Auto parts

Advanced Parking Guidance System (APGS) is an automatic parking system first developed by Toyota Motor Corporation in 2004 for its latest Lexus models and also the Japanese market hybrid Prius models. In Europe, the APGS is marketed as the Intelligent Park Assist system. On vehicles equipped with the APGS, via an in-dash screen and button controls, the car can steer itself into a parking space with little input from the user. The latest version of APGS helps determine that the car has enough clearance for a particular space, and calculates the steering manueuvers needed for parallel or reverse parking. In 2006, the APGS debuted for the first time on a luxury vehicle with the new Lexus LS, which featured the automatic parking technology among other brand new inventions from Toyota. This was the first appearance of the APGS in the United States and other countries.
On the Lexus LS, the Advanced Parking Guidance System uses computer processors which are tied to the Lexus Intuitive Park Assist (sonar warning system) feature, backup camera, and two additional forward sensors on the front side fenders. The Intuitive Park Assist feature includes multiple sensors on the forward and rear bumpers which detect obstacles, allowing the system to sound warnings and calculate optimum steering angles during regular parking. These sensors plus the two additional APGS 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 Intuitive Park Assist feature is used, the processor(s) calculate steering angle data which are displayed on the navigation/camera touchscreen along with obstacle information. The Advanced Parking Guidance 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 APGS buttons which can be used to activate automated parking procedures. When the Advanced Parking Guidance 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.