Abstract:
A parking enforcement system and method. The system and method may employ mobile technology and, in particular, a mobile device. From the perspective of the mobile device, a parking identifier is received, wherein the parking identifier corresponds with a parking space or corresponds with parking spaces. The mobile device then receives parking session information relating to the parking space or spaces corresponding with the parking identifier. The mobile device is capable of outputting this information in various forms to assist with parking enforcement. The parking session information may be transmitted to the mobile device from a network server in communication with the mobile device over the network.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    This invention relates generally to the digital parking field, and more specifically to a new and useful method of enforcing parking in the digital parking field. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    With the gradual adoption of digitized parking platforms, parking vendors require a method of determining which parked vehicles have digitally paid for a parking right. Additionally, because these systems are being slowly phased in, they oftentimes coexist with preexisting analog systems, many of which cannot digitally track legally occupied parking spaces (e.g., parking meters). Thus, there is a need in the parking enforcement field to create a new and useful method of determining which vehicles are legally parked. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The present invention involves a parking enforcement system and method. The system generally involves a mobile device that receives parking identifier information and, based on the parking identifier information, it also receives parking session information. The parking session information may be stored in memory in or associated with a server that is directly or indirectly in communication with the mobile device over a network, e.g., a wireless network. The parking session information can then be used by a parking officer or attendant present at the parking location to enforce the parking rules. 
         [0004]    In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the objectives are achieved by a parking enforcement method for use with a mobile device. The method involves receiving, in the mobile device, a parking identifier. Subsequently, parking session information corresponding to the parking identifier is received by the mobile device. Then, based on the received parking session information, the mobile device outputs information indicating whether there is an active parking session associated with a parking location corresponding to the parking identifier. 
         [0005]    In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the objects are achieved by a parking enforcement method involving a server in communication with a mobile device over a network connection. The method, in turn, involves receiving a parking identifier from the mobile device. A memory is then searched for data associated with the parking identifier. Parking session information is then transmitted to the mobile device, where the parking session information is based on the data corresponding to the parking identifier stored in memory. Further, the parking session information indicates whether there is an active parking session associated with a parking location corresponding to the parking identifier. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a schematic representation of the parking enforcement method. 
           [0007]      FIGS. 2A and 2B  are schematic representations of a first and second embodiment of the step of receiving a parking identifier. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a schematic representation of the step of retrieving information from a server. 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a schematic representation of an embodiment of the information received and stored by the server. 
           [0010]      FIGS. 5A and 5B  are schematic representations of a first and second embodiment of the step of displaying retrieved information. 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is a schematic representation of a second embodiment of the parking enforcement method. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0012]    The following description of the preferred embodiments of the invention is not intended to limit the invention to these preferred embodiments, but rather to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use this invention. As a person skilled in the art will recognize from the previous detailed description and from the figures and claims, modifications and changes can be made to the preferred embodiments of the invention without departing from the scope of this invention defined in the following claims. 
         [0013]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , the parking enforcement method comprises the steps of receiving a parking space identifier S 100 , retrieving information from a server S 200 , and displaying retrieved information S 300 . The parking enforcement method is preferably performed by a mobile computing device  100  such as a mobile phone, a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop, or any other computing device capable of wireless communication with a server  400  and saving data. The method is preferably utilized in conjunction with at least one digital parking system (DPS)  220  that allows the owner or user of a vehicle  500  to digitally pay for a parking right (i.e. ability to park a vehicle  500  in the parking space  300  without adverse consequences, such as ticketing or towing), wherein the conferment of the parking right is stored on the server  400 . Examples of such systems include pay-by-phone systems such as the Parkmobile system, mobile computing payment systems (e.g. the system described in U.S. application Ser. No. 12/949,647, incorporated in its entirety by this reference), or any other parking payment system that enables digital payment of a parking fee, wherein the digital payment is recorded in a remote server  400 . The method is preferably used by a parking enforcement officer  200  (“officer”) affiliated with a parking vendor  240  (i.e., an entity that provides parking rights to the parking spaces  300 ) to determine which parked vehicles  500  have purchased parking rights, but may alternately be used directly by the parking vendor  240  to determine which vehicles  500  have purchased parking rights. The method may additionally be used by the parking vendor  240  to determine other parking-related information, such as the number of individual parking spaces  300  currently available or peak demand times. Parking vendors  240  that utilize this method preferably include parking lot operators, parking zone (e.g., residential street parking) operators, and metered parking operators, but may additionally include any other parking vendor  240  that provides a payment-for-parking service. In the context of this application, the parking space  300  provided by the parking vendor  240  is preferably a parking area that accommodates one vehicle  500 , but may alternately be an area that accommodates multiple vehicles  500  (e.g., a parking lot or zone). 
         [0014]    As shown in  FIGS. 2A and 2B , the step of receiving a parking space identifier S 100  functions to identify the parking space  300  in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the parking enforcement method of the present invention. Preferably, this step is performed by the mobile computing device  100  and preferably accomplished by receiving a parking space identifier  320  input from the parking officer  200 , but may alternately be automatically obtained. While one parking space identifier  320  is preferably received, multiple parking space identifiers  320  or a range of parking space identifiers  320  may alternately be received. As shown in  FIG. 2A , the officer  200  may input the identifier by typing in the identifier (e.g. an alphanumeric code), but may alternately input the parking space identifier  320  by recording an image, recording an audio clip (e.g. reading out the parking space identifier  320 ), or selecting a pre-stored identifier on the mobile computing device  100 . However, as shown in  FIG. 2B , the parking space identifier  320  may alternately be received automatically, such as through an RF signal spatially coupled to the parking space  300 , a GPS  120  reading, or a WiFi position. The parking space identifier  320  is preferably an alphanumeric code, but may alternately be a QR code, a barcode, an RF tag, or the parking space&#39;s  300  geographical location. This step is preferably performed each time the officer  200  attempts to verify whether a vehicle  500  is associated with an active parking session, but may alternately be performed before the officer  200  begins any enforcement activities (e.g. before the officer  200  enters the parking lot or checks any vehicles  500 ) or during active enforcement. 
         [0015]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , the step of retrieving information from a server S 200  functions to provide the active parking sessions associated with the parking space  300  to the mobile computing device  100 . This step preferably comprises the substeps of the mobile computing device sending the received identifier to the server S 220 , the server searching a list for the identifier and sending the active parking session information to the mobile computing device S 240 , and the mobile computing device receiving the information S 260 . The sending and receiving steps are preferably performed wirelessly, such as through a local area network, a WiFi connection or a mobile wireless communication service (e.g. CDMA or GSM), but may alternately be performed through a wired connection, wherein this step is performed before the officer  200  performs any parking enforcement actions (e.g. checking the parking space  300  for illegally parked cars). 
         [0016]    As shown in  FIG. 4 , the server  400  is preferably a server  400  associated with the DPS  220 , wherein the parking session information  340  is received by the server  400  from both the DPS  220  and the parking vendor  240  (e.g. the parking vendor  240  sends the DPS  220  active parking session information  340  or the parking meter  242 /kiosk  244  sends parking session information  340  to the DPS  220 ). Alternately, the server  400  may contain only one DPS&#39;s  220  parking session information  340 , or may contain multiple DPSs&#39;  220  parking session information  340 . The server  400  may alternately be associated with the vendor, wherein the DPS  220  sends parking session information  340  to the vendor&#39;s server  400 . The parking session information  340  is preferably sent to the server  400  at a set frequency, but may alternately be sent every time a new parking session is initiated. This step is preferably performed by the mobile computing device  100  for a single server  400 , but may alternately be performed by the mobile computing device  100  for multiple servers  400 , wherein the servers  400  of multiple parking services are accessed and data retrieved. The information retrieved by the mobile device preferably comprises of a vehicle identifier  520  and a start time for the parking session. However, the information may additionally include a parking space identifier  320 , an end time for the parking session, the vehicle  500  registration information, the timezone, a description of the parking session, or any other information pertinent to parking enforcement. The retrieved information is preferably on a per-vehicle  500  basis (e.g. only one vehicle&#39;s  500  parking session information  340  is retrieved per query), but may alternately be on a parking space  300  basis (e.g. all the active parking sessions associated with either the parking space  300 , or range of parking spaces  300  are retrieved) or on a vendor basis (e.g. all the active parking sessions associated with all the parking vendor  240 &#39;s parking spaces  300  are retrieved). In the latter two cases, the information is preferably retrieved as a searchable list. 
         [0017]    As shown in  FIGS. 5A and 5B , the step of displaying retrieved information S 300  functions to allow the officer  200  to determine whether the vehicle  500  has paid for a parking right. The displayed information preferably includes a vehicle identifier  520  and the remaining time duration for the parking session, but may additionally include the parking space identifier  320 , the start time, the end time, the time zone, the vehicle  500  registration information, or any other information pertinent to parking enforcement. However, the displayed information may alternately be a list of the occupied parking spaces  300 , a list of the available parking spaces  300 , a list of the vehicles  500  with parking rights to the parking space  300 , or any other synthesis of the retrieved information suitable for aiding parking enforcement. The information is preferably displayed by the mobile computing device  100  as a list of information for a single parking session (shown in  FIG. 5A ), but may alternately be displayed as a graphical image (e.g. a map indicating which parking spaces  300  are taken, shown in  FIG. 5B ), or as a list of information for multiple sessions, zones, or vehicles. 
         [0018]    The parking enforcement method may additionally include the step of receiving a vehicle identifier S 400 , as shown in  FIG. 6 . The vehicle identifier  520  is preferably received substantially immediately after a vehicle identifier  520  entered by the officer  200  into the mobile computing device  100  by typing in a license plate number (LPN), but may alternately be received by the officer  200  typing in the vehicle  500  identification number (VIN), by the officer  200  taking a picture of the license plate, by the officer  200  taking a picture of the vehicle  500 , by receiving a RF signal associated with the vehicle  500 , or receiving any other form of vehicle  500  identification. This step is preferably performed after the step of retrieving information from a server S 200 , wherein the method includes the additional steps of: searching through the retrieved information for the vehicle identifier  520 ; and either returning the associated information if the vehicle  500  is found or communicating (e.g. displaying a message or color, vibrating, playing an audio clip, etc.) that the vehicle  500  is not found in the retrieved information. The method may further include the steps of accessing vehicle registration information based on the vehicle identifier  520  and printing out a parking ticket. However, this step may be performed concurrently with or after the step of receiving a parking space identifier S 100 , or after the step of displaying the retrieved information S 300 . 
         [0019]    As a person skilled in the art will recognize from the previous detailed description and from the figures and claims, modifications and changes can be made to the preferred embodiments of the invention without departing from the scope of this invention defined in the following claims.