Method and apparatus for parking lot metering

• US 8,812,353 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2010
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Liberty Plugins, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Liberty Plugins, Inc.
• Inventors: Redmann, William Gibbens, Outwater, Chris
• Primary Examiner(s): Erb, Nathan
• Application Number:
  US12/659,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20110093314A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,628 Days
• Field of Search: 705/13
• US Class Current: 705/13
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/02 to electric heating circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/445 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/12 by confirmation, e.g. of the input
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/14 by input of vehicle departure time
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/20 by driver identification
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/58 Departure time prediction
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/12 of exhaust
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/64 Optimising energy costs, e.g. responding to electricity rates
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/127 Shopping or accessing services according to a time-limitation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• 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: G07C 1/30 Parking meters registering or indicating waiting time of vehicles by means driven by the vehicle G07C5/02; coin-freed parking meters G07F17/24
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/14 : indicating individual free spaces in parking areas
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/145 : where the indication depends on the parking areas
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/148 : Management of a network of parking areas
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A method and apparatus for parking lot metering. The present invention allows multi-space meters to separately manage and control premium parking spaces, such as those for charging electric vehicles or those which supply electric power for engine block heaters in both pay-by-space and pay-an-display systems. Such premium spaces can be managed together over large areas (e.g., a city or region), or may be managed over smaller areas (e.g., the domain of an individual kiosk), or individually per parking space. Management includes pricing, time limits, hours, seasons of operation, and restrictions by vehicle type, and alternative pricing and restrictions for non-premium hours.

Claims

1. A method for managing parking, the method comprising the steps of:

a) automatically receiving, by a controller, a first parking request from a first motorist, said controller programmed to manage a plurality of parking spaces having a plurality of parking space kinds, said plurality of parking space kinds comprising a first parking space kind having a charging device for electric vehicles and a second parking space kind having no charging device for electric vehicles, wherein at least a first parking space has the first parking space kind having a charging device and a second parking space has a second parking space kind having no charging device, said first parking request having a first parameter comprising a first identifier of one or more of the following;

the first parking space and the first parking space kind;

b) automatically providing, by the controller, to the first motorist one or more of the following;

a first receipt and a first parking pass, each for parking in at least one of said plurality of parking spaces complying with said first parameter;

c) automatically receiving, by the controller, a second parking request from a second motorist, the second parking request having a second parameter comprising a second identifier of one or more of the following;

the second parking space and the second parking space kind; and

d) automatically providing, by the controller, to the second motorist, one or more of the following;

a second receipt and a second parking pass, each for parking in at least one of said plurality of parking spaces complying with the second parameter,

wherein for each of the first parking request and the second parking request, parking duration analysis is performed, comprising;

receiving a desired parking time duration as input;

determining that more than one parking space kind applies over the desired parking time duration;

determining which applicable parking space kind has the longest parking time limit; and

determining that the desired parking time duration is less than the determined longest parking time limit.

2. The method for managing parking as in claim 1 wherein said plurality of parking space kinds further comprises one or more of the following:

a parking space having a faster charging device;

a parking space having an engine heater, a covered parking space, and an ordinary parking space.

3. The method for managing parking as in claim 2, wherein at least one of the first parking space kind and the second parking space kind is associated with a device, the method further comprising the step of:

e) transmitting an activation to the device.

4. The method for managing parking as in claim 3 wherein said device comprises one or more of the following:

a charger, a faster charger, and an engine warmer.

5. The method for managing parking as in claim 1 further comprising the step of:

e) accepting a payment, wherein the payment is based on at least the first parking space kind and the performance of b) is in response to the payment.

6. The method for managing parking as in claim 5 wherein said payment is made using one or more of the following:

a credit card, a debit card, a radio-frequency identification (RFID), and a cell phone.

7. The method for managing parking as in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

e) displaying, with a display having communication with the controller, one or more questions to the first motorist; and

f) accepting with the controller, one or more answers in response to said one or more questions, said first parameter further comprising at least one of said answers.

8. The method for managing parking as in claim 1 further comprising the step of:

e) logging said at least one of said plurality of parking spaces complying with said first parameter to a list identifying one or more of said plurality of parking spaces that are in use.

9. A kiosk for managing parking, comprising:

a controller programmed to manage a plurality of parking spaces having a plurality of parking space kinds, said plurality of parking space kinds comprising a first parking space kind having a charging device for electric vehicles and a second parking space kind having no charging device for electric vehicles, wherein at least a first parking space has the first parking space kind having a charging device and a second parking space has a second parking space kind having no charging device; and

an input device in communication with said controller, said input device to accept a first parking request from a first motorist, said first parking request having a first parameter comprising a first identifier of one or more of the following;

the first parking space and the first parking space kind,

wherein said controller automatically provides to the first motorist one or more of the following;

a first receipt and a first parking pass, each for parking in at least one of said plurality of parking spaces complying with said first parameter,

said input device further to accept a second parking request from a second motorist, said second parking request having a second parameter comprising a second identifier of one or more of the following;

the second parking space and the second parking space kind;

wherein said controller automatically provides to the second motorist one or more of the following;

a second receipt and a second parking pass, each for parking in at least one of said plurality of parking spaces complying with said second parameter, and

wherein for each of the first parking request and the second parking request, parking duration analysis is performed, comprising;

receiving a desired parking time duration as input;

determining that more than one parking space kind applies over the desired parking time duration;

determining which applicable parking space kind has the longest parking time limit; and

determining that the desired parking time duration is less than the determined longest parking time limit.

10. The kiosk for managing parking as in claim 9 wherein said plurality of parking space kinds further comprises one or more of the following:

a parking space having a faster charging device, a parking space having an engine heater, a covered parking space, and an ordinary parking space.

11. The kiosk for managing parking as in claim 9 further comprising:

a card reader in communication with the controller, for receiving data from a card, wherein the one or more of said first receipt and said first parking pass is provided in response to a payment made using the data from the card, and wherein the payment is based on at least the first parking space kind.

12. The kiosk for managing parking as in claim 9 further comprising:

a radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader in communication with the controller, for receiving data from an RFID tag, wherein the one or more of said first receipt and said first parking pass is provided in response to a payment made using the data and the payment is based on at least the first parking space kind.

13. The kiosk for managing parking as in claim 9 wherein the one or more of said first receipt and said first parking pass is provided in response to a payment initiated with a cell phone of the first motorist, and the payment is based on at least the first parking space kind.

14. The kiosk for managing parking as in claim 9 further comprising:

a display having communication with the controller, said display showing one or more questions to the first motorist;

wherein said input device receives one or more answers in response to said one or more questions, said first parameter further corresponds to at least one of said answers.

15. The kiosk for managing parking as in claim 9 further comprising:

at least one memory, wherein said controller logs said at least one of said plurality of parking spaces complying with said first parameter to a list in said at least one memory, the list identifying one or more of said plurality of parking spaces that are in use.

16. The kiosk for managing parking as in claim 9, wherein at least one parking space kind is associated with a device, and wherein said controller transmits an activation to the device.

17. The kiosk for managing parking as in claim 16 wherein said device comprises one or more of the following:

a charger, a faster charger, and an engine warmer.