Parking meter communications for remote payment with updated display

• US 10,262,345 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2016
• Issued: 04/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IPS Group Incorporated
• Original Assignee: IPS Group Incorporated
• Inventors: King, David William, Randall, Chad P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Girma, Fekadeselassie
• Application Number:
  US15/208,056
• Publication Number:
  US 20160321714A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,008 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0284 Time or distance, e.g. usage of parking meters or taximeters
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/02 taking into account a variable factor such as distance or time, e.g. for passenger transport, parking systems or car rental systems G07B15/06 takes precedence; taximeters G07B13/00; parking meters per se G07F17/24; car rental systems per se G07B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/30 Parking meters registering or indicating waiting time of vehicles by means driven by the vehicle G07C5/02; coin-freed parking meters G07F17/24
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/24 for parking meters

Abstract

A parking meter receives data indicative of a remote payment being completed and displays an amount of time purchased by the remote payment for a parking session. The parking meter determines an amount of time remaining in the parking session and powers down at least a portion of a meter communication subsystem subsequent to receiving the data indicative of the remote payment being completed. The parking meter wakes up the powered down portion of the communication subsystem upon determining that the amount of time remaining is below a threshold time, and can receive an indication of additional time being paid for remotely, and can update the displayed time remaining to reflect the additional time.

Claims

1. A parking system comprising:

a vehicle sensor, a central data manager, a parking meter comprising a display and associated with a parking space;

a) the vehicle sensor configured to detect arrival and departure information for a vehicle in the parking space to determine an occupancy status for the parking space;

b) the central data manager configured to;

i) receive data indicative of a first payment for parking time at the parking space being completed for a parking session;

ii) receive data indicative of a second payment for additional parking time at the parking space being completed, the second payment a remote payment; and

iii) communicate payment information for the second payment to the parking meter, the payment information comprising an amount of additional time based, at least in part, on the occupancy status of the parking space;

c) the parking meter configured to;

i) control the display to display an amount of parking time remaining;

ii) vary power supply to at least a portion of a communication subsystem of the parking meter after the parking time remaining is below a threshold time prior to expiration of the parking session; and

iii) in response to receiving the payment information for the second payment, control the display to update the displayed amount of parking time remaining to reflect the additional time.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle sensor comprises a magnetic field sensor, a motion sensor, a contact sensor, or a combination thereof.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle sensor is integrated with the parking meter.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle sensor is physically distinct from the parking meter.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle sensor comprises shielding to minimize false detections of arrivals and departures.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle sensor is further configured to detect a vehicle identifier associated with the vehicle.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the vehicle sensor detects the vehicle identifier from a license plate of the vehicle, a RFID tag associated with the vehicle, a user identifier, or a combination thereof.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the central data manager is further configured to allow a user to register for making remote payments.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the central data manager allows the user to register for making remote payments by accepting data comprising remote contact information and a means of payment.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the central data manager is further configured to communicate with a user via an email, a text message, or a phone call.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the first payment is completed at the parking meter.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the first payment is a remote payment.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote payment is made via a mobile telephone of a user and does not require the user to call into a central call center.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising a reader device configured to read identification information from a user identifier in close proximity to the reader device.

15. A method of operating a meter device comprising:

a) receiving, at a central data manager, data indicative of a first payment for parking time of a vehicle for a parking session at a parking space associated with the meter device being completed;

b) displaying, by the parking meter, an amount of parking time remaining based on the data indicative of the first payment;

c) varying power supply to at least a portion of a communication subsystem of the parking meter after the parking time remaining is below a threshold time prior to expiration of the parking session;

,

d) detecting, by a vehicle sensor, arrival or departure of the vehicle in the parking space to determine an occupancy status for the parking space;

e) receiving, by the central data manager, data indicative of a second payment for additional parking time at the parking space being completed, the second payment being a remote payment;

f) communicating, by the central data manager, payment information for the second payment to the parking meter, the payment information comprising an amount of an additional time based, at least in part, on the occupancy status of the parking space; and

g) displaying, by the parking meter in response to receiving the payment information for the second payment, updated parking time remaining to reflect the amount of the additional time.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

shielding, by the vehicle sensor, to minimize false detections of arrivals and departures.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising, detecting, by the vehicle sensor, a vehicle identifier associated with the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the vehicle identifier is detected from a license plate of the vehicle, a RFID tag associated with the vehicle, a user identifier, or a combination thereof.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

allowing, by the central data manager, a user to register for making remote payments including the second payment.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

accepting, by the central data manager, data comprising remote contract information and a means of payment.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

communicating, by the central data manager, with a user via an email, a text message, or a phone call.

22. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

completing the first payment at the parking meter.

23. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

completing the first payment by another remote payment.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein the remote payment is made via a mobile telephone of a user and does not require the user to call into a central call center.