Method for intelligent parking/pollution and surveillance control system

• US 7,579,964 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2007
• Issued: 08/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nattel Group Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nattel Group Incorporated
• Inventors: Patel, Rajesh, Nath, Sanjeev
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu; Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): WANG, JACK K
• Application Number:
  US11/959,965
• Publication Number:
  US 20080158010A1
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 340/933, 340/932.2, 340/541, 340/309.16, 705/13, 235/382
• US Class Current: 340/933
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0284 Time or distance, e.g. usage of parking meters or taximeters
• 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 17/246 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: G08G 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/123 indicating the position of vehicles, e.g. scheduled vehicles; Managing passenger vehicles circulating according to a fixed timetable, e.g. buses, trains, tramstransmission of navigation instructions to vehicles G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/14 indicating individual free spaces in parking areas

Abstract

The invention relates to systems to manage parking meters using mechanical, electrical and electromechanicals monitoring and transmitting devices. Such intelligent parking meters may be used for example to monitor pollution by idling vehicles, survey the area about the meters to identify events such as vandalism, accident or any other designated emergency situation, and to monitor volume and flow of traffic to help coordinate traffic light sequencing for facilitating optimum traffic movement. The meters may be coin, bill or card operated and are useful for monitoring individual parking spaces designed to monitor conditions ambient to the parking meter and issue summons to vehicles violating the preset requirements.

Claims

1. A total intelligent parking system for enforcement of automobile regulation with respect to vehicles situated in a metered zone, said system comprising:

a parking meter comprising a wireless monitoring device for sensing an idling vehicle within a defined space and capable of wireless communication with an automobile control system (“

A.R.C.S”

) operatively configured to generate a signal defining said automobile, said parking meter-operatively configured to inform said A.R.C.S. of any violations of legal requirements with respect to said vehicle in said meter zone and a device capable of automatically issuing a summons after a certain grace period if said automobile was situated in said meter zone and was in violation of any legal requirements with respect to vehicles in said metered zone.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal generated by the A.R.C.S. is generated in the form of:

Radio frequency;

WLAN IEEE 802.11x &

802.16x standards;

Blue tooth means; and

Infrared means.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless monitoring device comprises at least one surveillance camera.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the information defining said automobile includes at least one of:

automobile identification number;

automobile registration information;

pollution emission information;

and past violation summons information.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further includes means for the parking meter to transmit a meter unique identifier to said automobile.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the parking meter further comprises a means to transmit information from the parking meter to the A.R.C.S., such information informs the operator of said automobile that said automobile is stationary/parked/idling in said metered zone.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising in the parking meter:

a time-lapse recorder with sufficient amount of recording disk space; and

a shock vibration/sound/impact sensor.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein a plurality of surveillance cameras are mounted facing in all four directions.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless monitoring device detects at least one of:

a vibration;

or

a sound.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless monitoring device detects at least one of:

a shock;

or

a collision.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless monitoring device monitors the volume and flow of traffic to help co-ordinate traffic light sequencing for facilitating optimum traffic movement.