Parking management system

• US 5,940,481 A
• Filed: 02/05/1997
• Issued: 08/17/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mobydom Limited
• Original Assignee: Shlomo Zeitman
• Inventors: Zeitman, Shlomo
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford N.
• Application Number:
  US08/795,969
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: 379/106.01, 379/106.11, 379/114, 379/112, 379/116, 379/119, 379/144, 379/265, 379/266, 379/309, 340/932, 340/932.2, 340/933, 340/937, 340/938, 340/825.28, 705/5, 705/6, 705/13, 705/15
• US Class Current: 705/13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/127 Shopping or accessing services according to a time-limitation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/16 Payments settled via telecommunication systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/326 Payment applications installed on the mobile devices
• 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: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/24 for parking meters

Abstract

A parking management communication system including a central control unit having a data base, a central interface unit and at least one user interface unit, the central interface unit being in communication with the at least one user interface unit via at least one of a wired and wireless communication link.

Claims

1. A method for parking reporting comprising:

providing a plurality of parking spaces at a multiplicity of disperse parking facilities;

parking a vehicle at a parking space chosen from one of said parking spaces; and

reporting to a central control unit, via a personal non-dedicated mobile communications device, an indication that said parking space is currently occupied.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said reporting via a non-dedicated mobile commnunications device is performed via a mobile telephone.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein said reporting via a non-dedicated mobile communications device is performed by using a credit card to charge an account of a user of the parking space.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein said reporting via a non-dedicated mobile communications device is performed by using an identification card to report an identity of a user of the parking space.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein said reporting is performed by an operator of the vehicle.

6. The method according to claim 1 further comprising, before the step of parking, communicating a reservation request to said central control unit to reserve one of said parking spaces.