Method and device for booking a parking space

• US 20040236615A1
• Filed: 06/17/2004
• Published: 11/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Parkeon
• Original Assignee: Parkeon
• Inventors: Msndy, Damien
• Application Number:
  US10/479,394
• Publication Number:
  US 20040236615A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/14 indicating individual free spaces in parking areas

Abstract

A method of reserving a plurality of pay parking spaces supervised by at least one terminal (BO) of the parking meter type, including indicator means for each supervised space for indicating the state of payment (Si) defining whether or not parking is authorized, the method being characterized in that it comprises the following steps: a) a user (1) defining a reservation request (2) in accordance with selected parameters; b) the user receiving in return reservation data and the identity of at least one available parking space corresponding to said selected parameters; c) at the appropriate time, the user presenting said reservation data to the parking terminal (BO) associated with said parking space; and d) the terminal (BO) verifying said data and using said indicator means to indicate corresponding authorization to park.

Claims

1. A method of reserving a plurality of pay parking spaces supervised by at least one terminal (BO) of the parking meter type, including indicator means for each supervised space for indicating the state of payment (Si) defining whether or not parking is authorized, the method being characterized in that it comprises the following steps:

a) a user defining a reservation request in accordance with selected parameters;

b) the user receiving in return reservation data and the identity of at least one available parking space corresponding to said selected parameters;

c) at the appropriate time, the user presenting said reservation data to the parking terminal (BO) associated with said parking space; and

d) the terminal (BO) verifying said data and using said indicator means to indicate corresponding authorization to park.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the reservation request can be sent directly to a parking terminal.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the reservation request can be sent to a reservation center.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the reservation data includes a reservation code (RC) specific to the reservation.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the reservation data includes an identifier (ID) specific to the user.

6. A method according to claim 4, wherein the reservation code (RC) is determined, taking account of the user identifier (ID) and/or of at least some of the parameters defining the reservation request.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein said parameters of the reservation request relate to parking location, date and duration, and also optionally to associated services, mode of payment, and/or reservation fee.

8. A method according claim 1, wherein said method further includes a confirmation step in which the user confirms the reservation for a given parking space.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein said method further includes a step of locking and unlocking access control means that restrict access to parking sites during reserved periods to only those users who have made reservations.

10. Apparatus for reserving a plurality of pay parking spaces, said apparatus comprising:

at least one parking meter type terminal (BO) supervising said parking spaces, said terminal (BO) including, for each supervised space, indicator means for indicating the state of payments (Si) defining whether or not parking is authorized, and reservation means suitable for receiving a reservation request for a defined parking space in accordance with selected parameters, for generating reservation data, and for identifying at least one available parking space corresponding to said selected parameters, and certification means carried by the terminal (BO) associated with said reserved parking space and suitable for verifying the reservation data presented by the user.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said reservation means are carried by each of said terminals (BO).

12. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said reservation means are constituted by a reservation server.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said reservation server co-operates with a communications portal suitable for communicating with the user via at least one communications means belonging to the group comprising:

wired or wireless telephony means;

data interchange means;

fax machines;

voice recognition devices; and

Internet communications devices or the like.

14. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said reservation server includes calculation means suitable for calculating all or some of the reservation data (RC).

15. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said terminal (BO) further comprises communications means suitable for communicating with the operator managing the parking terminals and/or with said reservation server to provide information relating to the availability of parking spaces that it supervises.

16. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said apparatus further comprises remote control access control means suitable for restricting access to parking sites during reservation periods to only those users who have made reservations.

17. Apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said access control means can be remotely controlled via a mobile telephone.

18. A reservation server suitable for co-operating with the reservation apparatus according to claim 12.

19. A parking terminal suitable for co-operating with the reservation apparatus according to claim 10.

20. A communications portal suitable for co-operating with the reservation apparatus according to claim 13.

21. A means for controlling access to a site and suitable for co-operating with the reservation apparatus according to claim 16.