Wireless transmission system to determine parking lot occupancy

• US 9,711,048 B1
• Filed: 12/07/2016
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2015
• 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:
  US15/372,178
• Time in Patent Office: 223 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/141 with means giving the indication of available parking spaces
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/144 on portable or mobile units, e.g. personal digital assistant [PDA]

Abstract

A wireless transmission system includes a server to receive a unique identifier associated with a parking space from a first receiving device. The server then generate an instruction to query a type of the unique identifier and transmit the instruction to the database. The server in response to determining that a parking space is occupied by the first receiving device, generate an instruction to modify a record within the database associated with the parking space as occupied. The server receive a query from a second receiving device about the availability of parking spaces, and generate an instruction to receive one or more unoccupied parking spaces. The server generates a graphical user interface including a census data where the census data may include the occupied parking spaces, unoccupied parking spaces, and number of occupants within the automobile. The server transmit the graphical user interface to the second receiving device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a server, a unique identifier associated with a parking space from a first receiving device, wherein the unique identifier is transmitted by a transmitter device;

generating, by the server, a first instruction to query a type of the unique identifier, wherein the type of the unique identifier is associated with whether the parking space is occupied by the first receiving device;

transmitting, by the server, the first instruction to a database associated with one or more parking spaces;

in response to determining that a parking space is occupied by the first receiving device, generating, by the server, a second instruction to modify a record within the database associated with the parking space as occupied;

generating, by the server, a third instruction to query the first receiving device regarding a number of occupants within an automobile associated with the first receiving device;

upon transmitting the third instruction to the first receiving device, receiving by the server, the number of occupants in the automobile associated with the first receiving device;

receiving, by the server, a query from a second receiving device about the availability of parking spaces;

generating, by the server, a fourth instruction to receive one or more unoccupied parking spaces;

generating, by the server, data for rendering on a graphical user interface comprising a census data, wherein the census data comprises at least one of the occupied parking spaces, unoccupied parking spaces, and number of occupants within the automobile; and

transmitting, by the server, the data for rendering on the graphical user interface to the second receiving device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting by the transmitter device, the unique identifier associated with the parking space to the first receiving device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing, by the server, the census data is in the database.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each receiving device comprises a wireless receiver, and wherein the wireless receiver is either coupled to each receiving device or the wireless receiver is an integrated part of each receiving device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the query from the second receiving device about the availability of the parking spaces comprises one or more parking-space attributes.

6. The method of claim 5, 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.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising tracking, by the server, movement of the user of the first receiving device and the second receiving device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the server and the transmitter device communicate via a communications network.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the server, the first receiving device, and the second receiving device communicate via a communications network.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and the second receiving device is associated with an identifier that corresponds to one or more of SIM number, IMEI number.

11. A wireless transmission system comprising:

a database; and

a server in communication with the database, the server configured to;

receive a unique identifier associated with a parking space from a first receiving device, wherein the unique identifier is transmitted by a transmitter device;

generate a first instruction to query a type of the unique identifier, wherein the of the unique identifier is associated with whether the parking space is occupied by the first receiving device;

transmit the first instruction to the database associated with one or more parking spaces;

in response to determining that a parking space is occupied by the first receiving device, generate a second instruction to modify a record within the database associated with the parking space as occupied;

generate a third instruction to query the first receiving device regarding a number of occupants within an automobile associated with the first receiving device;

upon transmitting the third instruction to the first receiving device, receive the number of occupants in the automobile associated with the first receiving device;

receive a query from a second receiving device about the availability of parking spaces;

generate a fourth instruction to receive one or more unoccupied parking spaces;

generate data for rendering on a graphical user interface comprising a census data, wherein the census data comprises at least one of the occupied parking spaces, unoccupied parking spaces, and number of occupants within the automobile; and

transmit the data for rendering on the graphical user interface to the second receiving device.

12. The wireless transmission system of claim 11, wherein the unique identifier associated with the parking space is transmitted by the transmitter device to the first receiving device.

13. The wireless transmission system of claim 11, wherein the server is further configured to store the census data in the database.

14. The wireless transmission system of claim 11, wherein each receiving device comprises a wireless receiver, and wherein the wireless receiver is either coupled to each receiving device or the wireless receiver is an integrated part of each receiving device.

15. The wireless transmission system of claim 11, wherein the query from the second receiving device about the availability of the parking spaces comprises one or more parking-space attributes.

16. The wireless transmission system of claim 15, 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.

17. The wireless transmission system of claim 11, further the server is further configured to track movement of the user of the first receiving device and the second receiving device.

18. The wireless transmission system of claim 11, wherein the server and the transmitter device communicate via a communications network.

19. The wireless transmission system of claim 11, wherein the server, the first receiving device, and the second receiving device communicate via a communications network.

20. The wireless transmission system of claim 11, wherein the first and the second receiving device is associated with an identifier that corresponds to one or more of SIM number, IMEI number.