Method for providing information regarding parking spots

• US 10,430,146 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2016
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Morschheuser, Benedikt
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cao H
• Application Number:
  US15/183,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20160370963A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,203 Days
• Field of Search: 715700, 715851, 715855, 701454, 701457
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3685 the POI's being parking facilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/14 indicating individual free spaces in parking areas
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/144 on portable or mobile units, e.g. personal digital assistant [PDA]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/147 where the parking area is within an open public zone, e.g. city centre
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/30 Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes

Abstract

A method for providing information regarding parking spots, including transmitting the information input by a user into an input device to a database; generating a digital map of the parking spots; and transmitting the digital map to a user community, contents of the digital map being modified as a function of an input activity of the user by using at least one gamified element.

Claims

1. A method for providing information regarding parking spots, comprising:

transmitting to a database information regarding a parking spot, input by a user into an input device;

generating a digital map of parking spots; and

transmitting the digital map to a user community, contents of the digital map being modified as a function of an input activity of the user by using at least one gamified motivational element,

wherein the at least one gamified motivational element includes capturing at least one defined place on the digital map, wherein the user is able to own or capture virtual parking spots or streets.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the information includes at least one of the following:

location of the parking spot, cost of the parking spot, properties of the parking spot, image of the parking spot.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the user is assigned at least one of a virtual street and a virtual area.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the at least one of the assigned virtual street and the assigned virtual area is symbolized graphically in the digital map.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of:

i) an image of the user, and ii) information of the user, is transmitted to the database.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a message is transmitted to a visitor of one of:

i) a defined street, and ii) a defined area.

7. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein an area is taken away from a user and is assigned to another user if the other user inputs a defined extent of information regarding at least one of:

i) a defined street, and ii) a defined area, into an input device of the other user.

8. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein a bonus is transmitted to a user if other users are present at least one of:

i) on a street corresponding to the virtual assigned to the user, and ii) in an ara corresponding to the virtual area assigned to the user.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one request is made of a user regarding an input of information, a bonus being transmitted to the user when the request is fulfilled.

10. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the user builds virtual objects on at least one of assigned virtual streets and in assigned virtual areas.

11. A system for providing information regarding parking spots, comprising:

input devices into which users are able to input information; and

a database to which the information is transmittable, wherein the database is able to generate a digital map of the parking spots, the digital map being transmittable to a user community, contents of the digital map being modifiable as a function of an input activity of the users by using at least one gamified motivational element,

wherein the at least one gamified motivational element includes capturing at least one defined place on the digital map, wherein the user is able to own or capture virtual parking spots or streets.

12. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein input fields are displayable on the input device, via which it is possible to input parameters of the parking spot.

13. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein display fields are displayable on the input device, via which it is possible to display properties of the parking spot.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, the computer program, when executed on a processor, causing the processor to perform:

transmitting to a database information regarding a parking spot, input by a user into an input device;

generating a digital map of parking spots; and

transmitting the digital map to a user community, contents of the digital map being modified as a function of an input activity of the user by using at least one gamified motivational element,

wherein the at least one gamified motivational element includes capturing at least one defined place on the digital map, wherein the user is able to own or capture virtual parking spots or streets.