REAL-TIME PARKING AVAILABILITY SYSTEM

• US 20130143536A1
• Filed: 12/05/2012
• Published: 06/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Ratti, Carlo Filippo
• Application Number:
  US13/705,857
• Publication Number:
  US 20130143536A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• 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: G08G 1/144 on portable or mobile units, e.g. personal digital assistant [PDA]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/146 where the parking area is a limited parking space, e.g. parking garage, restricted space
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/147 where the parking area is within an open public zone, e.g. city centre
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits

Abstract

Real-time parking availability system. The system includes a database including an inventory of parking spaces in a city including their location, size, and level of demand. A mobile phone is programmed for access to the database to locate a vacant space, to pay for a requested time duration in the space, and to update the database to remove the space from the database of available parking spots for the requested time duration. The parking spaces may accommodate an automobile or a plurality of bicycles.

Claims

1. Real-time parking availability system comprising:

a database including an inventory of parking spaces in a city including their location, size, and level of demand; and

a mobile phone programmed for access to the database to locate a vacant space, to pay for a requested time duration in the space, and to update the database to remove the space from the database of available parking spots for the requested time duration.

2. The system of claim 1 further including an augmented reality application on the mobile phone to identify whether a parked ear has paid for the space and to identify how much time remains.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the parking spaces may accommodate an automobile or a plurality of bicycles.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the mobile phone is further programmed to extend the requested time duration.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the database is stored in the digital cloud.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the cost of the requested time duration varies based on demand.