Local enforcement of remotely managed parking payment systems

• US 20060059037A1
• Filed: 09/10/2004
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: New Parking Incorporated
• Original Assignee: New Parking Incorporated
• Inventors: Ivey, James Darryl, Janacek, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US10/938,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20060059037A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/13
• 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

Abstract

A parking payment status map represents payment status of multiple parking locations as recorded on a parking management computer system. The map is retrieved by a parking control officer through a wireless communications network from the parking management computer system. The parking control officer can therefore verify payment status of multiple parking locations simultaneously. The map can be viewed on standard web browsers. User-interface controls enable user-controlled panning, rotation, and refreshing of the parking payment status map.

Claims

1. A method for representing parking status of two or more parking locations which are related to one another spatially, the method comprising:

determining respective status of each of the two or more parking locations;

displaying a representation of each of the two or more parking locations wherein the respective representations are oriented according to the spatial relations of the two or more parking locations and further wherein the representation of each of the two or more parking locations indicates the respective status of each of the parking locations.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the status of each of the two or more parking locations includes payment status.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the payment status is selected from a group consisting of a paid state and an unpaid state.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the representation of each of the parking locations identifies the respective parking location from among the two or more parking locations.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying comprises:

sending representation data to a remote device such that the remote device renders the representation data as a display.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the representation data is textual.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the representation data is viewable through a web browser.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the representation data comports with a hypertext markup language.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying one or more landmarks in spatial relation to the representations of the parking locations.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the one or more landmarks include one or more streets.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the one or more landmarks include one or more street intersections.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the two or more parking locations are selected with reference to an initial location.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the initial location is specified by a user.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the initial location is indicated by a parking location identified by a user.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the two or more parking locations are selected according to a reference location, the method further comprising:

selecting a new reference location in accordance with signals received from a user; and

repeating the step of displaying in accordance with the new reference location.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying comprises displaying with a directional orientation, the method further comprising:

receiving signals from a user which specify a different directional orientation; and

repeating the step of displaying in accordance with the different directional orientation.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving signals from a user;

in response to the signals, repeating the steps of determining and displaying.

18. A computer readable medium useful in association with a computer which includes a processor and a memory, the computer readable medium including computer instructions which are configured to cause the computer to represent parking status of two or more parking locations which are related to one another spatially by:

determining respective status of each of the two or more parking locations;

displaying a representation of each of the two or more parking locations wherein the respective representations are oriented according to the spatial relations of the two or more parking locations and further wherein the representation of each of the two or more parking locations indicates the respective status of each of the parking locations.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18 wherein the status of each of the two or more parking locations includes payment status.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19 wherein the payment status is selected from a group consisting of a paid state and an unpaid state.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 18 wherein the representation of each of the parking locations identifies the respective parking location from among the two or more parking locations.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 18 wherein displaying comprises:

sending representation data to a remote device such that the remote device renders the representation data as a display.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 22 wherein the representation data is textual.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 22 wherein the representation data is viewable through a web browser.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 24 wherein the representation data comports with a hypertext markup language.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 18 wherein the computer instructions are configured to cause the computer to represent parking status of the parking locations by also:

displaying one or more landmarks in spatial relation to the representations of the parking locations.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 26 wherein the one or more landmarks include one or more streets.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 26 wherein the one or more landmarks include one or more street intersections.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 18 wherein the two or more parking locations are selected with reference to an initial location.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 29 wherein the initial location is specified by a user.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 29 wherein the initial location is indicated by a parking location identified by a user.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 18 wherein the two or more parking locations are selected according to a reference location, further wherein the computer instructions are configured to cause the computer to represent parking status of the parking locations by also:

selecting a new reference location in accordance with signals received from a user; and

repeating the step of displaying in accordance with the new reference location.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 18 wherein displaying comprises displaying with a directional orientation, further wherein the computer instructions are configured to cause the computer to represent parking status of the parking locations by also:

receiving signals from a user which specify a different directional orientation; and

repeating the step of displaying in accordance with the different directional orientation.

34. The computer readable medium of claim 18 wherein the computer instructions are configured to cause the computer to represent parking status of the parking locations by also:

receiving signals from a user;

in response to the signals, repeating the steps of determining and displaying.

35. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

a memory operatively coupled to the processor; and

a parking status module (i) which executes in the processor from the memory and (ii) which, when executed by the processor, causes the computer to represent parking status of two or more parking locations which are related to one another spatially by;

determining respective status of each of the two or more parking locations;

displaying a representation of each of the two or more parking locations wherein the respective representations are oriented according to the spatial relations of the two or more parking locations and further wherein the representation of each of the two or more parking locations indicates the respective status of each of the parking locations.

36. The computer system of claim 35 wherein the status of each of the two or more parking locations includes payment status.

37. The computer system of claim 36 wherein the payment status is selected from a group consisting of a paid state and an unpaid state.

38. The computer system of claim 35 wherein the representation of each of the parking locations identifies the respective parking location from among the two or more parking locations.

39. The computer system of claim 35 wherein displaying comprises:

sending representation data to a remote device such that the remote device renders the representation data as a display.

40. The computer system of claim 39 wherein the representation data is textual.

41. The computer system of claim 39 wherein the representation data is viewable through a web browser.

42. The computer system of claim 41 wherein the representation data comports with a hypertext markup language.

43. The computer system of claim 35 wherein the parking status module, when executed by the processor, causes the computer to represent parking status of the parking locations by also:

displaying one or more landmarks in spatial relation to the representations of the parking locations.

44. The computer system of claim 43 wherein the one or more landmarks include one or more streets.

45. The computer system of claim 43 wherein the one or more landmarks include one or more street intersections.

46. The computer system of claim 35 wherein the two or more parking locations are selected with reference to an initial location.

47. The computer system of claim 46 wherein the initial location is specified by a user.

48. The computer system of claim 46 wherein the initial location is indicated by a parking location identified by a user.

49. The computer system of claim 35 wherein the two or more parking locations are selected according to a reference location, further wherein the parking status module, when executed by the processor, causes the computer to represent parking status of the parking locations by also:

selecting a new reference location in accordance with signals received from a user; and

repeating the step of displaying in accordance with the new reference location.

50. The computer system of claim 35 wherein displaying comprises displaying with a directional orientation, further wherein the parking status module, when executed by the processor, causes the computer to represent parking status of the parking locations by also:

receiving signals from a user which specify a different directional orientation; and

repeating the step of displaying in accordance with the different directional orientation.

51. The computer system of claim 35 wherein the parking status module, when executed by the processor, causes the computer to represent parking status of the parking locations by also:

receiving signals from a user;

in response to the signals, repeating the steps of determining and displaying.