REAL-TIME INDOOR PARKING ADVISOR

• US 20170124874A1
• Filed: 10/30/2015
• Published: 05/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2015
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cai, Keke, Chen, Yue, Su, Zhong, Tang, Guoyu, Zhang, Li, Zhao, Shiwan, Chang, Xin, Xu, Enliang
• Granted Patent: US 10,268,899 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0116 from roadside infrastructure, e.g. beacons
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0129 for creating historical data or processing based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0175 by photographing vehicles, e.g. when violating traffic rules
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors
• 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

In an approach for determining an available parking space, a computer accesses a streaming video. The computer identifies a vehicle and a corresponding identification characteristic within the accessed streaming video. The computer retrieves historical data associated with the identified identification characteristic, wherein the historical data includes previous parking locations. The computer determines a preferred parking space within the retrieved historical data associated with the identified identification characteristic. The computer determines whether the identified preferred parking space is available based on a parking database.

Claims

1. A method for determining an available parking space, the method comprising:

accessing, by one or more computer processors, a streaming video;

identifying, by one or more computer processors, a vehicle and a corresponding identification characteristic within the accessed streaming video;

retrieving, by one or more computer processors, historical data associated with the identified identification characteristic, wherein the historical data includes previous parking locations;

determining, by one or more computer processors, a preferred parking space within the retrieved historical data associated with the identified identification characteristic; and

determining, by one or more computer processors, whether the identified preferred parking space is available based on a parking database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the vehicle and the corresponding identification characteristic within the accessed streaming video further comprises:

identifying, by one or more computer processor, movement within the accessed streaming video;

identifying, by one or more computer processors, an object within the identified movement;

applying, by one or more computer processors, image recognition software to the identified object; and

determining, by one or more computer processors, that the identified object is a vehicle based on the applied image recognition software.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a preferred parking space within the retrieved historical data associated with the identified identification characteristic further comprises:

analyzing, by one or more computer processors, the retrieved historical data associated with the identified identification characteristic;

identifying, by one or more computer processors, trends of parking behavior within the analyzed retrieved historical data associated with the identified identification characteristic;

ranking, by one or more computer processors, the identified trends of parking behavior; and

identifying, by one or more computer processors, the preferred parking space based on the ranked identified trends of parking behavior.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the identified preferred parking space is available based on the parking database further comprises:

retrieving, by one or more computer processors, a status associated with the determined preferred parking space within the parking database; and

determining, by one or more computer processors, whether the retrieved status associated with the determined preferred parking space is available.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to determining that the identified preferred parking space is available, selecting, by one or more computer processors, the preferred parking space as a destination;

determining, by one or more computer processors, directions from a current location of the identified vehicle to the selected preferred parking space;

providing, by one or more computer processors, the determined directions to the selected preferred parking space to the identified vehicle; and

determining, by one or more computer processors, whether the identified vehicle is parked.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

responsive to determining the identified vehicle is parked, determining, by one or more computer processors, a location associated with the identified vehicle within the parking database;

updating, by one or more computer processor, the historical data with the determined location associated with the identified vehicle; and

updating, by one or more computer processors, the parking database to change a status of the determined location associated with the identified vehicle from available to unavailable.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

responsive to determining the identified vehicle is not parked, determining, by one or more computer processors, changes within the parking database with respect to availability;

determining, by one or more computer processors, an updated preferred parking space based on the determined changes within the parking database;

selecting, by one or more computer processors, the updated preferred parking space as a destination based on the determined updated preferred parking space;

determining, by one or more computer processors, directions from a current location of the identified vehicle to the selected updated preferred parking space;

providing, by one or more computer processors, the determined directions to the selected updated preferred parking space to the identified vehicle; and

determining, by one or more computer processors, whether the identified vehicle is parked.

8. A computer program product for determining an available parking space, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer readable storage media and program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to access a streaming video;

program instructions to identify a vehicle and a corresponding identification characteristic within the accessed streaming video;

program instructions to retrieve historical data associated with the identified identification characteristic, wherein the historical data includes previous parking locations;

program instructions to determine a preferred parking space within the retrieved historical data associated with the identified identification characteristic; and

program instructions to determine whether the identified preferred parking space is available based on a parking database.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein to identify the vehicle and the corresponding identification characteristic within the accessed streaming video further comprises one or more of the following program instructions, stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, to:

identify movement within the accessed streaming video;

identify an object within the identified movement;

apply image recognition software to the identified object; and

determine that the identified object is a vehicle based on the applied image recognition software.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein to determine a preferred parking space within the retrieved historical data associated with the identified identification characteristic further comprises one or more of the following program instructions, stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, to:

analyze the retrieved historical data associated with the identified identification characteristic;

identify trends of parking behavior within the analyzed retrieved historical data associated with the identified identification characteristic;

rank the identified trends of parking behavior; and

identify the preferred parking space based on the ranked identified trends of parking behavior.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein to determine whether the identified preferred parking space is available based on the parking database further comprises one or more of the following program instructions, stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, to:

retrieve a status associated with the determined preferred parking space within the parking database; and

determine whether the retrieved status associated with the determined preferred parking space is available.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising one or more of the following program instructions, stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, to:

responsive to determining that the identified preferred parking space is available, selecting, by one or more computer processors, the preferred parking space as a destination;

determine directions from a current location of the identified vehicle to the selected preferred parking space;

provide the determined directions to the selected preferred parking space to the identified vehicle; and

determine whether the identified vehicle is parked.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising one or more of the following program instructions, stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, to:

responsive to determining the identified vehicle is parked, determine a location associated with the identified vehicle within the parking database;

update the historical data with the determined location associated with the identified vehicle; and

update the parking database to change a status of the determined location associated with the identified vehicle from available to unavailable.

14. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising one or more of the following program instructions, stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, to:

responsive to determining the identified vehicle is not parked, determine changes within the parking database with respect to availability;

determine an updated preferred parking space based on the determined changes within the parking database;

select the updated preferred parking space as a destination based on the determined updated preferred parking space;

determine directions from a current location of the identified vehicle to the selected updated preferred parking space;

provide the determined directions to the selected updated preferred parking space to the identified vehicle; and

determine whether the identified vehicle is parked.

15. A computer system for determining an available parking space, the computer system comprising:

one or more computer processors, one or more computer readable storage media, and program instructions stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to access a streaming video;

program instructions to identify a vehicle and a corresponding identification characteristic within the accessed streaming video;

program instructions to retrieve historical data associated with the identified identification characteristic, wherein the historical data includes previous parking locations;

program instructions to determine a preferred parking space within the retrieved historical data associated with the identified identification characteristic; and

program instructions to determine whether the identified preferred parking space is available based on a parking database.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein to identify the vehicle and the corresponding identification characteristic within the accessed streaming video further comprises one or more of the following program instructions, stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, to:

identify movement within the accessed streaming video;

identify an object within the identified movement;

apply image recognition software to the identified object; and

determine that the identified object is a vehicle based on the applied image recognition software.

17. The computer system of claim 15, wherein to determine a preferred parking space within the retrieved historical data associated with the identified identification characteristic further comprises one or more of the following program instructions, stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, to:

analyze the retrieved historical data associated with the identified identification characteristic;

identify trends of parking behavior within the analyzed retrieved historical data associated with the identified identification characteristic;

rank the identified trends of parking behavior; and

identify the preferred parking space based on the ranked identified trends of parking behavior.

18. The computer system of claim 15, wherein to determine whether the identified preferred parking space is available based on the parking database further comprises one or more of the following program instructions, stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, to:

retrieve a status associated with the determined preferred parking space within the parking database; and

determine whether the retrieved status associated with the determined preferred parking space is available.

19. The computer system of claim 15, further comprising one or more of the following program instructions, stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, to:

responsive to determining that the identified preferred parking space is available, selecting, by one or more computer processors, the preferred parking space as a destination;

determine directions from a current location of the identified vehicle to the selected preferred parking space;

provide the determined directions to the selected preferred parking space to the identified vehicle; and

determine whether the identified vehicle is parked.

20. The computer system of claim 19, further comprising one or more of the following program instructions, stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, to:

responsive to determining the identified vehicle is parked, determine a location associated with the identified vehicle within the parking database;

update the historical data with the determined location associated with the identified vehicle; and

update the parking database to change a status of the determined location associated with the identified vehicle from available to unavailable.