Abstract:
A parking meter device that is devoted to a separate person or vehicle comprises a housing unit  10  that has an LED  11  that in use is clearly visible from outside the vehicle. The device includes a two-way radio circuit  12,  a display  14  and a keyboard  15.  The unit also includes a computer  19.  In use, the user communicates, using the keyboard  15,  with a remote central parking service provide via radio data network channels to demand a parking period. The parking service provider checks the authenticity of the demand and approves the parking request. During lawful, paid for, parking the LED  11  remains ON so that a patrolling parking attendant can easily monitor that parking approval has been given. The parking meter device is in effect a personal device and overcomes disadvantages and limitations inherent for usual side-of-the-road parking meter devices that are devoted to parking bays or zones rather than individuals.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/377,500, filed Aug. 20, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,188,328, issued Feb. 13, 2001. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to vehicle parking arrangements. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     At present for vehicle parking arrangements a stationary parking meter is provided for each parking bay, or zone, that must be charged with cash either before parking or at the end of a period of parking. The parking meters may in some instances be operated using a credit card or devoted pre-paid card. In all cases, each meter is committed to its own parking bay or zone, and being generally accessible, remains vulnerable to vandalism and robbery. Further inherent problems arise in adjusting or varying the parking tariff at each meter from time to time, as each meter must then be visited and adjusted. Maintenance crews and breakdown crews are also required to service and repair the parking meters as an on-going expense. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the invention to overcome or at least reduce these problems. 
     According to the invention there is provided a vehicle parking meter arrangement having a device for separate devoted use by a vehicle user arranged to be located in the vehicle during use and visible from outside the vehicle, the device comprising a portable housing unit arranged to be supported inside the vehicle and including a visual indicator for portraying a positive condition of the device during use, a two-way radio circuit for a user for communicating with a parking service provider to alert the service provider of his desire to park in a parking bay and for the service provider to check payment arrangements of the user and approve vehicle parking for a time period, in which the approval is confirmed via the two-way radio circuit and the device initiated for that time period by signals generated by the two-way radio circuit to adopt the positive condition. 
     The two-way radio circuit may be incorporated in the device and include a manually responsive switch for use in alerting the service provider of the desire to park in the parking bay. The manually responsive switch means may be a keypad. 
     The device is preferably releasably attachable in the vehicle. 
     The unit may include a timer arranged to change the device from the positive condition after a predetermined time interval. The visual indicator may be arranged to portray another condition of the device after the termination of the predetermined time interval. 
     The device may be arranged to incorporate a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM card). 
     The device may have a port arranged to receive and hold a pre-paid tariff parking card. 
     The device may be arranged to respond to signals from a vehicle security alarm system and to transmit a warning signal when initiated by the vehicle security alarm system. The warning signal may be a radio signal. 
     The radio signal is transmitted to a telephone network. The device may be arranged to communicate with a Global Positioning System (GPS). 
     The device may be arranged to receive information from the parking service provider identifying on a screen any unoccupied parking bays in locations adjacent to the vehicle. 
     The vehicle parking meter arrangement may include a voice actuated switch for alerting the service provider of the desire to park. 
     The two-way radio circuit may comprises a mobile telephone. 
     The two-way radio circuit may comprise a telephone hand set installed in the vehicle. 
     The two-way radio circuit may comprise a Global Navigation System installed in the vehicle. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Vehicle parking arrangements according to the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: 
     FIG. 1 shows a partly cut-away isometric view of a housing unit of the device of a first arrangement; and 
     FIGS. 2A and 2B (hereinafter collectively referred to as “FIG.  2 ”) show schematic diagrams of alternative arrangements. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to the drawings, in FIG. 1 a device comprises a housing unit  10  that is releasably attachable adjacent a windscreen of a vehicle. An LED  11  is mounted in a top of the unit  10  for visually indicating the condition of the device in a manner that is clearly visible from outside the vehicle. A two-way radio circuit  12  is incorporated inside the unit  10  and an aerial  13  mounted on top of the device. 
     A liquid crystal display  14  and a keyboard  15  are mounted at the front of the device  10 , and a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM card)  16  releasably mounted inside the device  10 . A port  17  in a base of the device is provided to slidably receive and hold a pre-paid tariff parking card  18 . The unit  10  also houses a computer  19  that is programmed to carry out various functions as discussed below. A spring clip  20  mounted to a back of the device  10  is used to hold the device against a vehicle dashboard. 
     Generally stated, the described parking meter device departs in principle from the prior art by being related and separately devoted to a vehicle user (or vehicle); at present parking meters are devoted to parking bays or zones. The described meter device is used in practice in conjunction with a remote parking service provider who monitors, controls, calculates and collects payment centrally, using radio communications. The radio communications pass between a central parking service provider and any number of parking meter devices owned by or in the possession of various vehicle users. It will therefore be appreciated, as a direct consequence, that it is relatively easy to centrally adjust, according to time-of-day, changes in tariffs according to type of user or overall, the payments required and determine lawfully allowed time periods. The technology to be used and the computer programming required is well-practised already for such adjustments and also available for use more generally in other applications. The technology and computer programming are especially well-known in mobile telephone applications, for example. Thus, the unit  10  may take the form of a suitably modified mobile telephone module that, in this case, is arranged to use communications with the parking service provider in a manner that in itself is well-understood by those skilled in the art. Various optional or additional features mentioned below are also within the normal technical capability of such forms of communications. Normal, or so-called “normal”, arrangements of the use of SIM cards, insertable pre-paid tariff cards (that may be re-charged when required with further credit, using the communications), security checking and so forth are all well-understood in such other applications already. It is also known to apply Global Positioning System (GPS) information to vehicle mounted devices that operate as navigational aids or vehicle locating (or monitoring) devices in the event that the vehicle is driven away without proper authority for example. In short, the specifically described device in its simplest form uses well-known technology and enables vehicle parking to be carried out, supervised and paid for, in a much improved fashion as compared to present practice. In more sophisticated embodiments of the invention, the device can be significantly enhanced, when desired, by one or more of numerous additional features that each never-the-less rely on the proven and available technology without altering to any great extent the usefulness and general portability of the device in its primary role use for vehicle parking. 
     Returning to FIG. 1, the device is used when parking a vehicle by the user selecting a suitable parking bay and using the keyboard  15  to communicate with the parking service provider. Normally, the user identifies himself (or is identified by the signals that his device transmits) and the parking bay or zone, and requests a parking period required. The communications between the user&#39;s device and the parking service provider will normally make use of local radio network data channels. The parking service provider checks the identity and payment arrangements (the user may have a pre-paid card  18  or have a current credit and billing arrangement) and whether the parking period is available and/or allowed. (In public parking places, the parking may be restricted according to time of day and a maximum parking period may be determined by local bye-laws, for example) A parking approval is communicated to the user&#39;s device and is displayed on the screen  14 , and the LED  11  is turned ON. This has been referred to elsewhere as portraying a “positive condition of the device”. 
     It will be appreciates that ‘turned ON’ could include providing an intermittent lighting up of the LED  11 , that to say a flashing light during the positive condition of the device. This is preferable, especially in the presence of bright sunlight, otherwise the LED  22  may appear to be turned ON even when it is not. In any event a flashing light is generally easier to check than a continuously illuminated light. 
     The keypad  15  may be simplified and comprise a single manually operable button or may be replaced by a simple touch pad. In such an arrangement, the button or pad is used when required to turn ON the device. In other words, it is necessary only to turn ON the device on arrival at a parking bay and the request and appropriate approval can then be communicated to and from the parking service provider. The single button or the pad thus provides the “manually responsive switch means”. Such manually responsive switching means could also comprise, in effect, the plugging in of the device to a power supply socket, such as a cigarette lighter socket in the vehicle for example. 
     When the device is in use and mounted in the vehicle, the LED  11  is positioned so as to be clearly visible from outside the vehicle to enable a patrolling parking attendant to check the condition of the device from time to time to ensure that the vehicle is legitimately parked and that the relevant parking tariff has been paid. At the end of the approved parking period the LED  11  is turned OFF. Normally this is controlled by a timer circuit in the computer  19 , but the LED  11  may be turned OFF (or switched to a different colour) by appropriate signals transmitted from the parking service provider at the termination of the approved parking period. The turning OFF of the LED  11  (or change in colour) conveniently indicates that the device is no longer in a “positive condition”. 
     In some situations it may be necessary to visibly indicate that the device is being used in the actual parking bay or zone for which the approval has been obtained from the parking service provider. In that case, the screen  14  may be controlled to display a specific bay or zone (e.g. SF A 47). This is to indicate to the patrolling parking attendant in this case that the parking approval has been given for “San Francisco”—“Zone A”—and that “47” minutes remain of the parking period approved. The minutes can be counted down, as time passes, and the LED  11  will remain ON for the remaining period. (Of course, the LED  11  may be omitted in this case and the minute numeral in effect used to indicate the so-called “positive condition” instead of using the LED or similar if preferred.) 
     The device may also be programmed to send a signal to the user via the radio network channels to his mobile or land telephone to alert the user that the approved parking period is drawing to a close. This enables the user to return to the vehicle or, in some cases, to apply for an extension of the approved parking time. 
     As foreshadowed above, the described device can be programmed to respond to a vehicle security alarm system and arranged to provide audible or visible alarms if a vehicle door is opened or the vehicle tampered with in such a manner that the vehicle alarm system is triggered. More helpfully, the device can be programmed to generate signals that are transmitted to the parking service provider, or to the user via a connection to his normal telephone, via the radio network channel, to indicate that an unauthorised entry has been made. The described device may also be equipped and coupled to communicate to a GPS facility so that navigation aid maps can be displayed on the screen  14 . The maps can also be updated by the parking service provider to display nearby vacant parking bays to assist the vehicle user to more quickly find such bays and so reduce unnecessary travelling delays and general traffic congestion. The GPS facility can also be used to track a vehicle that has been lost or stolen based on signals transmitted from the described parking meter device in such circumstances. 
     In FIG. 2, the generalised schematic circuit illustrates various alternative arrangements of the parking meter arrangement. The arrangements are operative according to the same principle as described above, namely that the user alerts the parking service of his desire to park, the service provider checks the payment arrangements and approves parking as appropriate, and a device is initiated to visually indicate that parking has been approved. 
     In the alternative arrangements, the two-way radio circuits are however provided in physically separate devices from the visual indicator device. This has two immediate principle advantages. Firstly, the visually indicator device can be quite a simple (cheap) device. Secondly, the visual indicator device can be ‘robust’, that is easily made less prone to damage from direct sunlight to which it is inherently exposed during normal use. Also, as the user may have available in the vehicle a separate suitable two-way communicating circuit such as a mobile telephone, a vehicle installed telephone hand-set, a vehicle navigation system and the like, the parking arrangements can be supplied at substantially less cost. Thus in the alternative arrangements, the two-way radio circuit may not necessarily be part of a vehicle “devoted” parking device. Additionally, when the radio circuits part of a normal a mobile telephone, the user may communicate with the service provider in a normal conversational manner. 
     In any event, the two-way radio circuits are arranged, when parking approval is given, to initiate a visual indicator device to adopt its positive condition as required. This initiation is preferably carried out by remote signalling using radio signals, infrared, ultrasonic and so forth, including Bluetooth capability if preferred. 
     It may be desirable in most cases to introduce various, otherwise known, security procedures to ensure that the communications between the two-way radio circuits and the visual indicator device cannot be carried out without the authorised approval of the service provider or by an unauthorised user. For example, a security code may be introduced and transferred to the visual indicator each time a parking period is approved. Such security code may form part of the display on the visual indicator device that can be observable from outside the vehicle and checked by a patrolling parking warden from time to time. 
     In FIG. 2, a visual indicator device  21  has an LED  22  for indicating a positive condition of the device. The device is attachable to an inside of the vehicle such that the light  22  is visible from outside the vehicle. A screen  23 , when present, is also visible for outside the car to display any desired data. Such data may include the vehicle license number, time, date and remaining period of parking for example, as well as a variable security number when required. Associated with the device is a two-way radio circuit  24  that may be incorporated in a mobile telephone, a vehicle installed handset, a vehicle navigational system. The radio circuit may be a vehicle ‘devoted’ radio circuit especially provided for the parking arrangement, in the same manner as possible in FIG. 1 say, which in this case has a having manually operable keypad, or a voice responsive switch. The radio circuit is arranged to initiate the device  21 , by generating a signal, to adopt the position condition and turn ON the light  22  as required. The initiating signal will normally provide data for display on the screen  23 , as explained above. The two-way radio circuit  24  could be hard-wired to the device  21  but, more conveniently and more usually, the circuit  24  is arranged to provide radio, infra-red, or ultra-sonic signals for initiating the device  21 .