Method and system for controlling urban traffic via a telephone network

• US 20040048628A1
• Filed: 07/17/2003
• Published: 03/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vanni Puccioni
• Original Assignee: Vanni Puccioni
• Inventors: Puccioni, Vanni
• Granted Patent: US 6,952,171 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/00 Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points handling coins or valuable papers, e.g. banknotes, G07D; apparatus for vending or hiring articles or services activated by coins, credit cards, paper currency or the like G07F7/00, G07F17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/14 indicating individual free spaces in parking areas
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching

Abstract

A method and relative system for controlling the use of predetermined vehicle parking areas and/or the transit in predetermined vehicle circulation areas, wherein in a control unit (4) communicated with a telephone network (3) a database is stored comprising an electronic mapping of said one or more areas. When the unit (4) receives from a user (1), via network (3), a SMS message requesting the access to one of the areas at a certain time, the message is compared to the database in order to assess the possibility of complying with the request. In the affirmative, the database is updated with the indication of an access reservation and, in reply, the control unit (4) sends the user a SMS message confirming the reservation or denying the availability of the access.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the use of predetermined vehicle parking areas and/or the transit in predetermined vehicle circulation areas, characterized in that it comprises the following steps:

a control unit communicated with a telephone network receives from a user, via said network, a SMS message requesting the access to one of said areas at a certain time;

said control unit identifies said user at least from the relative telephone number, compares said message to a database comprising an electronic mapping of said one or more areas in order to assess the possibility of complying with the request, and in the affirmative updating said database with the indication of an access reservation; and

in reply, said control unit sends said user a SMS message confirming the reservation or denying the availability of the access.

2. The method according to claim 1, for reserving a parking place in said controlled area, wherein said request SMS message includes the indication of parking start and end hours, said confirmation SMS message including information identifying the reserved place.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said request SMS message includes the indication of at least one further controlled area.

4. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said control unit communicates only with users who have been previously registered by assigning them an access password, said request message including said password.

5. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein the user, with the confirmation of the reservation, obtains a right of option for reserving an additional parking time, to be exercised with a preset time advance before the lapse of the initial parking time.

6. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said control unit receives information on the users who have not respected the reservation.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein a user finding that the reserved place is occupied informs the control unit via a SMS message and the control unit, in reply and still via a SMS message, assigns the user a substitute place, selected among an emergency reserve.

8. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said conformation SMS message sent by said control unit includes an opening code of means for blocking the vehicle access to the parking and/or access area corresponding to the reservation, said control unit transmitting said code also to said blocking means.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said blocking means transmit to the control unit real-time information concerning the actual state of the relative controlled area.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said control unit forwards said information to a police station entrusted with the sending of means for towing away the transgressing vehicles.

11. The method according to any of the claims from 4 to 10, wherein the registration of a user involves the association of the same with the license plate number of a vehicle.

12. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said request SMS message includes the indication that a lift is offered on the way to the destination controlled area, whereby said control unit, having received from other registered users lift-demanding SMS messages, compares the demands to the available offers and, in reply, sends the involved users confirmatory SMS messages, indicating time and place of a meeting, or negative SMS messages.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein a user sending said lift offer receives a right of option ahead of other users in future reservations.

14. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said request SMS message includes the indication of a parking reservation tariff the user can afford to pay, the control unit complying with the request on the basis of said tariff indication.

15. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said request SMS message includes a request of information on how to reach the destination parking and/or circulation area, said information being given through said SMS message confirming the reservation.

16. A system for controlling the vehicle access to one or more parking and/or circulation areas, characterized in that it comprises a control unit comprising computer means communicated with a telephone network via a SMS messaging platform, said unit being capable of:

storing a database comprising an electronic mapping of said one or more areas;

of receiving through said telephone network SMS messages requesting access to one of said areas;

of comparing said message to said database in order to assess the possibility of complying with the request, in the affirmative updating said database with the indication of an access reservation; and

, in reply, of sending said user a SMS message confirming the reservation or denying the availability of the access.

17. The system according to claim 16, comprising means for blocking the access of the vehicles to said controlled areas, capable of communicating information with said control unit and said users.

18. The system according to claim 16 or 17, comprising a station for commanding vehicle towing-away means, said station being capable of communicating with said control unit.

19. The system according to the claims from 16 to 18, comprising a station of a police and/or public security department, said station being capable of communicating with said control unit.