Monitoring and/or directing system for parking areas

• US 5,504,314 A
• Filed: 09/20/1994
• Issued: 04/02/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Farmont Johann
• Original Assignee: Farmont Johann
• Inventors: Farmont, Johann
• Primary Examiner(s): Evans, F. L.
• Application Number:
  US08/309,093
• Time in Patent Office: 560 Days
• Field of Search: 235/384, 340/932.2, 194/902
• US Class Current: 235/384
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 6/42 Devices or arrangements peculiar to garages, not covered elsewhere, e.g. securing devices, safety devices , monitoring and operating schemes; centering devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/047 the record carrier being shaped as a coin or a gambling token
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07703 the interface being visual
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/04 comprising devices to free a barrier, turnstile, or the like turnstiles with registering means G07C9/10; coin-freed aspects G07F17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 1/06 Coins specially adapted to operate coin-freed mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/24 for parking meters
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/14 indicating individual free spaces in parking areas
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 194/902 Check-operated device for controlling parking lot

Abstract

The invention relates to a monitoring and/or directing system for parking areas which exhibit parking spaces. In order that the risk of theft is reduced and/if appropriate, incoming vehicles can be guided specifically to empty parking spaces, the monitoring and/or directing system is designed with at least one entrance and departure station provided for issue and retrieval of parking tickets fitted with an electronic identification element, with communicators which detect the parking tickets, there being arranged, at each parking space, at least one communicator which has a detection region directed towards the associated parking space, and with data lines via which the communicators and the entrance and departure stations are connected to a central computer.

Claims

1. A monitoring and directing system for a parking area having parking spaces, said parking area having at least one entrance and departure station provided for the issue and retrieval of parking tickets fitted with an electronic identification element, said system having communicators adapted to detect said parking tickets, there being arranged, at each parking space, at least one communicator which has a detection region directed towards the associated parking space, said system having data lines via which said communicators and said entrance and departure stations are connected to a central computer.

2. The monitoring and directing system of claim 1 in which said communicators each comprise a read head including an aerial which is tuned to a transmitting device or transmitting/receiving device integrated in said parking tickets.

3. The monitoring and directing system of claim 2 in which said communicators communicate with said central computer via an evaluation unit, said evaluation unit preparing information and controlling data transmission.

4. The monitoring and directing system of claim 1 including an alarm indicator connected to and which can be triggered by said communicators.

5. The monitoring and directing system of claim 1 in which said communicators are each installed at a parking space such that their respective response region covers the parking space.

6. The monitoring and directing system claim 1 in which said communicators are each installed at a parking space such that said parking tickets can be moved into the near region thereof, and the detection region of the communicator is located only within said near region.

7. The monitoring and directing system of claim 1 in which, for monitoring departure, said departure station is assigned a communicator whose response region is located in front of said departure station, or at said departure station, and is connected to said central computer via a data line.

8. The monitoring and directing system of claim 1 which further comprises visible signal device as indicating devices for car-park users.

9. The monitoring and directing system of claim 1 in which a sensor for detecting the free or occupied state is installed at each parking space, and said sensors are connected to said central computer via data lines.

10. A method of monitoring the parking procedure in a parking area having a plurality of parking spaces, said method comprising the steps of:

issuing a parking ticket to user on entrance into a parking area, machine reading in a contactless manner an individual identification number from said ticket, and transmitting the entrance time, under the individual identification number which has been read, to a computer, and/or storing the entrance time in the parking ticket;

re-reading the individual identification number of the issued parking ticket upon parking in a selected parking space and transmitting said individual identification number, which has been read, together with a parking-space number of the selected parking space to said computer;

re-reading said individual identification number of said parking ticket, which the car-park user took, upon collection of the vehicle, and transmitting said individual identification number, which has been read, together with the parking-space number of the located parking space;

comparing said individual identification numbers which have been read for a parking space upon parking and upon collection, and actuating a device which obstructs departure when a non-correspondence of the numbers is detected.