SUSTAINABLE REAL-TIME PARKING AVAILABILITY SYSTEM

• US 20170039779A1
• Filed: 08/07/2015
• Published: 02/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2015
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Park Green, LLC
• Original Assignee: Park Green, LLC
• Inventors: Vander Helm, Warren C., Vogel, David L., Holm, Michael T.
• Granted Patent: US 10,262,467 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0206 Price or cost determination based on market factors
• 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 1/142 external to the vehicles
• 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

Abstract

The present invention relates in general to parking availability systems and methods of parking, and more specifically, to a parking system that manages individual parking spaces in real-time. Notably, the present invention gives a parking asset owner flexibility to adjust parking prices for individual parking spaces within a parking facility in real-time depending upon dynamic market conditions such as demand, convenience, and location. The purpose of the invention is to offer parking consumers a choice in parking price tiers to encourage turnover and maximize revenue streams for the parking asset owner. Additional benefits of the present invention to the parking asset owner include improved service to customers, obtaining LEED credits, reducing harmful carbon emissions, mitigating transportation demand, saving time through stream-lined parking operations, and eco-friendly solutions to parking problems not solved by traditional parking models.

Claims

1. A real-time parking availability system, comprising:

a parking facility;

a plurality of individual parking spaces within the parking facility;

tiered pricing within the parking facility for the plurality of individual parking spaces;

a plurality of parking rate notifications displaying the tired pricing for the individual parking spaces;

at least one parking selection device;

a choice for parking consumers to choose different parking options of tiered pricing for the individual parking spaces;

dynamic market conditions; and

management of the individual parking spaces within the parking facility in real-time based on the dynamic market conditions.

2. The real-time parking availability system of claim 1, wherein the management of individual parking spaces within the parking facility in real-time comprises the creation of more individual parking spaces within the pricing tier of highest demand based on the dynamic market conditions.

3. The real-time parking availability system of claim 1, wherein the management of individual parking spaces within the parking facility in real-time comprises raising prices for the individual parking spaces within the pricing tier of highest demand based on the dynamic market conditions.

4. The real-time parking availability system of claim 1, wherein the dynamic market conditions include demand, location, walking distance, time of day, day of the week, holidays, special events, number of car occupants, personal safety, weather conditions, and/or combinations thereof.

5. The real-time parking availability system of claim 1, wherein the management of individual parking spaces within the parking facility in real-time includes parking sensors.

6. The real-time parking availability system of claim 5, wherein the parking sensors comprise automatic vehicle identification, ultrasonic sensors, sonar sensors, acoustic sensors, motion detection, and/or camera-based technologies.

7. The real-time parking availability system of claim 1, wherein the management of individual parking spaces within the parking facility in real-time includes parking indicators to inform parking consumers of the status and location of available parking spaces within their pricing tier of choice.

8. The real-time parking availability system of claim 7, wherein the parking indicators comprise automated physical signs, electric signs, digital parking displays, and/or color-coded lighting schemes.

9. The real-time parking availability system of claim 1, wherein the real-time management of individual parking spaces within the parking facility improves daily revenue totals by 20%.

10. The real-time parking availability system of claim 1, wherein the parking selection device automatically donates to a charitable organization.

18. A method of parking using the real-time parking availability system of claim 1, comprising:

providing a real-time parking availability system;

providing a parking facility;

providing a plurality of individual parking spaces within the parking facility;

distributing the individual parking spaces using tiered pricing;

providing a plurality of parking rate notifications displaying the tired pricing for the individual parking spaces;

providing at least one parking selection device;

offering a choice for parking consumers to choose different parking options of tiered pricing for the individual parking spaces; and

managing the individual parking spaces within the parking facility in real-time based on dynamic market conditions.

19. The method of parking of claim 18, further comprising:

creating more individual parking spaces within the pricing tier of highest demand based on the dynamic market conditions.

20. The method of parking of claim 19, further comprising:

raising prices for the individual parking spaces within the pricing tier of highest demand based on the dynamic market conditions.

11. A real-time parking availability system, comprising:

a parking facility;

a plurality of individual parking spaces within the parking facility;

tiered pricing within the parking facility for the plurality of individual parking spaces;

a plurality of parking rate notifications displaying the tired pricing for the individual parking spaces;

at least one parking selection device;

a choice for parking consumers to choose different parking options of tiered pricing for the individual parking spaces;

dynamic market conditions; and

management of the individual parking spaces within the parking facility in real-time based on the dynamic market conditions;

wherein the management of individual parking spaces within the parking facility in real-time comprises the creation of more individual parking spaces within the pricing tier of highest demand based on the dynamic market conditions;

wherein the management of individual parking spaces within the parking facility in real-time comprises raising prices based on the dynamic market conditions.

12. The real-time parking availability system of claim 11, wherein the tiered pricing comprises a pricing tier with parking in high-demand, a pricing tier with parking in medium-demand, and a pricing tier with parking in low-demand.

13. The real-time parking availability system of claim 12, wherein the creation of more individual parking spaces within the pricing tier of highest demand based on the dynamic market conditions comprises converting an individual parking space within a lower-demand pricing tier into a higher-demand pricing tier.

14. The real-time parking availability system of claim 12, wherein raising prices for the individual parking spaces within the pricing tier of highest demand based on the dynamic market conditions comprises raising prices for the pricing tier in highest demand to reduce demand and increase turnover.

15. The real-time parking availability system of claim 11, wherein the management of individual parking spaces within the parking facility in real-time includes parking sensors.

16. The real-time parking availability system of claim 11, wherein the management of individual parking spaces within the parking facility in real-time includes parking indicators to inform parking consumers of the status and location of available parking spaces within their pricing tier of choice.

17. The real-time parking availability system of claim 16, wherein the parking indicators comprise color-coded lighting schemes.