Computer-implemented system and method for offering customer priority parking reservations
First Claim
1. A method for offering merchant and shopper-friendly parking reservations through customer priority parking with the aid of a digital computer, comprising:
- managing a multiplicity of motor vehicle parking spaces through a server, comprising;
remotely interfacing a plurality of smart parking devices with the server that are each physically proximate to least one of the parking spaces and include a display;
remotely interfacing a plurality of vehicle occupancy sensors with the server that are also each physically proximate to least one of the parking spaces; and
remotely interfacing a plurality of parking availability indicators with the server that are each associated with at least one of the parking spaces and include color-coded indicators;
reserving with the server use of one or more of the parking spaces, comprising;
accepting with the server a request for a customer priority parking reservation from a remotely-interfaced point-of-sale device of a merchant, comprising times and dates over which the reservation period would be in effect, and confirming that the merchant is eligible to reserve the requested parking spaces; and
granting with the server the request provided the requested parking space is available throughout the reservation period over any other reservations stored in the server;
managing use of the reserved parking spaces through the server, comprising;
based on instructions received from the server, remotely activating the parking availability indicators associated with the reserved parking spaces throughout the reservation period in a merchant priority parking mode comprising displaying by each parking availability indicator via the color-coded indicators a predetermined color identifying the reserved parking spaces as unavailable;
remotely sensing occupancy of one of the parking spaces by a motor vehicle through the vehicle occupancy sensor nearest to the one parking space and providing the location of the parking space to the server; and
remotely determining an identity of the driver of the motor vehicle through the smart parking device nearest to the one parking space and providing the identity of the driver to the server; and
validating use of the parking space with the remotely-interfaced point-of-sale device associated with the merchant, comprising;
receiving payment information for goods purchased by the driver and a parking validation amount for at least part of the use of the parking space from the remotely-interfaced point-of-sale device of the merchant to the server;
identifying the parking space of the driver based on the received payment information from the remotely-interfaced point-of-sale device of the merchant;
applying the parking validation amount to the use of the parking space by the driver by adjusting a cost of the parking based on the validation amount;
identifying the merchant associated with the remotely-interfaced point-of-sale device from other merchants associated with other point-of-sale devices remotely interfaced to the server; and
transmitting confirmation of the validation to the merchant and the driver.
8 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for offering customer priority parking reservations. Motor vehicle parking spaces are provided through a server. The server respectively interfaces with smart parking devices, vehicle occupancy sensors, and parking availability indicators that are each associated with the parking spaces. The parking spaces are reserved by accepting a request for a customer priority parking reservation from a merchant for a reservation period. Use of the parking space is managed through the server by activating the parking availability indicators associated with the reserved parking spaces, sensing occupancy of the parking spaces by a motor vehicle through the vehicle occupancy sensor, and retrieving and providing an identity of the driver of the motor vehicle through the nearest smart parking device to the server. The use of the parking space is validated from the merchant through the server.
172 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method for offering merchant and shopper-friendly parking reservations through customer priority parking with the aid of a digital computer, comprising:
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managing a multiplicity of motor vehicle parking spaces through a server, comprising; remotely interfacing a plurality of smart parking devices with the server that are each physically proximate to least one of the parking spaces and include a display; remotely interfacing a plurality of vehicle occupancy sensors with the server that are also each physically proximate to least one of the parking spaces; and remotely interfacing a plurality of parking availability indicators with the server that are each associated with at least one of the parking spaces and include color-coded indicators; reserving with the server use of one or more of the parking spaces, comprising; accepting with the server a request for a customer priority parking reservation from a remotely-interfaced point-of-sale device of a merchant, comprising times and dates over which the reservation period would be in effect, and confirming that the merchant is eligible to reserve the requested parking spaces; and granting with the server the request provided the requested parking space is available throughout the reservation period over any other reservations stored in the server; managing use of the reserved parking spaces through the server, comprising; based on instructions received from the server, remotely activating the parking availability indicators associated with the reserved parking spaces throughout the reservation period in a merchant priority parking mode comprising displaying by each parking availability indicator via the color-coded indicators a predetermined color identifying the reserved parking spaces as unavailable; remotely sensing occupancy of one of the parking spaces by a motor vehicle through the vehicle occupancy sensor nearest to the one parking space and providing the location of the parking space to the server; and remotely determining an identity of the driver of the motor vehicle through the smart parking device nearest to the one parking space and providing the identity of the driver to the server; and validating use of the parking space with the remotely-interfaced point-of-sale device associated with the merchant, comprising; receiving payment information for goods purchased by the driver and a parking validation amount for at least part of the use of the parking space from the remotely-interfaced point-of-sale device of the merchant to the server; identifying the parking space of the driver based on the received payment information from the remotely-interfaced point-of-sale device of the merchant; applying the parking validation amount to the use of the parking space by the driver by adjusting a cost of the parking based on the validation amount; identifying the merchant associated with the remotely-interfaced point-of-sale device from other merchants associated with other point-of-sale devices remotely interfaced to the server; and transmitting confirmation of the validation to the merchant and the driver. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A system for offering merchant and shopper-friendly parking reservations through customer priority parking with the aid of a digital computer, comprising:
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a non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising program code; and a computer processor and memory on a server with the computer processor coupled to the storage medium; a plurality of smart parking devices configured to remotely interface with the server that are each physically proximate to least one of the parking spaces and comprise a display; a plurality of vehicle occupancy sensors configured to remotely interface with the server that are also each physically proximate to least one of the parking spaces; a plurality of parking availability indicators configured to remotely interface with the server that are each associated with each one of the parking spaces and include color-coded indicators, wherein the computer processor is configured to execute the program code to perform steps to; reserve through the server use of one or more of the parking spaces, with the computer processor further configured to execute the program code to perform steps to; accept with the server a request for a customer priority parking reservation from a remotely-interfaced point-of-sale device of a merchant, comprising times and dates over which the reservation period would be in effect, and confirming that the merchant is eligible to reserve the requested parking spaces; and grant with the server the request provided the requested parking space is available throughout the reservation period over any other reservations stored in the server; the parking availability indicators associated with the reserved parking spaces based on instructions received from the server, remotely activating throughout the reservation period in a merchant priority parking mode comprising displaying by each parking availability indicator via the color-coded indicators a predetermined color identifying the reserved parking spaces as unavailable; the vehicle occupancy sensor sensing occupancy of one of the reserved parking spaces by a motor vehicle and providing the location of the parking space to the server; and the smart parking device nearest to the one reserved parking space determining an identity of the driver of the motor vehicle and providing the identity of the driver to the server; and the remotely-interfaced point-of-sale device of the merchant validating use of the parking space, comprising performing steps to; receive payment information for goods purchased by the driver and a parking validation amount for at least part of the use of the parking space from the remotely-interfaced point-of-sale device of the merchant to the server; identify the parking space of the driver based on the received payment information from the remotely-interfaced point-of-sale device of the merchant; apply the parking validation amount to the use of the parking space by the driver by adjusting a cost of the parking based on the validation amount from the merchant; identify the merchant associated with the remotely-interfaced point-of-sale device from other merchants associated with other point-of-sale devices remotely interfaced to the server; and transmit confirmation of the validation to the merchant and the driver. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for offering merchant and shopper-friendly parking reservations through merchant-guided changes with the aid of a digital computer, comprising:
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managing a multiplicity of motor vehicle parking spaces through a server, comprising; remotely interfacing with the server a plurality of smart parking devices that are each physically proximate to least one of the parking spaces and comprise a display; remotely interfacing with the server a plurality of vehicle occupancy sensors that are also each physically proximate to least one of the parking spaces and include color-coded indicators; and remotely interfacing with the server a plurality of parking availability indicators that are each associated with at least one of the parking spaces; reserving with the server use of one or more of the parking spaces, comprising; accepting with the server from a remotely-interfaced point-of-sale device of a merchant a request for a customer priority parking reservation from the merchant, comprising times and dates over which the reservation period would be in effect and merchant-guided changes in regular parking constraints, and confirming that the merchant is eligible to reserve the requested parking spaces; and granting with the server the request provided the requested parking space is available throughout the reservation period over any other reservations stored in the server; remotely sensing occupancy of one or more of the reserved parking spaces by a motor vehicle through one of the vehicle occupancy sensors nearest to the reserved parking space; and validating use of the reserved parking space with the remotely-interfaced point-of-sale device associated with the merchant, comprising; receiving payment information for goods purchased by a driver of the motor vehicle and a parking validation amount for at least part of the use of the reserved parking space from the remotely-interfaced point-of-sale device of the merchant to the server; identifying the reserved parking space of the driver based on the received payment information from the remotely-interfaced point-of-sale device of the merchant; applying the parking validation amount to the use of the parking space by the driver by adjusting a cost of the parking based on the validation amount; identifying the merchant associated with the remotely-interfaced point-of-sale device from other merchants associated with other point-of-sale devices remotely interfaced to the server; and transmitting confirmation of the validation to the merchant and the driver. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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Specification