Electronic parking meter mechanism with wireless communication antenna

• US 9,536,370 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2015
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Duncan Parking Technologies, Inc. (Navient Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Duncan Parking Technologies, Inc. (Navient Corp.)
• Inventors: Jones, Gavin, Subramanya, Balu, Vincent, Ryan, Jones, Steven A., Belawadi, Amith S.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAPIRO, JEFFREY ALAN
• Application Number:
  US14/599,236
• Publication Number:
  US 20150129391A1
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: 343/872, 194/205, 194/206, 194215-217, 194/302, 194/350, 194/900, 194/902, 368/7, 368/90, 340/932.2, 705/13, 705/418, 702/176, D10/42, 403/37
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/34 using cards, e.g. integrated circuit [IC] cards or magnetic cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/352 Contactless payments by cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2240/00 Transportation facility access, e.g. fares, tolls or parking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0284 Time or distance, e.g. usage of parking meters or taximeters
• 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 17/24 for parking meters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/242 provided with token dispensing devices
• 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: G07F 17/248 Housing construction casings for coin-freed apparatus G07F9/10

Abstract

An electronic single-space parking meter mechanism is provided. The electronic single-space parking meter mechanism includes an inner housing having a front side and a rear side. The meter mechanism includes wireless communications hardware including an antenna. The meter mechanism includes a payment reader supported by the inner housing and an electronic display screen supported by the inner housing. At least a portion of the antenna is located above at least a portion of the electronic display screen.

Claims

1. An electronic single-space parking meter mechanism comprising:

an inner housing including a front side and a rear side and a upper surface extending between the front side and the rear side;

a wireless communications circuit supported by the inner housing configured to wirelessly receive and transmit at least one of parking payment, vehicle sensor, management, and meter data;

an antenna coupled to the wireless communications circuit;

a payment reader supported by the inner housing; and

an electronic display supported by the inner housing and comprising a front facing display located on the front side of the inner housing and a rear facing display indicator located on the rear side of the inner housing, wherein the antenna is supported from the rear side of the inner housing above the rear facing display indicator and extend horizontally outward from the rear side of the inner housing;

wherein the antenna extends outward towards the rear side of the parking meter, wherein at least a portion of the antenna is located above at least a portion of the rear facing display indicator and below the upper surface of the inner housing; and

wherein the inner housing includes an antenna housing and the antenna is located within the antenna housing, wherein the antenna housing extends outward in the horizontal direction from a portion of the rear side of the inner housing at a position above at least a portion of the rear facing display indicator.

2. The electronic single-space parking meter mechanism of claim 1, wherein the antenna housing includes a lower surface located above the rear facing display and extending horizontally outward from the rear side of the inner housing and beyond the rear facing display indicator and substantially perpendicular to a plane defined by the rear facing display.

3. The electronic single-space parking meter mechanism of claim 1, wherein the antenna housing includes an upper surface, wherein the upper surface of the antenna housing is a curved surface that curves upwardly between left and right lateral sides of the inner housing.

4. The electronic single-space parking meter mechanism of claim 1, wherein the antenna housing includes an upper portion extending horizontally along an upper edge of the rear facing display indicator and a lateral portion extending downward from the upper portion along a lateral edge of the rear facing display.

5. The electronic single-space parking meter mechanism of claim 1, further comprising a front solar panel positioned below the front facing display and a rear solar panel positioned below the rear facing display indicator.

6. The electronic single-space parking meter mechanism of claim 1, wherein the payment reader includes at least one of a contact and contactless credit card reader and a currency reader.

7. The electronic single-space parking meter mechanism of claim 6, further comprising a keypad located below the currency reader.

8. An electronic parking meter mechanism for insertion into a preexisting outer meter housing, the electronic parking meter mechanism comprising:

an inner housing including a front side and a rear side wherein the inner housing includes an antenna housing and an antenna is located within the antenna housing, wherein the antenna housing extends outward from a portion of the inner housing;

wireless communications hardware, comprising the antenna, supported by the inner housing configured to wirelessly receive and transmit data comprising at least one of parking payment, vehicle sensor, management, and meter data;

a solar panel supported by the inner housing; and

an electronic display supported by the inner housing and comprising a front display screen and a rear display indicator, wherein at least a portion of the antenna housing extends outward from a position above the rear display indicator and contains the antenna;

wherein at least a portion of the antenna is located above a portion of the solar panel;

wherein the at least a portion of the antenna is located offset from the vertical plane separating the front and rear sides of the parking meter device and toward the rear side of the electronic parking meter mechanism; and

wherein the antenna and antenna housing are supported by the inner housing at a position such that the antenna and the antenna housing are located within and below a cap of the parking meter outer housing when the inner housing is inserted into the parking meter outer housing.

9. The electronic parking meter mechanism of claim 8, wherein the electronic display is located above the solar panel, wherein the at least a portion of the antenna extends in the horizontal direction beyond a plane defined by the electronic display.

10. The electronic parking meter mechanism of claim 8, wherein the inner housing includes a curved upper surface that extends between the front and rear sides in the horizontal direction, wherein the at least a portion of the antenna is located below the upper curved surface.

11. The electronic parking meter mechanism of claim 8, wherein the antenna housing includes an upper portion extending horizontally along an upper edge of the rear facing indicator and a lateral portion extending downward from the upper portion along a lateral edge of the rear facing indicator.

12. The electronic parking meter mechanism of claim 8, further comprising a credit card reader, a keypad and a currency reader, wherein the inner housing is sized to fit completely within a single-space meter outer housing.

16. The electronic parking meter mechanism of claim 8, wherein a portion of the electronic display is located above a portion of the solar panel, and wherein further the at least a portion of the antenna is located in the horizontal direction towards the rear side of the electronic parking meter mechanism.

17. The electronic parking meter mechanism of claim 8, wherein a portion of the electronic display is located above a portion of the solar panel, and wherein further the at least a portion of the antenna primarily receiving or transmitting vehicle sensor data is placed at a location offset in the horizontal direction towards the rear side of the electronic parking meter mechanism.

13. A single-space parking meter assembly comprising:

an electronic meter mechanism comprising;

an inner housing including a front side and a rear side wherein the inner housing includes an antenna housing extending horizontally outward from the rear side of the inner housing with an antenna located within the antenna housing;

wireless communications hardware supported by the inner housing configured to wirelessly receive and transmit data comprising at least one of parking payment, management, vehicle sensor and meter data, the wireless communications hardware comprising the antenna; and

an electronic display supported by the inner housing comprising a front display screen and a rear display indicator with the antenna and the antenna housing being locating above the rear display indicator; and

an outer housing comprising;

a base defining a cavity sized to receive a lower portion of the electronic meter mechanism;

a cap configured to be coupled to the base over an upper portion of the electronic meter mechanism; and

a window supported by the cap, the window having a lower edge and an upper edge;

wherein the electronic display screen is supported by the inner housing at a position such that the display is viewable through the window after the cap is coupled to the base, and further wherein the antenna is supported by the inner housing at a position such that the antenna and antenna housing are located within and below the cap and is located above the lower edge of the window after the cap is coupled to the base when the inner housing is received in the base.

14. The single-space parking meter assembly of claim 13, wherein the electronic meter mechanism includes a solar panel supported by the inner housing, wherein the antenna is located above at least a portion of the solar panel.

15. The single-space parking meter assembly of claim 13, wherein the antenna is located below an upper edge of the window.