ENHANCEMENTS TO METERLESS REMOTE PARKING MONITORING SYSTEMS

• US 20130103460A1
• Filed: 12/10/2012
• Published: 04/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fybr LLC
• Original Assignee: Streetsmart Technology
• Inventors: Groft, Eric, Andrews, Kirby
• Granted Patent: US 8,884,785 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/13
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0284 Time or distance, e.g. usage of parking meters or taximeters
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• 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: G07B 15/063 using wireless information transmission between the vehicle and a fixed station identification of vehicles G08G
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages

Abstract

A remote meterless parking monitoring system including a plurality of individual parking spaces, a plurality of vehicle detector/RFID units for monitoring the status of the individual parking spaces; at least one Gateway device responsive to the plurality of vehicle detector/RFID units; a Command and Control Server for employing numerous security provisions at least including encryption of data, Virtual Privacy Networks, firewalls and authenticated connections and responsive to data from said Cellular gateway via the internet; and the Command and Control Server uses the status of each space and the ID from the motorist'"'"'s RFID tag to cross reference data according to a Policy database and identifying the motorist through a Motorist Database including information about the motorist'"'"'s mailing address, vehicle payment account balance or other information.

Claims

1. A remote meterless parking monitoring system including a plurality of individual parking spaces, comprising:

a plurality of vehicle detector/RFID units for monitoring the status of the, individual parking spaces;

at least one Gateway device responsive to said plurality of vehicle detector/RFID units; and

a Command and Control Server responsive to data from the at least one gateway, the Command and Control Server including a Policy Database and a Motorist database and being configured to

cross reference data with the status of each space and an ID from the motorist'"'"'s RFID tag according to the Policy Database and identify the motorist through the Motorist Database, and

determine a space and time allowance from an associated policy in the Policy Database and a vehicle payment account balance in the Motorist Database for the motorist.

2. The remote meterless parking monitoring system of claim 1, further comprising a number of Mobile Computers responsive to said Command and Control Server and in use by enforcement personnel for creating automated citation notices for mailing to a violating motorist.

3. A remote meterless parking monitoring system comprising:

at least one vehicle detector associated with at least one parking space;

an RFID reader coupled to the at least one vehicle detector, the RFID reader being arranged to read RFID tags of the at least one parking space and RFID tags of other parking spaces different from the at least one parking space; and

a Command and Control Server;

where the remote meterless parking monitoring system is programmed so that the at least one vehicle detector detecting a new vehicle causes the RFID reader to wake and the RFID reader is programmed to read all of the RFID tags in a reading range of the RFID reader and communicate data from the RFID tags to the Command and Control Server,

where the command and control server includes a Policy Database and a Motorist Database and is configured to

cross reference data with the status of each parking space and an ID from the motorist'"'"'s RFID tag according to the Policy Database and identify the motorist through the Motorist Database, and

determine a parking space and time allowance from an associated policy in the Policy Database and a vehicle payment account balance in the Motorist Database for the motorist.

4. The remote meterless parking monitoring system of claim 3, further comprising a number of Mobile Computers responsive to said Command and Control Server and in use by enforcement personnel for creating automated citation notices for mailing to a violating motorist.

5. The remote meterless parking monitoring system of claim 3, where the command and control server is configured to:

determine if a desired Parking Policy Profile exists in Parking Policy database;

if Parking Policy Profile exists, select a Motorist associated with the Parking Policy Profile from an existing Motorists'"'"' List in a Motorist database;

create an Entry Motorist database for a new Motorist in the event the motorist is not in the motorist database;

select a Space Policy for the Motorist; and

select at least one of Parking Spaces and Space groupings allowed for the Motorist.

6. The remote meterless parking monitoring system of claim 5, where the command and control server is further configured to:

set beginning and ending of the effective dates;

save Policy Assignment Record; and

end Space Policy Assignment.

7. The remote meterless parking monitoring system of claim 5, wherein if the Parking Policy for a Motorist does not exist in the Parking Policy database the command and control server is configured to create a Parking Policy profile in the Parking Policy database.

8. A method in a remote meterless parking monitoring system the time frames for the assigned space policy so that the assignment can be applied to at least one of beginning and cancelled in the future without further intervention, the method comprising:

waking an RFID Reader with a Vehicle Detector;

determining with the RFID Reader all readable RFID Tags in proximity to the parking space;

transmitting the RFID Reader determination to a Command and Control Server;

determining an RFID Tag for a Motorist;

determining with the Command and Control Server if any RFID Tag is associated with the Motorist;

if no proper RFID tag exists, issuing a violation alert;

if a an RFID tag is associated with the motorist, looking up motorist from a motorist database using the RFID tag number; and

finding the current Parking Policy assignment from an assignment table; and

if the motorist is not permitted in the parking space, issuing a violation alert.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

recording the actual RFID tag ID and transmit it to the Command and Control Server;

if a violation alert is issued, verifying the RFID tag against the permit in the Motorist'"'"'s Vehicle and determining if the tag matches the tag in the database stored in the Command and Control Server;

issuing a citation/boot violation; and

sending citation/boot details to the Command and Control Server to end the occupant monitoring process.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining if the Motorist is permitted in the Parking Space;

if the Motorist is permitted in the Parking Space, determining if the Parking Space has a Time Limit;

if the Parking Space has a time limit Set Space Maximum Allowable Time to Time Limit for the Parking Policy;

if the Parking Space does not have a Time Limit, Set Parking Space Maximum Time Limit to NO LIMIT;

determining if Parking Space requires payment;

if the Parking Space requires payment, Set Occupant Maximum time to smaller value of Space Maximum Time or Occupant Maximum Time;

if the Parking Space does not require payment, Set Occupant Maximum Time to NO Limit;

Set Maximum Occupant time to smaller value of Space Maximum Time or Occupant Maximum Time;

checking violation Status;

determining if Current Time is greater than Arrival Time plus Maximum Occupant Time;

if Current Time is greater than Arrival Time plus Maximum Occupant Time, then issue Violation Alert;

if Current Time is not greater than Arrival Time plus Maximum Occupant Time, then wait until Occupant Departs; and

end Occupant Monitoring Process.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

if a violation alert is issued, verifying the RFID tag against the permit in the motorist'"'"'s vehicle;

determining if there is a Permit Tag in the vehicle and if YES, recording actual RFID tag identifying and transmitting the actual RFID tag to the Command and Control Server;

if there is no Permit Tag in the vehicle, issuing a Citation/Boot Violation;

sending Citation Boot Details to the Command and Control Server and ending Occupant Monitoring Process.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining if the Motorist is permitted in the Parking Space;

if the Motorist is permitted in the Parking Space, determining if the Parking Space has a Time limit;

if the Parking Space has a Time limit Set Space Maximum allowable time to Time limit for the Parking Policy;

if the Parking Space does not have a Time limit, Set Parking Space Maximum Time limit to NO LIMIT;

determining if the Parking Space requires payment;

if the Parking Space requires payment, Set Occupant Maximum time to Motorist'"'"'s Account balance divided by the Parking Space'"'"'s Rate;

if the Parking Space does not require payment, Set Occupant Maximum Time to NO LIMIT;

if the Parking Space does require payment, Set Maximum Occupant time to smaller value of Space Maximum Time or Occupant Maximum Time;

checking violation Status;

determining if Current Time is greater than Arrival Time plus Maximum Occupant Time;

if Current Time is greater than Arrival Time plus Maximum Occupant Time, Send Motorist a Citation Notice at mailing address in Motorist Database and End Occupant Monitoring Process;

if Current Time is not greater than Arrival Time plus Maximum Occupant Time, then wait until Occupant Departs; and

ending Occupant Monitoring Process.