Parking space detection method

• US 20060220911A1
• Filed: 02/28/2006
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Vitale, Antonio, Hue, Cyril, Jaupitre, Gaelle
• Application Number:
  US11/362,916
• Publication Number:
  US 20060220911A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/932.200
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/14 indicating individual free spaces in parking areas

Abstract

The invention relates to a free parking space detection method comprising: a step of sending, from a user to a server, a free parking space request specifying a location; a step of image capture apparatus situated in the vicinity of the specified location capturing one or more images of a parking area comprising a plurality of parking spaces and being associated with the apparatus; an image processing step to determine respective lengths of free parking spaces in the parking area from one or more images of the parking area; a step of sending the server an identifier of the image capture apparatus and said respective lengths of said free parking spaces; and a step of sending, from a server to a user, at least one free parking space location.

Claims

1. Free parking space detection method comprising:

a step of sending, from a user to a server, a free parking space request specifying a location;

a step of image capture apparatus situated in the vicinity of the specified location capturing one or more images of a parking area comprising a plurality of parking spaces and being associated with the apparatus;

an image processing step to determine respective lengths of free parking spaces in the parking area from one or more images of the parking area;

a step of sending the server an identifier of the image capture apparatus and said respective lengths of said free parking spaces; and

a step of sending, from a server to a user, at least one free parking space location and at least one length associated with said free parking space.

3. Parking space detection method according to claim 1, characterized in that the image processing step compares, on the one hand, images captured by the image capture apparatus and, on the other hand, one or more reference images corresponding to the parking area when all its parking spaces are free.

4. Parking space detection method according to claim 1, characterized in that the image processing step determines free parking spaces by recognizing the shapes of vehicles occupying occupied parking spaces.

5. Parking space detection method according to claim 1, characterized in that the image processing step determines free parking spaces by recognizing motion of vehicles parking in the parking spaces.

6. Parking space detection method according to claim 1, characterized in that, on the one hand, the image capture apparatus and, on the other hand, the parking area associated with the image capture apparatus are situated on respective opposite sides of a road.

7. Parking space detection method according to claim 1, characterized in that the images are destroyed after processing and not stored.

2. Free parking space detection method comprising:

a step of sending, from a user to a server, a free parking space request specifying a location and information representative of a vehicle length;

a step of image capture apparatus situated in the vicinity of the specified location capturing one or more images of a parking area comprising a plurality of parking spaces and being associated with the apparatus;

an image processing step to determine respective lengths of free parking spaces in the parking area from one or more images of the parking area;

a step of sending the server an identifier of the image capture apparatus and said respective lengths of said free parking spaces;

a step of the server comparing, on the one hand, one or more of said respective lengths and, on the other hand, the information representative of a vehicle length, selecting at least one free parking space having a length adapted to said information representative of a vehicle length; and

a step of sending, from a server to a user, at least one selected free parking space location.

8. Free parking space detection terminal comprising:

image capture apparatus associated with a parking area comprising a plurality of parking spaces and adapted to capture images of said parking area; and

a free parking space detection device comprising;

an image processing module adapted to determine from one or more images captured by the image capture apparatus the respective lengths of the free parking spaces in the parking area; and

an interface adapted to send an identifier of the image capture apparatus and said respective lengths of said free parking spaces to a server.

9. Free parking space detection device comprising:

an image processing module adapted to determine from one or more images of a parking area comprising a plurality of parking spaces the respective lengths of the free parking spaces in the parking area; and

an interface adapted to send an identifier of an image capture apparatus that supplied the image or images of the parking area and said respective lengths of said free parking spaces to a server.

10. Free parking space detection terminal comprising:

image capture apparatus associated with a parking area comprising a plurality of parking spaces and adapted to capture images of said parking area; and

a free parking space detection device comprising;

an image processing module adapted to determine from one or more images taken by the image capture apparatus the respective lengths of the free parking spaces in the parking area; and

an interface adapted to send an identifier of the image capture apparatus and said respective lengths of said free parking spaces to the server.

11. Free parking space detection device comprising:

an image processing module adapted to determine from one or more images of a parking area comprising a plurality of parking spaces the respective lengths of the free parking spaces in the parking area; and

an interface adapted to send an identifier of an image capture apparatus that supplied the image or images of the parking area and said respective lengths of said free parking spaces to a server.

12. Free parking space detection server comprising:

a comparison module adapted to compare one or more respective free parking space lengths and information representative of a vehicle length supplied by a user, selecting at least one free parking space having a length adapted to said information representative of a vehicle length; and

an interface adapted to send at least one selected free parking space location to a user.