Method and system for identifying a parking space

• US 9,905,130 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2016
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Landon Bell
• Original Assignee: Landon Bell
• Inventors: Bell, Landon
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu, Shirley
• Application Number:
  US15/094,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20170294122A1
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• 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: 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 1/148 Management of a network of parking areas

Abstract

A computer-implemented method, a computer-implemented process, and a system for identifying a parking space may provide a computer application to allow communication between an arriving user and exiting user. An arrival time that may correspond to the arriving user and exit time that may correspond to the exiting user may be matched to identify a parking space in an authorized location common to the arriving user and the exiting user. The arriving user may be provided a trade identification that may include information that may describe an exiting vehicle. The exiting user may remove the exiting vehicle from the parking space, and an arriving user may park an arriving vehicle in the parking space.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of identifying a parking space, comprising:

displaying, by a processor, at least one authorized location in a drop-down list or a menu via a computer application;

selecting, by a processor, the at least one authorized location from the computer application and requesting the parking space, wherein an arriving user selects the at least one authorized location from the computer application;

receiving, by a processor, other authorized locations input into the computer application by the arriving user, wherein the other authorized locations are not predetermined;

matching, by a processor, an arrival time with an exit time, wherein the arriving user selects the arrival time and an exiting user selects the exit time;

notifying, by a processor, the arriving user and the exiting user of a match between the arrival time and the exit time;

displaying, by a processor, a trade identification to at least one of the arriving user and the exiting user, wherein the trade identification includes information identifying at least one of an arriving vehicle and an exiting vehicle; and

completing a trade, by a processor, wherein the exiting user removes the exiting vehicle from the parking space and the arriving user moves the arriving vehicle into the parking space.

2. The computer-implemented method of identifying the parking space of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the exit time is greater than a first predetermined time period prior to the arrival time;

determining whether the exit time is within a second predetermined time period of the arrival time; and

determining whether the arriving user and the exiting user are within overlapping authorized locations.

3. The computer-implemented method of identifying the parking space of claim 2, wherein matching the arrival time with the exit time further comprises:

determining whether the exit time is greater than a third predetermined time period prior to the arrival time; and

determining whether the arrival time is within a fourth predetermined time period of the exit time.

4. The computer-implemented method of identifying the parking space of claim 1, wherein displaying the trade identification to at least one of the arriving user and the exiting user further comprises:

determining whether a current time is equivalent to a difference between an award time and a buffer time.

5. The computer-implemented method of identifying the parking space of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying user data in the computer application, the user data including any combination of a traffic report, a geographic map, authorized locations frequently selected by the arriving user, and information identifying at least one of the arriving vehicle and the exiting vehicle.

6. The computer-implemented method of identifying the parking space of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a plurality of parking spaces for a plurality of arriving users and a plurality of exiting users.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium to execute a computer-implemented process for identifying a parking space, the computer-implemented process that, when executed on a processor, comprises:

displaying, by a processor, at least one authorized location in a computer application;

selecting, by a processor, the at least one authorized location from the computer application and requesting the parking space, wherein an arriving user selects the at least one authorized location from the computer application;

receiving, by a processor, other authorized locations input into the computer application by the arriving user, wherein the other authorized locations are not predetermined;

matching, by a processor, an arrival time with an exit time, wherein the arriving user selects the arrival time and an exiting user selects the exit time;

determining, by a processor, whether the exit time is greater than a first predetermined time period prior to the arrival time;

determining, by a processor, whether the exit time is within a second predetermined time period of the arrival time; and

determining, by a processor, whether the arriving user and the exiting user are within overlapping authorized locations;

notifying, by a processor, the arriving user and the exiting user of a match between the arrival time and the exit time;

displaying, by a processor, a trade identification to at least one of the arriving user and the exiting user, wherein the trade identification includes information identifying at least one of an arriving vehicle and an exiting vehicle; and

completing a trade, by a processor, wherein the exiting user removes the exiting vehicle from the parking space and the arriving user moves the arriving vehicle into the parking space.

8. The computer-implemented process of claim 7, further comprising:

displaying driving instructions to the arriving user, wherein the driving directions correspond to the at least one authorized location.

9. The computer-implemented process of claim 7, wherein matching the arrival time with the exit time further comprises:

determining whether the exit time is greater than a third predetermined time period prior to the arrival time; and

determining whether the arrival time is within a fourth predetermined time period of the exit time.

10. The computer-implemented process of claim 7, wherein displaying the trade identification to at least one of the arriving user and the exiting user further comprises:

determining whether a current time is equivalent to a difference between an award time and a buffer time.

11. The computer-implemented process of claim 7, further comprising:

displaying user data in the computer application, the user data including any combination of a traffic report, a geographic map, authorized locations frequently selected by the arriving user, and information identifying at least one of the arriving vehicle and the exiting vehicle.

12. The computer-implemented process of claim 7, further comprising:

providing a plurality of parking spaces for a plurality of arriving users and a plurality of exiting users.

13. The computer-implemented process of claim 7, further comprising:

providing parking data to at least one of the arriving user or the exiting user, wherein the parking data is displayed in the computer application.

14. The computer-implemented process of claim 7, further comprising:

displaying a parking status badge to at least one arriving user or exiting user in the computer application.

15. A system for identifying a parking space provided on a mobile device, the system comprising:

a communications module provided to receive a selection of an authorized location and a request for the parking space made by an arriving user, wherein the communications module is provided to display the authorized location on the mobile device, wherein other authorized locations are input into the communications module by the arriving user, and wherein the other authorized locations are not predetermined;

a calculation module provided to match an arrival time with an exit time, wherein the arriving user selects the arrival time and an exiting user selects the exit time,

wherein the communications module is provided to notify the arriving user and the exiting user of a matching arrival time and exit time, and to provide at least one of the arriving user and the exiting user with a trade identification, wherein the trade identification includes information identifying at least one of an arriving vehicle and an exiting vehicle; and

a sensor module provided to detect at least one of the following;

when the exiting user removes the exiting vehicle from the parking space and when the arriving user moves the arriving vehicle into the parking space, and

wherein the sensor module is provided to complete a trade.

16. The system for identifying the parking space of claim 15, wherein the calculation module is provided to calculate whether the exit time is greater than a first predetermined time period prior to the arrival time, calculate whether the exit time is within a second predetermined time period of the arrival time, and calculate whether the arriving user and the exiting user are within overlapping authorized locations.

17. The system for identifying the parking space of claim 16, wherein the calculation module is provided to calculate whether the exit time is greater than a third predetermined time period prior to the arrival time, and calculate whether the arrival time is within a fourth predetermined time period of the exit time.

18. The system for identifying the parking space of claim 15, wherein the calculation module is provided to calculate whether a current time is equivalent to a difference between an award time and a buffer time.

19. The system for identifying the parking space of claim 15, wherein a user data module includes any combination of a traffic report, a geographic map, authorized locations frequently selected by the arriving user, and information identifying the arriving vehicle.

20. The system for identifying the parking space of claim 15, wherein the sensor module detects movement of a plurality of exiting vehicles from a plurality of parking spaces and a plurality of arriving vehicles into the plurality of parking spaces.