Automated parking director systems and related methods

• US 7,135,991 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2006
• Issued: 11/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property
• Inventors: Slemmer, John Blake, Rivenburgh, Neil Fredrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Walk, Samuel J.
• Application Number:
  US11/372,584
• Publication Number:
  US 20060170566A1
• Time in Patent Office: 249 Days
• Field of Search: 340/932.2, 340/905, 705/13
• US Class Current: 340/932.2
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/14 indicating individual free spaces in parking areas

Abstract

Systems and methods of directing parking in a parking lot include: (a) detecting the presence and/or absence of a vehicle in respective parking spaces in a parking lot having a plurality of parking spaces to monitor the availability of parking spaces; (b) identifying the space location of parking spaces that are available for use based on the detecting and monitoring steps; (c) automatically providing the location of the identified available spaces to prospective users in substantially real-time; and (d) electronically correlating a parking space to a user to allow a parking space to be identified if a patron forgets where he/she parked.

Claims

1. A system of directing parking in a parking lot, comprising:

means for electronically detecting the presence and/or absence of a vehicle in a respective parking space in a parking lot having a plurality of parking spaces to monitor for the availability of parking spaces;

means for identifying the space location of parking spaces that are available for use based on the detecting;

means for automatically updating and providing the location of the identified available spaces to at least one output device accessible by a prospective parking lot customer in substantially real-time; and

means for electronically correlating a particular user to a particular parking location using a virtually reserved parking space identified based on a statistical probability of a parking space availability at a desired parking time.

2. A parking system according to claim 1, wherein the means for correlating comprises at least one reader in communication with a processor configured to automatically electronically obtain data in situ from a parking pass mounted to a respective vehicle as a user parks in a space that identifies a user in a respective parking space for each non-assigned parking space available to the general public, and wherein the system is configured to use the user identifier data to correlate the parking space location with a specific user in that parking space.

3. A parking system according to claim 1, wherein the means for detecting comprises at least one detector that is mounted to a floor of the parking space.

4. A parking system according to claim 1, wherein the means for detecting comprises at least one detector that is attached to an upstanding rail that is positioned to extend across a forward portion of a respective parking space.

5. A parking system according to claim 1, wherein the means for correlating comprises an electronic reader is configured to electronically automatically obtain data associated with a user and/or vehicle in a respective parking space without any manual input action by a user in the parking space, the data corresponding to at least one of a user'"'"'s name, driver'"'"'s license number and/or license plate number.

6. A parking system according to claim 1, wherein the means for detecting comprises at least one object detector configured to identify when an object occupies a respective parking space and/or when the respective parking space is unoccupied;

wherein the means for identifying comprises at least one processor in communication with the at least one object detector, the at least one processor being configured to automatically identify the location of individual parking spaces that are available and/or the parking spaces that are unavailable to a parking lot patron or potential user based on data obtained from the at least one object detector; and

wherein the means for identifying and the means for updating and providing include at least one processor in communication with an exterior display sign output device that graphically displays a map illustrating a cluster of available spaces in graphic format of parking spaces in the parking lot and visually contrasts the available spaces from the spaces that are unavailable, wherein the processor is configured to generate a textual summary of locations of isolated available spaces to prospective users, and wherein the processor is configured to communicate with a plurality of individual wireless devices with displays to provide parking patrons and potential patrons the map of the cluster of available and unavailable spaces and the textual summary of locations of isolated spaces that is updated in substantially real time.

7. A parking system according to claim 1, wherein the system identifies the locations of the available spaces in substantially real-time, wherein the system is configured to allocate a first available parking space to a first vehicle at a first time entry into the parking lot, then allocate a second different parking space to a second vehicle at a subsequent second time, and update the map and textual summary to exclude the allocated spaces even when the first or second vehicle has not yet parked in the respective allocated space.

8. A parking system according to claim 1, wherein the means for identifying and the means for updating and providing comprise at least one processor that is configured to relay the location of available and/or unavailable parking spaces to prospective users over a computer network, wherein the system is configured to generate auditory navigational instructions to a parking lot patron via an associated wireless device to guide the respective patrons to an open space or a cluster of open spaces.

9. A parking system according to claim 8, wherein the computer network is a global computer network.

10. A parking system according to claim 1, wherein the means for updating and providing comprises at least one processor that is configured to communicate with a plurality of wireless devices to transmit text messages electronically notifying respective parking lot patrons of available spaces.

11. A parking system according to claim 6, wherein the display sign is sized and configured to reside proximate the parking lot for viewing by drivers approaching and/or in the parking lot.

12. A parking system according to claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to graphically display the map of parking spaces in the parking lot and visually contrast the available spaces from the spaces that are unavailable on the displayed map on the exterior display and the wireless communication device displays, said system further configured to relay the visually contrasted map of available spaces to a web page.

13. A parking system according to claim 1, wherein the means for updating and providing comprises at least one processor configured to generate navigation instructions that can be output as auditory instructions transmitted to a user via a wireless device of the user to guide a user in the parking lot to an available space.

14. A parking system according to claim 1, wherein the means for identifying is configured to assign and/or automatically allocate a first parking space to a first vehicle on a first time entry into the parking lot, then assign and/or allocate a second parking space to a second vehicle that enters the parking lot thereafter.

15. A parking system according to claim 1, wherein the means for identifying and/or means for correlating comprises at least one processor configured to virtually reserve parking spaces using a web page accessible via the Internet based on pre-orders to users that specify a date and time a parking lot space is desired, then identify to the users the parking spaces so reserved.

16. A parking system according to claim 1, wherein the means for correlating comprises a reader configured to electronically automatically obtain user identifier data from a parking pass to electronically identify a user'"'"'s parking location to that user after a user has parked to thereby allow a user to find his or her car if that user subsequently forgets where his or her parking space is located.

17. A parking system according to claim 16, wherein the means for correlating comprises at least one processor that is configured to generate a unique identifier associated with a parking pass, and wherein the reader is configured to electronically read the parking pass that is assigned to a particular user after the respective user enters or parks in a parking space without requiring physical action on the part of the user in the parking space to initiate the reading.

18. A system according to claim 17, wherein the reader is configured to automatically read the parking pass from at least one predefined position on the vehicle when the user is in a parking space to provide user-specific data, and wherein the system is configured to automatically correlate a specific user to the location of the parking space based on the user-specific data and the location of the parking space where the specific user has parked.

19. A system according to claim 1, wherein the means for correlating is configured with anti-theft control means that employs user-specific data to confirm that a vehicle exiting or leaving the parking lot has an authorized driver.

20. A system according to claim 1, wherein the means for correlating is configured with anti-theft control means that employs user-specific data to confirm that a vehicle has a proper license plate before the vehicle is allowed to exit the parking lot.