DATA COLLECTION SYSTEM FOR ELECTRONIC PARKING METERS

• US 20090267732A1
• Filed: 04/27/2009
• Published: 10/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: J.J. MacKay Canada Limited (137954 Canada Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: J.J. MacKay Canada Limited (137954 Canada Ltd.)
• Inventors: Mackay, George Allan, Erskine, Neil Stuart, Chauvin, Gregory Emile
• Granted Patent: US 8,184,019 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.530
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3221 Access to banking information through M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/24 for parking meters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines

Abstract

There is disclosed a single space parking meter that includes a low powered radio for communicating with a mobile access point. There is also provided a parking meter management system comprising a single space parking meter and a mobile access point. The mobile access point comprises a coin collection cart, and a mobile data collection terminal including a wireless radio for communicating with the wireless radio of the single space parking meter. Also disclosed is a method of managing single space parking meters comprising the steps of collecting and storing meter information in a single space parking meter, receiving at a main electronics board of the single space parking meter a transmit signal, and transmitting the meter information to a mobile access point using a low powered radio of the single space parking meter.

Claims

1. A parking meter comprising:

a payment mechanism for receiving payment for a parking space;

a memory for storing parking meter information including information on the payment received;

a transmitter for transmitting information to a receiver; and

a processor for executing instructions and providing;

a transmitting unit for transmitting the parking meter information stored in the memory using the transmitter; and

a trigger unit for triggering the transmission of the parking meter information when a trigger event associated with the receiver being within a transmission range is received.

2. The parking meter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the payment mechanism comprises a coin chute for receiving coins.

3. The parking meter as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

a coin vault for holding the coins received at the coin chute;

a vault door providing access to the coin vault; and

a vault door switch coupled to the vault door for providing a vault door signal to the processor indicating the vault door is open.

4. The parking meter as claimed in claim 3, wherein the trigger event to trigger the transmission of the parking meter information is the vault door signal indicating the vault door is open.

5. The parking meter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the payment mechanism is at least one of:

a coin chute for accepting coins as payment; and

a card reader for accepting payment from an electronic purse or a credit card.

6. The parking meter as claimed in claim 1 wherein the trigger unit triggers the transmission of the parking meter information at a periodic interval.

7. The parking meter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the trigger unit triggers the transmission of the parking meter information based on the occurrence of an event at the parking meter.

8. The parking meter as claimed in claim 7, wherein the event is associated with the receiver being within a transmission range of the transmitter.

9. The marking meter as claimed in claim 8, wherein the event comprises one of:

receiving an infrared signal at the parking meter;

reading a fingerprint of a collection officer at the parking meter;

reading a fingerprint of a maintenance worker at the parking meter;

or

reading a radio frequency identification tag at the parking meter.

10. A parking meter system comprising:

a parking meter comprising;

a payment mechanism for receiving payment for a parking space;

a memory for storing parking meter information including information on the payment received;

a transmitter for transmitting information to a receiver; and

a processor for executing instructions and providing;

a transmitting unit for transmitting the parking meter information stored in the memory using the transmitter; and

a trigger unit for triggering the transmission of the parking meter information when a trigger event associated with the receiver being within a transmission range is received;

a coin collection cart for receiving coins retrieved from a plurality of parking meters including the parking meter; and

a receiver for receiving the parking meter information.

11. The parking meter system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the receiver is housed within a terminal device.

12. The parking meter system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the hand-held terminal is carried on one of:

a collection officer'"'"'s body;

a maintenance worker'"'"'s body;

or

the coin collection cart.

13. The parking meter system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the parking meter transmits the parking meter information to the receiver of the coin collection cart when a vault door of the parking meter is opened in order to retrieve coins from the parking meter.

14. The parking meter system as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a back-end computer system for receiving the parking meter information from the terminal device.

15. A method of transmitting parking meter information comprising:

storing parking meter information in a memory of the parking meter;

detecting at the parking meter an occurrence of a trigger event indicating that a receiver is within a transmission range of the parking meter; and

triggering the transmission of the parking meter information stored in the memory.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

generating a signal indicating that the receiver is within the transmission range;

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the signal is generated by a switch coupled to a parking meter vault door that is opened when collecting coins from the parking meter;

and

wherein detecting the occurrence of the trigger event comprises receiving the generated signal.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising transferring the parking meter information to a back-end system.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein detecting the occurrence of the trigger event comprises one of:

detecting a fingerprint of a maintenance worker;

detecting a fingerprint of a collections officer;

or

detecting a radio frequency identifier.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of storing parking meter information comprises one or more of:

storing a total coin count for different denominations of coins received by the parking meter;

storing a total count for cashless payments made at the parking meter using chip cards, electronic purses or credit cards;

storing a last collection date indicating a previous date that coins were removed from the parking meter and/or the previous date that parking meter information was collected from the parking meter;

storing a current collection date indicating when coins were collected and/or parking meter information is collected from the parking meter;

storing purchase times indicating the dates/times when parking was paid for;

storing an operating time indicating an amount of time the processor or main board electronics were in the operating mode and/or in a sleep mode;

storing self diagnostic tests results indicating the results of self diagnostic tests run by the parking meter;

storing durations of any errors or malfunctions encountered by the parking meter; and

storing a state of the vault door including open, closed or locked.