Method and system for reservation-based parking

• US 7,956,769 B1
• Filed: 11/03/2008
• Issued: 06/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Pearl, Michael L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pope; Daryl
• Application Number:
  US12/263,822
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• Field of Search: 340/932.2, 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 705/28, 705/1.1, 705/26
• US Class Current: 340/932.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/14 indicating individual free spaces in parking areas

Abstract

Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that facilitates parking usage. During operation, the system receives a parking reservation request from a user and obtains a set of available parking spaces based on the parking reservation request. Next, the system provides the available parking spaces to the user and obtains, from the user, a selection of a parking space from the available parking spaces. Finally, the system reserves the parking space for the user.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating parking usage, comprising:

enrolling a plurality of businesses into a parking reservation system, wherein each business in the plurality of businesses has a set of parking spaces;

obtaining one or more parking spaces from each business for use by a user of the parking reservation system;

storing the obtained parking spaces in the parking reservation system;

receiving a parking reservation request from the user;

obtaining a set of available parking spaces based on the parking reservation request;

providing the available parking spaces to the user;

obtaining, from the user, a selection of a parking space from the available parking spaces; and

reserving the parking space for the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

validating the use of the parking space by the user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the user is validated with at least one of a phone number, a login, a license plate number, a credit card number, an identification card, and a vehicle transponder.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein reserving the parking space for the user involves at least one of:

reserving a specific parking space from the available parking spaces for the user;

decreasing a number of the available parking spaces;

conducting an auction for the selected parking space from the user;

receiving payment from the user; and

identifying the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the parking reservation request is associated with at least one of a location, a time, a duration, a price, an activity, and an event.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the available parking spaces to the user involves displaying the available parking spaces on a map.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection of the parking space is obtained using at least one of a webpage, an email, a phone call, and a Short Message Service (SMS) transmission.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the set of available parking spaces involves at least one of:

tracking a number of available parking spaces from the parking spaces stored in the parking reservation system; and

tracking an availability of a specific parking space from the parking spaces stored in the parking reservation system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each business is associated with at least one of a private parking lot and a public parking garage.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more businesses in the plurality of businesses make available only a subset of their available parking spaces to the parking reservation system.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein each business in the plurality of businesses specifies a set of users of the parking reservation system that can use the set of parking spaces provided by the business.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein each business in the plurality of businesses specifies a schedule of fees for the set of parking spaces provided by the business.

13. A system for facilitating parking usage, comprising:

a parking repository comprising a set of parking spaces;

a customer user interface, comprising;

a search module configured to;

receive a parking reservation request from a user; and

obtain a set of available parking spaces from the parking spaces based on the parking reservation request; and

a selection module configured to;

provide the available parking spaces to the user; and

obtain, from the user, a selection of a parking space from the set of available parking spaces;

a reservation system configured to reserve the parking space for the user;

a business user interface, comprising;

an enrollment module configured to enroll a plurality of businesses into the reservation system, wherein each business in the plurality of businesses has a set of parking spaces; and

a parking management module configured to obtain one or more parking spaces from each business for use by the user of the reservation system; and

the reservation system further configured to store the one or more parking spaces in the parking repository.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the reservation system is further configured to validate the use of the parking space by the user.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the user is validated with at least one of a phone number, a login, a license plate number, a credit card number, an identification card, and a vehicle transponder.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein reserving the parking space for the user involves at least one of:

reserving a specific parking space from the available parking spaces for the user;

decreasing a number of the available parking spaces;

conducting an auction bid for the selected parking space from the user;

receiving payment from the user; and

identifying the user.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the parking reservation request is associated with at least one of a location, a time, a duration, a price, an activity, and an event.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the selection of the parking space is obtained using at least one of a webpage, an email, a phone call, and a Short Message Service (SMS) transmission.

19. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for facilitating parking usage, the method comprising:

enrolling a plurality of businesses into a parking reservation system, wherein each business in the plurality of businesses has a set of parking spaces;

obtaining one or more parking spaces from each business for use by a user of the parking reservation system;

storing the obtained parking spaces in the parking reservation system;

receiving a parking reservation request from a user;

obtaining a set of available parking spaces based on the parking reservation request;

providing the available parking spaces to the user;

obtaining, from the user, a selection of a parking space from the available parking spaces; and

reserving the parking space for the user.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, the method further comprising:

validating the use of the parking space by the user.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the user is validated with at least one of a phone number, a login, a license plate number, a credit card number, an identification card, and a vehicle transponder.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein reserving the parking space for the user involves at least one of:

reserving a specific parking space from the available parking spaces for the user;

decreasing a number of the available parking spaces;

conducting an auction for the selected parking space from the user;

receiving payment from the user; and

identifying the user.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the parking reservation request is associated with at least one of a location, a time, a duration, a price, an activity, and an event.