Automated parking space management system with dynamically updatable display device

• US 9,666,075 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2014
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Imagemaker Development Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Imagemaker Development Incorporated
• Inventors: Davies, Kenneth William, Holmes, Aubrey Garry
• Primary Examiner(s): La, Anh V
• Application Number:
  US14/546,857
• Publication Number:
  US 20150138001A1
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• Field of Search: 3409322, 340933, 340937, 340942, 3409951, 340904, 340905, 705 5
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0175 by photographing vehicles, e.g. when violating traffic rules
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/142 external to the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/146 where the parking area is a limited parking space, e.g. parking garage, restricted space
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/149 coupled to means for restricting the access to the parking space, e.g. authorization, access barriers, indicative lights

Abstract

An automated system for managing one or more parking spaces, that includes a vehicle identification detector for detecting vehicles in a parking space area, a dynamically updatable display device mounted in the parking space area, and a computer subsystem that dynamically updates the display device with messages or images to be communicated in real time to the operator of the vehicle that is being parked. The system can be dynamically configured to operate either as a reserved parking system, or as a pay-for-parking system. The system includes an optional billing and payment module that integrates with information provided by the system to manage collection and remittance of parking revenues. The system includes an optional event notification module to manage automatic notification and ticketing of vehicles that are not authorized to be parked in the parking space.

Claims

1. A parking space management system for managing use of a parking area comprising at least one parking space, said parking space management system comprising:

a) One or more database repositories containing;

a first database storing vehicle identification information uniquely identifying vehicles authorized to occupy said at least one parking space; and

a second database storing parking usage rules governing use of said at least one parking space;

b) A parking space monitor comprising a vehicle detection and recognition system responsive to the presence of a vehicle in a parking space of said at least one parking space in said parking area for collecting information relating to the identity of said vehicle;

c) A dynamically updatable display device visible to a vehicle operator at or near said parking space and associated with said parking space; and

d) A computer subsystem which processes input from said parking space monitor and said first and second databases and generates output specific to said vehicle for display on said display device.

2. The parking space management system of claim 1, wherein said dynamically updatable display device is a programmable LED display device.

3. The parking space management system of claim 1, wherein said dynamically updatable display device is an LCD display monitor.

4. The parking space management system of claim 1, wherein said vehicle detection and recognition system comprises a detector selected from the group consisting of a license plate recognition system (LPR), an automatic number plate recognition system (ANPR), an image capture device, a RFID reader, a Bluetooth communication device, a WiFi communication device, a QR Code identification system, a barcode identification system, a vehicle profile recognition system and a vehicle color recognition system.

5. The parking space management system of claim 1, wherein said computer subsystem comprises a vehicle identification subsystem capable of identifying said vehicle based on input received from said parking space monitor, wherein said vehicle identification subsystem is selected from the group consisting of a license plate recognition system (LPR), an automatic number plate recognition system (ANPR), a QR Code identification system, a Barcode identification system, a vehicle profile recognition system, and a vehicle color recognition system.

6. The parking space management system of claim 1, wherein said parking space monitor includes the ability to illuminate at least part of the parking area with visible light, or invisible infrared light.

7. The parking space management system of claim 1, wherein said parking space monitor comprises one or more image capture devices for capturing images of said vehicle and said parking space.

8. The parking space management system of claim 7, comprising an image repository for storing images of said vehicle and said parking space captured by said parking space monitor.

9. The parking space management system of claim 1, further comprising one or more security cameras and associated hardware and software.

10. The parking space management system of claim 9, comprising an image repository for storing images captured by said one or more security cameras.

11. The parking space management system of claim 9, wherein said one or more security cameras enable an authorized agent to view said vehicle and said parking space from an external Internet connection.

12. The parking space management system of claim 1, comprising one or more electronic proximity detectors and associated hardware and software, that can be used by the said parking space monitor to help determine if there is a vehicle parked in said parking space.

13. The parking space management system of claim 1, comprising an electronic motion detector system and associated hardware and software, used by the said parking space monitor to identify if there is a vehicle entering or leaving said parking space.

14. The parking space management system of claim 1, wherein the output displayed on said display device is in a language determined by a vehicle preference setting stored in said one or more database repositories.

15. The parking space management system of claim 1, wherein a database for storing time-of-day parking space usage information including identification information of vehicles entering and exiting said parking space is stored in said one or more database repositories.

16. The parking space management system of claim 15, comprising a billing and payment module that integrates with the information in said one or more database repositories to control billing and payment activities relating to said parking space.

17. The parking space management system of claim 16, wherein the billing and payment module is configured to electronically issue a city parking violation ticket to the owner of a vehicle that is illegally parked in said parking space.

18. The parking space management system of claim 16, wherein said billing and payment module is configured to bill the owner of a vehicle identified as parked in said parking space, a parking fee based on parking space usage information.

19. The parking space management system of claim 16, wherein said billing and payment module is configured to electronically remit a portion of the revenue collected from vehicles which have parked in said parking space, back to the owner of said parking space.

20. The parking space management system of claim 16, wherein said billing and payment module is configured to electronically remit taxes collected from revenues collected from vehicles which have parked in said parking space to the appropriate government agencies.

21. The parking space management system of claim 1, comprising an integrated notification module capable of sending a parking status event notification to one or more of:

a) The owner of said vehicle;

b) One or more authorized parking attendants;

c) The owner of said parking space;

d) The authorized billing service agent for said parking space; and

e) A tow truck company.

22. The parking space management system of claim 21, wherein said integrated notification module is configured to send said status event notification via a wireless instant message.

23. The parking space management system of claim 21, wherein said integrated notification module is configured to send said status event notification via an Internet based email.

24. The parking space management system of claim 21, wherein said integrated notification module is configured to send said status event notification via a recorded voice message.

25. The parking space management system of claim 21 wherein said integrated notification module is configured to send said status event notification via a message displayed on said dynamically updatable display device viewable at said parking space.

26. The parking space management system of claim 1, wherein said second database defines and stores a plurality of parking space parameters comprising pre-defined recognized group types for different classes of parking visitors.

27. The parking space management system of claim 1, wherein said one or more database repositories are stored locally to said computer subsystem.

28. The parking space management system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said one or more database repositories are stored externally of said computer subsystem in a separate network or Internet accessible computer.

29. The parking space management system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said one or more database repositories are stored externally of said computer subsystem in a separate Internet accessible cloud storage.

30. The parking space management system of claim 1, comprising a computer-implemented user interface for said computer subsystem provided on a network connected device.

31. The parking space management system of claim 1, comprising a computer-implemented user interface for said computer subsystem provided over an Internet connected device.

32. The parking space management system of claim 1, comprising a computer-implemented user interface for said computer subsystem provided over a wireless Internet connected device.

33. The parking space management system of claim 1, comprising a computer-implemented user interface for said computer subsystem, configured to permit an authorized agent to update vehicle identity parameters or parking space parameters entered into said first or second databases.

34. The parking space management system of claim 1, wherein said computer subsystem is located in said parking area.

35. The parking space management system of claim 1, wherein said computer subsystem is located in the vicinity of said parking area, and is connected to said dynamically updatable display device and optionally said parking space monitor associated with said parking space by a wired or wireless network connection.

36. The parking space management system of claim 1, wherein said computer subsystem is located remotely from said parking area, and is connected to said dynamically updatable display device and optionally said parking space monitor associated with said parking space by a wired or wireless Internet connection.

37. The parking space management system of claim 1, wherein said computer subsystem is connected to at least one other parking space management system.

38. The parking space management system of claim 1, wherein said vehicle detection and recognition system automatically recognizes the identity of said vehicle without the need for human intervention.

39. A computer-implemented method for automated management of a parking space in a parking area, comprising the steps of:

a) Determining by a parking space monitor equipped with a vehicle detection and recognition system an identity of a vehicle parked in said parking space;

b) Using a computer system, comparing the recognized vehicle identity against a list of known vehicle identities that are explicitly allowed, or explicitly not allowed, to park in said parking space during defined times in the day; and

c) Updating a parking space display device to provide real-time feedback to a vehicle operator regarding a vehicle parking status, including a display of personalized messages or images that are matched to the vehicle identity.

40. The method of claim 39, comprising:

a) Updating a database containing parking space availability time slots for the hour, day, month and year to set parking space usage parameters and billing rate parameters in response to instructions received through a computer-implemented user interface;

b) Generating a list of vehicle identities that are recognized by said system in response to instructions received through said computer-implemented user interface;

c) Identifying registered vehicle identities that may park in said parking space during said time slots in response to instructions received through the computer-implemented user interface; and

d) Defining custom message text and graphics to be sent to said parking space display device for each of a defined set of recognized event types and vehicle identities in response to instructions received through said computer-implemented user interface.

41. The method of claim 40, comprising sending a notification to one or more appropriate agents if a vehicle is in violation of said parking space usage parameters.

42. The method of claim 41, where one of said notified agents is a tow truck dispatch operator, who is instructed to remove the vehicle that has been deemed to be in violation of said parking space usage parameters.

43. The method of claim 41, where one of said notified agents is a city ticketing office, empowered to issue and collect money for parking violation tickets.

44. The method of claim 41, comprising:

a) Determining the time of usage information for said vehicle parked in said parking space;

b) Matching said vehicle identity with a list of known identities to determine the appropriate group or groups that said vehicle belongs to;

c) Looking up the group information in the available parking usage database to determine the billing rate for said parking space during an occupied time period;

d) Looking up the billing information for said identified vehicle, and billing the owner of said identified vehicle for the time parked;

e) Remitting the agreed upon percentage or cut of the revenue to said parking space owner; and

f) Remitting the legally defined amount of the parking revenue to each of the various government tax authorities.

45. A computer-implemented method for managing at least one parking space, the method comprising:

receiving, from a parking space monitor equipped with a vehicle detection and recognition system, information to identify a vehicle parked in said at least one parking space;

determining by a computer system the identity of said vehicle based on the information received from the parking space monitor;

determining by a computer system whether the parked vehicle is authorized to park in said parking space based on the identity of said vehicle and a set of parking usage rules for said parking space;

if the parking is authorized, the computer system transmitting a first message indicating an authorized parking state to a dynamically updatable display panel located in view of an operator of said vehicle; and

if the parking is unauthorized, the computer system transmitting to said display panel a second message indicating an unauthorized parking state.

46. A system for managing a parking space, the system comprising:

a parking space monitor equipped with a vehicle detection and recognition system for obtaining information for identifying a vehicle parked in said parking space;

a dynamically updatable display panel located in view of an operator of said vehicle; and

a computer subsystem configured to;

receive information from said parking space monitor and determine an identity of said vehicle based on said information;

determine whether said vehicle is authorized to park in said parking space based on the vehicle identity and a set of parking usage rules for said parking space;

if the parking is authorized, transmit a first message indicating an authorized parking state to said display panel; and

if the parking is unauthorized, transmit a second message to said display panel indicating an unauthorized parking state.

47. The system of claim 46, wherein the vehicle detection and recognition system comprises a detector selected from the group consisting of a license plate recognition system (LPR), an automatic number plate recognition system (ANPR), an image capture device, a RFID reader, a Bluetooth communication device, a WiFi communication device, a QR Code identification system, a barcode identification system, a vehicle profile recognition system and a vehicle color recognition system.

48. The system of claim 46, wherein the computer subsystem is configured to:

receive a request to register a vehicle with the system, the registration request associated with a vehicle license plate number and a vehicle group; and

add the vehicle license plate number to the vehicle group in a vehicle registration database.

49. The system of claim 46, wherein the computer subsystem is configured to:

receive a request to reserve said parking space, the reservation request associated with a vehicle license plate number and a requested time period; and

if said parking space is available for the requested time period, update the parking usage rules for said parking space by allocating said parking space for the requested time period for a vehicle associated with the vehicle license plate number.

50. The system of claim 46, wherein said computer subsystem is configured to receive input from one or more database repositories containing a first database storing vehicle identification information uniquely identifying vehicles authorized to occupy said parking space and a second database storing parking usage rules governing use of said parking space.