Management method and system for a parking lot

• US 20040222903A1
• Filed: 05/08/2003
• Published: 11/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Coligen Corp.
• Original Assignee: Shih-Hsiung Li
• Inventors: Li, Shih-Hsiung
• Granted Patent: US 6,917,307 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/932.2
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/02 using treadles built into the road pads or other sensitive devices responsive to passage of vehicles E01F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/14 indicating individual free spaces in parking areas
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 194/902 Check-operated device for controlling parking lot

Abstract

A management method and system for a parking lot utilizes multiple parking space sensors to detect the using status of each parking space. A computer is provided to connect to all parking space sensors and controls a display board that is placed at the entrance of the parking lot to show which position is available. Thus, the display board provides the guiding function to the vehicle driver that enters the parking lot. Further, the guiding function is performed by multiple modules mounted on all paths in the parking lot to identify a proper direction so that an available position is easily found.

Claims

1. A management method for a parking lot having multiple parking spaces and an entrance, the method comprising:

defining coordinate data of the parking spaces;

sensing a using status of each parking space to recognize whether the parking space is available;

gathering all the using statuses of the all parking spaces; and

displaying the gathered using statuses at the entrance of the parking lot and guiding a vehicle that enters the parking lot to find an available parking space.

2. The management method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of vehicle guiding is applied to along all paths in the parking lot so that the vehicle obtains a suitable path based on the gathered using status to enter or leave the parking lot.

3. A management system for a parking lot having multiple parking spaces, paths and an entrance, the management system comprising:

multiple parking space sensors each of which is applied to detect a using status of a respective one of the parking spaces;

a computer connected to the parking space sensors to gather all using statuses of the parking spaces;

an information display board designed to accord with the arrangement of the parking spaces in the parking lot so that the using status of each parking space is individually shown on the information display board.

4. The management system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the parking space sensor is chosen from an induction coil, an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor, a microwave sensor or a pressure sensor.

5. The management system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the parking space sensors are divided into multiple groups, wherein each group is connected to the computer via an individual bus.

6. The management system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the parking space sensors are divided into multiple groups, wherein each group is connected to the computer via an individual bus.

7. The management system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the computer repeatedly gathers the detected using status of each parking space sensor per a period.

8. The management system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the computer repeatedly gathers the detected using status of each parking space sensor per a period.

9. The management system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the information display board has four different color indicating lights to show the using status of the parking spaces.

10. The management system as claimed in claim 3 further comprising multiple guiding modules mounted on the paths of the parking lot and connected to the computer.

11. The management system as claimed in claim 10, wherein each guiding module is composed of a direction light, a stop light and a vehicle sensor.

12. The management system as claimed in claim 11, wherein each vehicle sensor is chosen from an ultrasonic sensor or a microwave sensor.