Patent ID: 6642855
Filing Date: 2003-11-04
Classification: B60Q,G08G

Abstract:
In combination with a parking garage with multiple parking spaces on multiple levels, the improvement of a parking assistance system, which comprises:a station associated with a plurality of parking spaces on multiple levels and including a light fixture, said light fixture being adapted to illuminate a portion of said parking garage and to receive data input and transfer data output; a vehicle detector associated with said light fixture and directed towards at least one parking space for determining the presence or absence of a vehicle therein; an input device connected to said vehicle detector and adapted for providing a signal to said light fixture, said signal identifying the occupied/unoccupied status of the parking space; a system processor connected to said light fixture and adapted to receive data input signals therefrom, said system processor storing three-dimensional GPS coordinates associated with said parking spaces and storing the occupied/unoccupied status of same; an external communications transmitter associated with said system processor and adapted for transmitting parking space status signals including GPS coordinates associated therewith; a vehicle-mounted GPS navigation system; a vehicle-mounted receiver adapted to receive signals corresponding to the vehicle position with respect to unoccupied parking spaces within the parking garage; a display mounted in the dash of said vehicle for graphically displaying the vehicle position with respect to said unoccupied parking spaces; and said system being adapted to display the location of available parking spaces with respect to said vehicle utilizing their respective GPS coordinates.