System and method of detecting and navigating to empty parking spaces

• US 20060253226A1
• Filed: 04/03/2006
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gamba Group Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Ehud Mendelson
• Inventors: Mendelson, Ehud
• Granted Patent: US 7,899,583 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3685 the POI's being parking facilities
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/04 Position of source determined by a plurality of spaced direction-finders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• 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
• 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: G07F 17/246 provided with vehicle proximity-detectors detecting hidden masses, e.g. metal detectors, G01V, e.g. G01V3/00; proximity switches per se H03K17/00; traffic control systems G08G1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/009 User recognition or proximity detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/14 indicating individual free spaces in parking areas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/24 for communication between two or more posts wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/26 at least one of which is mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

The parking detection system method described herein could guide people around urban environments detect guide and navigate them to empty parking spaces, add-on to the car-based navigation systems that are popular today and or to the portable phone. We have focused on the task of detecting and navigating even in situations in which Global Positioning Systems (GPS) cannot provide this information, such as when the person is indoors or in crowded urban areas where there is no line of site to the GPS satellites. The parking information will be received directly from RF sensors and will display as a floating overlay on the existing navigation system and or cellular phone as Bluetooth application.

Claims

1. A wireless parking detector, comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) sensor for detecting an empty parking space and outputting parking data; and

a transmitter receiving the parking data from said RF sensor and wirelessly transmitting the parking data.

2. The wireless parking detector according to claim 1, wherein said transmitter only actively transmitting if said RF sensor detects an actually empty parking space.

3. The wireless parking detector according to claim 1, wherein said RF sensor is one of a plurality of wireless sensors defining a network where each of said wireless sensors detects a designated, individual parking space.

4. The wireless detector according to claim 1, wherein said RF sensor can be installed on any place that is designated as a parking space.

5. The wireless sensor according to claim 1, wherein the parking data includes a data ID of a particular parking space.

6. The wireless sensor according to claim 5, wherein the parking data includes address data, price data, and type of parking data selected from the group consisting normal parking and handicap parking.

7. A method for displaying parking availability information on at least one display device selected from the group consisting of a vehicle on-board navigation system, a mobile phone, and a Bluetooth enabled device, the method comprises the steps of:

receiving parking space data from a parking sensor, the parking space data including positional data, price data, and type of parking availability data selected from the group consisting of normal parking and handicap parking; and

displaying empty parking space information as a floating overlay on the display device.

8. The method according to claim 7, which further comprises floating the empty parking space information over an existing floor plan.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the empty parking space information is displayed as a stand alone application without background mapping.

10. The method according to claim 7, which further comprises displaying the empty parking space information over a facility map, area map, or floor plan downloaded to the display device.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein the empty parking space information pertains to navigating a current parking area.

12. The method according to claim 11, which further comprises determining a current position of a vehicle by a triangulation calculation based on known positions of a plurality of wireless parking sensors detecting the vehicle.

13. The method according to claim 12, which further comprises navigating to the current parking area using a mapping facility.

14. The method according to claim 7, which further comprises producing a parking ticket with an exact location to a park space for a vehicle, the parking ticket being distributed by a parking garage.

15. The method according to claim 7, which further comprises paying electronically the parking sensor which replaces a parking meter.

16. The method according to claim 7, wherein the parking sensor automatically debits the display device.

17. The method according to claim 12, which further comprises performing the determining step without an aid of a global positioning satellite system.

18. The method according to claim 7, which further comprises:

registering an exact parking place location of a vehicle on the display device; and

subsequently retrieving the exact parking place location for determining where the vehicle is parked.

19. The method according to claim 18, which further comprises displaying on the display device a mapping between a current position and the exact parking place location of the vehicle.

20. The method according to claim 7, which further comprises displaying additional information of an available parking space as a waypoint.

21. The method according to claim 7, which further comprises providing the display device with an omni directional circular display.

22. The method according to claim 7, which further comprises forming the display device as a head-up display device projecting onto a vehicle windshield and displaying the empty parking space information via the head-up device.

23. The method according to claim 21, which further comprises determining a distance to and a direction to an empty parking space with the omni directional circular display.

24. The method according to claim 7, which further comprises providing the display device with application software for displaying pre-loaded area maps or parking facility floor plans.