Valet Parking Management System

• US 20120047001A1
• Filed: 08/22/2011
• Published: 02/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Theodore Chagnon
• Original Assignee: Theodore Chagnon
• Inventors: Chagnon, Theodore
• Application Number:
  US13/215,054
• Publication Number:
  US 20120047001A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• 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

Abstract

A method of maintaining a valet parking database in a distributed computing system that includes a plurality of work stations each connected via a packet switched network to a computing device that accesses the valet parking database including information associated with vehicles that are valet parked, comprises assigning a uniquely associated tracking code to a vehicle to be valet parked. A record in the valet parking database associated with the tracking code is created, and a parking timer associated with the tracking code is automatically activated to indicate the elapsed time since the vehicle to be valet parked has been assigned the tracking code but is not yet parked. A warning message is automatically issued if the parking timer exceeds a first value indicating that the vehicle to be valet parked has not yet been parked. The record is updated to indicate that the vehicle has been parked and the parking timer is deactivated when the vehicle to be valet parked has been parked. When a retrieve vehicle request associated with the tracking code is received the record from the valet parking database associated with the tracking code is retrieved, and a key timer associated with the retrieved record is activated to indicate the elapsed time since the record has been automatically retrieved in response to the retrieve vehicle request. A missing key warning message is automatically generated if the key timer exceeds a second value indicating that the vehicle key has not yet been retrieved. The record is updated and the key timer is deactivated when the key associated with the vehicle to be valet parked has been located.

Claims

1. A method of maintaining a valet parking database in a distributed computing system that includes a plurality of work stations each connected via a packet switched network to a computing device that accesses the valet parking database including information associated with vehicles that are valet parked, the method comprising:

assigning a uniquely associated tracking code to a vehicle to be valet parked;

creating a record in the valet parking database associated with the tracking code;

automatically activating a parking timer associated with the tracking code and its record to indicate the elapsed time since the vehicle to be valet parked has been assigned the tracking code but is not yet parked;

automatically issuing a warning message if the parking timer exceeds a first value indicating that the vehicle to be valet parked has not yet been parked;

updating the record to indicate that the vehicle has been parked and deactivating the parking timer when the vehicle to be valet parked has been parked;

receiving a retrieve vehicle request associated with the tracking code;

automatically retrieving the record from the valet parking database in response to the retrieve vehicle request;

automatically activating a key timer associated with the retrieved record to indicate the elapsed time since the record has been automatically retrieved in response to the retrieve vehicle request;

automatically issuing a missing key warning message if the key timer exceeds a second value indicating that the vehicle key has not yet been retrieved; and

updating the record and deactivating the key timer when the key associated with the vehicle has been located.