Location based parking management system

• US 9,761,139 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2012
• Issued: 09/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal-Mart Stores Texas LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Acker, Jr., Joel Bennett, Cancro, Richard Neil, Pedley, Douglas James
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Littlejohn, Jr., Mancil
• Application Number:
  US13/723,056
• Publication Number:
  US 20140176348A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,727 Days
• Field of Search: 3409322, 705 13, 705 32, 701400
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/028 Guided parking by providing commands to the driver, e.g. acoustically or optically
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors
• 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

Abstract

A method to provide an active parking system includes receiving, at a portable computerized device, parking preferences of a user for a parking facility of a retail store, determining, within a parking space index server, an availability status of each of a plurality of parking spaces of the parking facility, identifying, within a computerized device, a preferred parking location for the user based upon the parking preferences and the availability statuses, and displaying, at a computerized display, directions for the user to navigate to the preferred parking location.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

initiating an active parking system program on a portable computerized device of a user;

monitoring a location of the portable computerized device used by the user in a vehicle;

selecting a specific retail store for parking by either the user or the active parking system program based on the location, as monitored;

displaying, on a display of the portable computerized device of the user, a plurality of parking preferences for a parking facility of the specific retail store equipped with the active parking system program to actively manage assignment of a plurality of parking spaces, the display displaying the plurality of parking preferences that may be selected and prioritized by the user either upon a request by the user or upon the vehicle entering the parking facility;

determining, within a parking space index server, an availability status of each of the plurality of parking spaces of the parking facility;

determining a preferred parking space or a preferred range of parking spaces for the user based upon the availability status and the plurality of parking preferences of the user;

displaying, at the portable computerized device, the preferred parking space or the preferred range of parking spaces to the user for selection, displaying a message and prompting an action from the user to select the preferred parking space or a parking space of the preferred range of parking spaces, the user selecting the preferred parking space or the parking space of the preferred range of parking spaces;

displaying, at the portable computerized device, an option for the user to set the selected parking space as a default parking space of the user;

reserving, by the active parking system program, the selected parking space and making the selected parking space unavailable to other users in the parking facility who are also using the active parking system program;

displaying, at the portable computerized device, directions for the user to navigate to the selected parking space; and

displaying, at the portable computerized device, an option for the user to have a reminder of a location of the selected parking space sent to the portable computerized device once the vehicle is parked to allow the user to find the vehicle when leaving the specific retail store.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein displaying the plurality of parking preferences comprises referencing a saved personal parking profile for the user.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein displaying the plurality of parking preferences comprises:

presenting to the user a selectable parking preference; and

monitoring a gesture of the user indicating to the selectable parking preference.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining the availability status of each of the plurality of parking spaces comprises monitoring data from a sensor configured to observe parked vehicles in the plurality of parking spaces.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein monitoring the data comprises monitoring an image from a camera device configured to observe the plurality of parking spaces.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining the availability status of each of the plurality of parking spaces comprises monitoring data from a plurality of sensors, each sensor configured to observe a parked vehicle in one of the plurality of parking spaces.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, including selecting, within the portable computerized device, the preferred parking space or the parking space of the preferred range of parking spaces for the user.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining the preferred parking space or the preferred range of parking spaces for the user comprises identifying the preferred parking space or the preferred range of parking spaces within the parking space index server.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein displaying, at the portable computerized device, the directions for the user comprises displaying the directions upon a display of the portable computerized device selected from a smart-phone device, a tablet computer, a navigation device, a head up display of a vehicle of the user, eyeglasses configured to project images upon a view of the user, a computerized sign located in the parking facility, and traffic signals located in the parking facility.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting, at the portable computerized device, a plurality of selectable parking preferences to the user;

receiving a prioritized selection of the plurality of selectable parking preferences from the user; and

saving the prioritized selection as a personal parking profile for the user, wherein displaying the plurality of parking preferences comprises referencing the personal parking profile.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein presenting the plurality of selectable parking preferences comprises presenting one of a handicapped parking space preference, a mommy spot parking space preference, an electric vehicle charging station parking space preference, an oversized vehicle parking space preference, a compact vehicle parking space preference, a low parking density parking space preference, a parking space preference indicated to a particular exit of the specific retail store, and a parking space preference indicated to a particular aisle.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein presenting the plurality of selectable parking preferences comprises presenting an option for the user to select an individual preferred parking space.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein presenting the plurality of selectable parking preferences comprises presenting an option for the user to select a range of preferred parking spaces.

14. A system to actively manage assignment of parking spaces for a parking facility of a retail store equipped with a server comprising:

an active parking system program initiated on a portable computerized device of a user;

a store locator module that determines a store location of the retail store whereat a user is going to park a vehicle by monitoring a location of the portable computerized device used by the user in a vehicle or the retail store for parking selected by either the user or the active parking system program based on the location of the portable computerized device, as monitored;

a user database that stores information about the user including parking preferences selected and prioritized by the user either upon request by the user or upon the vehicle of the user entering the parking facility of the retail store;

a parking space database that stores information about the parking spaces including a location of the parking spaces within the parking facility of the store location and a type of each parking space of the parking spaces available at the store location, wherein an availability status of the parking spaces at the store location of the retailer is maintained;

a parking space locator module communicating with the parking space database and the user database to determine a preferred parking space or a preferred range of parking spaces for the user based upon the availability status and the parking preferences of the user, the parking preferences indicating parking spaces of the parking spaces within the parking facility preferred by the user; and

a data output module that (1) receives information from the parking space locator module to determine information to graphically present the preferred parking space or the preferred range of parking spaces to the user for selection, (2) provides the information to graphically present, as determined, for display to the user, (3) displays a message that prompts an action from the user to select the preferred parking space or a parking space of the preferred range of parking spaces, the user selecting the preferred parking space or the parking space of the preferred range of parking spaces, (4) displays an option for the user to set the selected parking space as a default parking space of the user, the active parking system program (a) reserving the selected parking space, (b) making the selected parking space unavailable to other users in the parking facility who are also using the active parking system program, and (c) navigating the user to the selected parking space, and (5) displays an option for the user to have a reminder of a location of the selected parking space sent to the portable computerized device once the vehicle is parked to allow the user to find the vehicle when leaving the retail store.

15. The server of claim 14, further comprising a customer view parking space identification module determining information to graphically present a candidate preferred parking space to the user.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computing instructions for operation of an active parking system program, the computing instructions operating upon a portable computerized device and configured to instruct the portable computerized device to perform acts, comprising:

initiating an active parking system program on a portable computerized device of a user;

monitoring a location of the portable computerized device used by the user in a vehicle;

selecting a specific retail store for parking by either the user or the active parking system program based on the location, as monitored;

displaying on a display of the portable computerized device of the user a plurality of parking preferences for a parking facility of the specific retail store equipped with the active parking system program to actively manage assignment of parking spaces, the display displaying the plurality of parking preferences that may be selected and prioritized by the user either upon a request by the user or upon the vehicle entering the parking facility;

wirelessly transmitting, by the portable computerized device, the plurality of parking preferences to a remote parking space index server, wherein the remote parking space index server stores data for the parking facility regarding currently available parking spaces;

determining, by the remote parking space index server, a preferred parking space or a preferred range of parking spaces for the user based upon the currently available parking spaces and the plurality of parking preferences of the user;

displaying, at the portable computerized device, the preferred parking space or the preferred range of parking spaces to the user for selection and displaying a message and prompting an action from the user to select the preferred parking space or a parking space of the preferred range of parking spaces;

displaying, at the portable computerized device, an option for the user to set the selected parking space as a default parking space of the user;

wirelessly transmitting, by the portable computerized device, to the remote parking space index server, the preferred parking space or the parking space of the preferred range of parking spaces selected by the user, and the remote parking space index server reserving the selected parking space and making the selected parking space unavailable to other users in the parking facility who are also using the active parking system program;

receiving, at the portable computerized device, instructions to navigate to the selected parking space at the parking facility;

displaying, at the portable computerized device, the instructions to navigate to the selected parking space; and

displaying, at the portable computerized device, an option for the user to have a reminder of a location of the selected parking space sent to the portable computerized device once the vehicle is parked to allow the user to find the vehicle when leaving the specific retail store.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the parking facility includes a plurality of available parking spaces.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium claim 17, wherein the plurality of available parking spaces are each preferred parking spaces of the user.