Patent Publication Number: US-2011068739-A1

Title: Parking management system

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     In many regions, parking spaces are at a premium, and this is especially true of parking spaces equipped with power supplies to recharge electric vehicles. For people who regularly drive to a location where parking is difficult to find, renting a parking space on a monthly or longer term may provide a viable solution. For those who only occasionally travel to a location where parking is hard to find, the ability to reserve a parking space in advance, especially a space where an electric vehicle can be recharged, would be advantageous. 
     SUMMARY OF DISCLOSURE 
     According to the disclosure a group of parking spaces is managed using a computer system. The computer system enables a user to request a parking space near a particular destination beginning at a particular time and lasting for a particular duration. For convenience, this requested place, start time and duration are termed the “requested slot”. If the requested slot is available, the computer system will request payment details such as a credit card number or confirm that the requester otherwise has credit with the parking system management. The computer system then issues an authorization code to the requester. At this point the requester has a parking reservation. When the requester arrives at the requested slot, he or she enters the authorization code, and the parking transaction is then complete. 
     The system includes a vehicle detection device which is associated with the parking space. When a vehicle enters the space during the reserved time, the vehicle detection device activates an alarm sequence. If the authorization code is not entered within a predetermined time limit, the alarm sequence will inform the parking lot management that an unauthorized vehicle is occupying the space. In addition, audible and visual alarms may be activated at the parking space to notify the vehicle operator that parking is unauthorized and that management may take remedial action such as towing or booting the vehicle. 
     The system may also include a power supply for recharging electric vehicles. The power supply is controlled by a switch which in turn is controlled by the computer system. When requesting a requested slot, the user may indicate that he or she would like also to purchase electricity during the parking interval. The charge for electricity may then be added to the cost of the requested slot. 
     The system may be applied to all the parking spaces in a particular parking garage or district, or it may be applied to only select spaces, such as, for example premium spaces and/or spaces equipped with power supplies to recharge electric vehicles, or so called “Handicapped Spaces”, that is, spaces currently reserved for handicapped individuals. (The system would not supplant the handicapped requirement, but supplement it.) 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic illustration of a parking system that follows the teaching of this disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic illustration of a parking space monitor that may be used in connection with the system of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DISCLOSURE 
       FIG. 1  shows six parking spaces  10 . The spaces  10  are representative, and the actual spaces used in the parking system do not need to be adjacent to each other. The parking spaces could, for example, be on different floors of a parking garage, or located Son different streets. A parking space monitor  12  is positioned adjacent each parking space. Because the six spaces in the example are adjacent each other and because each monitor  12  is capable of servicing two adjacent spaces, only three space monitors  12  are required in this example. If the spaces are not located in pairs, then additional parking space monitors would be required so that there is a parking space monitor adjacent each space. Alternatively, the parking space monitor can be designed to service only a single space immediately adjacent the parking space monitor, so that each parking space would have its own parking space monitor even if the spaces are located in pairs. 
     Each parking space monitor  12  includes a vehicle detector  14  ( FIG. 2 ) and an alarm system that may include an audible alarm tone generator  16  and a visible alarm  18 . As shown, the audible tone generator  16  is a loudspeaker, but other tone generators could be used. The audible tone generator  16  may be capable of reproducing the spoken word, or simply of making a loud noise. 
     The visible alarm  18  may be a light mounted on the top of the parking space monitor  12 . The light may be, for example a single color blinking light, or it could be capable of generating different colors such as amber and red. The visible alarm  18  may also include a computer controlled display which could, for example display the word “RESERVED”, or in a ticker tape progression state “RESERVED BEGINNING AT 2 PM TODAY”. The content of the display is controlled by the computer system  30 . The display can be made to identify the space as reserved beginning at some predetermined interval before the actual reservation begins to help assure that the space is vacant and available so that the reservation may be honored. 
     Each parking space monitor also includes an authorization code entry device which may include, for example, barcode scanner  20  and/or keypad  22 . Other code entry devices may include a microphone capable of receiving voiced communications, which, if coupled with appropriate speech recognition software, is capable of generating signals recognized by the computer system  30 . The code entry device  20 ,  22  enables a parker to enter the authorization code which in turn is communicated to the computer system. 
     The vehicle detector  14  which is associated with each parking space monitor  12  is arranged to detect the presence of a vehicle in an adjacent parking slot. One vehicle detector may be capable of detecting a vehicle in each of two or more adjacent parking spaces. One such vehicle detector is shown and described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/705,919, filed Feb. 15, 2010, which is incorporated herein by reference. The vehicle detectors  14  generate a distinct signal depending upon which of the adjacent spaces is occupied, and, when a vehicle is present, the signal is transmitted to the computer system  30 . Other vehicle detectors are possible. For example, inductance/capacitance sensors which utilize a wire located beneath a parking space are well known. Photoelectric proximity or reflects switches can be used. Sonar based systems are also well known, and camera based systems with human or software image interpretation can be used to determine whether a vehicle is in a particular space. 
     The parking space monitors  12  communicate with the computer system  30 . This communication may be hardwired, or it may be wholly or partially wireless. The communication may be through a network such as the internet, or through a dedicated network such as a local access network (LAN) or a combination. The communication is two-way so that the computer system can deliver instructions to the parking space monitors  12  and receive information from them. 
     To reserve a parking place, a user gains access to the computer system  30 . The access may be provided through an internet-based link  32 , through a telephone company link with a so-called smart phone such as a Blackberry or iPhone  34 , or through a telephone company link with a landline telephone  36 . In addition, other means of gaining access such as a dedicated terminal  40  are contemplated. An interface is provided to permit the user to access the various features of the system. The precise type of interface depends upon which of the various links to the computer system  30  the user is utilizing. For a PC, internet-based connection, a graphical user interface might be provided. The user interface allows the user to select a particular requested slot from among available slots. The user begins by identifying the time, duration, and general location of the space (s)he would like to reserve. The interface may then present her or him with one or more available spaces, and the user may then make his or her selection, identifying a particular slot or group of slots the user would prefer. The computer system  30  identifies the particular parking space that most closely matches the requested slot. The user accepts it, and makes the required payment. 
     Once a space has been selected, payment is arranged and confirmed. One way of accomplishing this is by using a secure link and arranging for a credit card payment. Other payment methods are possible. For example, a contractual arrangement could be made with the telephone company or other utility to have the parking charge added to a customer&#39;s bill. Likewise the parking facility owner may maintain private accounts for its regular customers. In any event, once the payment has been confirmed or arranged, the computer system  30  generates an authorization code which is then transmitted to the user. 
     The authorization code may be represented in one or more of several different manners. For example, the authorization code may be represented by a barcode or other machine readable code. The user may print such a code on paper or display it on a portable display such as a cell phone display. The authorization code may be a series of letters and numbers represented in a conventional fashion. The authorization code acts as the user&#39;s proof of purchase. The authorization code may be transmitted to the user as a text message, an oral message, or an image. The customer may print the image if it is a barcode or other graphic code, or may simply make a note of an alphanumeric authorization code. 
     When the user arrives at the reserved parking space at the selected time, he or she pulls into the space. Immediately the vehicle detector  14  senses the presence of the vehicle and sends a signal to the computer system  30 , which in turn begins an alarm sequence. The alarm sequence may, for example, cause the visible alarm  18  to blink amber, giving a visual indication that an authorization code must be entered within a short time period. At the same time the loudspeaker  16  may announce that the parker has arrived in a reserved parking space and has a fixed period of time within which to authenticate his presence by entry of his authorization code. The user of the space then approaches the parking space monitor  12  and enters his authentication number. This can be done either by keying the number into the keypad  22 , or by having the code scanned by barcode scanner  20 . The barcode scanner  20  may read barcodes printed on paper, or may read barcodes displayed on the screen of a smart phone or other portable device. The parking space monitor  12  may also be provided with a microphone, permitting the user simply to pronounce his or her authorization code. 
     Voice identification software could be used to compare the parker&#39;s voice to those in a database of previously recorded and properly identified voices, in which case an identification code would not be required. Other identification techniques could also be used such as thumbprints, iris scans, or any other method for identifying an individual. 
     If the authorization code is entered within the allotted time, the visible alarm  18  and any other alarm is turned off. On the other hand, if the authorization code is not entered in a timely fashion, then the alarm sequence notifies a parking attendant and may at the same time change the visible alarm from one which blinks amber to one which blinks red and may change the audible alarm from a gentle voice reminding one to enter his or her authorization code to a siren or other loud alarm. In addition, the parking space monitor  12  may include cameras (not shown) which, upon detecting an unauthorized parker, may take a series of pictures in an attempt to identify the offender and/or his vehicle. 
     The parking space monitors  12  may also include a power supply  42  for permitting a parker to recharge the batteries of an electric vehicle. If this power supply is provided, any electricity used may be charged to the customer&#39;s account at the time the reservation is made and/or paid for. The amount of the charge may depend upon the length of time for which the spaces reserved. Alternatively, the parker may be able to prepurchase a certain amount of electricity measured, for example in kilowatt hours or simply dollars, at the time of making the reservation. The power supply  42  can be energized and controlled by the computer system  30  so that no power is provided unless an acceptable authorization code has been entered. 
     Coupling a parking reservation system with a recharging capability may be a particularly attractive option in a population accustomed to vehicles that travel hundreds of miles on a single tank of fuel as a transition to electric vehicles with shorter ranges occurs. 
     The computer system  30  is essentially conventional. Many such systems comprising databases and processors are known. For example the systems described in Chatterjee et al., U.S. Pub. 2002/0068433; Sugar et al., U.S. Pub. 2002/0029164; or Slemmer et al, U.S. Pat. No. 7,783,530 may be readily adapted for use in carrying out the functions described above by a person of ordinary skill in the art, and the disclosures of these two publications and issued patent are incorporated by reference in their entireties. 
     Thus it is clear that this application has described a parking management system. The computer system  30  enables a user to request a parking space  10  near a particular destination beginning at a particular time and lasting for a particular duration. If the requested slot is available, the computer system  30  will request payment details such as a credit card number or confirm that the requester otherwise has credit with the parking system management. The computer system  30  then issues an authorization code to the requester. At this point the requester has a parking reservation. When the requester arrives at the requested slot, he or she enters the authorization code, and the parking transaction is then complete. 
     The system includes a vehicle detection device  14  which is associated with the parking space  10 . When a vehicle enters the space during the reserved time, the vehicle detection device  14  activates an alarm sequence. If the authorization code is not entered within a predetermined time limit, the alarm sequence will inform the parking lot management that an unauthorized vehicle is occupying the space. In addition, audible and visual alarms  16 ,  18  may be activated at the parking space to notify the vehicle operator that parking is unauthorized and that management may take remedial action such as towing or booting the vehicle. 
     The system may also include a power supply  42  for recharging electric vehicles. The power supply  42  is controlled by a switch which in turn is controlled by the computer system  30 . When requesting a requested slot, the user may indicate that he or she would like also to purchase electricity during the parking interval. The charge for electricity may then be added to the cost of the requested slot. 
     The system may be applied to all the parking spaces  10  in a particular parking garage or district, or it may be applied to only select spaces, such as, for example premium spaces and/or spaces equipped with power supplies to recharge electric vehicles, or so called “Handicapped Spaces”, that is, spaces currently reserved for handicapped individuals.