Patent ID: 7874482

Claim:
A method of operating a pay parking system comprising a plurality of parking spaces, a plurality of parking meters, each parking meter comprising a credit card reader, a timer and a processor coupled to said credit card reader, said method comprising: a) commencing the timing of a parking payment period by said credit card reader reading a credit card; b) authorizing a fixed pre-payment amount to said credit card; c) timing the parking period; d) ceasing the timing of said parking period upon reading said credit card a second time; e) cancelling said fixed pre-payment amount charge; f) calculating the charge amount for the time elapsed between steps a) and d); g) charging said credit card the amount calculated in step f); wherein said pay parking system further comprises a plurality of vehicle sensors each associated with one of said parking spaces and adapted to wirelessly communicate with an associated parking meter, said method comprising the further steps of: h) upon one of said vehicle sensors sensing the presence of a vehicle in a parking space, starting a pre-payment grace period; i) if the pre-payment grace period expires while the vehicle is still in the parking space, indicating a violation; j) if a credit card is read in respect of the parking space during the pre-payment grace period, commencing the timing of the parking payment period; k) ceasing the timing of said parking period upon said vehicle sensor sensing that said vehicle has left the parking space; l) cancelling said fixed pre-payment amount charge; m) calculating the charge amount for the time elapsed between steps j) and k); n) charging said credit card the amount calculated in step m).