Low-power multi-bay parking meter

• US 5,617,942 A
• Filed: 04/24/1995
• Issued: 04/08/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: POM, Inc.
• Original Assignee: POM, Inc.
• Inventors: Speas, Gary W., Ward, Seth II, Brown, R. Todd
• Primary Examiner(s): Merritt, Karen B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOWE, SCOTT
• Application Number:
  US08/428,771
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 194/216, 194/217, 194/218, 194/219, 194/240, 194/241, 194/242, 194/900, 194/902, 368/7, 368/90
• US Class Current: 194/217
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/248 Housing construction casings for coin-freed apparatus G07F9/10
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 194/902 Check-operated device for controlling parking lot

Abstract

A low power parking meter to control two or four parking bays. A display, either by a flag-wheel or a digital display will normally indicate the status of each bay. When funds are deposited without indicating the bay to be credited, the meter will escrow the amount until a bay is chosen. The meter normally operates in an idle loop unless an individual bay is being checked or vended.

Claims

1. A multi-bay parking meter comprising:

a rigid casing adapted to be disposed adjacent at least one parking space for which time is to be vended for housing components of said meter;

at least one payment slot in said casing for accepting payment for said time;

a plurality of space selection buttons for enabling a customer to choose a particular parking space, at least one button for each space;

a digital display for prompting a customer and indicating the status of parking spaces;

circuitry connected to place said meter in a low-power consumption mode when not vending time;

a circuit for crediting customers with payments and associating particular payments with particular parking spaces, said circuit activating said display for alerting a customer of his selection.

2. The multi-bay parking meter as defined in claim 1 wherein said circuit comprises an encoder for monitoring selected parking spaces, said encoder comprising circuitry to present an interrupt signal indicating that one of a plurality of parking spaces has received attention;

and, to identify which one of a plurality of parking spaces has been selected by a customer.

3. A multi-bay parking meter, comprising:

a rigid casing adapted to be disposed adjacent at least one parking space for which time is to be vended for housing components of said meter;

at least one payment slot in said casing for accepting payment for said time;

a plurality of space selection buttons for enabling a customer to choose a particular parking space, at least one button for each space;

a digital display for prompting a customer and indicating the status of parking spaces;

circuitry connected to place said meter in a low-power consumption mode when not vending time;

a circuit for crediting customers with payments and associating particular payments with particular parking spaces, said circuit activating said display for alerting a customer of his selection;

wherein said meter accommodates two parking spaces and comprises a flag wheel for separately indicating the sold-out status of both parking spaces independently of and concurrently with said digital display

wherein said flag wheel comprises a rotary wheel comprising a front and back, said front and back comprising multiple colored segments that provide a sold-out indication at both the front and the rear of said meter.

4. A method of operating a multi-bay parking meter comprising the steps of:

providing a rigid casing adapted to disposed adjacent at least one parking space for which time is to be vended for housing components of said meter;

providing at least one payment slot means in said casing for accepting payment for said time;

providing a plurality of space selection buttons for enabling a customer to choose a particular parking space, at least one button for each space;

digitally displaying and indicating the status of parking spaces;

digitally prompting a customer; and

,

crediting customers with payments and associating particular payments with particular parking spaces;

placing said meter in a low-power consumption mode when not vending time.

5. The method as defined in claim 4 including the step of separately indicating the sold-out status of parking spaces independently of and concurrently with said digital display step.

6. The method as defined in claim 5 wherein said step of separately indicating includes the step of rotating a rotary wheel comprising a front and back, said front and back comprising multiple colored segments that provide a sold-out indication at both the front and the rear of said meter.

7. The method as defined in claim 6 including the step of monitoring selected parking spaces, said monitoring step including the steps of:

presenting an interrupt signal indicating that one of a plurality of parking spaces has received attention; and

,

identifying which one of a plurality of parking spaces has been selected by a customer.

8. The method as defined in claim 7 wherein said monitoring step comprises the steps of:

establishing an idle loop for waiting for a coin, a debit card, or a parking switch input;

if a coin or payment card is inserted, displaying a "Select Space" prompt to urge the customer to choose a space by pressing an appropriate selection parking space selection button;

concurrently escrowing the dollar amount of payment inserted into said meter until a parking space is selected; and

,

crediting the customer with his purchase after a parking space is selected.

9. The method as defined in claim 8 including the step of establishing a switch handler routine, said switch handler routine comprising the steps of:

determining the selection of a particular parking space;

deciding whether coins or a payment card is inserted into said meter within a preselected time, and if no coins or payment card is inputted within said time, returning that space to inactive status.

10. The method as defined in claim 9 wherein said switch handler routine further comprises the steps of:

making the selected space active if any of the following events is determined within said time limit;

an escrow amount is present,

coins are inserted, or

a debit card is inserted;

vending the time to the appropriate selected parking space;

updating the display to indicate the selected parking space and the purchased time remaining.

11. The method as defined in claim 10 wherein said display step comprises the steps of providing information according to the following table, where A and B are the parking spaces for which the meter is vending time, "timing" and "expired" refer respectively to whether vended time remains for the cited parking spot or not, "red" and "green" are respective ones of said multiple colored segments, and the condition shown in the left-hand column causes the displays shown in the other three columns to be displayed on said front of said rotary wheel, said rear of said rotary wheel, and a digital display respectively:

space="preserve" listing-type="tabular">______________________________________ METER CON- FLAG WHEEL FLAG WHEEL [LCD] DITION FRONT REAR DISPLAY ______________________________________ Expired Red-Red Red E E A timing, Green-Red Red-Green -- E B expired A expired, Red-Green Green-Red E -- B timing A timing, Green-Green Green-Green -- -- B timing, A active Not updated Not updated Shows time on space A B active Not updated Not updated Shows time on Space B ______________________________________

12. The method as defined in claim 10 wherein said display step comprises the steps of providing information according to the following table, where A, B, C, and D refer to the parking spaces for which the meter is vending time, "timing" and "expired" refer respectively to whether vended time remains for the cited parking spot or not, and the condition shown in the left-hand column causes the displays shown in the other column to be digitally displayed:

space="preserve" listing-type="tabular">______________________________________ METER CONDITION [LCD] DISPLAY ______________________________________ Expired E E E E A timing, B expired, C expired, D expired -- E E E A expired, B timing, C expired, D expired E -- E E A timing, B timing, C expired, D expired -- -- E E A expired, B expired, C timing, D expired E E -- E A timing, B expired, C timing, D expired -- E -- E A expired, B timing, C timing, D expired E -- -- E A timing, B timing, C timing, D expired -- -- -- E A expired, B expired, C expired, D timing E E E -- [A timing, B timing, C expired, D timing -- -- E E] A timing, B expired, C expired, D timing -- E E -- A expired, B timing, C expired, D timing E -- E -- A timing, B timing, C expired, D timing -- -- E -- A expired, B expired, C timing, D timing E E -- -- A timing, B expired, C timing, D timing -- E -- -- A expired, B timing, C timing, D timing E -- -- -- A timing, B timing, C timing, D timing -- -- -- -- A active Shows time on Space A B active Shows time on Space B C active Shows time on Space C D active Shows time on Space D ______________________________________

13. A multibay parking meter, comprising:

a rigid housing adapted to be mounted adjacent two or more parking spaces, said rigid housing comprising;

at least one opening in said housing through which payment may be inserted; and

a plurality of buttons which indicate which of said two or more parking spaces is selected;

first detection circuitry to send an interrupt signal when one of said plurality of buttons is pushed;

second detection circuitry to send an interrupt signal when payment is received through said at least one opening;

payment circuitry, connected to said first and second detection circuitry, to accept payment through said at least one opening, to mark a selected parking space as active, and to credit said selected parking space with the payment;

idle circuitry, connected to said first and second detection circuitry and to said payment circuitry, to place at least said payment circuitry in an idle loop, which consumes less power, whenever an interrupt signal has not been received in a specified time period.

14. The multibay parking meter of claim 13, wherein said at least one opening comprises a slot to receive coins.

15. The multibay parking meter of claim 13, wherein said at least one opening comprises a slot to receive a payment card.

16. The multibay parking meter of claim 13, further comprising a display to continuously indicate the status of each space for which time may be vended.

17. The multibay parking meter of claim 13, further comprising a digital display to indicate, when a space has been selected, the time remaining for the selected space, and to indicate, at other times, the status (active or expired) of each of the spaces for which time may be vended.

18. A method of operating a multibay parking meter, comprising:

providing selection circuitry to receive a selection input specifying a parking space to which time is to be vended;

providing payment circuitry to receive a payment input for time to be vended;

maintaining said multibay parking meter in a normal mode when said selection circuitry or said payment circuitry has received a respective input within a predetermined time; and

maintaining said multibay parking meter in a low-power mode at all other times.

19. The method of operating a multibay parking meter of claim 18, wherein said payment input is coins.

20. The method of operating a multibay parking meter of claim 18, wherein said payment input is a debit card.