AUTOMATIC REGULATED PARKING SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20150294567A1
• Filed: 06/27/2013
• Published: 10/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Javier De La Plaza Ortega
• Original Assignee: Javier De La Plaza Ortega
• Inventors: De La Plaza Ortega, Javier
• Granted Patent: US 9,589,467 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/144 on portable or mobile units, e.g. personal digital assistant [PDA]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/147 where the parking area is within an open public zone, e.g. city centre
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/148 Management of a network of parking areas

Abstract

The invention relates to a system, method and equipments for the control, management and administration of regulated vehicles parking, on public and private roads, in an automatic and integrated manner, where the parked vehicles identification, as well as the parked time control and parking permits, including all related parking incidences, are detected and handled without the need of parking meters or permanent parking wardens, and the information is automatically transmitted to a Management Centre, for its processing and administration. The Automatic Regulated Parking System (10) includes: A set of User Devices (11) which communicate with the User Management Centre (16) by means of Smart Network Terminals (12), a set Smart Network Terminals (12), a set of network Access Nodes (13), a set of Network Nodes (14), a Network Control Centre (15), a User Management Centre (16) and a reduced set of Agent Mobile Terminals

Claims

1. A System for Automatic Regulated Parking in integrated manner, without parking meters neither parking wardens and without intervening vehicle driver, on public and private roads, with non-delineated parking spaces, the system comprising:

A set of User Devices, that, in their Basic form, are an RFID Card, with bidirectional and interactive performances, and in their Advanced form are a small RF equipment, either installed in the vehicle or a portable one. They are connected by RF with the Smart Network Terminal, within its coverage area, and they communicate with the Users Management Centre, in basic mode, and additionally in multimedia mode, if it is an Advanced User Device.

The User Devices are associated to the vehicle, and functionally integrated in the vehicle, within the system access network, in a Machine to Machine context, to achieve an automatic and integrated parking service. They include from the parking basic functions up to the follow up and information on the state, operation and security of the vehicle and the driver, during the parking operation as well as during the complete parking time.

A set of Smart Network Terminals, that realise access control functions, communication control, identification of the user devices set, updating of user devices and others, required by the automatic and integrated parking service, within their access network and coverage area.

They allow to identify the users in case of Normal parking, correct user device, and in Abnormal case, incorrect user device, for the various types of incidences.

A set of Access Nodes that allow the transparent communication of parking information from the Smart Network Terminals, within their coverage area, with the Network Control Centre and the User Management Centre.

A set of Network Nodes that allow the transparent communication of parking information from the Access Nodes, within their coverage area, with the Network Control Centre and the User Management Centre.

A Network Control Centre, that realises the control, maintenance and operation functions of the system elements, at the global network level. It is the Communication Network Core, within the Machine to Machine architecture required by the proposed integrated system, it controls the real time functions of the Network Service Layer.

A User Management Centre that realises the real time control of the communication and identification of the user devices, according to the System Communication Scenario, within the User Application Layer. It defines and manages the user profiles, at the global level, in order to charge and invoice the corresponding services belonging to the parking use, and to apply the corresponding corrective actions in case of violation of the current rules and regulations, allowing to support other Supplementary Services, in addition to the proper parking services.

A reduced set of Agent Mobile Terminals for the users Management which is a specific mobile device for the proposed system, different from a cellular mobile device, interacting with the basic user device (RFID) and with the advanced user device.

2. A System as in claim 1, wherein the various Units are connected by radiofrequency, or optionally by physical line (cable or optical fibre), from the Access Node up to the Users Management Centre, according to five levels architecture, for the maximum configuration and four levels architecture, for the reduced configuration, these configurations can be dimensioned according to the number of system users.

3. A System as in claim 1, wherein the User Device (UD), in its Advanced form, has an architecture that comprises:

RF Transceiver, Modem, Multimedia Processor, User Memory, GPS Detector, Keyboard, Display, Data Interface and Optical Minicamera. The Vehicle Data Interface allows the interaction of other system units with the User Device, based on the state, operation, maintenance and security data of the vehicle and the driver, within an intelligent and connected car context.

4. A System as in claim 1, wherein the Multimedia communication between the User and the User Management Centre is performed by the coordinated and integrated operation of the Optical Minicamera, Vehicle Data Interface, GPS Detector and Multimedia Processor, within the Supplementary Services provided by the System.

5. A System as in claim 1, wherein the Smart Network Terminal (SNT) has an architecture that comprises:

User transceiver, Modulator/Coder, Demodulator/Decoder, Network transceiver, Network modulator, Network demodulator, Radiofrequency or Optical radiation Detector, Optical Camera, Video Interface, High Performances Digital Multiprocessor, Timing and Synchronization Generator and Power Supply Subsystem.

6. A System as in claim 1, wherein the Digital Multiprocessor has a high performances architecture to support the Normal and Abnormal parking control cases, comprising:

Private Processing and Memory Units for User, Location, Network Communication and Generic Functions.

Common Memory and Common Busses

User Interfaces, Detection Interfaces and Network Interfaces

7. A System as in claim 1, wherein the user identification, within its parking area, in Normal Case, without incidences, is performed directly by the Digital Multiprocessor of the Smart Network Terminal, according to the information received from the User Device.

8. A System as in claim 1, wherein the user identification, within its parking area, in Abnormal Case, including the incidences of User Device not activated, not present or incorrect functioning, Forbidden Zone and False release, is realised by the coordinated and integrated operation of the Radiofrequency Detector, or alternatively the Optical radiation Detector, the Optical Camera and the Digital Multiprocessor, within the Smart Network Terminal Unit.

9. A System as in claim 1, wherein the Smart Network Terminal sends authorized image and video information, previously selected and authorized, about the parking operation, parking environment, vehicle state, driver state and other informations, to the Network Control Centre and User Management Centre, in real time or delayed, when it is required, and about specific events identified by the Smart Network Terminal, through the Video Interface.

10. A System as in claim 1, wherein the Network Control Centre has an scalable and modular architecture, that comprises the following functional blocks, all of them specific for the communication of the Smart Network Terminals defined in the present Patent, within the Machine to Machine architecture that requires the proposed automatic and integrated parking system:

Initialization and Synchronization, Operation, Connection Control, Maintenance, Redundancy and Security, Data Base and User Management Centre Interface.

11. A System as in claim 1, wherein the Network Control Centre realises the differential functions and has the specific performances, with respect to a generic Network Control Centre, as follows:

Initialization and Synchronization of the Smart Network Terminals, on the basis of the Digital Multiprocessor.

Connections Control for the routing of signals from the User Devices and the Smart Network terminals to the Users Management Centre, according to the users profile.

Remote Configuration of the User Devices and the Smart Network Terminals

Updating data and programmes load, for the User Devices and Smart Network Terminals, based on the Digital Multiprocessor incorporated by the Smart Network Terminals.

Control capability, through the Smart Network Terminals, of above ten million vehicles and above one million parking spaces.

12. A System as in claim 1, wherein the User Management Centre has an architecture that comprises the following functional blocks, all of them specific for the communication of the User Devices by means of the Smart Network Terminals, defined in the present Patent, within the context of Machine to Machine architecture that requires the proposed automatic and integrated parking system:

User Registration, Identification and Service Control, Corrective Actions, Agents Management, Reports Editing, Data Base and Regulations.

13. A System as in claim 1, wherein the User Management Centre, in addition to support the parking functions and services, in automatic way, provides a set of Supplementary Services, 24 hours a day, including the following:

Free Space Management, Space Public Information, in panels and in fixed and mobile terminals (personal/on board), and Free Spaces guidance, Location, Watching and Tracking of authorized vehicles, as well as Interactive Multimedia information between the User Management Centre and the interested Users, including all parking information.

In addition, it can support another Supplementary Services as the Communication, Watching and Tracking of authorized Persons and Things, provided that they are carrying the User Device.

14. A Method for the Communication between the System Units:

User Devices (UD), Smart Network Terminals (SNT), Agent Mobile Terminals (AMT), Access Nodes (AN), Network Nodes (NN), Network Control Centre(NCC) and User Management Centre(UMC), according to the Basic Communication Scenario, defined for the Machine to Machine architecture of the proposed automatic and integrated parking system, based on multifunction messages, including the States Sequence at the Smart Network Terminal, and comprising, in the Normal Case, the following stages;

a. The SNT sends, from the initial state, a broadcast message to the User Devices within its coverage area, each UD replies to the SNT with an access request message, the SNT sends to the UD the communication channel assignment and waits for the device identity.

b. The UD sends a user identity message to the SNT and SNT reports to UMC on the UD identity.

c. UMC sends to SNT accepted identity message (in case of correct identity) and SNT indicates correct identity to UD, going to busy state.

d. In case of not correct identity;

If it is detected by the SNT, SNT sends an incorrect identity message to UD, and the not correct information identity to UMC.

If it is detected by the UMC, UMC sends to the SNT a not correct identity, and SNT sends to UD a not correct message.

e. The SNT performs a periodic scanning of the UD State, sending to the UD the scanning message, and UD replies to SNT with a Busy message, in case that the vehicle remains in the parking space, or with a Free message, if the parking space has been released.

f. When the parking release has not been performed correctly, the SNT sends an incorrect release message to NNC/UMC, and it goes to the pending release state.

g. Along the parking period, and by means of the busy message, the Vehicle User may interchange either Basic or Multimedia information with the UMC, replying the UMC to the UD by means of the notification message.

h. Along the a. up to g. stages, in any moment and for any network information, the SNT may communicate with the NCC, by means of the request message, to which the NCC replies with the corresponding response message.

i. Along the stages a. up to h., in any moment and for specific user management actions, the AMT may communicate with the UD and UMC according to the following steps;

AMT sends a request message to the UD, then the UD replies with the corresponding response message

AMT sends to UMC an information message, and the UMC replies with the corresponding response message

Following, the UMC may proceed to a complex information request to AMT, to which the AMT replies with complex audio, video, data or multimedia message.

15. A Method as in claim 14, for the Communication and States Sequence, taking as reference point the SNT, for the case of Abnormal parking, operating in Location mode, with the following complementary stages:

a. Operation initial state, in which the SNT generates internally, by means of its detection media, the message that a parking space has been occupied, it analysis the received identity and sends an information message to the UMC.

b. If the identification is correct it goes to the busy state, and if it is not correct, or if it is not able to perform the plate number detection, it waits for a UMC action.

c. When the parking space is released, the SNT generates internally, by means of its detection media, a message on the free parking space, and it sends an information message to the UMC.