MOBILE PARKING SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING REAL-TIME PARKING GUIDANCE

• US 20150066545A1
• Filed: 09/03/2013
• Published: 03/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: KOTECHA, Lalit R., AKSU, Arda, HAYNES, Thomas W.
• Granted Patent: US 10,108,910 B2
• 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: 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 1/148 Management of a network of parking areas

Abstract

Parking guidance is provided to a user of a mobile device requesting information on parking spots at a requested location for a requested time. In response to receiving a parking information request, parking spots having locations proximate to the requested location and having availability at the requested time are identified in a database of parking spot information of a parking management server. A notification of the identified parking spots is transmitted to the user device from which the information request was received. In response to receiving a reservation request identifying a parking spot to be reserved from the user device, the database is updated to identify the identified parking spot as being unavailable at the requested time. Additionally, a notification of the reservation request is transmitted to a parking manager associated with the identified parking spot, the notification identifying the particular parking spot and the requested time.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving from a user device an information request for a parking spot, the request including a requested location and a requested time;

in response to receiving the information request, identifying in a database of parking spot information a parking spot having a location proximate to the requested location and having availability at the requested time;

transmitting a notification of the identified parking spot to the user device from which the information request was received;

receiving from the user device a reservation request identifying the parking spot for reservation; and

in response to receiving the reservation request, performing steps of;

updating the database of parking spot information to identify the parking spot identified in the reservation request as being unavailable at the requested time; and

transmitting a notification of the reservation request identifying the parking spot identified in the reservation request and the requested time to a parking manager associated with the parking spot identified in the reservation request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein in response to receiving the reservation request, the method further comprises:

transmitting a confirmation of the reservation request to the user device from which the reservation request was received,

wherein the confirmation of the reservation request transmitted to the user device and the notification of the reservation request transmitted to the parking manager include at least one of a barcode, a quick response (QR) code, and a near-field communication (NFC) code for authentication of the user to the parking manager.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein in response to receiving the reservation request, the method further comprises transmitting a confirmation of the reservation request to the user device from which the reservation request was received, so as to cause the user device to provide driving directions for a user to the location of the parking spot identified in the reservation request.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the confirmation of the reservation request transmitted to the user device includes information to cause the user device to provide driving directions to a user to guide the user through a parking lot to the reserved parking spot within the parking lot.

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein the information request for a parking spot received from the user device includes a current location of the user device,

wherein the method further comprises:

estimating a time required to travel from a current location of the user device included in the information request to the requested location included in the information request, and

wherein identifying the parking spot includes identifying a parking spot having availability at a future time determined based on the estimated travel time.

6. The method of claim 1,

wherein the information request for the parking spot includes information on a seating location of a ticket-holder to an event, and

wherein identifying the parking spot includes identifying a parking spot having a location proximate to the seating location of the ticket-holder to the event.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from a plurality of parking managers parking spot information of a plurality of parking spots, wherein the parking spot information of each parking spot includes location and availability information of the parking spot; and

storing the received parking spot information in the database of parking spot information,

wherein each parking spot information is stored in the database in association with an identifier for a parking manager responsible for the parking spot.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the database of parking spot information includes at least one parking spot corresponding to a homeowner'"'"'s driveway.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to identifying the parking spot, transmitting a notification to a parking manager associated with the parking spot including information on forecasted parking load determined based at least in part on the information request received from the user device.

10. A system comprising:

a communication network;

a user device communicatively coupled to the communication network;

a parking manager associated with a parking spot and communication coupled to the communication network; and

a parking management server coupled to the communication network for communication with the user device and with the parking manager, wherein the parking management server is configured to perform functions to;

receive from the user device an information request for a parking spot, the request including a requested location and a requested time;

in response to receiving the information request, identify in a database of parking spot information a parking spot having a location proximate to the requested location and having availability at the requested time;

transmit a notification of the identified parking spot to the user device from which the information request was received;

receive from the user device a reservation request identifying the parking spot for reservation; and

in response to receiving the reservation request, performing steps of;

update the database of parking spot information to identify the parking spot identified in the reservation request as being unavailable at the requested time;

transmit a notification of the reservation request identifying the parking spot identified in the reservation request and the requested time to the parking manager associated with the parking spot identified in the reservation request.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein in response to receiving the reservation request, the parking management server is further configured to:

transmit a confirmation of the reservation request to the user device from which the reservation request was received,

wherein the confirmation of the reservation request transmitted to the user device and the notification of the reservation request transmitted to the parking manager include at least one of a barcode, a QR code, and an NFC code for authentication of the user to the parking manager.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein in response to receiving the reservation request, the parking management server is further configured to transmit a confirmation of the reservation request to the user device from which the reservation request was received, so as to cause the user device to provide driving directions for a user to the location of the parking spot identified in the reservation request.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the confirmation of the reservation request transmitted to the user device includes information to cause the user device to provide driving directions to a user to guide the user through a parking lot to the reserved parking spot within the parking lot.

14. The system of claim 10,

wherein the information request for a parking spot received from the user device includes a current location of the user device,

wherein the parking management server is further configured to:

estimate a time required to travel from a current location of the user device included in the information request to the requested location included in the information request, and

wherein identifying the parking spot includes identifying a parking spot having availability at a future time determined based on the estimated travel time.

15. The system of claim 10,

wherein the information request for the parking spot includes information on a seating location of a ticket-holder to an event, and

wherein identifying the parking spot includes identifying a parking spot having a location proximate to the seating location of the ticket-holder to the event.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the parking management server is further configured to:

receive from a plurality of parking managers parking spot information of a plurality of parking spots, wherein the parking spot information of each parking spot includes location and availability information of the parking spot; and

store the received parking spot information in the database of parking spot information,

wherein each parking spot information is stored in the database in association with an identifier for a parking manager responsible for the parking spot.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the database of parking spot information includes at least one parking spot corresponding to a homeowner'"'"'s driveway.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the parking management server is further configured to, in response to identifying the parking spot, transmit a notification to a parking manager associated with the parking spot including information on forecasted parking load determined based at least in part on the information request received from the user device.