ENVIRONMENTALLY-FRIENDLY PARKING RESERVATION SYSTEM

• US 20140358596A1
• Filed: 05/31/2013
• Published: 12/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Globalfoundries US Incorporated (GlobalFoundries, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Brown, Douglas Stuart, Kelley, John Falk, Seager, Todd, Torres, Robert J.
• Application Number:
  US13/906,554
• Publication Number:
  US 20140358596A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product for an environmentally-friendly parking reservation system are provided in the illustrative embodiments. A computer receives a request to make a reservation for parking a vehicle in a parking area. A parking location in the parking area is selected in an application, forming a selection. The computer modifies the selection based on a qualifier in the request, the qualifier indicating an environmentally-friendly aspect of the vehicle. The computer generates a response, the response identifying the parking location.

Claims

1. A method for parking reservation, the method comprising:

a computer receiving a request to make a reservation for parking a vehicle in a parking area;

selecting, in an application, a parking location in the parking area, forming a selection;

the computer modifying the selection based on a qualifier in the request, the qualifier indicating an environmentally-friendly aspect of the vehicle; and

the computer generating a response, the response identifying the parking location.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the computer modifying the selection using an inference, wherein the inference is based on at least one of (i) the request, and (ii) information available at a time of receiving the request.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the information comprises a second request for reserving a second parking location for a second vehicle.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the response further includes a supplemental service, wherein the supplemental service is selected based on an inference from the information.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the inference based on the request comprises a designation for the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the computer modifying the selection using a preference applicable to the request, the preference being specified by a user identified in the request.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the computer modifying the selection using a pattern in a history of reservations made by a user associated with the request.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the qualifier allows a benefit to be applied to the reservation by indicating that a level of occupancy in the vehicle exceeds a threshold level of occupancy.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the qualifier allows a benefit to be applied a benefit to the reservation by indicating an environmentally-friendly characteristic of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the computer verifying whether the vehicle complies with the qualifier upon arrival of the vehicle at the parking location; and

the computer removing an incentive accrued to the reservation due to the qualifier responsive to the vehicle not complying with the qualifier.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the computer selecting a block of parking locations in the parking area;

the computer, upon a condition becoming true, performing the selecting of the parking location and guiding the vehicle to the parking location.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the condition comprises the vehicle being within a predefined distance from the block of parking locations.

13. A computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices and computer-readable program instructions which are stored on the one or more storage devices and when executed by one or more processors, perform the method of claim 1.

14. A computer system comprising one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories, one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices and program instructions which are stored on the one or more storage devices for execution by the one or more processors via the one or more memories and when executed by the one or more processors perform the method of claim 1.

15. A computer program product for parking reservation, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to receive a request to make a reservation for parking a vehicle in a parking area;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to select a parking location in the parking area, forming a selection;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to modify the selection based on a qualifier in the request, the qualifier indicating an environmentally-friendly aspect of the vehicle; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to generate a response, the response identifying the parking location.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to modify the selection using an inference, wherein the inference is based on at least one of (i) the request, and (ii) information available at a time of receiving the request.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the information comprises a second request for reserving a second parking location for a second vehicle.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the response further includes a supplemental service, wherein the supplemental service is selected based on an inference from the information.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the inference based on the request comprises a designation for the vehicle.

20. A computer system for parking reservation, the computer system comprising:

one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories and one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to receive a request to make a reservation for parking a vehicle in a parking area;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to select a parking location in the parking area, forming a selection;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to modify the selection based on a qualifier in the request, the qualifier indicating an environmentally-friendly aspect of the vehicle; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to generate a response, the response identifying the parking location.