General Motors Wants to Turn Parking Into a Video Game

Cars that park automatically with zero driver intervention, reverse cameras, sensors, and an army of audio and visual indicators failed to make parking more convenient. However, General Motors believes it can do this with an invention called "parking assist in augmented reality head-up display system."

The patent application was filed on April 5, 2022, and received the go-ahead a few days ago. General Motors explains in the filing that the system comprises two essential parts, as anyone can figure out from its name.

On the one hand, it's the head-up display. General Motors says this technology "has become common in modern automobiles," as it doubles as a safety feature that lets the driver keep their eyes on the road all the time. HUDs project essential information directly on the windshield, such as the vehicle's speed and navigation guidance, so the driver doesn't have to look at the instrument cluster.

On the other hand, it's the augmented reality component. AR is a new type of technology that projects virtual elements on top of what you see in front of your eyes, eventually creating a customized view.

General Motors says that by combining the two, drivers could get a "greater sense of environmental awareness," as they can understand how nearby vehicles and obstacles can impact the car's position and path into a parking place.

The carmaker explains that its advanced system relies on the army of technologies in charge of collecting information about nearby obstacles. Assuming you are looking for a parking place and stop next to an empty slot, the system starts scanning the other vehicles, the trees, the buildings, and any other object that the driver must be aware of when trying to slide the vehicle into place.

All the information is captured and transmitted to a main processor whose role is to create digital footprints to generate parking instructions projected directly on the windshield. The information is updated in real-time, so the driver sees information as the vehicle enters the parking space.

The information is presented on the windshield in a very simple yet intuitive way, with arrows indicating how the driver must steer to get the vehicle into place.

The system determines location markers and guides the driver to move the vehicle in such a way that it ends up centered between the two markers. As the vehicle moves, the instructions are constantly updated relative to the surrounding objects and the steering maneuvers. The parking assist graphics include arrows whose colors or dimensions change as the vehicle moves closer to an object. Think of it as a visual sibling of the parking sensors. The closer you get to an object, the larger the arrows can get (or they can turn red to indicate that you're close to hitting the object).

General Motors says the system can be further enhanced with additional functionality. For example, the parking assist graphics can also be used when the vehicle exits the parking space, helping the driver make sure they do not hit the identified objects adjacent to the parking space.

Additionally, the system can also display additional graphics on the HUD, eventually creating a bird's eye view to help you park the car.

If you've played video games, you should find this experience familiar. All information is displayed on the windshield, with the AR system working with the HUD to make the system less intrusive.

GM says in the patent filing that the parking assistance graphics can be changed according to the carmaker's specifications. Instead of arrows, you can get an estimate of the distance to an object. More advanced systems could generate a digital version of the vehicle and the surrounding objects, eventually projecting the bird eye's view on the windshield to see the vehicle moving in real-time.

The carmaker's main purpose seems to show the driver how the vehicle's position changes relative to the nearby obstacles and according to the steering. This is also the most challenging part for a driver trying to get a car into a parking space without assistance. Drivers must anticipate the steering angle when going in reverse, estimate the vehicle's location, and make the proper maneuvers to avoid collisions.

GM's system should make parking more convenient, but investing in such technology makes no sense financially. The automotive industry has already reached the point where cars can park automatically without the driver's intervention, and given GM is also investing big in next-generation technology, involving the driver in the process doesn't make sense.

The technology is currently in the patent stage, and you'd better not hold your breath for a production version. Carmakers sometimes patent technology "just in case," and this idea will likely remain in the patent stage for eternity.