor Corporation
Toyota Motor Corporation
, , , commonly known simply as Toyota and abbreviated as TMC, is a multinational automaker headquartered in Toyota, Aichi, Japan. In 2010, Toyota Motor Corporation employed 317,734 people worldwide, and was the world's largest automobile manufacturer by production.The company was founded by...
in 2004 initially for the Japanese market hybrid
Hybrid vehicle
A hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that uses two or more distinct power sources to move the vehicle. The term most commonly refers to hybrid electric vehicles , which combine an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors.-Power:...
Prius models and later Lexus models. The technology assists drivers in parking their vehicle
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
. On vehicles equipped with the IPAS, via an in-dash screen and button controls, the car can steer itself into a parking space with little input from the user. The first version of the system was deployed on the Prius Hybrid
Toyota Prius
The Toyota Prius is a full hybrid electric mid-size hatchback, formerly a compact sedan developed and manufactured by the Toyota Motor Corporation...
sold in Japan in 2003. In 2006, an upgraded version debuted for the first time outside Japan on the Lexus LS
Lexus LS
The Lexus LS is a full-size luxury sedan that serves as the flagship model of Lexus, the luxury division of Toyota. Four generations of the sedan have been produced, all equipped with V8 engines and rear-wheel drive, although since 2006 all-wheel drive, hybrid, and long-wheelbase variants have also...
luxury sedan, which featured the automatic parking technology among other brand new inventions from Toyota. In 2009, the system appeared on the third generation Prius sold in the U.S. In Asia and Europe, the parking technology is marketed as the Intelligent Park Assist System for both Lexus and Toyota models, while in the U.S. the Advanced Parking Guidance System name is only used for the Lexus system.
Development
The initial version of the Intelligent Parking Assist System, launched in 2003, was designed for reverse parallel parking. Driver intervention was not required, as the system estimated the size of the parking spaceParking space
A parking space is a location that is designated for parking, either paved or unpaved.Parking spaces can be in a parking garage, in a parking lot or on a city street. It is usually designated by a white-paint-on-tar rectangle indicated by three lines at the top, left and right of the designated area...
and maneuvered the vehicle appropriately. This was done by an onboard computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
which used a camera
Camera
A camera is a device that records and stores images. These images may be still photographs or moving images such as videos or movies. The term camera comes from the camera obscura , an early mechanism for projecting images...
built into the forward and rear of the car. Sensors located at similar locations detected the proximity of nearby vehicles. The dashboard
Dashboard
A dashboard is a control panel placed in front of the driver of an automobile, housing instrumentation and controls for operation of the vehicle....
displayed an image of the lot, and the driver would then have to determine the exact position that the vehicle in the lot via the arrows which appeared on the screen. Using the arrows, the user would set the location of the vehicle in the space. When satisfied, the user pressed the "Set" button, which then activated the IPAS. The system then took over steering control to maneuver the vehicle.
Early versions of this system had difficulty detecting objects, including cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
s, baby prams
Baby transport
Baby transport consists of devices for transporting and carrying infants. A "child carrier" or "baby carrier" is a device used to carry an infant or small child on the body of an adult...
and pedestrian
Pedestrian
A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In some communities, those traveling using roller skates or skateboards are also considered to be pedestrians. In modern times, the term mostly refers to someone walking on a road or footpath, but this was not the case...
s. Secondly when the driver activated the system in a too small a space, the system constantly flashed warning signals to inform the user of the danger of hitting the vehicle. User assistance is required in such situations. In 2005, an upgraded version added recognition capability for parking stripes. A later version of this parking technology, launched in 2006, added integration with parking sensors. This latest version could calculate the steering maneuvers needed for parallel
Parallel parking
thumb|250px|right|Parallel-parked cars in [[Washington, D.C.]]thumb|250px|right|A motorist gets assistance parallel-parkingParallel parking is a method of parking a vehicle in line with other parked cars. Cars parked in parallel are in one line, parallel to the curb, with the front bumper of each...
or reverse parking
Parking
Parking is the act of stopping a vehicle and leaving it unoccupied for more than a brief time. Parking on one or both sides of a road is commonly permitted, though often with restrictions...
, and help determine that the car has enough clearance for a particular space with colored screen displays which indicated adequate or inadequate space.
Technology
Sonar
Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels...
warning system) feature, backup camera
Backup camera
A backup camera is a special type of video camera that is produced specifically for the purpose of being attached to the rear of a vehicle to aid in backing up. Backup cameras are alternatively known as 'reversing cameras' or 'rear view cameras'....
, and two additional forward sensors on the front side fenders. The sonar park sensors, known as "Intuitive Parking Assist" or "Lexus Park Assist", includes multiple sensors on the forward and rear bumpers which detect obstacles, allowing the vehicle to sound warnings and calculate optimum steering angles during regular parking. These sensors plus the two additional parking sensors are tied to a central computer processor, which in turn is integrated with the backup camera system to provide the driver parking information.
When the sonar park sensors feature is used, the processor(s) calculate steering angle data which are displayed on the navigation/camera touchscreen along with obstacle information. The Intelligent Parking Assist System expands on this capability and is accessible when the vehicle is shifted to reverse (which automatically activates the backup camera). When in reverse, the backup camera screen features parking buttons which can be used to activate automated parking procedures. When the Intelligent Parking Assist System is activated, the central processor calculates the optimum parallel or reverse park steering angles and then interfaces with the Electric Power Steering systems of the vehicle to guide the car into the parking spot.
Functions
Newer versions of the system allow parallel or reverse parking. When parallel parkingParallel parking
thumb|250px|right|Parallel-parked cars in [[Washington, D.C.]]thumb|250px|right|A motorist gets assistance parallel-parkingParallel parking is a method of parking a vehicle in line with other parked cars. Cars parked in parallel are in one line, parallel to the curb, with the front bumper of each...
with the system, drivers first pull up alongside the parking space. They move forward until the vehicle's rear bumper passes the rear wheel of the car parked in front of the open space. Then, shifting to reverse automatically activates the backup camera
Backup camera
A backup camera is a special type of video camera that is produced specifically for the purpose of being attached to the rear of a vehicle to aid in backing up. Backup cameras are alternatively known as 'reversing cameras' or 'rear view cameras'....
system, and the car's rear view appears on dash navigation/camera display. The driver's selection of the parallel park guidance button on the navigation/camera touchscreen causes a grid to appear (with green or red lines, a flag symbol representing the corner of the parking spot, and adjustment arrows).
The reverse parking
Reversing (Vehicle maneuver)
Reversing is the process of driving a vehicle in the reverse direction in order to maneuver. Rear view mirrors are standard equipment for this endeavor. Extremely large or luxury vehicles may have in addition technical aids such as backup cameras...
procedure is virtually identical to the parallel parking procedure. The driver approaches the parking space, moving forward and turning, positioning the car in place for backing into the reverse parking spot. The vehicle rear has to be facing the reverse parking spot, allowing the backup camera to 'see' the parking area. Shifting to reverse automatically activates the backup camera system, and the driver selects the reverse park guidance button on the navigation/camera touchscreen (the grid appears with green or red lines, a flag symbol representing the corner of the parking spot, and adjustment arrows; reverse parking adds rotation
Rotation
A rotation is a circular movement of an object around a center of rotation. A three-dimensional object rotates always around an imaginary line called a rotation axis. If the axis is within the body, and passes through its center of mass the body is said to rotate upon itself, or spin. A rotation...
selection). After checking the parking space and engaging the reverse park procedure, the same exact parking process occurs as the car reverse parks into the spot.
The system is set up so that at any time the steering wheel is touched or the brake firmly pressed, the automatic parking will disengage. The vehicle also cannot exceed a set speed, or the system will deactivate. When the car's computer voice issues the statement "The guidance is finished", the system has finished parking the car. The driver can then shift to drive and make adjustments in the space if necessary.
Press reports
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
. In automotive publications, the feature garnered mixed reviews, with opinions on its utility varying from useful to impractical, depending on the parking situation and driver.
A video from CNBC showed the system working "quite effectively" with a first-time user and other reviewers found that the system worked smoothly. A video produced by Automobile Magazine
Automobile Magazine
Automobile magazine is an automobile magazine in the United States and is owned by Source Interlink. It was founded by a group of former employees of Car and Driver magazine, led by that publications’s former editor, David E. Davis, and originally published by News Corporation...
demonstrates how the system makes parking more difficult, due to some complexity to the touchscreen.
A demonstration by Winding Road magazine.
Advertising
Lexus capitalized on the debut of the parking system in the U.S. with its LS flagship with two ads. The first, "Pyramid," depicted a driver parking a car between two stacks of glasses using the system. A second ad showing a montage of different technologies, followed finally by a demonstration of the parallel park feature, and a man stating that he never thought this technology could possibly exist.The system was also referenced by competitors Audi
Audi
Audi AG is a German automobile manufacturer, from supermini to crossover SUVs in various body styles and price ranges that are marketed under the Audi brand , positioned as the premium brand within the Volkswagen Group....
and Hyundai
Hyundai Motor Company
Hyundai Motor Company is a Korean multinational automaker based in Seoul, South Korea which, along with Kia, comprises the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group, the world's fourth largest automaker as of 2009. As of 2011, it is the world's fastest growing automaker for two years running...
in their own advertisements. Audi marketed their 2007 A4
Audi A4
The first generation Audi A4 debuted in 1994, with production starting November 1994. It was built on the Volkswagen Group B5 platform, which it shared with the fourth generation Volkswagen Passat . It had a front-mounted longitudinal engine and front-wheel drive...
as "the luxury car for people who can park themselves," and showed a professional driver swing into a tight parallel parking space. Hyundai's advertisement for the 2007 Azera
Hyundai Grandeur
The New Grandeur and the third generation of the Mitsubishi Debonair were the products of a joint development between Hyundai and Mitsubishi Motors. Mitsubishi was responsible for the powertrain, and Hyundai was responsible for the body and trim design...
listed a side-by-side feature comparison between the Azera and the LS460
Lexus LS
The Lexus LS is a full-size luxury sedan that serves as the flagship model of Lexus, the luxury division of Toyota. Four generations of the sedan have been produced, all equipped with V8 engines and rear-wheel drive, although since 2006 all-wheel drive, hybrid, and long-wheelbase variants have also...
, reaching a conclusion that although the Azera lacks automatic parking, the cost savings could easily go towards valet service.
See also
- Automatic parkingAutomatic parkingAutomatic parking is an autonomous car maneuvering from a traffic lane into a parking place to perform parallel parking, perpendicular or angle parking. The automatic parking aims to enhance the comfort and safety of driving in constrained environments where much attention and experience is...
- LexusLexusis the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corporation. First introduced in 1989 in the United States, Lexus is now sold globally and has become Japan's largest-selling make of premium cars. The Lexus marque is marketed in over 70 countries and territories worldwide, and has...
- Toyota Motor CorporationToyota Motor Corporation, , , commonly known simply as Toyota and abbreviated as TMC, is a multinational automaker headquartered in Toyota, Aichi, Japan. In 2010, Toyota Motor Corporation employed 317,734 people worldwide, and was the world's largest automobile manufacturer by production.The company was founded by...
- Parallel parkingParallel parkingthumb|250px|right|Parallel-parked cars in [[Washington, D.C.]]thumb|250px|right|A motorist gets assistance parallel-parkingParallel parking is a method of parking a vehicle in line with other parked cars. Cars parked in parallel are in one line, parallel to the curb, with the front bumper of each...
- Parking sensorsParking sensorsParking sensors are proximity sensors for road vehicles which can alert the driver to unseen obstacles during parking manoeuvres.Parking sensors generally fall into two categories.1. Electromagnetic parking sensors...
- Backup cameraBackup cameraA backup camera is a special type of video camera that is produced specifically for the purpose of being attached to the rear of a vehicle to aid in backing up. Backup cameras are alternatively known as 'reversing cameras' or 'rear view cameras'....
External links
- Lexus.com Advanced Parking Guidance System description and video demo
- Toyota Prius - Intelligent Park Assist System description and demo
- Gizmodo.com Advanced Parking Guidance System technical review and non-affiliated video demo
- FQuick.com Advanced Parking Guidance System non-affiliated video demo