Parking system with centralized reservation, payment and enforcement
First Claim
1. In a parking facility of the type comprising a plurality of parking spots provided over a geographical area, a parking system for enabling centralized parking reservation, payment and enforcement, comprising:
- a central computer for generating, managing and storing subscriber data and parking data and performing a plurality of parking operations;
a user terminal connected to said central computer over a data network, for enabling user access to said central computer;
a service terminal connected to said central computer over said data network for enabling automation of said parking operations; and
a data portal provided for said central computer for enabling interactive communication of said subscriber data and parking data between said computer and said service terminal and said user terminal.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A parking system for enabling centralized parking reservation, payment and enforcement, comprises a central computer communicating with user terminals and service terminals over a data network. The parking system maintains maps for all parking facilities administered by the respective owner and maintains information regarding the user of the respective vehicle; this information is particularly useful in security sensitive areas. A subscriber may access the system using a wireless or wireline web-enabled terminal, or with the help of an agent, to identify a convenient, un-reserved parking space, reserve that space (advance reservation is available) and pay a fee corresponding to the time the space was used. For subscriber'"'"'s convenience, payment is cashless, and is tailored to the subscriber'"'"'s needs; overtime parking protection is also available. The service terminals enable automation of most parking operations. Efficient supervision and enforcement operations of a parking facility are ensured through use of fixed or portable license plate readers (LPR). The parking supervisor/enforcer is provided with the ability to upload into the system the current parking occupancy, download maps with the expected occupancy, and issue parking tickets to offenders. The information on delinquent cars may be sent to the local authority or Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to identify repeat offenders for appropriate enforcement in traffic courts.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. In a parking facility of the type comprising a plurality of parking spots provided over a geographical area, a parking system for enabling centralized parking reservation, payment and enforcement, comprising:
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a central computer for generating, managing and storing subscriber data and parking data and performing a plurality of parking operations;
a user terminal connected to said central computer over a data network, for enabling user access to said central computer;
a service terminal connected to said central computer over said data network for enabling automation of said parking operations; and
a data portal provided for said central computer for enabling interactive communication of said subscriber data and parking data between said computer and said service terminal and said user terminal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for managing and controlling operation of a parking facility, to enable centralized reservation, payment and enforcement, comprising:
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connecting a parking system over a data network with a user terminal and a service terminal;
registering a user with said parking system from said user terminal;
on said user terminal, reserving a parking spot in said parking facility for a specified vehicle;
monitoring the presence said vehicle in said parking spot and measuring an effective parking time for said vehicle; and
calculating a parking fee for said effective parking time and processing said parking fee automatically according to a pre-arranged payment plan. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification