Method and system for avoidance of parking violations

• US 10,497,015 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2019
• Issued: 12/03/2019
• 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): Swarthout, Brent
• Application Number:
  US16/297,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20190205911A1
• Time in Patent Office: 270 Days
• Field of Search: 3409322, 705 1419, 705 13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0217 involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• 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

Abstract

A system and method for identifying a potential parking violation for a location includes storing and rating parking violation related data, and notifying a user, by a computing system communicating with a user'"'"'s computing device, of the potential parking violation and how to avoid receiving the potential parking violation citation. The data is stored in a database and clustered by data types. The user'"'"'s computing device is used to identify user type, location, and time. A user engagement panel is used to share and rate parking violation related data and notifications, and rewards are allocated to a user for contributing useful data. Highly rated data may be incorporated into the notifications. The data is analyzed to predict or infer a violation. A notification corresponding to a current location and user type are generated when violations are predicted.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for assisting a user with avoidance of parking violations, comprising:

storing, on a server, parking violation data having one or more data types comprising at least one of a commercial vehicle type, a non-commercial vehicle type, a type of vehicle, or a type of vehicle plate;

transmitting, by the server, a notification comprising at least a portion of the parking violation data to one or more computing devices associated with one or more respective users based on a user type of each respective user corresponding to a respective data type associated with a present location of one or more vehicles of the one or more respective users, wherein each user type comprises at least one of a commercial vehicle user type, a non-commercial vehicle user type, a user type based on a type of vehicle or a user type based on a type of vehicle plate;

receiving, by the server, from the one or more users, one or more positive ratings of the portion of parking violation data associated with the present location;

responsive to receiving a predetermined number of positive ratings, issuing a reward to a particular user who contributed at least the portion of parking violation data in the notification.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, by the server, the notification on a display screen of each computing device, wherein the notification includes one or more potentially illegal parking locations displayed in a first format or one or more legal parking locations displayed in a second format.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the parking violation data comprises at least one of:

parking rules, parking regulations, parking violation records, parking violation codes, parking violation statutory codes, one or more abbreviations used by parking enforcement personnel, associated fines or other penalties, a preference for the notification, parking signage with one or more locations, parking meter locations and associated parking meter costs, street view with one or more photos or videos for one or more locations with a predetermined number of parking violation citations, notice of one or more temporary or permanent parking prohibitions, tow away zone relevant data, street cleaning relevant data, weather relevant data or shared parking violation data.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the parking violation data comprises at least one of:

(i) a parking violation citation not currently stored on the server;

(ii) a suggestion for avoiding receiving a parking violation citation;

(iii) a recommendation for disputing the violation citation;

or

(iv) a redesign of parking signage relating to plain language meaning, content clarification, or language translation.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reward comprises a monetary or a non-monetary reward.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more users who provide the one or more positive ratings have first-hand experience, and wherein the first-hand experience is identified by receiving the notification, or by passing or having passed within a predetermined distance of the present location.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, by the server, a parking intent of a particular user based on a current speed of a particular vehicle associated with the particular user and a predetermined proximity to an intended destination preset by the particular user.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

responsive to identification of the parking intent of the particular user, issuing the notification to the particular user.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to one or more additional ratings of an additional portion of the parking violation data through one or more user engagement panels reaching a predetermined number, modifying a database on the server to include at least the additional portion of the parking violation data.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

generating an additional notification including at least the additional portion of the parking violation data identifying a potential parking violation applicable to one or more additional users.

11. A computer-implemented system for assisting a user with avoidance of parking violations, comprising:

a server in communication with one or more computing devices associated with one or more respective users via a network, wherein the server includes at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with computer-readable instructions stored therein, a database, and a processor for executing the computer-readable instructions to;

store parking violation data having one or more data types comprising at least one of a commercial vehicle type, a non-commercial vehicle type, a type of vehicle or a type of vehicle plate;

transmit a notification comprising at least a portion of the parking violation data to one or more computing devices associated with the one or more respective users based on a user type of each respective user corresponding to a respective data type associated with a present location of one or more vehicles of the one or more respective users, wherein each user type comprises at least one of a commercial vehicle user type, a non-commercial vehicle user type, a user type based on a type of vehicle, or a user type based on a type of vehicle plate;

receive, from the one or more users, one or more positive ratings of the portion of parking violation data associated with the present location;

responsive to receiving a predetermined number of positive ratings, issuing a reward to a particular user who contributed at least the portion of the parking violation data in the notification.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the processor is further instructed to execute the computer-readable instructions to:

display the notification on a display screen of each computing device, wherein the notification includes one or more potentially illegal parking locations displayed in a first format or one or more legal parking locations displayed in a second format.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the parking violation data comprises at least one of:

parking rules, parking regulations, parking violation records, parking violation codes, parking violation statutory codes, one or more abbreviations used by parking enforcement personnel, associated fines or other penalties, a preference for the notification, parking signage with one or more locations, parking meter locations and associated parking meter costs, street view with one or more photos or videos for one or more locations with a predetermined number of parking violation citations, notice of one or more temporary or permanent parking prohibitions, tow away zone relevant data, street cleaning relevant data, weather relevant data or shared parking violation data.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the parking violation data comprises at least one of:

(i) a parking violation citation not currently stored on the database;

(ii) a suggestion for avoiding receiving a parking violation citation;

(iii) a recommendation for disputing the violation citation;

or

(iv) a redesign of parking signage relating to plain language meaning, content clarification, or language translation.

15. The system according to claim 11, wherein the reward comprises a monetary or a non-monetary reward.

16. The system according to claim 11, wherein the one or more users who provide the one or more positive ratings have first-hand experience, and wherein the first-hand experience is identified by receiving the notification, or by passing or having passed within a predetermined distance of the present location.

17. The system according to claim 11, wherein the processor is further instructed to execute the computer-readable instructions to:

identify a parking intent of a particular user based on a current speed of a particular vehicle associated with the particular user and a predetermined proximity to an intended destination preset by the particular user.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the processor is further instructed to execute the computer-readable instructions to:

responsive to identification of the parking intent of the particular user, issuing the notification to the particular user.

19. The system according to claim 11, wherein the processor is further instructed to execute the computer-readable instructions to:

responsive to one or more additional ratings of an additional portion of the parking violation data through one or more user engagement panels reaching a predetermined number, modify the database to include at least the additional portion of the parking violation data.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein the processor is further instructed to execute the computer-readable instructions to:

generate an additional notification including at least the additional portion of the parking violation data identifying a potential parking violation applicable to one or more additional users.