Systems and methods for recording parking space information

• US 8,004,426 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2008
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Dasgupta, Sudeep
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunnings; Travis R
• Application Number:
  US12/250,729
• Publication Number:
  US 20100090865A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• Field of Search: 340/932.2
• US Class Current: 340/932.2
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/14 indicating individual free spaces in parking areas

Abstract

A system and method for recording data associated with a parking space. The data may be received a portable electronic device, such as a cell phone. The data may be received from a computer readable medium associated with the parking space, such as a bar code. The data may also be received from a wireless signal associated with the parking space, such as a Bluetooth wireless signal. The data may contain such information as the location of the parking space within the parking area. Other information may be included in the data, such as parking rate information for the parking space. A feature may included wherein the data may be transmitted to a server wherein the data may be stored in a storage device. The system and method may also allow payment for the parking space using the personal electronic device and the server.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a portable electronic device, encoded data associated with a parking space, wherein the encoded data is received over a wireless path;

decoding the encoded data to generate information associated with the parking space;

displaying, on the portable device, the information associated with the parking space; and

storing the decoded data,

wherein the portable electronic device is communicatively coupled to a server and wherein the server is configured to process payment requests from the portable electronic device for the parking space and transmit a confirmation of payment therefore to at least the portable electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

retrieving the decoded data in response to a query entered into the portable electronic device; and

displaying the retrieved data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the encoded data comprises at least one of the location of the parking space and the parking rate information for the parking space.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the encoded data is stored on a computer readable medium comprising at least one of a bar code, a dot matrix code, and an RFID chip.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable electronic device is at least one of a mobile phone and a personal digital assistant.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving further comprises:

wherein the encoded data is received as a digital image of a computer readable medium.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, from the portable electronic device, to a server, the decoded data comprising at least the parking space location;

sending, to the server, a request for the decoded data;

receiving, from the server, the decoded data; and

displaying received decoded data on the portable electronic device.

8. A system, comprising:

a portable electronic device configured to;

receive encoded data associated with a parking space wherein the encoded data comprises at least a location of the parking space;

decode the encoded data to generate information associated with the location of the parking space;

display the location of the parking space; and

store the decoded data; and

a server communicatively coupled with the portable electronic device to receive data associated with the location of the parking space from the portable electronic device wherein the data is one of encoded data and decoded data, wherein the server is configured to process payment requests from the portable electronic device for the parking space and transmit a confirmation of payment therefore to at least the portable electronic device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the portable electronic device is further configured to:

retrieve the data in response to a query entered into the portable electronic device; and

display the retrieved data.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a storage device communicatively coupled to the server wherein the storage device at least stores data received by the server from the portable electronic device.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the decoded data further comprises parking rate information for the parking space.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the encoded data is stored on a computer readable medium comprising at least one of a bar code, a dot matrix code, and an RFID chip.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor;

a data input module, comprising at least one of an optical imaging device and a wireless data transmit/receive capability, configured to receive encoded data associated with a parking space;

a decoding module configured to decode the encoded data;

a storage module configured to store the decoded data;

a display module configured to display the decoded data;

a user interface module configured to allow a user to interact with data; and

a transmit and receive module to cause the data to be transmitted to a server and allow the data to be received from a server, wherein the server is configured to process payment requests and to transmit a payment confirmation.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

an erasing module configured to erase previously stored parking data.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the apparatus is at least one of a mobile phone and a personal digital assistant.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the encoded data is stored on a computer readable medium comprising at least one of a bar code, a dot matrix code, and an RFID chip.

17. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a portable electronic device, encoded data associated with a parking space wherein the encoded data comprises at least one of the location of the parking space and the parking rate information for the parking space;

decoding the encoded data to generate information associated with the parking space;

displaying, on the portable device, the information associated with the parking space wherein the information associated with the parking space comprises at least one of the location of the parking space and the parking rate information for the parking space;

storing the decoded data;

retrieving the decoded data in response to a query entered into the portable electronic device;

displaying the retrieved data;

transmitting, from the portable electronic device, to a server, the processed data comprising at least the parking space location;

sending, to the server, a request for the decoded data;

receiving, from the server, the decoded data; and

displaying received decoded data on the portable electronic device,

wherein the portable electronic device is communicatively coupled to a server and wherein the server is configured to process payment requests from the portable electronic device for the parking space and transmit a confirmation of payment therefore to at least the portable electronic device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the encoded data is stored on a computer readable medium comprising at least one of a bar code, a dot matrix code, and an RFID chip.