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 1999 initially for the Japanese market hybrid Prius models and 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.
Self-parking cars are not completely autonomous, but they do make parallel parking much easier. The driver is required to regulate the vehicle’s speed through the brake pedal while the on-board computer system takes control of the steering wheel. Currently, there are essentially two different systems used for parking assistance – one developed by Toyota and the other developed by Ford. Some would argue that the Toyota system is more complicated due to the driver being required to complete more actions. For instance, the driver must target a parking spot via the back-up camera and touchscreen prior to the system taking control
Components
The different available systems have unique ways of sensing the objects around the car. The most common options are sensors or cameras. Sensors distributed around the bumpers act as both transmitters and receivers. They transmit signals, which bounce off objects and reflect back. The on-board computer uses the time delay to calculate the location and distance of these objects. Others use cameras mounted onto the bumpers to detect objects. Regardless of the sensing hardware, the car is able to detect other objects and distances, and then steer into the space. [
Process
The car moves forward into position beside the front car, and a signal lets the driver know when to stop. The driver then shifts into reverse and lets the computer take over the steering wheel. The driver manages the vehicle’s speed through the use of the brake pedal until another signal lets the driver know when to stop the car and shift into drive. Again, the driver uses the brake pedal to pull the car forward as the computer maneuvers the vehicle into the space. A final signal tells the driver when parking is complete