Mobile parking enforcement method

• US 9,147,345 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2011
• Issued: 09/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Streetline Technology LLC
• Original Assignee: Streetline Incorporated (Datax Handelsgmbh)
• Inventors: Agrait, Rebecca E., Davis, Erica C., Dykstra, Tod A., Noworolski, Jan M., Reich, James E., Leiser, Peter K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jung, Allen J
• Application Number:
  US13/068,366
• Publication Number:
  US 20110276370A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,604 Days
• Field of Search: 705/13
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: G08G 1/137 the indicator being in the form of a map
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/14 indicating individual free spaces in parking areas

Abstract

A real-time wireless parking enforcement system is provided that includes a remote parking enforcement system having a plurality of parking sensors disposed to gather parking occupancy data and at least one source of parking payment data, where the parking occupancy data and parking payment data is communicated to a central server in real-time, and a plurality of wireless mobile platforms are operated by a plurality of parking enforcement officers (PEO'"'"'s). The wireless mobile platforms send and receive real-time and continuous parking occupancy data and parking payment data to and from the central server, where bidirectional communication exists between the central server and the wireless mobile platforms. When the PEO enters response information to a potential violation to the wireless mobile platform, the bidirectional communication updates the status of the potential violation to all the wireless platforms in real-time, where the information is used to reduce enforcement redundancies by the PEO'"'"'s.

Claims

1. A real-time wireless parking enforcement system, comprising:

a) a parking sensor integrated to a parking meter, wherein said parking sensor is disposed to continuously sense for parking occupancy state change data of a parking space in real-time, wherein said parking meter is disposed to continuously sense for parking payment data in real-time, wherein said parking occupancy state change data and parking payment data are continuously communicated to a central server in real-time, wherein said central server is capable of making violation estimates; and

b) a plurality of wireless mobile platforms operated by a plurality of parking enforcement officers (PEO'"'"'s), wherein said violation estimates are determined by said server that is in continuous communication with said parking sensor that is continuously providing said state change data and that is in continuous communication with said parking meter or another server that is continuously providing said parking payment data in real-time, wherein said wireless mobile platforms send and receive real-time and continuous said estimated violation data and response information from said PEO'"'"'s to and from said central server, wherein bidirectional communication exists between said central server and said wireless mobile platforms, wherein when said PEO enters response information related to a potential violation to said wireless mobile platform, said bidirectional communication updates said status of said potential violation to all said wireless platforms in real-time, wherein a user interface of said wireless mobile platform generates a map displaying nearby blocks of said potential violation, wherein said map displays estimated violation scores for each said nearby block, wherein said map provides an option for selecting at least one block or a portion of said block, wherein said user interface further generates for display specific locations of said potential violations along a selected block or said portion of said block are displayed, wherein said PEO updates said potential violation status for each said potential violation, wherein all said wireless mobile platforms of said PEO'"'"'s display said updated status showing said potential violation as attended to by at least one of said PEO'"'"'s, wherein said real-time continuous information is used to reduce parking enforcement redundancies by said PEO'"'"'s, wherein said PEO issues a citation according to a violation.

2. The real-time wireless parking enforcement system of claim 1, wherein another said sensor is provided which gathers and communicates traffic speeds and vehicle counts to said central server.

3. The real-time wireless parking enforcement system of claim 1, wherein said wireless mobile platforms are integrated with a ticket issuance system.

4. The real-time wireless parking enforcement system of claim 1, wherein each change in said occupancy data is sent to said central server as soon as the information becomes available along with the time when said occupancy data change occurred.

5. The real-time wireless parking enforcement system of claim 1, wherein said parking occupancy data is a state of individual parking spaces selected from the group consisting of sensor outage, possible vehicle departure, possible vehicle arrival, definite vehicle departure, definite vehicle arrival, sensor delay, occupied parking space, vacant parking space, and indeterminate condition of parking space.

6. The real-time wireless parking enforcement system of claim 1, wherein said parking payment data comprises the quantity of payment for a corresponding individual space, wherein said parking payment data is sent to said central server by devices selected from the group consisting of said sensor disposed on a single or multi-space meter, a server connected to said meter, and a pay-by-cell system, or entered into the system by a human attendant.

7. The real-time wireless parking enforcement system of claim 1, wherein said occupancy data further comprises the remaining time before the current vehicle parked in said parking space becomes a violation.

8. The real-time wireless parking enforcement system of claim 1, wherein said payment data further comprises the policy in effect for the vehicle currently parked in said parking space, wherein said policy in effect comprises information as to whether a vehicle is subject to an exempt or reduced rate payment structure, wherein said exemption comprises a handicapped placard or a city vehicle.

9. The real-time wireless parking enforcement system of claim 1, wherein said payment data further comprises a broken meter status, a jammed meter status, no communication meter status, expired meter status, paid meter status, meter under maintenance status, or unable to accept payment meter status.

10. The real-time wireless parking enforcement system of claim 1, wherein a paid status is determined based on an in-car said wireless mobile platform, wherein said paid status is entered into said wireless mobile platform by said PEO.

11. The real-time wireless parking enforcement system of claim 1, wherein said central server sends information to each said wireless mobile platform, wherein said information is selected from the group consisting of the current locations of one or more other said wireless mobile platform, the information from prior said wireless mobile platform observations at given locations, parking policy information, historical parking trends, distance from said PEO'"'"'s wireless mobile platform location to likely violations, travel time from said PEO'"'"'s wireless mobile platform location to likely violations, and providing said PEO'"'"'s wireless mobile platform with views of locations which have a high likelihood of being ticketable violations.

12. The real-time wireless parking enforcement system of claim 1, wherein said parking occupancy data and parking payment data further comprises guidance information to said PEO for a maximization of citation revenue, wherein said guidance information is selected from the group consisting of occupancy levels, demand for parking spaces in a region, and street traffic in surrounding areas of said parking space.

13. The real-time wireless parking enforcement system of claim 1, a performance metric is provided to PEO management from said central server, wherein said performance metric comprises a number of tickets written per hour, a total number of tickets written, a percentage of violations visited, or average time between violation and an officer action.

14. The real-time wireless parking enforcement system of claim 1, wherein said parking payment data further comprises an expiration time of payment, or an open-ended payment comprising a user paying for a duration of use of a parking space, wherein said paying of said duration of use concludes once a time limit is reached or when said user manually terminates said payment.

15. The real-time wireless parking enforcement system of claim 1, wherein said wireless mobile platform displays removed said potential violations, wherein said potential violations are removed either when the violating vehicle leaves the space or the violation is marked by said PEO, wherein said potential violation comprises expired meters, exceeding a time limit for a time-limited parking space, or parking in no parking zone.

16. The real-time wireless parking enforcement system of claim 1, wherein said status of said potential violation is selected from the group consisting of a time of visit by said PEO, issuance of a citation, physical verification of whether a car is present and a space is unpaid, presence of exempting permit or placard, and a reason for said PEO not to issue said citation.

17. The real-time wireless parking enforcement system of claim 1, wherein a user interface of said wireless mobile platform comprises said map disposed to present a view of all blocks or sides of blocks within an area, displaying for each said user either an estimated number of actual violations based on the current number of violations and historical norms, or the current number of potential violations on said block, wherein said user interface display the selected block or side of a block, and comprises specific locations of said potential violations along the length of each side said block view, wherein said PEO updates said potential violation status for each said potential violation.

18. The real-time wireless parking enforcement system of claim 17, wherein said user interface provides access to a ticket issuance application.

19. The real-time wireless parking enforcement system of claim 1, wherein said wireless mobile platform comprises said user interface that allows said PEO to coordinate their actions by displaying the locations of other said PEO'"'"'s in real-time, wherein said PEO enters their upcoming action plan for display to other said PEO'"'"'s, wherein said entered upcoming action plan comprise a short-term route plan, wherein said short-term route plan is entered via finger or stylus motions on a touchscreen by said PEO.

20. The real-time wireless parking enforcement system of claim 1, wherein said violation score is based on parameters selected from the group consisting of an estimated number of actual violations, current violation levels, historical norms, and a current number of potential violations.