Patent ID: 8487754

Claim:
A method of vehicle parking control and enforcement in respect of a plurality of unmetered parking spaces, said method comprising: a) providing a plurality of in-ground sensors in spaced in-ground locations in said unmetered parking spaces, each in-ground sensor associated with a related parking space and comprising a vehicle sensing element, a microprocessor, a clock and a timer coupled with and controlled by the microprocessor, a memory communicating with the microprocessor and containing parking information, including parking rules, respecting said related parking space, and wireless communication means coupled to the microprocessor; b) upon one of said in-ground sensors sensing the presence of a vehicle in a parking space, communicating the presence of the vehicle in said related parking space to said microprocessor; c) said microprocessor starting the timing of a parking period for said related parking space based on said parking rules; d) if said parking information provides that said related parking space is a no-parking space at the time said vehicle was sensed, wirelessly communicating a violation signal to a parking authority if said vehicle is still sensed in said related parking space after a pre-determined standby interval from when said vehicle was sensed; e) if said parking information provides that said related parking space is a time-limited parking space for a specified duration at the time said vehicle was sensed, continuing to time the elapsed parking time until said microprocessor receives a signal from said in-ground sensor that said vehicle has left said related parking space, or until said specified duration has expired; and f) if said vehicle is still in said related parking space after said specified duration has expired, wirelessly communicating a violation signal to a parking authority.