System and Method for Direct Transfer of Electronic Parking Meter Data

• US 20120285793A1
• Filed: 07/17/2012
• Published: 11/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Duncan Parking Technologies, Inc. (Navient Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Duncan Solutions, Inc. (Navient Corp.)
• Inventors: Jones, Gavin, Jones, Steven Alan, Anastacio, Matthew Hilario
• Granted Patent: US 8,631,921 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 194/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0284 Time or distance, e.g. usage of parking meters or taximeters
• 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: G07C 1/30 Parking meters registering or indicating waiting time of vehicles by means driven by the vehicle G07C5/02; coin-freed parking meters G07F17/24
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/02 Registering or indicating driving, working, idle, or waiting time only apparatus forming part of taximeters G07B13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/24 for parking meters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/248 Housing construction casings for coin-freed apparatus G07F9/10
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/141 with means giving the indication of available parking spaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/14 Marketing, i.e. market research and analysis, surveying, promotions, advertising, buyer profiling, customer management or rewards

Abstract

A single space electronic parking meter mechanism for inserting into an outer parking meter housing is provided. The mechanism includes an inner housing, a payment receiving structure supported by the inner housing and an electronic display screen supported by the inner housing. The mechanism also includes a wireless communication subsystem supported by the inner housing configured to wirelessly communicate with a parking management system and an electronic meter control system controlling the electronic display and the wireless communications subsystem. The mechanism includes a memory device receiving port externally accessible through the inner housing and a read-write removable memory device physically accessible from outside of the inner housing and configured to be coupled to the memory device receiving port. The removable memory device including operation mode information that is read by the electronic meter control system to select an operation mode of the meter mechanism.

Claims

1. A single space electronic parking meter mechanism for inserting into an outer parking meter housing comprising:

an inner housing;

a payment receiving structure supported by the inner housing;

an electronic display screen supported by the inner housing;

a wireless communication subsystem supported by the inner housing configured to wirelessly communicate with a parking management system;

an electronic meter control system controlling the electronic display and the wireless communications subsystem;

a memory device receiving port externally accessible through the inner housing; and

a read-write removable memory device physically accessible from outside of the inner housing and configured to be coupled to the memory device receiving port, the removable memory device including operation mode information that is read by the electronic meter control system to select an operation mode of the meter mechanism.

2. The single space electronic parking meter mechanism of claim 1, wherein operation mode information includes:

location ID information representative of the physical, geographic location of the outer parking meter housing;

payment information representative of parking payments received by the payment receiving structure; and

meter configuration information utilized by the control system to control operation of the display.

3. The single space electronic parking meter mechanism of claim 2, wherein the electronic meter control system is configured to store the payment information, the location ID information and the meter configuration information to a non-volatile memory associated with the electronic meter mechanism.

4. The single space electronic parking meter mechanism of claim 2, wherein the meter control system is configured to control the wireless communication subsystem to communicate the location ID information received from the removable memory device to the parking management system.

5. The single space electronic parking meter mechanism of claim 2 wherein the payment receiving structure includes a currency reader and a credit-card reader and payment information includes at least one of audit data representative of currency received by the currency reader and batched credit card transaction data representative of credit card payment information received by the credit-card reader.

6. The single space electronic parking meter mechanism of claim 2 wherein meter configuration information further includes parking rate data.

7. The single space electronic parking meter mechanism of claim 1 wherein operation mode information includes a diagnostic mode ID that when read by the meter control system causes the meter mechanism to operate in a diagnostic mode, wherein upon reading the diagnostic mode ID the meter control system controls the wireless communications subsystem to transmit data to a diagnostic database maintained by the parking management system.

8. The single space electronic parking meter mechanism of claim 1 wherein operation mode information includes a spare mode ID that when read by the meter control system causes the meter mechanism to operate in a low power standby mode.

9. The single space electronic parking meter mechanism of claim 1 wherein operation mode information includes a data extraction ID that when read by the meter control system causes the meter control system to save data to the removable memory device.

10. The single space electronic parking meter mechanism of claim 9, wherein the data saved to the removable memory device includes batched credit card transaction data.

11. The single space electronic parking meter mechanism of claim 1 comprising:

a memory device reader having at least one electrical contact;

wherein the removable memory device includes at least one electrical contact for coupling to electrical contact of the memory device reader when received within the memory device receiving port.

12. A single space parking meter kit comprising:

a first single space meter mechanism comprising;

an inner housing;

an electronic display screen supported by the inner housing of the first single space meter mechanism;

a wireless communication subsystem supported by the inner housing of the first single space meter mechanism configured to wirelessly communicate with a parking management system;

an electronic meter control system controlling the electronic display and the wireless communications subsystem of the first single space meter mechanism; and

a removable read-write memory device accessible from outside of the inner housing of the first single space meter mechanism, the removable memory device including location identification information that uniquely identifies the location of the first single space meter mechanism within a parking system; and

a second single space meter mechanism comprising;

an inner housing;

an electronic display screen supported by the inner housing of the second single space meter mechanism;

a wireless communication subsystem supported by the inner housing of the second single space meter mechanism configured to wirelessly communicate with the parking management system;

an electronic meter control system controlling the electronic display and the wireless communications subsystem of the second single space meter mechanism;

a meter identification number; and

a port configured to receive the removable read-write memory device;

wherein the control system of the second single space meter mechanism is configured to access the location identification information from the removable read-write memory device and to communicate both the location identification information and the identification number of the second single space meter to the parking management system.

13. The single space parking meter kit of claim 12 wherein the removable read-write memory device further includes:

payment information representative of parking payments received by the first meter mechanism; and

meter configuration information utilized by the control systems of the first and second single space meter mechanisms to control operation of the display;

wherein the electronic meter control system of the second single space meter mechanism is configured to store payment information in non-volatile memory associated with the second single space meter mechanism and to use the meter configuration data to control operation of the display of the second single space meter mechanism.

14. The single space parking meter kit of claim 13 wherein the first single space meter mechanism includes a currency reader and a credit-card reader, and further wherein payment information includes at least one of audit data representative of currency received by the currency reader and batched credit card transaction data representative of credit card payment information received by the credit-card reader.

15. The single space parking meter kit of claim 13 wherein meter configuration information further includes parking rate data.

16. The single space parking meter kit of claim 12 wherein the port is a slot formed through the inner housing of the second single space meter mechanism.

17. The single space parking meter kit of claim 12 wherein the removable read-write memory device is a serial flash memory device.

18. A single space electronic parking meter mechanism configured for replacement of a current single space meter mechanism located within an outer parking meter housing, the single space electronic parking meter mechanism comprising:

an inner housing;

a payment receiving structure supported by the inner housing;

an electronic display screen supported by the inner housing;

a wireless communication subsystem supported by the inner housing configured to wirelessly communicate with a parking management system;

a non-removable memory device;

a port extending through the inner housing and configured to receive a removable memory device of the current single space meter mechanism, the removable memory device including location identification information representative of the physical, geographic location of the current single space meter mechanism; and

an electronic meter control system controlling the electronic display and the wireless communications subsystem;

wherein the electronic meter control system is configured to access the location identification information from the removable memory device, to copy the location identification data from the removable memory device to the non-removable memory device, and to control the wireless communication subsystem to transmit the location identification information to the parking management system.

19. A computerized parking management system for processing, storing and communicating data within a wirelessly communicating parking system, the parking system including a plurality of single-space parking meters each equipped with an electronic meter mechanism, the parking management system comprising:

a control computer;

a parking system database controlled by the control computer, the database including a unique meter ID representative of each electronic meter mechanism within the parking system and a unique location ID representative of the physical, geographic location of each single-space parking meter within the parking system; and

wireless communications hardware controlled by the control computer to transmit data wirelessly to the plurality of single space parking meters within the parking system;

wherein, following replacement of a pre-existing electronic meter mechanism with a new electronic meter mechanism at one of the single space parking meters, the control computer is configured to receive a new meter ID communicated wirelessly from the new meter mechanism that identifies the new electronic meter mechanism;

wherein the control computer is configured to associate the new meter ID with the location ID for the single space meter that has received the new electronic meter mechanism within the parking system database.

20. The computerized parking management system of claim 19 wherein, following receipt of the new meter ID, the control computer is configured to transmit up to date configuration data to the new meter mechanism via the wireless communications hardware.

21. The computerized parking management system of claim 20 wherein configuration data includes at least one of rate data and meter mechanism control software.

22. A method of replacing a pre-existing electronic meter mechanism with a new electronic meter mechanism comprising:

opening an outer meter housing that surrounds the pre-existing electronic meter mechanism;

directly transferring location ID information representative of the physical, geographic location of the outer meter housing from the pre-existing electronic meter mechanism to a memory device physically associated with the new electronic meter mechanism; and

transmitting the location ID information wirelessly from the new meter mechanism to a parking management system.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising transmitting a unique meter ID associated with the new meter mechanism wirelessly from the new meter mechanism to the parking management system.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein directly transferring location ID information comprises:

removing a removable read-write memory device from the pre-existing electronic meter mechanism; and

inserting the removable read-write memory device into a port of the new meter mechanism.

25. The method of claim 22 further comprising directly transferring meter configuration data from the pre-existing electronic meter mechanism to the memory device physically associated with the new electronic meter mechanism.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the configuration data includes parking rate data.

27. A method of replacing a pre-existing electronic meter mechanism with a new electronic meter mechanism comprising:

delivering a new meter mechanism to a recipient, the new meter mechanism comprising;

an inner housing;

an electronic display screen supported by the inner housing;

a wireless communication subsystem supported by the inner housing configured to wirelessly communicate with a parking management system;

an electronic meter control system controlling the electronic display and the wireless communications subsystem;

a port configured to receive data directly from the pre-existing meter mechanism;

wherein the recipient of the new meter mechanism;

opens an outer meter housing that surrounds the pre-existing electronic meter mechanism; and

directly transfers location ID information representative of the physical, geographic location of the outer meter housing from the pre-existing electronic meter mechanism to the new electronic meter mechanism;

wherein the new meter mechanism is configured to transmit the location ID information wirelessly directly from the new meter mechanism to the parking management system.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the recipient directly transfers meter configuration data from the pre-existing electronic meter mechanism to the new electronic meter mechanism.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the recipient directly transfers the location ID information and the configuration data by removing a removable read-write memory device from the pre-existing electronic meter mechanism and inserting the removable read-write memory device into the port of the new meter mechanism.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the configuration data includes at least one of parking rate data and data related to the operation of the electronic display screen.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein the new meter mechanism includes a currency reader and a credit-card reader, wherein the recipient directly transfers at least one of audit data representative of currency received by the currency reader and batched credit card transaction data representative of credit card payment information received by the credit-card reader via the removable read-write memory device.