Parking space availability system

• US 10,115,307 B1
• Filed: 10/03/2017
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Duncan Waruingi, Michael Upton, Sherece Upton
• Original Assignee: Duncan Waruingi, Michael Upton, Sherece Upton
• Inventors: Upton, Sherece, Upton, Michael, Waruingi, Duncan
• Primary Examiner(s): Girma, Fekadeselassie
• Application Number:
  US15/723,341
• Time in Patent Office: 392 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors
• 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: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]

Abstract

The parking space availability system is configured for use with a parking facility that further comprises a plurality of parking spaces. Each parking space contained within the plurality of parking spaces comprises an occupancy status selected from the group consisting of an open parking space and an occupied parking space. The parking space availability system comprises a surveillance device, one or more mapping devices and a wireless communication facility. The wireless communication facility wirelessly connects each of the one or more mapping devices to the surveillance device. The surveillance device forwards the location of each identified open parking space to the one or more mapping devices using the wireless communication facility. Each of the one or more mapping devices is used by a user to locate the identified open parking spaces.

Claims

1. A traffic control system comprising

a surveillance device, one or more mapping devices and a wireless communication facility;

wherein the wireless communication facility wirelessly connects each of the one or more mapping devices to the surveillance device;

wherein the traffic control system is configured for use with a parking facility;

wherein the parking facility comprises a plurality of parking spaces;

wherein each parking space contained within the plurality of parking spaces comprises an occupancy status selected from the group consisting of an open parking space and an occupied parking space;

wherein the selection between an open parking space and an occupied parking space is mutually exclusive;

wherein the surveillance device determines the selected occupancy status of each parking space selected from the plurality of parking spaces;

wherein the surveillance device transmits the location of each identified open parking space to the one or more mapping devices using the wireless communication facility;

wherein each of the one or more mapping devices locates the identified open parking spaces;

wherein the surveillance device is an electronic device;

wherein the surveillance device is an optical data processing device;

wherein the surveillance device individually identifies each individual parking space contained within the plurality of parking spaces;

wherein the surveillance device optically determines and monitors the status of each individual parking space;

wherein the surveillance device further maintains a database of the GPS coordinates of each parking space contained within the plurality of parking spaces;

wherein the surveillance device transmits the GPS coordinates of each open parking space to each of the one or more mapping devices using the wireless communication facility;

wherein the surveillance device comprises a first logic module, a first communication module, and a plurality of image sensors;

wherein the first communication module is electrically connected to the first logic module;

where each of the plurality of image sensors is electrically connected to the first logic module;

wherein the first logic module is a programmable electronic device;

wherein each image sensor selected from the plurality of image sensors receives light from the exterior of the selected image sensor and converts the received light into a digital representation.

2. The traffic control system according to claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of image sensors monitors a subset of parking spaces selected from the plurality of parking spaces contained within the parking facility.

3. The traffic control system according to claim 2

wherein the first communication module is a wireless communication device;

wherein the first communication module is establishes a wireless communication link with each individual mapping device selected from the one or more mapping devices.

4. The traffic control system according to claim 3

wherein the first logic module optically processes the data collected by the selected image sensor to identify each parking space selected from the plurality of parking spaces that is within the field of view of the selected image sensor;

wherein the first logic module optically processes the data collected by the selected image sensor to determine for each identified parking space an occupancy status selected from the group consisting of an open parking space and a closed parking space.

5. The traffic control system according to claim 4 wherein each of the one or more mapping devices is a device that operates independently from the surveillance device.

6. The traffic control system according to claim 5

wherein each individual mapping device selected from the one or more mapping devices determines the GPS coordinates of the individual mapping device;

wherein each individual mapping device selected from the one or more mapping devices receives the GPS coordinates of each open parking space from the surveillance device

wherein each individual mapping device selected from the one or more mapping devices displays the location of each open parking space relative to the GPS coordinates of the individual mapping device.

7. The traffic control system according to claim 6 wherein the one or more mapping devices comprises a collection of individual mapping devices.

8. The traffic control system according to claim 7 wherein each individual mapping device selected from the one or more mapping devices operates independently from the individual mapping devices remaining in the one or more mapping devices.

9. The traffic control system according to claim 8

wherein each individual mapping device comprises a second logic module, a second communication module, a GPS module, and a display;

wherein the second communication module is electrically connected to the second logic module;

wherein the GPS module is electrically connected to the second logic module;

wherein the display is electrically connected to the second logic module.

10. The traffic control system according to claim 9

wherein the second logic module is a programmable electronic device;

wherein the second communication module is a wireless electronic communication device;

wherein the second communication module establishes an individual wireless communication link with the first communication module of the surveillance device;

wherein the wireless communication facility comprises the collection of individual wireless communication links created by each of the one or more mapping devices.

11. The traffic control system according to claim 10 wherein no two individual mapping devices share an individual wireless communication link.

12. The traffic control system according to claim 11 wherein each individual wireless communication link is unique to the selected individual mapping device.

13. The traffic control system according to claim 12

wherein the GPS module is an electrical device;

wherein the GPS module communicates with the GPS to determine the GPS coordinates of the GPS module;

wherein the GPS module transfers the GPS coordinates to the second logic module.

14. The traffic control system according to claim 13

wherein the second logic module generates an image of a map of the parking facility upon which is overlaid the location of the individual mapping device;

wherein the second logic module further overlays the location of each open parking space within the parking facility on the generated image of the map of the parking facility;

wherein the second logic module displays the generated image on the display.