Valet parking system and method utilizing wireless text messaging
First Claim
1. A method in a server for controlling valet parking services, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving at the server, guest arrival information from a valet employee, the guest arrival information including a valet ticket number and an associated mobile phone identifier of a guest to whom the valet ticket number is assigned;
sending a welcoming message from the server to the mobile phone of the guest with instructions for the guest to send a reply message to request retrieval of the guest'"'"'s vehicle;
subsequently receiving at the server, the reply message from the guest, the reply message indicating as a source, the mobile phone identifier of the guest;
matching by the server, the mobile phone identifier of the guest with the associated valet ticket number; and
sending a retrieval message from the server to the valet employee or a valet supervisor instructing that the guest vehicle with the associated valet ticket number be retrieved.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and a server for controlling valet parking services. When a guest arrives, a valet employee sends the server a guest arrival message containing a valet ticket number and an associated mobile phone number of the guest. The server sends a welcoming message to the guest with instructions for the guest to simply reply to the welcoming message to request retrieval of the guest'"'"'s vehicle. Alternatively, the instructions may include a Shortcode number to which the reply text message is to be sent. When the server subsequently receives the reply message from the guest, the server matches the mobile phone number of the guest with the associated valet ticket number, and sends a retrieval message to the valet employee or supervisor instructing that the guest vehicle with the associated valet ticket number be retrieved. The server prevents employee fraud by ensuring ticket numbers are not used more than once.
10 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method in a server for controlling valet parking services, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving at the server, guest arrival information from a valet employee, the guest arrival information including a valet ticket number and an associated mobile phone identifier of a guest to whom the valet ticket number is assigned; sending a welcoming message from the server to the mobile phone of the guest with instructions for the guest to send a reply message to request retrieval of the guest'"'"'s vehicle; subsequently receiving at the server, the reply message from the guest, the reply message indicating as a source, the mobile phone identifier of the guest; matching by the server, the mobile phone identifier of the guest with the associated valet ticket number; and sending a retrieval message from the server to the valet employee or a valet supervisor instructing that the guest vehicle with the associated valet ticket number be retrieved. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A server for controlling valet parking services at a valet parking station, wherein the server includes a processor coupled to a non-transitory memory that stores computer program instructions, wherein when the processor executes the computer program instructions, the processor causes the server to:
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receive guest arrival information from a valet employee, the guest arrival information containing a valet ticket number and an associated mobile phone identifier of a guest to whom the valet ticket number is assigned; store an association between the valet ticket number and the mobile phone identifier of the guest; send a welcoming message to the mobile phone of the guest with instructions for the guest to send a reply message to request retrieval of the guest'"'"'s vehicle; subsequently receive the reply message from the guest, the reply message indicating as a source, the mobile phone identifier of the guest; match the mobile phone identifier of the guest with the associated valet ticket number; and send a retrieval message to the valet employee or a valet supervisor instructing that the guest vehicle with the associated valet ticket number be retrieved. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method in a server for controlling valet parking services, the method comprising the steps of:
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storing in the server, an association between a plurality of valet ticket numbers and a valet parking company, wherein when a guest arrives at the valet parking company, a valet employee provides the guest with one of the plurality of valet ticket numbers and instructions to text the serial number to a given phone number for the server or to a Shortcode carrier for forwarding to the server when the guest wants his vehicle to be retrieved; subsequently receiving at the server, a message from the guest containing the valet ticket number provided to the guest by the valet employee; and sending a retrieval message from the server to the valet parking company associated with the received valet ticket number instructing that the guest vehicle with the received valet ticket number be retrieved. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method in a server for controlling valet parking services, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving at the server, guest arrival information from a valet employee, the guest arrival information including a mobile phone identifier of a guest; sending a welcoming message from the server to the mobile phone of the guest with instructions for the guest to send a reply message to request retrieval of the guest'"'"'s vehicle; subsequently receiving at the server, the reply message from the guest, the reply message indicating as a source, the mobile phone identifier of the guest; and sending a retrieval message from the server to the valet employee or a valet supervisor instructing that the guest vehicle associated with the mobile phone identifier be retrieved.
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Specification