Method and system for legal parking

• US 9,972,201 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2017
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Operr Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Operr Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Wang, Kevin Sunlin
• Primary Examiner(s): Lau, Hoi
• Application Number:
  US15/645,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20170309170A1
• Time in Patent Office: 309 Days
• Field of Search: 3409322, 340934, 34087003, 34087002, 701400, 701 1, 701117, 705 13, 705 39, 705418
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3685 the POI's being parking facilities
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3896 Transmission of map data from central databases
• 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 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/012 from other sources than vehicle or roadside beacons, e.g. mobile networks
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0129 for creating historical data or processing based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination
• 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

Abstract

The various embodiments herein provide a system and method for a parking zone mapping, storing and alerting a user for a legal parking to avoid parking violations. The system comprises a location identifier, an accelerometer, a unified database, a data processing module and a display apparatus. The unified database resides in a central server. The unified database is synchronized with the location identifier. The data processing module is connected to the location identifier and the unified database through a communication medium. The data processing module is further connected to the accelerometer. The display apparatus is connected to the data processing module.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing a guideline for legal parking, said method comprising the steps of:

utilizing a database residing in a central server to store legal parking related data;

categorizing said legal parking related data into data types comprising at least one of;

commercial vehicle legal parking related data, non-commercial vehicle legal parking related data, legal parking related data based on type of vehicle, or legal parking related data based on type of vehicle plate;

receiving a location of a user and a time from a location identifier in communication with an internal clock mechanism;

determining one or more unavailable or illegal parking locations based on at least one of;

(i) a user type of said user, (ii) one or more parking prohibitions directly applicable to said user, or (iii) one or more parking prohibitions applicable to said user by inference;

identifying one or more potentially available legal parking locations by precluding said one or more unavailable or illegal parking locations from said legal parking related data in said database based on said user type;

notifying said user of a guideline for legal parking based on said data type corresponding to said user type; and

updating said legal parking related data in said database dynamically.

2. The method according to claim 1, said method further comprising the step of:

receiving said legal parking related data from at least one of;

one or more additional users, a government agency, a non-government organization, a private entity, a community organization, a media source, a municipality, a municipal driver, a private company driver, an employee of said system, a third-party contractor of said system, or other interested individuals;

wherein said legal parking related data comprises at least one of;

parking violation related data, parking availability data, alternative parking data, or parking rules or regulations.

3. The method according to claim 1, said method further comprising the step of:

categorizing said user based on said user type;

wherein said user type is categorized based on at least one of;

commercial vehicle user type, non-commercial vehicle user type, vehicle user type based on type of vehicle, or vehicle user type based on type of vehicle plate.

4. The method according to claim 1, said method further comprising the step of:

identifying a parking intent of said user based on at least one of;

(i) a current speed of a vehicle of said user, (ii) a predetermined proximity of said user to an intended destination, or (iii) a specific indication of said parking intent by said user.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said one or more illegal parking locations are identified by at least analyzing parking violation related data.

6. The method according to claim 5, said method further comprising the step of:

predicting said one or more potential parking prohibitions directly applicable to said user based on at least one of;

(i) said parking violation related data including an identical location to said identified one or more illegal parking locations;

(ii) said parking violation related data including a particular time identical to said time;

or (iii) said parking violation related data including a location identical to said illegal parking location, said location corresponding to said point in time identical to said time.

7. The method according to claim 1, said method further comprising the step of:

predicting said one or more parking prohibitions applicable to said user by inference based on at least one of;

(i) one or more relevant parking locations;

(ii) one or more relevant parking times;

or (iii) one or more relevant parking locations corresponding to one or more relevant parking times.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said inference is based on at least two relevant parking locations corresponding to at least one relevant parking time;

wherein each of said at least two relevant parking locations has said at least one or more previously issued parking violation citations for violating one or more same type of parking prohibitions;

wherein said one or more illegal parking locations are between said at least two relevant parking locations; and

wherein said at least two relevant parking locations are at a distance from each other.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein said inference is based on at least two relevant parking times corresponding to at least one relevant parking location;

wherein each of said at least two relevant parking times has said at least one or more previously issued parking violation citations for violating one or more same type of parking prohibitions;

wherein at least one of said one or more identified times is between said at least two relevant parking times; and

wherein said at least two relevant parking times are within a relevant time frame.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein said inference is based on at least two relevant parking locations corresponding to at least two relevant parking times;

wherein each of said at least two relevant parking locations has said at least one or more previously issued parking violation citations for violating one or more same type of parking prohibitions;

wherein said time is between said at least two relevant parking times;

wherein said at least two relevant parking times are within a relevant time frame;

wherein said one or more illegal parking locations are between said at least two relevant parking locations; and

wherein said at least two relevant parking locations are at a distance from each other.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein one or more notifications of said one or more potentially available legal parking locations are displayed to said user based on said data type corresponding to said user type of said user.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein said one or more potential parking prohibitions directly applicable to said user are identified based on at least one of:

(i) said parking violation related data including at least one location identical to said one or more illegal parking locations;

(ii) said parking violation related data including at least one point in time identical to said time;

or (iii) said parking violation related data including at least one location identical to said one or more illegal parking locations, said location corresponding to at least one point in time identical to said time.

13. The method according to claim 1, said method further comprising the step of:

generating one or more notifications for said user comprising one or more reasons said location does not have said one or more potentially available legal parking; and

wherein said one or more reasons include at least one of;

(i) said location is occupied, or (ii) said location is associated with at least one violation for illegal parking.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein one or more notifications relating to said one or more potentially available legal parking locations are displayed to said user based on said data type corresponding to said user type,

wherein said one or more notifications relating to said one or more potentially available legal parking locations are displayed to said user within a predetermined distance of a destination of said user,

wherein said one or more potentially available legal parking locations are reflected differently from said one or more illegal or unavailable parking locations through at least one or more different formats to increase possibility of finding said one or more potentially available legal parking locations for said user, and

wherein said one or more different formats comprise at least different colors, shapes, lines or any other formats to identify a difference.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein said one or more illegal parking locations displayed through said at least one or more different formats are based on fluctuations in issued parking violation citations, and

wherein said fluctuations in issued parking violation citations displayed through said at least one or more different formats are based on at least time of day or location.

16. The method according to claim 1, said method further comprising the step of:

utilizing a forum module through one or more remote computing devices in communication with said database to receive said legal parking related data from one or more users.

17. The method according to claim 1, said method further comprising the steps of:

enabling said user or one or more additional users to report said legal parking relevant data.

18. The method according to claim 17, said method further comprising the steps of:

enabling said one or more additional users having firsthand experience with said location to provide one or more ratings of said guideline, said firsthand experience being identified as said one or more additional users passing or having passed within a predetermined distance of said location.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein one or more rewards are issued to said user or said one or more additional users reporting said legal parking relevant data,

wherein issuance of said one or more rewards is based on a number of said one or more ratings reaching a predetermined number of positive ratings, and

wherein said one or more rewards are monetary or non-monetary.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein upon reaching said predetermined number of positive ratings said legal parking related data is updated in said database.