Patent ID: 8723689

Claim:
A method for detecting availability of an individual parking space in a parking facility having a plurality of parking spaces, comprising: providing a lighting system having at least one visible-light Light-Emitting-Diode (LED) source for at least partial illumination of at least two of said parking spaces in an illumination zone; providing an available space time-of-flight trace for each of said at least two parking spaces in said illumination zone, said available space time-of-flight trace being a trace, captured by a sensor of said visible-light source, of a reflection of an available space visible-light signal emitted from said visible-light source in said illumination zone, when a corresponding parking space is available; providing an availability threshold value, said availability threshold value being a difference value from said available space time-of-flight trace at which said corresponding parking space is determined to be available; at least partly illuminating said at least two of said parking spaces in said illumination zone using said at least one visible-light source, said at least two of said parking spaces including said individual parking space, said at least partly illuminating having a purpose of assisting human vision in said illumination zone; emitting a status visible-light signal from said visible-light source in said illumination zone while maintaining said at least partly illuminating said at least two parking spaces; capturing a status reflection trace at said visible-light source, said status reflection trace being a trace, captured by said sensor at said visible-light source, of a reflection of said status visible-light signal emitted from said visible-light source; determining a time-of-flight difference value by comparing said status reflection trace to said available space time-of-flight trace for said individual parking space; comparing said time-of-flight difference value with said availability threshold value and determining a status of said individual parking space to be one of available and not available.