Method relating to a vehicle parking cash-payment system

• US 20030141363A1
• Filed: 09/26/2002
• Published: 07/31/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Modul-System Sweden AB
• Original Assignee: Modul-System Sweden AB
• Inventors: Hjelmvik, Torbernt
• Granted Patent: US 7,014,109 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/382
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/28 Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3255 using mobile network messaging services for payment, e.g. SMS
• 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

Abstract

A method of making cash payments in a vehicle parking system in which a mobile telephone (1) is used to commence and terminate parking of a vehicle, and where a telephone user sends at least one code to receiving computer (2) belonging to the parking system via said mobile telephone upon commencement and termination of a parking period. The invention is characterized in that there is used a start packet which includes a user specific code (7), a one-time code, such as a PIN code, a telephone number to said computer (2), and a statement as to the amount of money available for parking purposes; in that when connecting to the parking system, the mobile telephone (1) is caused to be connected to said computer (2) via said telephone number, whereafter the user specific code (7) and the one-time code are caused to be sent to said computer by means of the mobile telephone; in that said computer (2) is caused to detect and store the number of the mobile telephone (1); in that said computer is caused to compare the user specific code and the one-time code; in that when agreement is found between the user specific code and the one-time code, the user specific code is stored together with the number of the mobile telephone and the amount of money available for parking purposes; and in that commencement and termination of a parking period are respectively initiated by causing the mobile telephone (1) to be connected to a predetermined telephone number belonging to said computer (2).

Claims

1. A method of making cash payments in a vehicle parking system in which a mobile telephone (1) is used to commence and terminate parking of a vehicle, and where a telephone user sends at least one code to a receiving computer (2) belonging to the parking system via said mobile telephone upon commencement and termination of a parking period, characterised in that there is used a start packet which includes a user specific code (7), a one-time code, such as a PIN code, a telephone number to said computer (2), and a statement as to the amount of money available for parking purposes;

in that when connecting to the parking system, the mobile telephone (1) is caused to be connected to said computer (2) via said telephone number, whereafter the user specific code (7) and the one-time code are caused to be sent to said computer by means of the mobile telephone;

in that said computer (2) is caused to detect and store the number of the mobile telephone (1);

in that said computer is caused to compare the user specific code and the one-time code;

in that when agreement is found between the user specific code and the one-time code, the user specific code is stored together with the number of the mobile telephone and the amount of money available for parking purposes; and

in that commencement and termination of a parking period are respectively initiated by causing the mobile telephone (1) to be connected to a predetermined telephone number belonging to said computer (2).

2. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that the computer (2) is caused to detect the telephone number of a calling mobile telephone (1) at the commencement of a parking period, and therewith indicate in the computer the associated user specific code (7) as belonging to a vehicle for which a parking fee has been paid;

and in that said computer (2) is caused to detect the number of a calling mobile telephone (1) upon termination of a parking period, and therewith indicate in the computer (2) the user specific code as belonging to a vehicle for which a parking fee has not yet been paid; and

in that the computer (2) is caused to subtract a relevant parking fee from said amount of money available after termination of a parking period.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the user specific code is a machine-readable code and is provided on a code carrier (6) in the start packet, said code carrier (6) being intended to be placed in the vehicle in a way which will allow the machine-readable code (7) to be read from outside the vehicle in conjunction with a parking control.

4. A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the registration number of the vehicle is also caused to be sent to the computer via the mobile telephone when connecting to the parking system, wherewith the computer stores the registration number connected to the user specific code;

and in that the registration number of parked vehicles are compared with a so-called parked car list when carrying out a parking control.

5. A method according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, characterised in that there is included a refill packet which contains at least one one-time code, such as a PIN code, and an indicated sum of money, in that when the mobile telephone (1) is connected to the computer (2) and the one-time code has been sent to the computer with the aid of the mobile telephone, the computer (2) is caused to detect the number of the mobile telephone and store said number and said available sum of money together with the user specific code (7) belonging to the number of the mobile telephone.