On-board vehicle parking space finder service
First Claim
1. A method of delivering parking availability information to a driver in a vehicle equipped with an on-board navigational computer, the method comprising the on-board navigational computer performed steps of:
- receiving a driver request to initiate a parking availability request;
transmitting the parking availability request over a wireless medium to a central site;
receiving a response message representative of current parking availability information in a geographic area from the central site, the central site collecting parking availability information transmitted from sensor devices monitoring associated parking spaces, said parking spaces comprising at least one on-street parking space; and
generating navigational information as a function of said parking availability information to assist the driver in locating an available parking space.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An on-board vehicle navigation system parking space finder that offers a driver a competitive edge in finding available on-street parking. Drivers not familiar with an area are able to locate available metered parking spaces with ease. Drivers may be informed, on demand, of what type of currency they need for parking meters in certain areas, so they can stop for change, if necessary. Drivers will have information about maximum time limits for different parking meters, and can use this information to select meters with longer time limits, if necessary. Metered parking information specific to a vehicles current location, as well as metered parking information specific to a requested location, are made optionally available to drivers from within their vehicles.
209 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method of delivering parking availability information to a driver in a vehicle equipped with an on-board navigational computer, the method comprising the on-board navigational computer performed steps of:
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receiving a driver request to initiate a parking availability request; transmitting the parking availability request over a wireless medium to a central site; receiving a response message representative of current parking availability information in a geographic area from the central site, the central site collecting parking availability information transmitted from sensor devices monitoring associated parking spaces, said parking spaces comprising at least one on-street parking space; and generating navigational information as a function of said parking availability information to assist the driver in locating an available parking space. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of delivering parking availability information to a driver in a vehicle equipped with an on-board navigational computer, the method comprising the on-board navigational computer performed steps of:
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receiving a driver request to initiate a parking availability request; in response to said parking availability request, detecting current parking availability information for at least one geographic area transmitted over a wireless medium from a central site, the central cite collecting parking availability information transmitted from sensor devices monitoring associated parking spaces, said parking spaces comprising at least one on-street parking space; and generating navigational information as a function of said parking availability information to assist the driver in locating an available parking space. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. In a central site including a central site computer, a method of generating parking availability information to a driver in a vehicle equipped with an on-board navigational computer, the method comprising the central site computer performed steps of:
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receiving parking availability information transmitted from sensor devices monitoring associated parking spaces, said parking spaces comprising at least one on-street parking space; maintaining a database of current parking availability information as a function of at least one geographic area; and transmitting, over a wireless medium, navigational information representative of said current parking availability information to assist the driver in locating an available parking space. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of delivering parking availability information to a driver in a vehicle equipped with an on-board navigational computer, the method comprising the on-board navigational computer performed steps of:
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receiving a driver request to initiate a parking availability request; in response to said parking availability request, detecting current parking availability information, transmitted over a wireless medium, from each of plural parking meters having a respective associated sensor device for monitoring corresponding parking spaces in proximate location to the vehicle, said parking spaces comprising at least one on-street parking space; and generating navigational information as a function of said parking availability information to assist the driver in locating an available parking space.
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Specification