Data collection system for electronic parking meters

• US 8,395,532 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2012
• Issued: 03/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: J.J. MacKay Canada Limited (137954 Canada Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: J.J. MacKay Canada Limited (137954 Canada Ltd.)
• Inventors: Chauvin, Gregory Emile, Erksine, Neil Stuart, MacKay, George Allan
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent
• Application Number:
  US13/454,976
• Publication Number:
  US 20120223841A1
• Time in Patent Office: 322 Days
• Field of Search: 340/932.2, 340/928, 235/380, 235/486, 235/381, 705/13
• US Class Current: 340/932.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3221 Access to banking information through M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/24 for parking meters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines

Abstract

There is disclosed a single space parking meter that includes a low powered radio for communicating with a mobile access point. There is also provided a parking meter management system comprising a single space parking meter and a mobile access point. The mobile access point comprises a coin collection cart, and a mobile data collection terminal including a wireless radio for communicating with the wireless radio of the single space parking meter. Also disclosed is a method of managing single space parking meters comprising the steps of collecting and storing meter information in a single space parking meter, receiving at a main electronics board of the single space parking meter a transmit signal, and transmitting the meter information to a mobile access point using a low powered radio of the single space parking meter.

Claims

1. A parking meter comprising:

an outer housing; and

a parking meter mechanism enclosed within the outer housing, the parking meter mechanism comprising;

a transceiver for transmitting and receiving information;

a memory for storing instructions; and

a processor for executing instructions, the instructions when executed by the processor configuring the parking meter to;

detect a trigger event comprising a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag being in close proximity to the parking meter mechanism; and

transmit configuration information comprising a unique identifier associated with a location of the parking meter using the transceiver upon detection of the trigger event;

receive information with the transceiver subsequent to transmitting the configuration information, wherein the received information comprises information on one or more parameters of the parking meter; and

modify the one or more parameters of the parking meter based on the received information.

2. The parking meter of claim 1, wherein the information is transmitted to a monitoring location.

3. The parking meter of claim 2, wherein the information is transmitted to the monitoring location using a cellular infrastructure.

4. The parking meter of claim 2, wherein the information is transmitted from the parking meter to an access point and from the access point to the monitoring location.

5. The parking meter of claim 1, wherein the received information is received from a monitoring location.

6. A parking meter mechanism comprising:

a transceiver for transmitting and receiving information;

a memory for storing instructions; and

a processor for executing instructions, the instructions when executed by the processor configuring the parking meter to;

detect a trigger event comprising a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag being in close proximity to the parking meter mechanism; and

transmit configuration information comprising a unique identifier associated with a location of the parking meter using the transceiver upon detection of the trigger event;

receive information with the transceiver subsequent to transmitting the configuration information, wherein the received information comprises information on one or more parameters of the parking meter; and

modifying the one or more parameters of the parking meter based on the received information.

7. The parking meter mechanism of claim 6, wherein the information is transmitted to a monitoring location.

8. The parking meter mechanism of claim 7, wherein the information is transmitted to the monitoring location using a cellular infrastructure.

9. The parking meter mechanism of claim 7, wherein the information is transmitted from the parking meter to an access point and from the access point to the monitoring location.

10. The parking meter mechanism of claim 6, wherein the received information is received from a monitoring location.

11. A method of transmitting information at a parking meter, the method comprising:

detecting at a parking meter mechanism a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag in close proximity to the parking meter mechanism; and

transmitting configuration information comprising a unique identifier associated with a location of the parking meter using a transceiver of the parking meter upon detection of the RFID tag in close proximity to the parking meter;

receiving information with the transceiver subsequent to transmitting the configuration information, wherein the received information comprises information on one or more parameters of the parking meter; and

modifying the one or more parameters of the parking meter based on the received information.

12. The method of claim of 11, wherein transmitting the information comprises transmitting the information to a monitoring location.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein transmitting the information to the monitoring location comprises transmitting the information using a cellular infrastructure.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the received information is received from a monitoring location.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the received information is received over a cellular infrastructure.