Image assisted parking space availability searching and reservation method and system

• US 9,330,570 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2013
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conduent Business Services, LLC (Conduent, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Wang, Yao Rong, Cummins, David, Darst, Mathew, Chanawangsa, Panya, Bulan, Orhan
• Primary Examiner(s): La, Anh V
• Application Number:
  US13/935,605
• Publication Number:
  US 20150009048A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,033 Days
• Field of Search: 340/932.2, 340/933, 340/937, 340/905, 340/994, 340/995.1, 340/995.24, 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 705/5, 705/13, 705/40, 705/423, 705/454, 235/384, 348/148, 348/104
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/144 on portable or mobile units, e.g. personal digital assistant [PDA]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/147 where the parking area is within an open public zone, e.g. city centre

Abstract

An image assisted parking space availability searching and reservation method and system. An image capturing unit can be deployed onsite (e.g., parking lot, street side parking, etc.) to monitor parking spaces/spots. A parking space detection and reservation module can be configured in association with a mobile communications device to assist in the detection and selection of particular spaces. A destination street(s) can be located via a web browser installed associated with the mobile communications device. An IP address of the image-capturing unit monitoring the parking space can be obtained and a snapshot image/video of the street can be displayed. The captured video can be processed in real-time to report parking availability with respect to the street(s) and a parking space reserved.

Claims

1. A method for searching and reserving an available parking space, said method comprising:

locating a destination street via a web browser associated with a mobile communications device or a vehicle on-board wireless communication device to thereafter obtain an Internet protocol address of an image-capturing unit monitoring at least one parking space; and

displaying a pictorial or video image of said destination street via said communications device upon a particular request, said image captured by said image-capturing unit.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising capturing and processing said pictorial or video image in real-time to report parking availability with respect to said destination street.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising reserving a parking space based on said parking availability.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying in real-time via said mobile communications device, a traffic condition associated with said destination street and a parking environment thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising remotely inspecting said parking space availability of a surrounding area via said pictorial or video images and said web browser prior to reserving and traveling to said at least one parking space.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling remotely and visually examining of said pictorial or video images via said communications device, said at least one parking space for desirability, location, and a surrounding environment thereof to enhance customer satisfaction.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein said image-capturing unit is deployed with respect to said at least one parking space for monitoring and capturing said pictorial or video images of said destination street and said at least one parking space.

8. A system for searching and reserving an available parking space, said system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-usable medium embodying computer program code, said computer-usable medium capable of communicating with the processor, said computer program code comprising instructions executable by said processor and configured for;

locating a destination street via a web browser associated with a mobile communications device or a vehicle on-board wireless communication device to thereafter obtain an Internet protocol address of an image-capturing unit monitoring at least one parking space; and

displaying a pictorial or video image of said destination street via said communications device upon a particular request, said pictorial or video image captured by said image-capturing unit.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said instructions are further configured for capturing and processing said pictorial or video image in real-time to report parking availability with respect to said destination street.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said instructions are further configured for reserving a parking space based on said parking availability.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein said instructions are further configured for displaying in real-time via said mobile communications device, a traffic condition associated with said destination street and a parking environment thereof.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein said instructions are further configured for remotely inspecting said parking space availability of a surrounding area via said web browser prior to reserving and traveling to said at least one parking space.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein said instructions further configured with said pictorial or video image are for remotely and visually examining via said communications device, said at least one parking space for desirability, location, and a surrounding environment thereof to enhance customer satisfaction.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein said image-capturing unit is deployed with respect to said at least one parking space for visually monitoring said at least one parking space.

15. A processor-readable medium storing code representing instructions to cause a process for searching and reserving an available parking space, said code comprising code to:

locate a destination street via a web browser associated with a mobile communications device or a vehicle on-board wireless communication device to thereafter obtain an Internet protocol address of an image-capturing unit monitoring and capturing pictorial or video images of at least one parking space located along a destination street; and

display a pictorial or video image of said destination street via said communications device upon a particular request, said pictorial or video image captured by said image-capturing unit.

16. The processor-readable medium of claim 15, wherein said code further comprises code to capture and process said pictorial or video image in real-time to report parking availability with respect to said destination street.

17. The processor-readable medium of claim 16 wherein said code further comprises code to reserve a parking space based on said parking availability.

18. The processor-readable medium of claim 15 wherein said code further comprises code to display in real-time via said mobile communications device, a traffic condition associated with said destination street and a parking environment thereof.

19. The processor-readable medium of claim 15 wherein said code further comprises code to remotely inspect said parking space availability of a surrounding area via said web browser prior to reserving and traveling to said at least one parking space.

20. The processor-readable medium of claim 15 wherein said code further comprises code to remotely and visually examine via said communications device, said at least one parking space for desirability, location, and a surrounding environment thereof to enhance customer satisfaction.