Visitor parking system and method

• US 20090070156A1
• Filed: 06/25/2008
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Visitor Parking NZ Limited
• Original Assignee: Visitor Parking NZ Limited
• Inventors: Cleland-Pottie, Martin James
• Application Number:
  US12/213,829
• Publication Number:
  US 20090070156A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13095 PIN / Access code, authentication

Abstract

A method of managing a visitor parking facility available to a plurality of users is described, the visitor parking facility comprising: a plurality of visitor parking bays, and a barrier for controlling the entry to and exit from the visitor parking facility of visitor vehicles. The method of managing the visitor parking facility available to a plurality of users comprising the steps of: registering a plurality of users, and storing user information; for each of the plurality of users limiting the number of visitor parking bays the user can book; receiving a request from a user to book a vehicle parking bay for a vehicle; booking a vehicle parking bay for the requesting user if the request is a valid request; storing the booking; and controlling the barrier to allow entry to and exit from the facility for a vehicle having a booked vehicle parking bay. The method also includes making statistical information on user usage of the visitor parking facility available. A system implement the method is also described.

Claims

1. A method of managing a visitor parking facility available to a plurality of users, said visitor parking facility comprising:

a plurality of visitor parking bays, and

a barrier for controlling the entry to and exit from said visitor parking facility of visitor vehicles;

wherein said method of managing said visitor parking facility available to a plurality of users comprising the steps of;

registering a plurality of users, and storing user information;

for each of said plurality of users limiting the number of visitor parking bays said user can book;

receiving a request from a user to book a vehicle parking bay for a vehicle;

booking a vehicle parking bay for said requesting user if said request is a valid request;

storing said booking;

controlling said barrier to allow entry to and exit from said facility for a vehicle having a booked vehicle parking bay; and

providing statistical information on usage of said visitor parking facility to said users.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of booking a vehicle parking bay for said requesting user if said request is a valid request includes the steps of:

checking if said user has exceeded the user limit on the number of parking bays said user can book;

denying the booking request if said user has exceeded the limit; and

allowing the booking if said user has not exceed their limit.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said visitor parking facility is located in a commercial or office building having multiple tenants and each of said users is a tenant in said building.

4. The method according to claim 3, including the steps of:

setting a charge for a period of use of a visitor parking bay; and

charging said user for each use of a visitor parking bay depending on the length of said use.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the step of setting a charge for each period of use of a visitor parking bay comprises setting a charge for different times to account for the likely demand for car parks at different times.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the maximum number of visitor parking bays each said user can book is set for each of said different time periods.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said visitor parking facility includes a data entry means associated with said barrier, and wherein the step of booking a vehicle parking bay includes the steps of:

issuing a security code to a user who successfully books a vehicle parking bay; and

storing said security code in association with said booking; and

wherein the step of controlling said barrier to allow entry to and exit from said facility for a vehicle having a booked vehicle parking bay includes the steps of;

receiving said security code via said data entry means;

checking if said received security code matches a stored security code; and

causing said barrier to open if said received security code matches a stored security code.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said data entry means is a keypad and said security code is a pin.

9. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

receiving vehicle characterization information from said user with said booking request;

storing said vehicle characterization information with said booking information;

means for capturing vehicle characterization information at said barrier;

comparing said stored vehicle characterization information and said captured vehicle characterization information; and

causing said barrier to open if said stored vehicle characterization information and said captured vehicle characterization information match.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said vehicle characterization information is a vehicle license plate number.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said means for capturing said vehicle characterization information comprises camera means for photographing each vehicle license plate and processor means for processing the photograph of said license plate to obtain said vehicle license plate number.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein said vehicle characterization information is an RFID tag identifier.

13. Computer software implementing the method of claim 1.

14. A visitor parking facility available to a plurality of users comprising:

a plurality of visitor parking bays, and

a barrier for controlling the entry to and exit from said visitor parking facility of visitor vehicles;

a system for managing said visitor parking facility comprising;

registration means for registering a plurality of users,

a data store for storing information on said plurality of users;

limit setting means for limiting the number of visitor parking bays said user can book for each of said plurality;

a booking interface for receiving a request from a booking request for a vehicle parking bay from a user,

validation means for validating said booking request;

booking storage means for storing a booking for a vehicle parking bay if said request is a valid request;

a barrier controller for controlling said barrier to allow entry to and exit from said facility for a vehicle having a booked vehicle parking bay;

a usage calculator for calculating statistical information on usage of said visitor parking facility by said users; and

reporting means for making said statistical information available to said users.

15. The visitor parking facility according to claim 14, wherein said validation means includes means for:

checking if said user has exceeded the user limit on the number of parking bays said user can book;

denying the booking request if said user has exceeded the limit; and

allowing the booking if said user has not exceed their limit.

16. The visitor parking facility according to claim 15, wherein said visitor parking facility is located in a commercial or office building having multiple tenants and each of said users is a tenant in said building.

17. The visitor parking facility according to claim 16, including means for:

setting a charge for a period of use of a visitor parking bay; and

charging said user for each use of a visitor parking bay depending on the length of said use.

18. The visitor parking facility according to claim 17, wherein the means for setting a charge for a period of use of a visitor parking bay includes means for setting a charge for different times to account for the likely demand for car parks at different times.

19. The visitor parking facility according to claim 18, wherein the maximum number of visitor parking bays each said user can book is set for each of said different time periods.

20. The visitor parking facility according to claim 19, wherein said visitor parking facility includes a data entry means associated with said barrier, and wherein said booking interface includes:

means for issuing a security code to a user who successfully books a vehicle parking bay; and

means for storing said security code in association with said booking; and

wherein said barrier controller receives said security code via said data entry means and checks if said received security code matches a stored security code; and

said barrier controller causes said barrier to open if said received security code matches a stored security code.

21. The visitor parking facility according to claim 20, wherein said data entry means is a keypad and said security code is a pin.

22. The visitor parking facility according to claim 19, wherein said booking interface includes:

means for receiving vehicle characterization information from said user with said booking request;

means for storing said vehicle characterization information with said booking information;

means for capturing vehicle characterization information at said barrier; and

means for comparing said stored vehicle characterization information and said captured vehicle characterization information;

wherein said barrier controller causes said barrier to open if said stored vehicle characterization information and said captured vehicle characterization information match.

23. The visitor parking facility according to claim 22, wherein said vehicle characterization information is a vehicle license plate number.

24. The visitor parking facility according to claim 23, wherein said means for capturing said vehicle characterization information comprises a camera for photographing each vehicle license plate and a processor for processing the photograph of said license plate to obtain said vehicle license plate number.

25. The visitor parking facility according to claim 22, wherein said vehicle characterization information is an RFID tag identifier.