Patent ID: 6577248
Filing Date: 2003-06-10
Classification: G07B

Abstract:
A parking control system in which a mobile telephone can be used to commence and terminate a parking period for a vehicle, wherein a user sends at least one user-specific code to a parking system computer belonging to said parking system at the commencement and termination of a parking period through the medium of a telephone system, wherein the parking system is informed of the parking zone concerned at the commencement of a parking period, wherein a machine-readable vehicle-specific code is stored in said computer and tied to the user-specific code, the parking control system comprising: a portable control unit including a reader to read a vehicle-specific code carried by the vehicle and to establish wireless communication with the parking system computer and retrieve information from the parking system computer concerning vehicle identification for vehicles that have commenced but not terminated parking within the parking zone concerned, wherein the parking system computer transmits to the control unit corresponding parked vehicle identification information relating to vehicles parked in at least one additional parking zone that is geographically close to the parking zone concerned at the same time as it sends the requested information to said control unit for the parking zone concerned.