Parking meter system

• US 10,424,125 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2018
• Issued: 09/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Municipal Parking Services, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Municipal Parking Services, Inc.
• Inventors: Hudson, Thomas G., Caldwell, Joseph M., Gage, Richard C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trail, Allyson N
• Application Number:
  US16/195,828
• Publication Number:
  US 20190088037A1
• Time in Patent Office: 309 Days
• Field of Search: 235384, 235381, 705 13, 705 1458, 705 18
• 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: G07F 17/246 provided with vehicle proximity-detectors detecting hidden masses, e.g. metal detectors, G01V, e.g. G01V3/00; proximity switches per se H03K17/00; traffic control systems G08G1/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations

Abstract

A parking enforcement device includes a weather resistant housing, a processor disposed inside of the housing, a memory disposed inside of the housing and coupled to the processor, a network interface disposed in the housing and coupled to the processor, and a first camera disposed inside of the housing and coupled to the processor. The camera is aimed to face outward from the housing towards a target space, the first camera coupled to the processor. The processor is configured to recognize when a vehicle enters the target space, determine which of a plurality of parking class rules is applicable to the vehicle in the target space, and determine that a parking violation for the vehicle has occurred if parking in the target space is prohibited by the applicable parking class rule for the vehicle.

Claims

1. A parking enforcement device, comprising:

a weather resistant housing;

a processor disposed inside of the housing;

a memory disposed inside of the housing and coupled to the processor;

a network interface disposed in the housing and coupled to the processor;

a first camera disposed inside of the housing and aimed to face outward from the housing towards a target location where parking is prohibited, the first camera coupled to the processor;

wherein the processor is configured to;

recognize when a vehicle enters the target location where parking is prohibited;

determine that a parking violation for the vehicle has occurred; and

transmit notice of the parking violation to a remote computer system via the network interface, the notice including data corresponding to an identification for the vehicle and a time of the violation.

2. The parking enforcement device of claim 1, wherein the determination that a parking violation for the vehicle has occurred is immediate upon recognition that the vehicle entered the target location where parking is prohibited.

3. The parking enforcement device of claim 1, wherein the determination that a parking violation for the vehicle has occurred is made after expiration of a grace period that began upon recognition that the vehicle entered the target location where parking is prohibited.

4. The parking enforcement device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether the vehicle that entered the target location belongs to a class of persons whom are permitted to park in the target location where parking is prohibited.

5. The parking enforcement device of claim 1, wherein the target location where parking is prohibited is a no parking zone.

6. The parking enforcement device of claim 1, wherein the target location where parking is prohibited is a parking space along a snow emergency route.

7. The parking enforcement device of claim 1, wherein the target location where parking is prohibited is a reserved parking space.

8. A parking enforcement device, comprising:

a weather resistant housing;

a processor disposed inside of the housing;

a memory disposed inside of the housing and coupled to the processor;

a network interface disposed in the housing and coupled to the processor;

a first camera disposed inside of the housing and aimed to face outward from the housing towards a target space, the first camera coupled to the processor;

wherein the processor is configured to;

recognize when a vehicle enters the target space;

determine which of a plurality of parking class rules is applicable to the vehicle in the target space;

determine that a parking violation for the vehicle has occurred if parking in the target space is prohibited by the applicable parking class rule for the vehicle.

9. The parking enforcement device of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to determine which of the plurality of class rules applies based upon a class designation associated with the vehicle'"'"'s identification either as maintained in the memory or as communicated by a remote computer system networked with the parking enforcement device.

10. The parking enforcement device of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to determine which of the plurality of class rules applies based upon a class code input to the parking enforcement device during an initial grace period.

11. The parking enforcement device of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit notice of the parking violation to a remote computer system via the network interface, the notice including data corresponding to an identification for the vehicle and a time of the violation.

12. The parking enforcement device of claim 8, wherein one of the plurality of parking class rules is a handicap parking restriction.

13. The parking enforcement device of claim 8, wherein one of the plurality of parking class rules is a neighborhood resident parking restriction.

14. The parking enforcement device of claim 8, wherein one of the plurality of parking class rules is a municipal employee parking restriction.

15. The parking enforcement device of claim 8, wherein one of the plurality of parking class rules is a parking pass parking restriction.

16. The parking enforcement device of claim 8, further including an impact sensor disposed within the housing and coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is further configured to send an impact occurrence report to the remote computer system when the impact sensor senses an impact force above a set threshold.

17. A method of monitoring a target space that is subject to parking restrictions for compliance with the parking restrictions, the method comprising:

locating an automated enforcement device above-ground and adjacent to the target space such that the automated enforcement device is secured in a stationary position with respect to the target space;

recognizing by the automated enforcement device that a vehicle has entered the target space;

determining by the automated enforcement device which of a plurality of parking class rules is applicable to the vehicle in the target space;

determine by the automated enforcement device that a parking violation for the vehicle has occurred if parking in the target space is prohibited by the applicable parking class rule for the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the automated enforcement device communicating notice of the parking violation to the remote networked computer system.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the determination that a parking violation for the vehicle has occurred is immediate upon recognition that the vehicle entered the target space and determining that the vehicle does not belong to a class of vehicles permitted to park in the target space.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the determination that a parking violation for the vehicle has occurred is immediate upon recognition that the vehicle entered the target space and determining that the vehicle belongs to a class of vehicles not permitted to park in the target space.