Parking management

• US 9,460,623 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2010
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Baughman, Aaron K., Graham, Barry M., Hamilton, Rick A. II, O'Connell, Brian M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender, Ryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): ORTIZ ROMAN, DENISSE Y
• Application Number:
  US12/951,548
• Publication Number:
  US 20120130872A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,143 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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: G07F 17/246 provided with vehicle proximity-detectors detecting hidden masses, e.g. metal detectors, G01V, e.g. G01V3/00; proximity switches per se H03K17/00; traffic control systems G08G1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/146 where the parking area is a limited parking space, e.g. parking garage, restricted space

Abstract

A parking management approach includes associating a payment source with a vehicle identifier. The approach also includes receiving a message indicating initiation of a parking event at a parking location, and updating a parking database to indicate that a vehicle having the vehicle identifier is parked at the parking location. The message includes an identification of at least one of the payment source and the vehicle identifier.

Claims

1. A parking management method implemented in a computer infrastructure having computer executable code tangibly embodied on a computer readable storage medium having programming instructions operable to:

associate a payment source with a vehicle identifier;

receive a message indicating initiation of a parking event at a parking location, wherein the message includes an identification of at least one of the payment source and the vehicle identifier;

update a parking database to indicate that a vehicle having the vehicle identifier is parked at the parking location;

further comprising;

determining, by a sensor at the parking location, the vehicle has left the parking location;

updating the parking database to reflect that the vehicle is no longer parked at the parking location;

determining when the vehicle left the parking location;

comparing an actual time parked at the parking location to a paid-for parking time, based on when the vehicle left the parking location; and

performing one of;

refunding the payment source when the paid-for parking time exceeds the actual parking time, and charging the payment source when the actual parking time exceeds the paid for parking time

wherein the vehicle identifier comprises a license plate number or vehicle identification number (VIN) of the vehicle;

the payment source comprises one of;

a credit card, a debit card, and a prepaid funds card; and

the receiving the message comprises receiving the message from a parking location computing device,

further comprising the parking location computing device obtaining information associated with one of the payment source and the vehicle identifier during the initiation of the parking event, wherein the obtaining the information comprises one of;

reading a magnetic strip of a payment card;

reading a radio frequency identification tag; and

reading a bar code.