Patent ID: 8816880

Claim:
A computer-implemented method, comprising: receiving, from a mobile communications device, a request for navigational assistance to a given location; identifying a parking facility at or near the given location, the parking facility comprising a plurality of sections accessible by a plurality of different entrances to the parking facility, and each of the sections comprising a corresponding set of parking spaces; identifying a first section of the parking facility associated with a level of parking availability that exceeds levels of parking availability of others of the plurality of sections of the parking facility; identifying a first entrance of the parking facility that corresponds to the first section of the parking facility; providing, to the mobile communications device for presentation to a user, navigational assistance to the first entrance of the parking facility; and prior to receiving an indication that a vehicle associated with the mobile communications device has arrived at the first entrance of the parking facility: monitoring, using a computer, current availability of parking in the plurality of sections of the parking facility to determine whether the first section continues to be associated with a level of parking availability that exceeds levels of parking availability associated with the others of the plurality of sections of the parking facility; determining that a second section of the parking facility is associated with a current level of parking availability that exceeds a current level of parking availability associated with the first section of the parking facility; and in response to determining that the second section of the parking facility is associated with a current level of parking availability that exceeds a current level of parking availability associated with the first section of the parking facility, providing, to the mobile communications device for presentation to the user, navigational assistance to a second entrance of the parking facility that corresponds to the second section of the parking facility.