Parking reservation systems and related methods

• US 20040254840A1
• Filed: 06/10/2003
• Published: 12/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Slemmer, John Blake, Rivenburgh, Neil Fredrick
• Granted Patent: US 7,783,530 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/144 on portable or mobile units, e.g. personal digital assistant [PDA]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/146 where the parking area is a limited parking space, e.g. parking garage, restricted space
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/148 Management of a network of parking areas

Abstract

Parking reservation systems and methods for a parking lot having a plurality of individual parking spaces include an electronic database of an inventory of available parking spaces; and at least one processor in communication with the electronic database. The processor can be configured to: (a) accept user input regarding a request for a reserved parking space; (b) automatically reserve a parking space for a patron upon receipt of a payment therefor; (c) generate a confirmation of the reservation for the patron; and (d) automatically adjust the database of the inventory of available spaces based on the reservation. Other systems and methods are configured to identify parking lots with vacancies in a geographical region of interest.

Claims

26. A method of reserving parking spaces in a parking lot, comprising:

obtaining an inventory of available spaces in a parking lot;

accepting an advance request for a reservation of a parking space from an occasional patron;

reserving a parking space based on the accepted request for a reserved parking space; and

updating the inventory of available spaces.

1. A parking reservation system for a parking lot comprising a plurality of individual parking spaces, comprising:

an electronic database of an inventory of available parking spaces; and

at least one processor in communication with the electronic database, the processor being configured to;

(a) accept input regarding a request for a reserved parking space for an event specific and/or date specific need;

(b) automatically reserve a parking space for an occasional use patron of the parking lot upon receipt of a payment therefor;

(c) generate a confirmation of the reservation; and

(d) automatically adjust the database of the inventory of available spaces based on the reservation.

2. A parking reservation system according to claim 1, wherein the parking space is in a reserved or limited access region of the parking lot, and wherein the parking lot reserved region is adjustable in size day to day and/or event to event.

3. A parking reservation system according to claim 1, wherein the electronic database of available parking spaces is event specific.

4. A parking reservation system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to accept the user input for a reservation over a computer network.

5. A parking reservation system according to claim 4, wherein the computer network is a global computer network.

6. A parking reservation system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to wirelessly receive the request for a reserved parking space from the patron.

7. A parking reservation system according to claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to relay the inventory of parking spaces to the computer network in substantially real-time.

8. A parking reservation system according to claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to identify the location of the available and/or unavailable parking spaces.

9. A parking reservation system according to claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to allow the user to select a desired parking space.

10. A parking reservation system according to claim 1, wherein the database is configured to identify a plurality of spatially separate parking lots within a target geographical location that have vacancies and relay that information to the patron.

11. A parking reservation system according to claim 10, wherein the identification of parking lots with vacancies are relayed to a computer network.

12. A parking reservation system according to claim 11, wherein the computer network is a global computer network.

13. A parking reservation system according to claim 10, wherein the identification of parking lots with vacancies are relayed to a wireless communication device.

14. A parking reservation system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to generate a confirmation that is identifiable as specific to the patron.

15. A parking reservation system according to claim 14, further comprising an electronic reader in communication with the processor that can verify that a patron entering the parking lot has a confirmed reservation.

16. A parking reservation system according to claim 15, wherein the electronic reader is a magnetic card reader.

17. A parking reservation system according to claim 5, wherein the processor is configured to generate a downloadable printable or displayable parking pass to the patron.

18. A parking reservation system according to claim 17, wherein the downloadable parking pass is configured with safeguards to inhibit unauthorized duplication.

19. A parking reservation system according to claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to generate a downloadable printable or displayable parking pass and wirelessly transmit the downloadable pass to the patron.

20. A parking reservation system according to claim 1, wherein the electronic inventory is date and/or event-specific, and wherein the processor is configured to allocate a particular space with a space identifier to the patron prior to the patron'"'"'s arrival at the parking lot based on the inventory of available spaces.

21. A parking reservation system according to claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to generate a display a map of parking spaces in the parking lot and visually contrasts the available spaces from the spaces that are unavailable.

22. A parking reservation system according to claim 10, wherein the system identifies the available spaces in substantially real-time.

23. A parking system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to relay data regarding available parking spaces to a web page.

24. A parking reservation system according to claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to relay data regarding available parking spaces to a web page.

25. A parking reservation system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to virtually reserve parking spaces based on pre-orders of event-specific patrons that specify when and/or what event that the parking lot space is desired.

27. A method according to claim 26, wherein the step of updating available space inventory is carried out substantially continuously while reservations are being accepted to provide a substantially real-time count of available parking spaces.

28. A method according to claim 26, further comprising generating a confirmation with an identifier unique to a patron'"'"'s accepted reservation.

29. A method according to claim 28, further comprising transmitting the confirmation to the patron over a global computer network.

30. A method according to claim 26, wherein the inventory is event-specific.

31. A method according to claim 26, wherein the inventory is date-specific.

32. A method according to claim 26, wherein the step of accepting includes telephonically accepting reservation requests from a patron.

33. A method according to claim 26, wherein the step of accepting comprises receiving inquiries for parking space reservations that are communicated over a computer network.

34. A method according to claim 33, wherein the computer network is a global computer network.

35. A method according to claim 26, wherein the step of accepting comprises wirelessly receiving the request for a reserved parking space and relaying confirmation of a successful reservation to a patron.

36. A method according to claim 26, wherein the step of obtaining the inventory is configured to relay the inventory of parking spaces to a global computer network in substantially real-time.

37. A method according to claim 36, further comprising identifying the location of the available and/or unavailable parking spaces on a web page.

38. A method according to claim 37, further comprising allowing the user to select a desired parking space from the identified available spaces over the global computer network.

39. A method according to claim 26, further comprising identifying a plurality of spatially separate parking lots within a target geographical location that have vacancies and relaying that information to a potential patron or user.

40. A method according to claim 39, wherein the identification of parking lots with vacancies are relayed to a computer network.

41. A method according to claim 40, wherein the computer network is a global computer network.

42. A method according to claim 39, wherein the identification of parking lots with vacancies are relayed to a wireless communication device.

43. A method according to claim 26, further comprising generating a confirmation that is identifiable as specific to a patron.

44. A method according to claim 43, further comprising verifying that a patron entering the parking lot has an authentic confirmed reservation.

45. A method according to claim 26, further comprising providing a downloadable printable or displayable parking pass to the patron.

46. A method according to claim 45, further comprising configuring the downloadable parking pass with visual safeguards to inhibit unauthorized duplication.

47. A method according to claim 45, further comprising wirelessly transmitting the downloadable parking pass to the patron.

48. A method according to claim 45, wherein the parking pass is accessible for downloading via the internet.

49. A method according to claim 48, wherein the step of providing the inventory is carried out to provide an electronic inventory that is date and/or event-specific, the method further comprising allocating a particular space with a space identifier to the patron having the accepted reservation prior to the patron'"'"'s arrival at the parking lot based on the inventory of available spaces.

50. A method according to claim 26, further comprising controlling access to the parking lot.

51. A method according to claim 50, further comprising verifying the identity of the patron and the authenticity of the reservation proximate entry at the parking lot.

29-1. A method according to claim 28, further comprising wirelessly transmitting the confirmation to the patron.

52. A method of identifying parking lots with vacancies in a geographical region of interest, comprising:

electronically providing a database of an inventory of parking lots located in a geographical region of interest;

identifying those parking lots within the geographical region with vacancies at a time period of interest; and

relaying vacancy data or information to a requester.

53. A method according to claim 52, wherein the step of relaying comprises wirelessly relaying data associated with the identified lots having vacancies to the requester.

54. A method according to claim 52, wherein the step of relaying comprises relaying data associated with the identified lots having vacancies to the requester over a computer network.

55. A method according to claim 54, wherein the computer network is a global computer network.

56. A method according to claim 53, further comprising providing an electronically accessible and searchable web page with data on parking lots in different geographical areas.

57. A method according to claim 55, further comprising providing an electronically accessible and searchable web page with data on parking lots in different geographical areas, and wherein the step of relaying is carried out to provide the vacancy data responsive to the search parameters input by the requester with respect to the data supporting the web page.

58. A method according to claim 52, wherein the relayed vacancy data or information includes a list of parking lots having vacancies with names and addresses thereof.

59. A method according to claim 52, wherein the relayed vacancy data or information includes a graphic visual display of parking lots on a map with those having vacancies shown thereon.

60. A method according to claim 59, wherein parking lots without vacancies are shown on the display in a manner different from the lots with vacancies on the map.

61. A method according to claim 58, further comprising compiling the list to present the lots in an order with a predetermined ordering arrangement.

62. A method according to claim 61, wherein the step of compiling comprises allowing the requester to input personal preferences and sorting the list based on the input.

63. A method according to claim 61, wherein the ordering is carried out such that identified parking lots with vacancies that have larger numbers of vacancies are listed proximate the top of the list.

64. A method according to claim 62, wherein the personal preferences include the target destination of the requester, and wherein the list presents the identified lots in the order of the closest in proximity to the target destination

65. A method according to claim 52, further comprising accepting an advance reservation and generating a reservation confirmation receipt for same.

66. A method according to claim 52, further comprising:

displaying a visual grid of a target geographical area of interest;

allowing the requester to touch the screen on the display to select the target destination in the geographical area of interest; and

displaying the parking lots identified as having vacancies in response thereto.

67. A method according to claim 52, further comprising updating the vacancy data for parking lots at least hourly during business hours.

68. A method according to claim 67, further comprising updating the vacancy data or information for the parking lots in substantially real-time.

69. A method according to claim 67, wherein the data indicates the aggregate numbers of available spaces in a plurality of identified lots.

70. A method according to claim 67, wherein the data just summarizes parking lots that identify themselves as having vacancies.

71. A method according to claim 70, further comprising removing a parking lot from the inventory of those identified as having vacancies responsive to when a parking lot sends a message to a central monitoring computer that controls the inventory database to delist it therefrom for an event or on a particular time and/or date.

72. A method according to claim 53, further comprising connecting the requester to a telephone or computer associated with an identified parking lot.

73. A method according to claim 52, further comprising identifying a space location of a parking space that is available for reservation and automatically providing the location of the identified available space to at least one output device in substantially real-time.

74. A system of identifying parking lots with vacancies in a geographical region of interest, comprising:

means for electronically providing a database of an inventory of parking lots located in a geographical region of interest;

means for identifying those parking lots within the geographical region with vacancies at a time period of interest; and

means for relaying vacancy data or information to a requester.

75. A system according to claim 74, wherein the means for relaying comprises means for wirelessly relaying data associated with the identified lots having vacancies to the requester.

76. A system according to claim 74, wherein the means for relaying comprises means for relaying data associated with the identified lots having vacancies to the requester over a computer network.