Parking locator system providing variably priced parking fees

• US 8,688,509 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2011
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mentis Services France
• Original Assignee: Societe Stationnement Urbain Developpements et Etudes
• Inventors: Rowe, Rick, Fiorucci, Jean-Louis
• Primary Examiner(s): EPSTEIN, BRIAN M
• Application Number:
  US13/183,242
• Publication Number:
  US 20110270669A1
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: 705/5, 705/13, 340/932.2
• US Class Current: 705/13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0237 at kiosk
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0259 based on store location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0268 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/14 indicating individual free spaces in parking areas
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/141 with means giving the indication of available parking spaces

Abstract

A parking locator system providing variably priced parking includes one or more parking sensors and one or more parking kiosks. The parking sensors may generate parking information identifying one or more occupied parking spaces and one or more unoccupied parking spaces within a vicinity. Promotion information including one or more discounts to parking fees may be received at the parking kiosks. The parking kiosks may display the discounted parking fees and receive payment of the same. The discounts to parking fees may expire at particular times. The size of the discounts may be set based on traffic congestion, which may be determined based on the number of occupied parking spaces within the vicinity.

Claims

1. A parking locator system for providing discounted parking comprising:

one or more servers configured to receive

     1) discount information from one or more providers, the discount information comprising one or more discounted parking fees associated with one or more predefined time periods

     2) promotional information from one or more merchants,

     3) first criteria from the one or more merchants for determining when to distribute the promotional information, and

     4) second criteria from an entity separate from the one or more merchants for determining when to distribute the promotional information wherein the second criteria is based upon monitored vehicle traffic conditions such that, in response to a determination of traffic congestion in a particular area, the promotional information is distributed to reduce the traffic congestion in the particular area; and

one or more parking kiosks comprising a screen and a printer, each of the one or more parking kiosks configured to;

in response to a request to purchase parking, receive the discount information and the promotional information from the one or more servers;

present on the screen first promotional information wherein the first promotional information is selected based upon the first criteria from the one or more merchants and the second criteria from the entity separate from the one or more merchants;

output via the printer a printed media including the promotional information or via an electronic interface which allows communication with a portable electronic device the first promotional information;

present on the screen a discounted parking fee for one or more parking spaces during a predefined time period, wherein the discounted parking fee and predefined time period are provided in the discount information retrieved from the one or more servers;

present on the screen a non-discounted parking fee outside of the predefined time period, the non-discounted parking fee being higher than the discounted parking fee;

accept payment of the discounted parking fee from the user during the predefined time period; and

accept payment of the non-discounted parking fee outside the predefined time period.

2. The parking locator system of claim 1 further comprising one or more sensors associated with the one or more parking spaces, the one or more sensors configured to generate parking information indicating whether each of the one or more parking spaces are occupied or unoccupied, wherein the one or more servers store the parking information.

3. The parking locator system of claim 2, wherein the one or more servers provide the parking information to the one or more providers.

4. The parking locator system of claim 3, wherein the one or more discounted parking fees in the discount information are set based on the parking information provided to the one or more providers.

5. The parking locator system of claim 2, wherein the one or more servers are configured to send the parking information to one or more mobile devices in response to one or more requests for the parking information from the one or more mobile devices.

6. The parking locator system of claim 5, wherein the one or more requests include a location and the parking information identifies one or more unoccupied parking spaces within a predefined area around the location.

7. The parking locator system of claim 2, wherein the one or more sensors are mounted to a curb.

8. The parking locator system of claim 2, wherein the one or more sensors are adjustable.

9. The parking locator system of claim 2, wherein the one or more servers are configured to send directions to one or more unoccupied parking spaces identified in the parking information in response to a request for the one or more unoccupied parking spaces from one or more mobile devices.

10. The parking locator system of claim 1, wherein the one or more servers are configured to identify one or more unoccupied parking space on a map in response to a request for the one or more unoccupied parking spaces from one or more navigation devices.

11. The parking locator system of claim 1, wherein the one or more servers are configured to send the discount information to one or more mobile devices for presentation on a screen of the one or more mobile devices.

12. The parking locator system of claim 2, wherein the one or more servers receive the parking information from the one or more sensors wirelessly.

13. The parking locator system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said first period of time comprises a period of increased traffic congestion as compared to said second period of time.

14. The parking locator system of claim 1, wherein the one or more kiosks further comprise a wireless interface and wherein the one or more kiosks are further configured to establish communications with a portable electronic device and communicate the promotional information to the portable electronic device.

15. The parking locator system of claim 1, wherein the promotional information includes an offer from a merchant including information that allows the offer to be redeemed and information associated with the terms of the offer.

16. The parking locator system of claim 15, wherein the offer includes an time period for which the offer is valid.

17. The parking locator system of claim 16, wherein the time period is selected to reduce traffic congestion in an area where the parking is being purchased.

18. The parking locator system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured to receive identification information related to a user of the kiosk and select the promotional information to output at the kiosk based upon the received identification information.

19. The parking locator system of claim 18, wherein the kiosk includes an input device that allows the kiosk to receive the identification information.

20. The parking locator system of claim 1, wherein the promotional information is only output from the kiosk in response to receiving the payment.

21. The parking locator system of claim 1, wherein the promotional material includes a video and/or audio presentation.

22. The parking locator system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured to determine a parking history for a user of the kiosk and select the promotional based upon the parking history of the user.

23. The parking locator system of claim 1, wherein the printed media includes a coupon sponsored by a merchant.

24. The parking locator system of claim 1, wherein the promotional information includes a plurality of offers and wherein the kiosk is further configured to receive a selection of one of the plurality of offers.

25. A parking locator system configured to provide discounted parking for one or more parking spaces comprising:

a parking kiosk comprising;

one or more communication devices configured to receive discount information from a provider and promotional information from a merchant, the discount information comprising a discounted parking fee and an expiration time for the discounted parking fee and the promotional information comprising an offer wherein a first criteria for determining when to distribute the offer is specified by the merchant, and a second criteria for determining when to distribute the offer is specified from an entity separate from the merchant wherein the second criteria is based upon monitored vehicle traffic conditions such that, in response to a determination of traffic congestion in a particular area, the offer is distributed to reduce the traffic congestion in the particular area, said offer selected based upon the first criteria and the second criteria;

a screen configured to present the discounted parking fee before the expiration time, and to present a higher non-discounted parking fee after the expiration time;

a screen configured to present information related to the offer

a printer or a wireless interface configured to output information related to the offer;

a payment acceptor configured to receive payment for parking at the one or more parking spaces, the payment in an amount of the discounted parking fee before the expiration time and in an amount of the higher non-discounted parking fee after the expiration time; and

an enclosure configured to support the one or more communication devices, the screen, the printer and the payment acceptor.

26. The parking locator system of claim 25 further comprising one or more parking locators associated with one or more parking spaces, the one or more parking locators configured to generate parking information indicating whether each of the one or more parking spaces are occupied or unoccupied.

27. The parking locator system of claim 26, wherein the parking kiosk presents the discounted parking fee for one or more of the one or more parking spaces that are occupied to allow the discounted parking fee to be paid.

28. The parking locator system of claim 26, wherein the discounted parking fee is set based on an amount of congestion at the one or more parking spaces, the amount of congestion defined by a number of occupied parking spaces of the one or more parking spaces.

29. The parking locator system of claim 25 further comprising a server storing the discount information, wherein the parking kiosk receives the discount information from the server.

30. A method of providing discount parking with a parking locator system comprising:

detecting one or more occupied parking spaces and one or more unoccupied parking spaces within a vicinity using one or more sensors;

storing parking information identifying the one or more occupied parking spaces and the one or more unoccupied parking spaces in one or more servers;

retrieving discount information and promotional information associated with an offer from a merchant wherein the discount information includes a discounted parking fee and an expiration time from the one or more servers and wherein the promotional information includes a description and terms for the offer wherein a first criteria for determining when to distribute the offer is specified by the merchant, and a second criteria for determining when to distribute the offer is specified from an entity separate from the merchant wherein the second criteria is based upon monitored vehicle traffic conditions such that, in response to a determination of traffic congestion in a particular area, the offer is distributed to reduce the traffic congestion in the particular area, said offer selected based upon the first criteria and the second criteria; and

presenting the discounted parking fee and the offer to a user at one or more parking kiosks prior to the expiration time;

presenting a higher non-discounted parking fee and the offer at the one or more parking kiosks

after the expiration time; and

raising or lowering the discounted parking fee and selecting the offer that is presented based on an amount of traffic congestion at the vicinity.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the amount of traffic congestion is determined by a total number of the one or more occupied parking spaces within the vicinity.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the discounted parking fee provides an increased discount when the amount of traffic congestion is lower and a lower discount when the amount of traffic congestion is higher.

33. The method of claim 30, further comprising sending the parking information to one or more mobile devices upon receiving a request for the parking information from the one or more mobile devices.

34. The method of claim 30, further comprising providing a map identifying the one or more unoccupied parking spaces to a user via a mobile device.

35. The method of claim 30, further comprising receiving the discount information at the one or more servers from one or more providers.

36. A parking locator system comprising:

one or more servers configured to

     1) generate parking pricing information for a plurality of parking spaces, said parking pricing comprising at least a first parking rate during at least a first period of time and a second parking rate during at least a second period of time, said first and second parking rates differing from one another;

     2) receive promotional offers available from a plurality of different merchants;

     3) receive first criteria from the plurality of different merchants for determining when to distribute the promotional information, and

     4) receive second criteria from an entity separate from the plurality of different merchants for determining when to distribute the promotional information wherein the second criteria is based upon monitored vehicle traffic conditions such that, in response to a determination of traffic congestion in a particular area, the promotional information is distributed to reduce the traffic congestion in the particular area and

     5) based upon the first criteria and the second criteria, select from among the available promotional offers a list of promotional offers to send to one or more parking kiosks;

the one or more parking kiosks comprising a display and an input device configured to;

receive said parking pricing information and the list promotional offers from said one or more servers;

present information regarding said first parking rate via said display during said first period of time;

present information regarding said second parking rate via said display during said second period of time;

present the list of the promotional offers via the display;

receive a selection of one of the listed promotional offers via the input device and present additional details of the selected promotional offer via the display;

accept payment from a user of parking fees for at least one parking space at said first parking rate during said first period of time; and

accept payment from a user of parking fees for at least one parking space at said second parking rate during said second period of time.