Sustainable real-time parking availability system
First Claim
1. A real-time parking availability system, comprising:
- a parking facility;
a plurality of individual parking spaces within the parking facility;
a plurality of pricing tiers for the individual parking spaces within the parking facility;
at least one parking selection device, the at least one parking selection device comprising;
a) a display listing parking prices for the plurality of pricing tiers for the individual parking spaces that are within the parking facility; and
b) an option to select a pricing tier from the plurality of pricing tiers for the individual parking spaces that are within the parking facility, wherein the at least one parking selection device is configured to receive the selection;
at least one parking sensor in communication with the at least one parking selection device;
the at least one parking sensor configured to determine in real-time whether an individual parking space is available in a selected pricing tier;
a management application in communication with the at least one parking selection device and the at least one parking sensor;
the management application is configured to automatically adjust parking prices for the plurality of pricing tiers for the individual parking spaces in real-time; and
the real-time parking availability system configured to provide two real-time solutions when an individual parking space within the selected pricing tier is not available in the parking facility;
a) the first real-time solution comprising electronically creating a new individual parking space within the selected pricing tier by reallocating an available individual parking space within a pricing tier of lower demand into the selected pricing tier;
b) the second real-time solution comprising decreasing demand for individual parking spaces within a pricing tier of higher demand in the parking facility by increasing prices for the individual parking spaces within the pricing tier of higher demand.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates in general to parking availability systems and methods of parking, and more specifically, to a parking system that manages individual parking spaces in real-time. Notably, the present invention gives a parking asset owner flexibility to adjust parking prices for individual parking spaces within a parking facility in real-time depending upon dynamic market conditions such as demand, convenience, and location. The purpose of the invention is to offer parking consumers a choice in parking price tiers to encourage turnover and maximize revenue streams for the parking asset owner. Additional benefits of the present invention to the parking asset owner include improved service to customers, obtaining LEED credits, reducing harmful carbon emissions, mitigating transportation demand, saving time through stream-lined parking operations, and eco-friendly solutions to parking problems not solved by traditional parking models. The present invention may further utilize unmanned systems technology to help parking consumers locate available parking spaces within the parking facility and to provide supervision at the parking facility.
-
Citations
19 Claims
-
1. A real-time parking availability system, comprising:
-
a parking facility; a plurality of individual parking spaces within the parking facility; a plurality of pricing tiers for the individual parking spaces within the parking facility; at least one parking selection device, the at least one parking selection device comprising; a) a display listing parking prices for the plurality of pricing tiers for the individual parking spaces that are within the parking facility; and b) an option to select a pricing tier from the plurality of pricing tiers for the individual parking spaces that are within the parking facility, wherein the at least one parking selection device is configured to receive the selection; at least one parking sensor in communication with the at least one parking selection device; the at least one parking sensor configured to determine in real-time whether an individual parking space is available in a selected pricing tier; a management application in communication with the at least one parking selection device and the at least one parking sensor; the management application is configured to automatically adjust parking prices for the plurality of pricing tiers for the individual parking spaces in real-time; and the real-time parking availability system configured to provide two real-time solutions when an individual parking space within the selected pricing tier is not available in the parking facility; a) the first real-time solution comprising electronically creating a new individual parking space within the selected pricing tier by reallocating an available individual parking space within a pricing tier of lower demand into the selected pricing tier; b) the second real-time solution comprising decreasing demand for individual parking spaces within a pricing tier of higher demand in the parking facility by increasing prices for the individual parking spaces within the pricing tier of higher demand. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A method of managing a parking facility, comprising:
-
providing a parking facility; distributing a plurality of individual parking spaces within the parking facility; establishing a plurality of pricing tiers for the individual parking spaces; providing a plurality of parking rate notifications configured to display the plurality of pricing tiers for the individual parking spaces; providing at least one parking selection device; providing an option on the at least one parking selection device to select a pricing tier from the plurality of pricing tiers; selecting a pricing tier from the plurality of pricing tiers via the at least one parking selection device; providing at least one parking sensor in communication with the at least one parking selection device; determining in real time whether an individual parking space is available within the selected pricing tier in the parking facility via the at least one parking sensor; providing a management application in communication with the at least one parking selection device and the at least one parking sensor; providing direction to the available individual parking space within the selected pricing tier via at least one parking indicator; providing two real-time solutions when no individual parking space within the selected pricing tier is available in the parking facility; the first real-time solution comprising; a) designating an available individual parking space within a pricing tier of lower demand; b) reallocating the available individual parking space within the pricing tier of lower demand into the selected pricing tier; c) electronically creating a new individual parking space within the selected pricing tier; d) providing direction to the new individual parking space within the selected pricing tier; the second real-time solution comprising; a) providing notification that an individual parking space within the selected pricing tier is unavailable; b) designating an available individual parking space within another pricing tier; c) providing direction to the available individual parking space within the other pricing tier; and d) decreasing demand for the individual parking spaces within a pricing tier of higher demand in the parking facility by increasing prices for the individual parking spaces within the pricing tier of higher demand to increase turnover; providing direction to the new individual parking space or to the available individual parking space within the other pricing tier via the at least one parking indicator; confirming whether the consumer properly parks in the new individual parking space or the available individual parking space; and taking corrective action when the consumer parks improperly. - View Dependent Claims (19)
-
Specification