Restricted parking system

• US 20060227010A1
• Filed: 04/12/2005
• Published: 10/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Carlson, Michael Pierre, Forlenza, Randolph Michael, Berstis, Viktors, Detweiler, Samuel Roy
• Granted Patent: US 7,271,738 B2
• 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

A method and implementing computer system are provided for enabling management of restricted parking spaces for vehicles. In an example, a sensing system senses the presence of vehicles in predetermined parking spaces and stores that information for subsequent processing. Particular parking restrictions, or limited parking indicia, for given parking spaces are displayed and viewable to vehicle operators. The posted parking restriction indicia are selectively changeable to accommodate various parking demand situations. The displayed limited parking indicia may be changed from one type of limited parking to other types of limited (or unlimited) parking from a remote server location, either selectively by an administrator or in accordance with a stored parking authorization plan or schedule. Vehicles are scanned for proper authorization for predetermined types of parking spaces. Alarms or other notification processes are implemented to provide notification of unauthorized vehicles which are parked in restricted parking spaces.

Claims

1. A method for enabling management of restricted parking spaces for vehicles, said method comprising:

providing a display of a parking restriction indicium, said display being viewable by a driver of a vehicle, said parking restriction indicium being associated with a predetermined vehicle parking space, said parking restriction indicium being representative of a first restrictive status of said predetermined parking space; and

enabling a selective changing of said parking restriction indicium from said first restrictive status to a second restrictive status for said predetermined parking space from a location removed from said predetermined vehicle parking space.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first restrictive status permits only parking by vehicles having a handicapped designation.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2 wherein said second restrictive status permits only parking for designated short term periods of time.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first restrictive status permits only parking for designated short term periods of time.

5. The method as set forth in claim 4 wherein said second restrictive status permits only parking by vehicles having a handicapped designation.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said selective changing is accomplished by a server system in accordance with a scheduled parking plan stored in memory of said server system.

7. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said selective changing is accomplished by providing input to a scheduled parking plan stored in memory of said server system.

8. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said display comprises a display presented on a wireless display device within a vehicle.

9. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said display device is an electronically controlled display device located in proximity to said predetermined parking space.

10. The method as set forth in claim 9 and further including a sensing means operable for sensing a presence of a vehicle in said predetermined parking space.

11. The method as set forth in claim 10 wherein said sensing means is included within said display device.

12. The method as set forth in claim 10 wherein said sensing means is physically separate from said display device.

13. The method as set forth in claim 10 and further including:

determining a minimum number of parking spaces to be reserved as handicapped or other restricted parking categories;

sensing a presence of a vehicle in a handicapped parking space; and

automatically changing a parking restriction indicium of a non-handicapped parking space to a parking restriction indicium representative of a handicapped parking space when available parking spaces designated as handicapped parking spaces falls below said minimum number.

14. The method as set forth in claim 1 and further including:

monitoring said predetermined vehicle parking space for compliance with said parking restriction indicium; and

providing a perceptible indication when said parking restriction condition applicable to said predetermined vehicle parking space is detected.

15. The method as set forth in claim 14 wherein said perceptible indication is provided at a display device of said server system.

16. The method as set forth in claim 14 wherein said perceptible indication is provided by a visual or audio alarm system at a display device located proximate to said predetermined parking space.

17. The method as set forth in claim 1 and further including:

detecting a presence of an authorization signal from a vehicle in said predetermined vehicle parking space, said authorization signal being representative of an authorization to park in predetermined ones of said restricted parking spaces; and

processing said authorization signal for compliance with a restrictive status associated with a parking restriction indicium for said predetermined vehicle parking space.

18. The method as set forth in claim 17 wherein said authorization signal is provided by a radio frequency identification (RFID) device on said vehicle.

19. A storage medium including machine readable coded indicia, said storage medium being selectively accessed by a computer system to provide program signals representative thereof, said program signals being selectively operable within said computer system for enabling management of restricted parking spaces for vehicles by effecting the steps of:

providing a display of a parking restriction indicium, said display being viewable by a driver of a vehicle, said parking restriction indicium being associated with a predetermined vehicle parking space, said parking restriction indicium being representative of a first restrictive status of said predetermined parking space; and

enabling a selective changing of said parking restriction indicium from said first restrictive status to a second restrictive status for said predetermined parking space from a location removed from said predetermined vehicle parking space.

20. A processing system for enabling management of restricted parking spaces for vehicles, said processing system comprising:

a system bus;

a CPU device connected to said system bus;

a memory connected to said system bus; and

display means viewable from a predetermined parking space, said display means being operable for providing a display of a parking restriction indicium, said parking restriction indicium being associated with said predetermined parking space, said parking restriction indicium being representative of a first restrictive status of said predetermined parking space, said computer system being operable for enabling a selective changing of said parking restriction indicium on said display means from said first restrictive status to a second restrictive status for said predetermined parking space from a location removed from said predetermined vehicle parking space.