System and method of detecting and navigating to empty parking spaces

• US 7,899,583 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2006
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gamba Group Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Ehud Mendelson
• Inventors: Mendelson, Ehud
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu; Yonel
• Application Number:
  US11/396,843
• Publication Number:
  US 20060253226A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,793 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701200-202, 701/207, 701213-215, 340/932.2, 340/995.12, 340/539.1
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3685 the POI's being parking facilities
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/04 Position of source determined by a plurality of spaced direction-finders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/00 Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points handling coins or valuable papers, e.g. banknotes, G07D; apparatus for vending or hiring articles or services activated by coins, credit cards, paper currency or the like G07F7/00, G07F17/00
• 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: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/009 User recognition or proximity detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/14 indicating individual free spaces in parking areas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/24 for communication between two or more posts wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/26 at least one of which is mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

The parking detection system method described herein could guide people around urban environments detect guide and navigate them to empty parking spaces, add-on to the car-based navigation systems and or to the cellular phone. We have focused on the task of detecting and navigating even in situations in which Global Positioning Systems (GPS) cannot provide this information, such as when the person is indoors or in crowded urban areas where there is no line of site to the GPS satellites and without the need for central computer system or internet connections. The parking information will be received directly from RF sensors and will display as a floating overlay on the existing navigation system and or cellular phone as Bluetooth application.

Claims

1. A wireless parking detector, comprising:

a series of parking space status sensors, each parking space status sensor comprising a RF transmitter and a vehicle sensor, each parking space status sensor comprising a unique sensor broadcast name, each parking space status sensor being positioned proximate a unique parking spot, wherein the parking space status sensor monitors a vacancy status of the parking space, and the RF transmitter emits repeated broadcasts of the unique sensor broadcast name only when the status of the parking space is determined as vacant; and

a portable user'"'"'s device providing a guide to a parking space, the portable user'"'"'s device incorporating a monitoring system comprising parking space monitoring software and a signal receiver, wherein the signal receiver is configured to scan for all of the unique sensor broadcast names; and

parking space monitoring software that references each unique sensor broadcast name to a parking space identified on a location map,

wherein the repeated broadcasts are emitted from the RF transmitter and directly to the portable user'"'"'s device, and

wherein the parking space monitoring software determines the location of each empty parking space associated with each received unique sensor broadcast names from the scan and displays the each empty parking locations.

2. The wireless parking detector according to claim 1, wherein the parking ID to include a known address, price, and type of parking selected from the group consisting normal parking and handicap parking.

21. The wireless parking detector according to claim 1, the RF transmitter transmits in accordance with a Bluetooth protocol.

22. The wireless parking detector according to claim 1, further comprising a cellular telephone, wherein the parking space monitoring software, signal receiver, and display are integrated into the cellular telephone.

23. The wireless parking detector according to claim 1, wherein the parking space monitoring software, signal receiver, and display are integrated into a user interface of a vehicle.

24. The wireless parking detector according to claim 1, further comprising a return to parking feature, wherein the return to parking feature saves the location in which a user'"'"'s vehicle is parked.

3. A method of identifying available parking spots, the method comprising the steps of:

deploying a series of parking space status sensors, each parking space status sensors having a unique sensor broadcast name and is positioned and mapped respective to a unique parking space;

monitoring the status of a series of parking space;

determining the vacancy of each parking space being monitored;

emitting repeat broadcasts of the respective unique sensor broadcast name of each parking space only when the respective parking space is determined to be vacant, wherein the emitted repeat broadcasts are directly received by a portable user'"'"'s device, the portable user'"'"'s device incorporating a monitoring system comprising parking space monitoring software and a signal receiver, wherein the signal receiver is configured to scan for all of the unique sensor broadcast names;

scanning with the portable user'"'"'s device to receive each of the emitted respective unique sensor broadcast names;

determining each empty parking space from the emitted respective unique sensor broadcast names; and

communicating each empty parking space to an end user via a display device.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the empty parking space information is displayed as a stand alone application without background mapping.

5. The method according to claim 3, which further comprises displaying the empty parking space information over at least one of a facility map, an area map, and a floor plan downloaded to the display device.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein the empty parking space information pertains to navigating a current parking area.

7. The method according to claim 6, which further comprises determining a current position of a vehicle based on known positions of the wireless parking sensors to the vehicle.

8. The method according to claim 7, which further comprises navigating to the current parking area using a mapping facility.

9. The method according to claim 3, which further comprises producing a parking ticket with an exact location to a park space for a vehicle, the parking ticket being distributed by a parking garage.

10. The method according to claim 3, which further comprises paying electronically the parking sensor which replaces a parking meter.

11. The method according to claim 3, wherein the parking sensor automatically debits the display device.

12. The method according to claim 7, which further comprises performing the determining step without an aid of a global positioning satellite system or central database system.

13. The method according to claim 3, which further comprises:

registering an exact parking place location of a vehicle on the display device; and

subsequently allow return to parking navigating to where the vehicle is parked.

14. The method according to claim 13, which further comprises displaying on the display device a mapping between a current position and the exact parking place location of the vehicle.

15. The method according to claim 3, which further comprises displaying additional information of an available parking space as a waypoint.

16. The method according to claim 3, which further comprises providing the display device with an omni directional circular display.

17. The method according to claim 3, which further comprises forming the display device as a head-up display device projecting onto a vehicle windshield and displaying the empty parking space information via the head-up device.

18. The method according to claim 16, which further comprises determining a distance to and a direction to an empty parking space with the omni directional circular display.

19. The method according to claim 3, which further comprises providing the display device with application software for displaying pre-loaded area maps or parking facility floor plans.

20. The method according to claim 3, which further comprises floating the empty parking space information over an existing floor plan.