Parking payment detection
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- receiving sensor data for a mobile device, wherein the sensor data describes an action of an automobile or actions of a person associated with the automobile;
performing a first analysis of a first portion of the sensor data to determine that the automobile has stopped at a parking spot associated with a payment console;
performing a second analysis of a second portion of the sensor data to determine data of relative movement between the mobile device and the payment console, the data of relative movement indicative of a pay status for the payment console and the automobile in the parking spot, wherein the pay status is indicative of whether a payment has been paid for the parking spot, wherein relative movement of the mobile device to within a predefined distance of the payment console and acceleration data from an accelerometer sensor of the mobile device below a threshold value indicate that a payment has been paid for parking, and wherein relative movement of the mobile device that does not come within the predefined distance of the payment console or acceleration data from the accelerometer above a threshold value indicates that a payment has not been paid for parking; and
generating a message based on the data indicative of the pay status of the parking spot, when the pay status indicates that payment has not been made for the parking spot.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In one embodiment, a mobile device (e.g., a smartphone) is utilized to determine whether a user has paid for parking. The mobile device collects sensor data that describes actions of a mobile device or actions of an automobile or of a driver of the automobile. The sensor data includes one or more of location data, acceleration data, rotational data, or audio data. Either the mobile device or a centralized server performs an analysis of the sensor data to determine data indicative of a pay status of the parking spot. The pay status indicates whether the user has likely paid for parking. The mobile device or the centralized server is configured to generate a message based on the data indicative of the pay status of the parking spot.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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receiving sensor data for a mobile device, wherein the sensor data describes an action of an automobile or actions of a person associated with the automobile; performing a first analysis of a first portion of the sensor data to determine that the automobile has stopped at a parking spot associated with a payment console; performing a second analysis of a second portion of the sensor data to determine data of relative movement between the mobile device and the payment console, the data of relative movement indicative of a pay status for the payment console and the automobile in the parking spot, wherein the pay status is indicative of whether a payment has been paid for the parking spot, wherein relative movement of the mobile device to within a predefined distance of the payment console and acceleration data from an accelerometer sensor of the mobile device below a threshold value indicate that a payment has been paid for parking, and wherein relative movement of the mobile device that does not come within the predefined distance of the payment console or acceleration data from the accelerometer above a threshold value indicates that a payment has not been paid for parking; and generating a message based on the data indicative of the pay status of the parking spot, when the pay status indicates that payment has not been made for the parking spot. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 18)
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11. An apparatus comprising:
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a sensor array configured to generate sensor data, wherein the sensor array includes a position sensor and an accelerometer; a memory configured to store the sensor data associated with a mobile device, the sensor data describing movement of an automobile or a person associated with the automobile; and a controller configured to analyze a first portion of the sensor data to determine that the automobile has stopped at a parking spot, the controller further configured to determine a pay status of the parking spot with respect to the automobile based on a second portion of the sensor data including data for relative motion of the mobile device and a payment console, the pay status indicative of whether payment has been paid for the parking spot, wherein relative movement of the mobile device to within a predefined distance of the payment console and acceleration data from the accelerometer below a threshold value indicate that a payment has been paid for parking, and wherein relative movement of the mobile device that does not come within the predefined distance of the payment console or acceleration data from the accelerometer above a threshold value indicates that a payment has not been paid for parking, the controller configured to generate a message based on the pay status of the parking spot when the pay status indicates that payment has not been made for the parking spot. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. A non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions that when executed by a processor, instruct the processor to:
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receive sensor data for a mobile device including acceleration data from an accelerometer, wherein the mobile device is associated with a vehicle parked in a parking spot; perform a first analysis of a first portion of the sensor data to determine that the vehicle has parked in the parking spot associated with a payment console; perform an analysis of a second portion of the sensor data to determine relative movement between the mobile device and the payment console, the relative movement indicative of a pay status of the payment console with the parking spot, wherein the pay status is indicative of whether a payment has been paid for the parking spot, wherein relative movement of the mobile device to within a predefined distance of the payment console and acceleration data from the accelerometer device below a threshold value indicate that a payment has been paid for parking, and wherein relative movement of the mobile device that does not come within the predefined distance of the payment console or acceleration data from the accelerometer above a threshold value indicates that a payment has not been paid for parking; and generate a message based on the pay status of the parking spot. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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Specification