User assistance system for an interactive facility

• US 20020163444A1
• Filed: 06/21/2002
• Published: 11/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: William F Budnovitch Revocable Trust
• Original Assignee: William F Budnovitch Revocable Trust
• Inventors: Budnovitch, William F.
• Granted Patent: US 6,642,855 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/932.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/48 for parking purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/14 indicating individual free spaces in parking areas

Abstract

An interactive system for a facility, such as a parking facility, a warehouse or some other type of facility, includes a user interface for detecting empty parking spaces, moving vehicles and personnel. The user interface can be associated with a “smart” light fixture or other component mounted in the parking structure. A control subsystem includes a system processor which interacts with a user interface. The user interface communicates directly with a user and with a smart card whereby parking transactions are automatically recorded and debited to an account. A key fob transmitter transmits signals to a smart fixture for summoning emergency assistance. The system processor utilizes GPS coordinates for guiding users, locating parking spaces, and identifying smart light fixtures receiving emergency assistance signals. The system can provide various information about the presence, absence and movement of vehicles and individuals within various structures. The system can either be installed as an original manufacturer component in other equipment or retrofit.

Claims

1. A user assistance system for an interactive facility, which includes:

a user interface;

a detector associated with the user interface and adapted for detecting a condition associated with an area of the facility and emitting a signal corresponding to same;

a system processor connected to the user interface and adapted for receiving said condition signal;

said system processor storing information conveyed by said signal;

an external communications transmitter connected to said system processor and adapted for communicating information concerning said facility; and

an external communications receiver associated with a message recipient and adapted for receiving information concerning said facility from said transmitter.

2. The system according to claim 1, which includes:

said facility comprising a parking structure; and

said system processor storing GPS coordinates for parking spaces and said receiver receiving GPS coordinates for available parking spaces and being adapted to guide a user thereto using a GPS-based navigational system.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein the user interface includes:

a station located within said parking facility and including a light fixture, said station being associated with a plurality of parking spaces; and

said light fixture including a signal for signaling the location of an available parking space to a user.

4. The system according to claim 1, which includes:

a vehicle detector comprising an infrared sensor.

5. The system according to claim 1, which includes:

a vehicle detector comprising a motion sensor.

6. The system according to claim 1, which includes:

an emergency assistance device connected to said receiver and adapted for summoning emergency assistance upon activation by a user.

7. The system according to claim 1, which includes:

said system processor storing GPS coordinates associated with parking facility entrances and exits and being adapted for communicating same through said external communications transmitter to said receiver.

8. The system according to claim 1, which includes:

said external communications being wireless.

9. The system according to claim 8, which includes:

said external communications comprising radio frequency (RF) equipment.

10. The system according to claim 1, which includes:

said receiver comprising a personal data assistance.

11. The system according to claim 1, which includes:

said communications link between said transmitter and said receiver comprising a hardwired connection.

12. The system according to claim 1, which includes:

said communications link between said transmitter and said receiver comprising a worldwide web or intranet network connection.

13. The system according to claim 1, which includes:

said receiver including a personal computer.

14. The system according to claim 1 wherein said facility comprises a parking structure with multiple parking spaces.

15. The system according to claim 14 wherein said information concerning said parking facility relates to the availability of parking spaces on certain levels within a multi-level parking facility.

16. The system according to claim 14 wherein said information includes the availability and GPS coordinates of individual parking spaces.

17. The system according claim 1 wherein said facility comprises a warehouse and said vehicle detector is adapted for detecting service vehicles within said warehouse and emitting anti-collision warning signals.

18. The system according claim 1 wherein said detector is incorporated as an original manufacturer component in equipment components installed in the facility.

19. The system according claim 1 wherein said system is retrofit to existing components or equipment.

20. The system according to claim 1, which includes:

a display associated with said receiver and adapted for displaying information concerning said facility.

21. The system according claim 20, which includes:

said display including a light emitting component for displaying information concerning said facility.

22. The system according to claim 21, which includes:

a preprogrammed display code with different light signal emissions corresponding to different conditions associated with said facility.

23. The system according claim 22, which includes:

said display code utilizing multiple display colors, each identifying a respective condition of said facility.

24. The system according to claim 23 wherein a first color identifies a moving vehicle, a second color identifies a person present and a third color identifies an available parking space.

25. The system according to claim 22 wherein said code includes pulsating and constant illumination conditions of said light emitting component.

27. The parking assistance system according to claim 26, which includes:

a personal data assistant adapted to receive information from said system processor.

28. The parking assistance system according to claim 26, which includes:

said communications link between said transmitter and said receiver comprising a radio frequency (RF) connection.

29. The parking assistance system according to claim 26, which includes:

said communications link between said transmitter and said receiver comprising a worldwide web or intranet network connection.

30. The parking assistance system according to claim 26, which includes:

said receiver including a personal computer.

26. In combination with a parking structure with multiple parking spaces, the improvement of a parking assistance system, which comprises:

a station associated with a plurality of parking spaces and including a light fixture, said light fixture being adapted to receive data input and transfer data output;

a vehicle detector associated with said light fixture and directed towards at least one parking space for determining the presence or absence of a vehicle therein;

an input device connected to said vehicle detector and adapted for providing a signal to said light fixture, said signal identifying the occupied/unoccupied status of the parking space;

a system processor connected to said light fixture and adapted to receive data input signals therefrom, said system processor storing GPS coordinates associated with said parking spaces and storing the occupied/unoccupied status of same;

an external communications transmitter associated with said system processor and adapted for transmitting parking space status signals including GPS coordinates associated therewith;

a vehicle-mounted GPS navigation system;

a vehicle-mounted receiver adapted to receive signals corresponding to the vehicle position with respect to unoccupied parking spaces within the parking structure;

a display mounted in the dash of said vehicle for graphically displaying the vehicle position with respect to said unoccupied parking spaces; and

said system being adapted to display the location of available parking spaces with respect to said vehicle utilizing their respective GPS coordinates.

31. In combination with a parking structure with multiple parking spaces, the improvement of a parking assistance system, which comprises:

a station associated with a plurality of parking spaces and including a light fixture, said light fixture being adapted to receive input signals identifying the occupied/unoccupied status of individual parking spaces, store said data and output said data;

a wireless vehicle detector associated with said light fixture and directed towards at least one parking space for determining the presence or absence of a vehicle therein;

a signal producing device connected to said vehicle detector and adapted for providing an input signal to said light fixture, said input signal identifying the occupied/unoccupied status of a parking space;

a motion sensor associated with said light fixture and adapted for providing input corresponding to motion in the vicinity of said light fixture, said motion sensor being adapted to detect movement of a vehicle or a person;

a system processor connected to said light fixture and adapted to receive data input signals therefrom, said system processor storing GPS coordinates associated with said parking spaces, the occupied/unoccupied status of same and the corresponding movement of vehicles and/or people in the vicinity of same;

an external communications transmitter associated with said system processor and adapted for transmitting parking space status signals including GPS coordinates associated therewith;

a receiver associated with a parking facility user and adapted to receive signals from said transmitter, said receiver including output adapted for communicating parking space status information to the user; and

an emergency assistance communications device associated with said receiver and adapted for said user to summon emergency assistance in response to a predetermined output signal therefrom.