Method and apparatus for integrating data regarding vehicle events

• US 20040215474A1
• Filed: 04/25/2003
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Capital Corporation (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Capital Corporation (General Electric Company)
• Inventors: Nelson, David, Tracy, Walt
• Application Number:
  US10/423,854
• Publication Number:
  US 20040215474A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• 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

Abstract

A system, method, apparatus, means, and computer program that facilitates collection of information regarding vehicle events from one or more revenue control systems. A vehicle event may occur when a vehicle enters a parking facility, a vehicle exits a parking facility, a fee is collected at a parking facility, an alarm is generated at a parking facility, etc. Revenue controls systems may be located at single parking facility or multiple parking facilities. Different revenue control systems may use different hardware/software combinations, provide data in different formats, etc. Vehicle event information can be collected from different revenue control systems in different formats and revenue information can be created in a consistent format based on the vehicle event information.

Claims

1. A method for processing information regarding a vehicle event, comprising:

detecting first data indicative of a vehicle event;

generating second data indicative of a revenue event based on said first data; and

providing said second data for use by a revenue management system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said detecting first data indicative of a vehicle event includes checking incoming data for at least one designated field name.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said detecting first data indicative of a vehicle event includes receiving said incoming data.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said receiving said incoming data includes receiving said incoming data in an Extensible Markup Language complaint format.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said first data includes data indicative of at least one of the following:

a vehicle time in associated with said vehicle event; and

a vehicle time out associated with said vehicle event.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said first data includes data indicative of at least one of the following:

a method of payment associated with said vehicle event; and

a piece of equipment associated with said vehicle event.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said first data includes data indicative of at least one of the following:

a ticket number associated with said vehicle event; and

an event source identifier associated with said vehicle event.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said first data includes data indicative of at least one of the following:

a gross monetary amount associated with said vehicle event;

a discount monetary amount associated with said vehicle event; and

a net monetary amount associated with said vehicle event.

9. A method for processing information regarding a vehicle event, comprising:

receiving first data in a first format from a first device, said first data being indicative of a first vehicle event;

creating second data in a second format, said second data indicative of said first vehicle event; and

providing said second data to a second device.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving third data in a third format from a third device, said third data being indicative of a second vehicle event;

creating fourth data in said second format, said fourth data indicative of said second vehicle event; and

providing said fourth data to said second device.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said second format is Extensible Markup Language protocol compliant.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said first format is Extensible Markup Language protocol compliant.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein said first data includes data indicative of at least one of the following:

a vehicle time in associated with said vehicle event; and

a vehicle time out associated with said vehicle event.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein said first data includes data indicative of at least one of the following:

a method of payment associated with said vehicle event; and

a piece of equipment associated with said vehicle event.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein said first data includes data indicative of at least one of the following:

a ticket number associated with said vehicle event; and

an event source identifier associated with said vehicle event.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein said first data includes data indicative of at least one of the following:

a gross monetary amount associated with said vehicle event;

a discount monetary amount associated with said vehicle event; and

a net monetary amount associated with said vehicle event.

17. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving third data in a third format from said second device;

creating fourth data in a fourth format based on said third data; and

providing said fourth data to said first device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said third data is indicative of a rate change.

19. A system, comprising:

a first component adapted to detect first data indicative of a vehicle event based on appearance of a field name in said first data and to obtain said data; and

a second component adapted to receive second data from said first component indicative of said vehicle event, create third data indicative of a revenue event created by vehicle event, and provide said third data for use by a revenue management system.

20. A system, comprising:

a revenue control system adapted to produce data in a first format, said data being indicative of a vehicle event; and

a first interface in communication with said revenue control system, said interface adapted to obtain said data from said revenue control system, change said data from said first format to a second format, and provide said data in said second format.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

a first device adapted to receive said data in said second format from said first interface, detect said data based on content in said data, and provide at least a portion of said data to a second interface.

22. The system of claim 21, said second interface adapted to produce data indicative of a revenue event based on said data indicative of a vehicle event.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

a second device adapted to receive said data indicative of a revenue event from said second interface.

24. A system for processing information regarding a vehicle event, comprising:

a memory;

a communication port; and

a processor connected to said memory and said communication port, said processor being operative to;

detect first data indicative of a vehicle event;

generate second data indicative of a revenue event based on said first data; and

provide said second data for use by a revenue management system.

25. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for processing information regarding a vehicle event, comprising:

first instructions for identifying detecting first data indicative of a vehicle event;

second instructions for creating second data indicative of a revenue event based on said first data; and

third instructions for sending said second data for use by a revenue management system.

26. A system for processing information regarding a vehicle event, comprising:

a memory;

a communication port; and

a processor connected to said memory and said communication port, said processor being operative to;

receive first data in a first format from a first device, said first data being indicative of a first vehicle event;

create second data in a second format, said second data indicative of said first vehicle event; and

provide said second data to a second device.

27. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for processing information regarding a vehicle event, comprising:

first instructions for obtaining first data in a first format from a first device, said first data being indicative of a first vehicle event;

second instructions for creating second data in a second format, said second data indicative of said first vehicle event; and

third instructions for sending said second data to a second device.