GM has filed a patent application for a vehicle accessibility parking system designed to make parking easier for individuals with different mobility needs. The application was assigned patent number US 2024/0400038 A1 with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and was published on December 5th, 2024. The GM patent filing was originally submitted on June 2nd, 2023, and lists several Michigan-based engineers as the inventors, including Matthew Neely, Matthew E. Gilbert-Eyres, Russell A. Patenaude, Eric T. Hosey, and Adam L. Wright.
The patent application describes a vehicle accessibility parking system designed to make parking easier and more efficient, particularly for vehicles with accessibility requirements, or those equipped with mobility assistance devices. The system creates a detailed accessibility profile for the vehicle in question and uses it to guide the car to the most suitable parking spaces.
The system starts by creating a profile for the vehicle, detailing its dimensions, type of accessibility equipment (like ramps or lifts), and any special parking requirements, such as extra clearance for opening doors. Then, based on the vehicle’s profile, the system identifies one or more parking spaces that meet the requirements. These parking spaces are ranked according to suitability, considering factors like proximity to destinations or ease of entry and exit.
Once the best parking space is determined, the vehicle is routed to it. Sensors in the vehicle, such as cameras, LIDAR, or GPS, may detect if adjustments are needed to center the car in the space, or if additional clearance is required. If an adjacent vehicle is blocking access, the system can generate a request to move the other vehicle or automatically reposition it.
For enhanced efficiency, the system may work autonomously, using advanced vehicle-to-vehicle communication or remote databases to find and adjust parking spaces in real time. Integrating advanced technologies like crowd-sourced parking data, autonomous vehicle controls, and real-time feedback could prove to be a major boost for those users that require additional mobility considerations.
Comments
That’s hilarious! Their “advanced parking assist” is such a piece of crap compared to ANY other vehicle I’ve driven with similar features (Toyota’s at half the price are light years ahead of GM). It has no clue where lines are and can’t even remotely park within lines and NEVER straight. Now they file a patent based on the car knowing where it is in a parking spot? The patent attorneys should tell them to prove their system works before even considering looking at the patent paperwork.
Hater going to Hate. Then drive a Toyota
OR, it’s a person that bought a feature that doesn’t work, like myself and practically everyone on the forums owned by this site. I personally don’t appreciate spending $80,000 on a Lyriq that is supposed to be able to guide itself into a parking spot only to try it a few times with laughable results. There are a few restricted visibility situations where it would be really handy, but I just turn on the cameras and line everything up without an issue (but that’s what the car is supposed to do). If GM is going to sell a feature, it ought to work.
I have a mobility disability and need to be able to open my door wide so I can get in and out. Too many times I’ve come out of a store to find someone parked door handle to door handle with me and I can’t get into my car.
Park in reverse. The other car will park forward, his driver door to your driver door, so has to leave space to open his door.
No matter where you park there seems to be some joker will park next to you and dent your car with his door.