METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MANAGING A PARKING LOT BASED ON INTELLIGENT IMAGING

• US 20170124395A1
• Filed: 01/16/2017
• Published: 05/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TKH Security LLC (TKH Group NV)
• Original Assignee: Park Assist, LLC (TKH Group NV)
• Inventors: Cohen, Daniel, Joffe, Richard, Caspe, Bob, Isaksen, Aaron, Goodman, Ilan, Yamey, Ian, Klevansky, Michael, Crawford, Andrew, Prokopenko, Konstantyn, Hartman, Steven, Ramondou, Aurelien, Kudas, Mark, Cura, Ezequiel
• Granted Patent: US 11,232,301 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 1/14 indicating individual free spaces in parking areas
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/142 external to the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

To manage a plurality of parking spaces, one or more images are acquired, with each parking space appearing in at least one image. Periodically acquired images of occupancy and identity are used in directing a customer to a parked vehicle. Periodically acquired images of just occupancy are used in controlling respective environmental aspects, such as illumination and ventilation, of the parking spaces. For these purposes, the images are classified automatically as “vacant” or “occupied”, and are displayed along with their classifications so that the classifications can be corrected manually.

Claims

1. A method of managing a plurality of parking spaces, comprising:

(a) monitoring a parking space with an imaging device of an imaging unit

(b) detecting, by said imaging unit, occupancy of said parking space;

(c) assigning said parking space, in which said occupancy was detected, an occupied status;

(d) obtaining, as a result of said parking space having said occupied status, a single high resolution image of a vehicle occupying said parking space, said high resolution image obtained by said imaging device;

(e) storing at least part of said high resolution image;

(f) processing said high resolution image to extract a vehicle identifier of said vehicle from said high resolution image; and

(g) in response to an inquiry, by a customer, that includes vehicle information entered in the form of one of a keyed in license plate number, a keyed in make or color of vehicle, an encoded vehicle license plate number read from a receipt or access ticket issuing to said customer, prior to parking said vehicle and wherein said vehicle information is entered to permit comparison by a system controller;

(1) having the system controller compare said entered vehicle information to said vehicle identifier extracted from said high resolution image obtained by said imaging device;

(2) identifying a location of said parking space based on a known location of said imaging device that obtained said high resolution image, and

(3) charging a differential tariff to said customer based on said location of said parking space in which said vehicle is parked;

wherein according to said differential tariff different individual parking spaces within the plurality of parking spaces are allowed to have different parking fees dependent on respective locations of said individual parking spaces.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(h) detecting, by said imaging device, vacancy of said parking space; and

(i) assigning said parking space vacant status.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a status is indicated by illuminating a different color of a multicolor indicator, said multicolor indicator collocated with said imaging device, said illuminated color predefined to indicate said status

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said assigning of said occupied status further comprising:

sending a notification from said imaging unit to a system processor indicating that said parking space is occupied; and

sending a request from said system processor to said imaging unit to capture said high resolution image of said vehicle in said parking space.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said vehicle identifier includes at least one of:

a license number of said vehicle and at least partial visual characterization of said vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

directing said customer to said parking space, said directing includes issuing a plurality of navigation instructions to said customer.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a thumbnail image of said parking space on a graphic user interface “

GUI”

;

deciding whether said occupied status is incorrect, based on a visual review of said thumbnail image on said GUI; and

correcting said occupied status if said parking space shown in said thumbnail image is vacant.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said monitoring of said parking space comprises:

(i) obtaining multiple images per second; and

(ii) running each of said multiple images through a classification algorithm to determine whether said parking space is occupied;

wherein said detecting occupancy of said parking space includes recognizing, by said classification algorithm, occupancy of said parking space.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

obtaining multiple images per second; and

running a change detection algorithm on said multiple images to determine whether an event has occurred in said parking space, said event selected from the group including;

arrival of said vehicle in said parking space and departure of said vehicle from said parking space;

wherein said detecting occupancy of said parking space includes said change detection algorithm determining said arrival of said vehicle in said parking space,

10. A system for managing a plurality of parking spaces, comprising:

(a) at least one camera for acquiring a respective occupancy image of at least one parking space;

(b) at least one multicolor indicator, each of said at least one multicolor indicator collocated with a respective camera of said at least one camera for indicating an occupancy status of said at least one parking space imaged by said respective camera;

(c) a memory for storing program code for;

(i) assigning each said occupancy image a respective status selected from the group consisting of vacant and occupied wherein each said status is indicated by a different color of said multicolor indicator predefined to indicate said status, and

(ii) illuminating said predefined color of said multicolor indicator according to said status; and

(d) a processor for executing said program code.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

(e) a display device for displaying at least a portion of said occupancy images; and

wherein said memory further stores program code for;

(iii) displaying said occupancy images on said display device along with said respective assigned statuses thereof.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

(f) an input device for correcting said respective assigned statuses as displayed on said display device, wherein said at least one camera, said display device, said memory, said at least one multicolor indicator and said input device are in electronic communication with said processor.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said program code implements a self-modifying classification algorithm for assigning said respective statuses.