Universal adaptor for electronic parking meters

• US 6,078,272 A
• Filed: 12/07/1998
• Issued: 06/20/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intelligent Devices Inc. (Heico Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Intelligent Devices Inc. (Heico Corporation)
• Inventors: Jacobs, James P., Yost, Vincent G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huang, Sihong
• Application Number:
  US09/207,060
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• Field of Search: 340/932.2, 340/825.33, 340/825.35, 340/870.02, 340/933, 340/693.9, 340/693.12, 902/26, 235/384, 368/90, 194/900, 194/217, 194/200
• US Class Current: 340/932.2
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/246 provided with vehicle proximity-detectors detecting hidden masses, e.g. metal detectors, G01V, e.g. G01V3/00; proximity switches per se H03K17/00; traffic control systems G08G1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/248 Housing construction casings for coin-freed apparatus G07F9/10

Abstract

A universal adaptor for use with electronic parking meters which provides these electronic parking meters with the ability to detect the presence of a parked vehicle and to adjust the position of the detector for accomplishing the vehicle detection, to gather statistics on the parking spaces and the meters, to alert the parking authority of meters that are expired in connection with vehicles still parked, and zeroing the remaining time off of any meter once the parked vehicle departs.

Claims

1. A unit for use with an electronic parking meter and a vault, the vault being arranged for receipt of coins, the electronic parking meter and the vault being arranged to be mounted on a stanchion at a corresponding curb side parking space, or at a parking lot space, said unit comprising:

(a) an enclosure arranged for mounting between the electronic parking meter and the vault, said enclosure including an internal passageway for permitting coins inserted into the parking meter to drop through said passageway into the vault for collection in the vault;

(b) electrical circuitry located within said enclosure for providing an electrical signal to the parking meter; and

(c) at least one fastener securing said enclosure between the parking meter and the vault.

2. The unit of claim 1 wherein said unit includes a vehicle detector located within said enclosure.

3. The unit of claim 2 wherein said vehicle detector is arranged to determine the presence of a vehicle located adjacent the detector via a wireless signal.

4. The unit of claim 2 where said vehicle detector comprises a sonar transducer disposed in said enclosure for emitting sonar signals and for receiving sonar signals.

5. The unit of claim 4 wherein said electrical circuitry controls the emission of sonar signals and for processing said received sonar signals.

6. The unit of claim 5 wherein said electrical circuitry further comprises a microprocessor coupled to said sonar transducer for determining a distance between the electronic parking meter and a target in the vicinity of the parking space from said received sonar signals.

7. The unit of claim 6 wherein said distance between the meter and the target is determined by said microprocessor to be in a too-close range, in a valid vehicle range or in a too-far range, said target being considered a vehicle whenever said determined distance falls within said valid vehicle range.

8. The unit of claim 7 wherein said valid vehicle range is adjustable by parking authority personnel.

9. The unit of claim 6 wherein said electrical circuitry further comprises an internal RF transceiver coupled to said microprocessor, said internal RF transceiver transmitting parking meter data to an external RF transceiver and said microprocessor providing said internal RF transceiver with said parking meter data for transmission.

10. The unit of claim 9 wherein said external RF transceiver comprises a plurality of RF repeaters that are in RF communication with a central facility.

11. The unit of claim 4 wherein said enclosure comprises a plurality of facet surfaces and wherein said sonar transducer is mounted in one of said facet surfaces.

12. The unit of claim 11 wherein said enclosure comprises three facet surfaces.

13. The unit of claim 4 wherein said enclosure comprises outer and inner concentric surfaces whereby said outer surface is in sliding engagement with said inner surface, said vehicle detector being mounted in said outer concentric surface and disposed in a slot in said inner concentric surface to permit said vehicle detector to be positioned at a desired angular orientation about a vertical axis of said unit.

14. The unit of claim 13 wherein said enclosure comprises a securement means for locking said sonar transducer at said desired angular orientation.

15. The unit of claim 4 further comprising a rotation device for permitting an adjustable rotation of the electronic parking meter, about a vertical axis, said rotation device comprising:

(a) a vault cover plate having a top periphery containing a plurality of countersunk receiving channels for receiving bolts that secure said vault cover plate to the vault;

(b) a rotator adaptor comprising a flat upper surface for supporting said enclosure, a conical-shaped midsection and a cylindrical bottom portion having an outer wall that includes an annular collar and a threaded portion just below said annular collar, said cylindrical bottom portion projecting through a hole in said cover plate adjacent the plurality of holes, said flat upper surface, said conical-shaped midsection and said cylindrical bottom having respective open interiors for further defining said passageway for a deposited coin to pass from the electronic parking meter to the vault;

(c) a tamper proof member disposed on top of said countersunk receiving channels to conceal said receiving bolts; and

(d) a rotator adaptor ring for engaging said threaded portion and for releasably securing the electronic parking meter in a desired orientation about said vertical axis and for securing said tamper proof member between said annular collar and said countersunk receiving channels.

16. The unit of claim 1 wherein the parking meter includes a parking meter mechanism, and wherein said electrical signal provided by said unit is used by the parking meter mechanism.

17. The unit of claim 16 wherein the parking meter mechanism provides an electrical signal, and wherein said unit is arranged to receive the electrical signal from the parking meter mechanism.

18. The unit of claim 1 wherein the parking meter includes a parking meter mechanism and wherein the parking meter mechanism provides an electrical signal, and wherein said unit is arranged to receive the electrical signal from the parking meter mechanism.

19. The unit of claim 1 wherein said enclosure includes at least one opening through which a fastener is arranged to be extended to secure said unit between the parking meter and the vault.

20. The unit of claim 19 additionally comprising a least one threaded fastener for extending through said at least one opening to secure said unit between the parking meter and the vault.

21. An electrical interface between an electronic parking meter and an external vehicle detector wherein the electronic parking meter, to be used by a parking patron, comprises a first microprocessor and said external vehicle detector comprises a second microprocessor, said interface being coupled between said first microprocessor and said second microprocessor to form a substantially continuous communication connection between said electronic parking meter and said external vehicle detector, without interrupting patron use of said electronic parking meter;

and wherein said external vehicle detector is positioned between the electronic parking meter and a vault.

22. The electrical interface of claim 21 wherein said interface comprises an RS-232 link between said processors.

23. The electrical interface of claim 22 wherein said RS-232 link comprises a wire harness.

24. The electrical interface of claim 21 wherein said interface permits data to be received by said second microprocessor from said first microprocessor.

25. The electrical interface of claim 21 wherein said interface permits data to be received by said first microprocessor from said second microprocessor.