Wireless transmission system to determine parking lot occupancy

• US 9,711,047 B1
• Filed: 12/07/2016
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company
• Original Assignee: Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company
• Inventors: Knas, Michal, John, Jiby
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunnings, Travis
• Application Number:
  US15/372,156
• Time in Patent Office: 223 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096816 where the complete route is transmitted to the vehicle at once
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09685 where the complete route is computed only once and not updated
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096861 where the immediate route instructions are output to the driver, e.g. arrow signs for next turn
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/143 inside the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/144 on portable or mobile units, e.g. personal digital assistant [PDA]
• 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 1/147 where the parking area is within an open public zone, e.g. city centre
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

A wireless transmission system includes a server in communication with one or more receiving devices. The server generates a query to a user associated with a receiving device regarding a parking-space preference. The server receive the parking-space preference along with the unique identifier and a receiving device identifier from the receiving device. The server determines a current location associated with the receiving device based on the received unique identifier, and generate an instruction to receive attributes associated with one or more parking spaces corresponding to the parking-space preferences. The server upon transmitting the instructions to the database, receive one or more parking spaces corresponding to the parking-space preferences. The server generates a graphical user interface to display instructions to reach parking spaces corresponding to the parking-space preferences in relation to the current location of the receiving device, and then transmits the graphical user interface to the receiving device.

Claims

1. A wireless transmission system comprising:

a transmitter device configured to transmit a unique identifier associated with one or more parking spaces;

a database storing data corresponding to a parking lot occupancy and parking-space attributes;

one or more receiving devices in communication with the database; and

a server in communication with the one or more receiving devices and the database, wherein the server is configured to;

generate a first graphical user interface comprising one or more inputs fields configured to query a user associated with a receiving device regarding a parking-space preference, wherein the parking-space preference is associated with one or more parking space attributes;

upon transmitting the first graphical user interface, receive the parking-space preference;

receive the unique identifier and a receiving device identifier from the receiving device;

determine a current location associated with the receiving device based on the received unique identifier;

generate an instruction to receive attributes associated with one or more parking spaces corresponding to the parking-space preferences;

upon transmitting the instructions to the database, receive one or more parking spaces corresponding to the parking-space preferences;

generate a second graphical user interface configured to display instructions to reach one or more parking spaces corresponding to the parking-space preferences in relation to the current location of the receiving device; and

transmit the second graphical user interface to the receiving device.

2. The wireless transmission system of claim 1, wherein each receiving device of the one or more receiving devices comprises a wireless receiver, and wherein each wireless receiver is either coupled to the receiving device or each wireless receiver is an integrated part of the receiving device.

3. The wireless transmission system of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more receiving devices is associated with an identifier that corresponds to one or more of SIM number, IMEI number.

4. The wireless transmission system of claim 1, wherein the one or more parking-space attributes corresponds to a distance of a parking space from a particular merchant, distance of a parking space from a security office, distance of a parking space from an exit location, type of parking space.

5. The wireless transmission system of claim 1, wherein the server is further configured to track movement of the user of the one or more receiving devices.

6. The wireless transmission system of claim 5, wherein the server is further configured to determine availability of parking space in the parking-lot based on the tracked movement of the user.

7. The wireless transmission system of claim 1, wherein the server and the one or more transmitting devices communicate via a communications network.

8. The wireless transmission system of claim 1, wherein the one or more receiving devices receives one or more signals from the transmitter device and processes the one or more signals to identify its location with respect to the one or more parking spaces.

9. The wireless transmission system of claim 1, wherein the one or more receiving devices receives one or more signals from the transmitter device and processes the one or more signals to identify its location with respect to the transmitter device.

10. The wireless transmission system of claim 1, wherein the server and the one or more receiving devices communicate via a communications network.

11. A server-implemented method comprising:

transmitting, by a transmitter device, a unique identifier associated with one or more parking spaces;

generating, by a server, a first graphical user interface comprising one or more inputs fields configured to query a user associated with a receiving device regarding a parking-space preference, wherein the parking-space preference is associated with one or more parking space attributes;

upon transmitting the first graphical user interface, receiving, by the server, the parking-space preference;

receiving, by the server, the unique identifier and a receiving device identifier from the receiving device;

determining, by the server, a current location associated with the receiving device based on the received unique identifier;

generating, by the server, an instruction to receive attributes associated with one or more parking spaces corresponding to the parking-space preferences;

upon transmitting the instructions to the database, receiving, by the server, one or more parking spaces corresponding to the parking-space preferences;

generating, by the server, a second graphical user interface configured to display instructions to reach one or more parking spaces corresponding to the parking-space preferences in relation to the current location of the receiving device; and

transmitting, by the server, the second graphical user interface to the receiving device.

12. The server-implemented method of claim 11, wherein each receiving device of the one or more receiving devices comprises a wireless receiver, and wherein each wireless receiver is either coupled to the receiving device or each wireless receiver is an integrated part of the receiving device.

13. The server-implemented method of claim 11, wherein each of the one or more receiving devices is associated with an identifier that corresponds to one or more of SIM number, IMEI number.

14. The server-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the one or more parking-space attributes corresponds to a distance of a parking space from a particular merchant, distance of a parking space from a security office, distance of a parking space from an exit location, type of parking space.

15. The server-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising tracking, by the server, movement of the user of the one or more receiving devices.

16. The server-implemented method of claim 15, further comprising determining, by the server, availability of parking space in the parking-lot based on the tracked movement of the user.

17. The server-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising communicating by the server and the one or more transmitting devices via a communications network.

18. The server-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising receiving by the one or more receiving devices, one or more signals from the transmitter device, and processing by the one or more receiving devices, the one or more signals to identify its location with respect to the one or more parking spaces.

19. The server-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising receiving by the one or more receiving devices, one or more signals from the transmitter device, and processing by the one or more receiving devices, one or more signals to identify its location with respect to the transmitter device.

20. The server-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising communicating by the server and the one or more receiving devices via a communications network.