Patent ID: 6650250
Filing Date: 2003-11-18
Classification: G08G

Abstract:
A parking lot guidance system for guiding a vehicle to an empty parking space in a parking lot divided into at least one parking block having multiple parking spaces, said parking lot comprising:vehicle detector for detecting parked vehicles in said parking spaces; a first parking space data generator for generating first parking data including at least a pictorial representation of parking availability data for said parking block based on detection results from said vehicle detector, wherein said parking availability data indicates at least whether any parking spaces are available within said parking block; a second parking space data generator for generating second parking data including at least a pictorial representation of parking space location data for said parking block based on detection results from said vehicle detector, wherein said parking space location data indicates which of said multiple parking spaces are available and their relative location within said parking block; and a transmitter for sending said first parking data to said vehicle at the entrance to said parking lot, and for sending said second parking data to said vehicle at the entrance to said parking block; wherein said vehicle has a display device for displaying said first and second parking data, whereby said vehicle is guided to an empty one of said multiple parking spaces.