Mobile parking systems and methods for providing real-time parking guidance

• US 10,108,910 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2013
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Kotecha, Lalit R., Aksu, Arda, Haynes, Thomas W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Epstein, Brian M
• Application Number:
  US14/017,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20150066545A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,876 Days
• Field of Search: 705 13, 3409322
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/144 on portable or mobile units, e.g. personal digital assistant [PDA]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/146 where the parking area is a limited parking space, e.g. parking garage, restricted space
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/148 Management of a network of parking areas

Abstract

Parking guidance is provided to a user of a mobile device requesting information on parking spots at a requested location for a requested time. In response to receiving a parking information request, parking spots having locations proximate to the requested location and having availability at the requested time are identified in a database of parking spot information of a parking management server. A notification of the identified parking spots is transmitted to the user device from which the information request was received. In response to receiving a reservation request identifying a parking spot to be reserved from the user device, the database is updated to identify the identified parking spot as being unavailable at the requested time. Additionally, a notification of the reservation request is transmitted to a parking manager associated with the identified parking spot, the notification identifying the particular parking spot and the requested time.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a parking management server and from a real-time parking guidance application running on a user device, a parking information request,

the parking information request including information identifying a requested location and a requested time;

providing, by the parking management server and based on receiving the parking information request, particular information to an authentication server for the authentication server to authenticate whether the user device is authorized to access a real-time parking guidance service that is available via the real-time parking guidance application,

the authentication server being operated by a carrier that provides mobile communication services to the user device via a mobile communications network,

the parking management server being operated by an entity that is separate from the carrier, and

the entity and the carrier being in an arrangement for the authentication server to provide an authentication function that authenticates whether the user device is authorized to access the real-time parking guidance service that is available via the real-time parking guidance application;

receiving, by the parking management server and from the authentication server, an indication that the authentication server used the authentication function to successfully authenticate that the user device is authorized to access the real-time parking guidance service that is available via the real-time parking guidance application;

providing, by the parking management server and based on receiving the indication that the authentication server used the authentication function to successfully authenticate that the user device is authorized to access the real-time parking guidance service that is available via the real-time parking guidance application, the user device access to the real-time parking guidance service via one or more communication elements of the mobile communications network;

identifying, by the parking management server, after providing the user device access to the real-time parking guidance service via the one or more communication elements of the mobile communications network, and in a database of parking spot information, a parking spot, having a location proximate to the requested location and having availability at the requested time, based on the parking spot being within an area with one or more other available parking spots;

determining, by the parking management server, that the parking spot is no longer available at the requested time;

continuously transmitting, by the parking management server, until a reservation request is received, and based on determining that the parking spot is no longer available at the requested time, real-time information regarding the one or more other available parking spots to the user device;

receiving, by the parking management server and from the real-time parking guidance application running on the user device, the reservation request,

the reservation request identifying another parking spot, of the one or more other available parking spots, for reservation; and

updating, by the parking management server and based on receiving the reservation request, the database of parking spot information to identify the other parking spot as being unavailable at the requested time.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a confirmation of the reservation request to the user device,

wherein the confirmation includes at least one of a barcode, a quick response (QR) code, or a near-field communication (NFC) code for authentication of the user device to a parking manager.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a confirmation of the reservation request to the user device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the confirmation includes information that causes the user device to provide driving directions that guide, through a parking lot, to the other parking spot.

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein the parking information request includes information identifying a seating location of a ticket-holder to an event, and

wherein identifying the parking spot includes:

identifying the parking spot further based on the seating location of the ticket-holder to the event.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from a plurality of parking managers, parking spot information of a plurality of parking spots,

wherein the plurality of parking spots include the parking spot and the one or more other available parking spots; and

storing the parking spot information in the database of parking spot information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the parking spot is a homeowner'"'"'s driveway.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a notification, to a parking manager associated with the other parking spot, including information regarding forecasted parking load determined based at least in part on the parking information request.

9. A system comprising:

a parking management server operatively coupled to a communication network for communication with a user device,

the parking management server being configured to;

receive, from a real-time parking guidance application running on the user device, a parking information request,

the parking information request including information identifying a requested location and a requested time;

provide, based on receiving the parking information request, particular information to an authentication server for the authentication server to authenticate whether the user device is authorized to access a real-time parking guidance service that is available via the real-time parking guidance application,

the authentication server being operated by a carrier that provides mobile communication services to the user device via the communications network,

the parking management server being operated by an entity that is separate from the carrier, and

the entity and the carrier being in an arrangement for the authentication server to provide an authentication function that authenticates whether the user device is authorized to access the real-time parking guidance service that is available via the real-time parking guidance application;

receive, from the authentication server, an indication that the authentication server used the authentication function to successfully authenticate that the user device is authorized to access the real-time parking guidance service that is available via the real-time parking guidance application;

provide, based on receiving the indication that the authentication server used the authentication function to successfully authenticate that the user device is authorized to access the real-time parking guidance service that is available via the real-time parking guidance application, the user device access to the real-time parking guidance service via one or more communication elements of the communications network;

identify, after providing the user device access to the real-time parking guidance service via the one or more communication elements of the communication network and in a database of parking spot information, a parking spot having a location proximate to the requested location and having availability at the requested time, based on the parking spot being within an area with one or more other available parking spots;

determine that the parking spot is no longer available at the requested time;

continuously transmit, until a reservation request is received and based on determining that the parking spot is no longer available at the requested time, real-time information regarding the one or more other available parking spots to the user device from which the parking information request was received;

receive, from the real-time parking guidance application running on the user device, the reservation request,

the reservation request identifying another parking spot, of the one or more other available parking spots, for reservation; and

update, based on receiving the reservation request, the database of parking spot information to identify the other parking spot as being unavailable at the requested time.

10. The system of claim 9,

wherein the parking management server is further configured to:

transmit a confirmation of the reservation request to the user device, and

wherein the confirmation includes at least one of a barcode, a QR code, or an NFC code for authentication of the user device to a parking manager.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the parking management server is further configured to:

transmit a confirmation of the reservation request to the user device so as to cause the user device to provide driving directions to the other parking spot.

12. The system of claim 9,

wherein the parking information request includes information identifying a seating location of a ticket-holder to an event, and

wherein, when identifying the parking spot, the parking management server is configured to:

identify the parking spot further based on the seating location of the ticket-holder to the event.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the parking management server is further configured to:

receive, from a plurality of parking managers, parking spot information of a plurality of parking spots,

wherein the plurality of parking spots include the parking spot and the one or more other available parking spots; and

store the parking spot information in the database of parking spot information.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the parking spot corresponds to a homeowner'"'"'s driveway.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the parking management server is further configured to:

transmit a notification, to a parking manager associated with the other parking spot, including information on forecasted parking load.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the other parking spot is located at a curb-side.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by a parking management server, cause the parking management server to;

receive, from a real-time parking guidance application running on a user device, a parking information request;

provide, based on receiving the parking information request, particular information to an authentication server for the authentication server to authenticate whether the user device is authorized to access a real-time parking guidance service that is available via the real-time parking guidance application,

the authentication server being operated by a carrier that provides mobile communication services to the user device via a communications network,

the parking management server being operated by an entity that is separate from the carrier, and

the entity and the carrier being in an arrangement for the authentication server to provide an authentication function that authenticates whether the user device is authorized to access the real-time parking guidance service that is available via the real-time parking guidance application;

receive, from the authentication server, an indication that the authentication server used the authentication function to successfully authenticate that the user device is authorized to access the real-time parking guidance service that is available via the real-time parking guidance application;

provide, based on receiving the indication that the authentication server used the authentication function to successfully authenticate that the user device is authorized to access the real-time parking guidance service that is available via the real-time parking guidance application, the user device access to the real-time parking guidance service via one or more communication elements of the communications network;

identify, after providing the user device access to the real-time parking guidance service via the one or more communication elements of the communication network and in a database of parking spot information, a parking spot based on the parking spot being within an area with one or more other available parking spots;

determine that the parking spot is no longer available;

continuously transmit, until a reservation request is received and based on determining that the parking spot is no longer available, real-time information regarding the one or more other available parking spots to the user device from which the parking information request was received;

receive, from the real-time parking guidance application running on the user device, the reservation request,

the reservation request identifying another parking spot, of the one or more other available parking spots, for reservation; and

update, based on receiving the reservation request, the database of parking spot information to identify the other parking spot as being unavailable.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17,

where the parking spot is associated with a parking manager,

where the instructions further comprise:

one or more instructions that, when executed by the parking management server, cause the parking management server to;

receive updated availability information from the parking manager, and

where the parking spot is determined to be no longer available based on the updated availability information.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17,

where the parking spot is associated with a first parking manager,

where the other parking spot is associated with a second parking manager,

where the instructions further comprise:

one or more instructions that, when executed by the parking management server, cause the parking management server to;

determine that multiple information requests for parking spots within a vicinity of the area during a particular time period, and

provide, to the first parking manager and the second parking manager, a notification regarding an increased interests in parking in the area.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17,

where the instructions further comprise:

one or more instructions that, when executed by the parking management server, cause the parking management server to;

determine a forecast of future availability based on historical information regarding the parking spot and the one or more other available parking spots, and

where the parking spot is identified further based on the forecast of future availability.