Method and System for Dynamic Parking Selection, Transaction, Management and Data Provision

• US 20170061508A1
• Filed: 08/25/2016
• Published: 03/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spaces Operations LLC
• Original Assignee: Parcmate Corporation
• Inventors: Sen, Sourabh, Kaufman, John, Sharma, Atul, Haber, Samuel
• Granted Patent: US 10,902,485 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2240/00 Transportation facility access, e.g. fares, tolls or parking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0284 Time or distance, e.g. usage of parking meters or taximeters
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0175 by photographing vehicles, e.g. when violating traffic rules
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/065 by counting the vehicles in a section of the road or in a parking area, i.e. comparing incoming count with outgoing count
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/144 on portable or mobile units, e.g. personal digital assistant [PDA]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/148 Management of a network of parking areas

Abstract

A parking garage system includes a plurality of parking garages. Each parking garage has a plurality of parking sectors and each parking sector has a plurality of parking spaces. A digital system tracks an occupancy level of each parking sector and an anticipated departure time of vehicles parked in each parking space. The digital system further directs vehicles to a particular parking sector based on the driver'"'"'s anticipated departure time. The digital system also advises potential customers of occupancy level and parking rates and communicates information regarding occupancy level and parking rates to other parking garages.

Claims

1. A parking garage management system, comprising:

a device for measuring occupancy of a plurality of parking sectors, each containing a plurality of parking spaces;

a digital system that tracks an occupancy level of each of said parking sectors and an anticipated departure time of vehicles parked in said parking spaces, said digital system further directing vehicles to a particular parking sector based on said anticipated departure time; and

said digital system transmitting an alert to potential customers of said occupancy level and parking rates.

2. The parking garage management system of claim 1 wherein the digital system further comprises a detector to identify vehicles entering or leaving the garage.

3. The digital system of claim 2 wherein the detector is a beacon device effective to transmit a data packet to a mobile device, the data packet including a location identifier of a garage proximate to the mobile device, the digital system further configured to transmit a prompt to the mobile device to initiate a check-in sequence.

4. The digital system of claim 3 further comprising capturing and/or storing an identifier for the vehicle and transmitting the identifier to a server.

5. The digital system of claim 3 wherein, upon initiation of the check-in and/or check-out sequence, stored vehicle information associated with the vehicle is retrieved and transmitted to a point-of-sale system.

6. The garage management system of claim 1 wherein the digital system is further configured to estimate a cost of stay for the vehicle, the estimate based on consideration of multiple rates and rate rules including any applicable coupon rate or rule for the vehicle, based on an estimated parking arrival time, departure time, and car type, and communicate the lowest applicable rate for the vehicle.

7. The garage management system of claim 6 wherein while the vehicle is parked in the garage, the digital system transmits to the user, in real-time, a current cost of parking and upcoming rate changes for an estimated vehicle parking time, and further transmits the lowest applicable rate for the estimated vehicle parking time.

8. A parking garage system, comprising:

a measurement device for calculating occupancy rates of a plurality of parking garages, each garage having a plurality of parking sectors, each sector containing a plurality of parking spaces;

a digital system that tracks an occupancy level of each of said parking sectors and an anticipated departure time of vehicles parked in said parking spaces, said digital system further directing vehicles to a particular parking sector based on said anticipated departure time;

said digital system advising potential customers of said occupancy level and parking rates; and

communicating information regarding occupancy level and parking rates to others of said plurality of garages.

9. The parking garage system of claim 8 further comprising a curation system for curating an ideal parking garage for a vehicle among the plurality of garages.

10. The parking garage system of claim 9 wherein the curation system curates the ideal garage for the vehicle based on a current or desired location of the vehicle.

11. The parking garage system of claim 10, wherein the ideal garage based on current or desired location of the vehicle is determined by a processor, the processor configured to set a radius for the desired vehicle destination and select the garage with a lowest offered price within the radius.

12. The parking garage of claim 9 wherein the curation system curates the ideal garage for the vehicle based on the garage located closest to the vehicle.

13. The parking garage of claim 9 wherein the curation system curates the ideal garage for the vehicle based on lowest offered price within a defined geographical area.

14. The parking garage of claim 9 wherein the curation system curates the ideal garage for the vehicle based on assigning a closest score for a garage and a cheapest score for a garage, and determining an ideal garage based on the both the closest and the cheapest scores.

15. The parking garage of claim 14 wherein the curation system curates the ideal garage for the vehicle based on parameters selected from a group of user ratings, coupon availability, operational efficiency, and greatest number of vacant spots.

16. The parking garage system of claim 9 wherein the curation system further refines the ideal garage for the vehicle based on filters including maximum rate, acceptable form of payment, type of parking structure, and attended garage.

17. A garage management system, comprising:

a device configured to calculate occupancy rates of a plurality of parking sectors in a garage, each parking sector including a plurality of parking spaces;

a motion sensor;

a processor;

a camera in communication with the processor and the motion sensor, the processor configured to determine vehicle entrances and exits for the garage and record a total number of occupied parking spaces based on the entrances and exits, the entrances and exits being determined by triggering the camera, via the motion sensor, to capture a photograph of a vehicle when the vehicle is detected by the entrance/exit;

a sensor configured to identify the vehicles entering/exiting the garage;

a digital system that tracks an occupancy level of each of said parking sectors and an anticipated departure time of vehicles parked in said parking spaces, said digital system further directing vehicles to a particular parking sector based on said anticipated departure time;

said digital system advising potential customers of said occupancy level and parking rates; and

communicating information regarding occupancy level and parking rates to a vehicle.

18. The garage management system of claim 17 wherein occupancy level is determined based on the determined total number of occupied spaces.

19. The garage management system of claim 17 further configured to transmit, prior to arrival at the garage, a unique identifier to the vehicle.

20. The garage management system of claim 17 wherein the sensor scans a license plate or other unique vehicle identifier, and retrieves, from a server, vehicle identification information associated with the vehicle state registration.

21. The garage management system of claim 20 wherein the bar code scanner is further configured to scan the unique identifier for the vehicle and, in response to the scan, retrieve associated reservation information or check-in a person with new records.

22. The garage management system of claim 21 wherein the associated reservation information includes duration of reservation, price of reservation, vehicle information, and driver identification information.

23. The garage management system of claim 21 wherein the scanner initiates a second scan of the unique identifier and then initiates a check-out sequence for the vehicle.

24. The garage management system of claim 23 wherein the check-out sequence includes determining a final amount for the vehicle reservation, a final car location within the garage, and a recommended tip amount.