Systems and methods for parking vehicles

• US 9,135,580 B1
• Filed: 10/15/2013
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: moovel North America, LLC (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Parkt Inc. (Claritas, LLC)
• Inventors: Lyman, Ian, Arneson, Tov
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAIL, ALLYSON NEEL
• Application Number:
  US14/054,517
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 235/378, 705/5, 705/13
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3274 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being displayed on the M-device
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• 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

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes associating a pre-existing dataset to one or more physical entities via association with an encoded token; monitoring interactions between the entity and the token; providing data from the dataset to the entity based on that monitoring; and updating the dataset with new or modified data from the entity by referencing the encoded token. In another embodiment, a method includes transmitting a vehicle retrieval request to a service provider including a delivery location; generating a listing event based on transmission of retrieval request; and transmitting a dataset back to retrieval requester.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

associating a pre-existing dataset to one or more physical entities via association with an encoded token;

monitoring interactions between the entity and the token;

providing data from the dataset to the entity based on that monitoring; and

updating the dataset with new or modified data from the entity by referencing the encoded token; and

updating the dataset with new or modified data from a business that validates parking for its patrons;

where;

the dataset represents a valet parking event,

the entities include a customer and the customer'"'"'s vehicle,

the interaction comprises the customer scanning the ticket and requesting retrieval of the customer'"'"'s vehicle,

the dataset is updated using a parking event server, and

the business that validates parking for its patrons communicates with the parking event server through a computer network.

2. The method of claim 1 where the pre-existing dataset is the price of a transaction.

3. The method of claim 2 where the price for a parking transaction depends on the location of a delivery zone.

4. The method of claim 2 where the price depends on the time of day an interaction is initiated.

5. The method of claim 2 where the price depends on the duration between a first initiation of an interaction and a last initiation of an interaction for one or more encoded tokens.

6. The method of claim 1 where the encoded token is a paper ticket printed with a unique data identifier.

7. The method of claim 6 where the unique data identifier is encoded to be readable by electronic optical scan.

8. The method of claim 1 where the dataset includes an array of time slots.

9. The method of claim 8 where the particular time slot carries an additional price.

10. The method of claim 9 where the price of the time slot is set dynamically based on demand.

11. The method of claim 10 where a time slot may be sold to the highest bidder.

12. The method of claim 1 where the pre-existing dataset is modified to include photometric data showing the physical condition of the entity.

13. The method of claim 1 where a listing is generated by the interaction of an entity and a token.

14. The method of claim 1 where the price depends on the location of entity at the time interaction with the encoded token is initiated.

15. A method comprising:

transmitting a vehicle retrieval request to a service provider including a delivery location;

generating a listing event based on transmission of retrieval request;

transmitting a dataset back to the retrieval requester;

transmitting new or modified data to the service provider from a business that validates parking for its patrons; and

delivering a physical entity to the retrieval requester at the delivery location;

where;

the listing event is generated using a parking event server, and

the business that validates parking for its patrons communicates with the parking event server through a computer network.

16. The method of claim 15 where the particular dataset transmitted is determined by preset criteria.

17. The method of claim 16 where the preset criteria is stored in a profile contained in a database on a remote server.