METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MANAGING A PARKING LOT BASED ON INTELLIGENT IMAGING

• US 20130113936A1
• Filed: 05/08/2011
• Published: 05/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TKH Security LLC (TKH Group NV)
• Original Assignee: Park Assist, LLC (TKH Group NV)
• Inventors: Hartman, Steven, Kudas, Mark, Yamey, Ian, Caspe, Bob, Ramondou, Aurelien, Crawford, Andrew, Joffe, Richard, Klevansky, Michael, Isaksen, Aaron, Prokopenko, Konstantyn, Cohen, Daniel, Cura, Ezequiel, Goodman, Ilan
• Granted Patent: US 9,594,956 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• 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: G08G 1/14 indicating individual free spaces in parking areas
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/142 external to the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

To manage a plurality of parking spaces, one or more images are acquired, with each parking space appearing in at least one image. Periodically acquired images of occupancy and identity are used in directing a customer to a parked vehicle. Periodically acquired images of just occupancy are used in controlling respective environment aspects, such as illumination and ventilation, of the parking spaces. For these purposed, the images are classified automatically as “vacant” or “occupied”, and are displayed along with their classifications so that the classifications can be corrected manually.

Claims

1. A method of managing a plurality of parking spaces, comprising:

(a) acquiring at least one occupancy and identity image, such that each parking space is imaged in at least one said occupancy and identity image; and

(b) in response to an inquiry by a customer who has parked a vehicle in one of the parking spaces, directing said customer to said vehicle, at least in part in accordance with said at least one occupancy and identity image in which the parking space in which said vehicle is parked is imaged.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one occupancy and identity image is acquired periodically.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(c) obtaining an identifier of said vehicle; and

(d) in response to said inquiry, identifying the parking space in which said vehicle is parked, at least in part by comparing said identifier to at least one of said at least one occupancy and identity image.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said identifier is obtained before said customer parks said vehicle in said one parking space.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said identifier is obtained by steps including acquiring an identification image of said vehicle.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

(e) issuing a receipt to said customer before said customer parks said vehicle in said one parking space, wherein said receipt includes a representation of said identifier.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein said identifier is included in said inquiry.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein said identifier includes a license number of said vehicle.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein said identifier includes an at least partial visual characterization of said vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said directing includes displaying a map showing a route to said one parking space.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said directing includes issuing a plurality of navigation instructions to said customer.

12. A system for managing a plurality of parking spaces, comprising:

(a) at least one parking space camera for acquiring at least one occupancy and identity image, such that each parking space is imaged in at least one said occupancy and identity image; and

(b) a controller that, in response to an inquiry by a customer who has parked a vehicle in one of the parking spaces, directs said customer to said vehicle, at least in part in accordance with said at least one occupancy and identity image in which the parking space in which said vehicle is parked is imaged.

13. The system of claim 12, comprising a plurality of said parking space cameras for acquiring respective at least one said occupancy and identity images of respective portions of the plurality of parking spaces.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein each said parking space camera acquires said at least one respective occupancy and identity image of only one respective parking space.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein each said parking space camera acquires said at least one respective occupancy and identity image of only two respective parking spaces.

16. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

(c) an information terminal whereat said customer enters said inquiry.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said information terminal includes a display mechanism for displaying instructions that direct said customer to said vehicle.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein said information terminal includes an input mechanism that is used by said customer to input an identifier of said vehicle, and wherein, in response to said inquiry, said controller identifies the parking space, in which said vehicle is parked, at least in part by comparing said identifier to at least one of said at least one occupancy and identity image.

19. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

(c) a gateway terminal for obtaining an identifier of said vehicle before said customer parks said vehicle in said one parking space; and

wherein, in response to said inquiry, said controller identifies the parking space, in which said vehicle is parked, at least in part by comparing said identifier to at least one of said at least one occupancy and identity image.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said gateway terminal includes a mechanism for issuing a receipt to said customer, and wherein said receipt includes a representation of said identifier.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein said gateway terminal includes an identification camera for acquiring an identification image of said vehicle.

22. A method of managing a plurality of parking spaces, comprising:

(a) acquiring at least one occupancy image, such that each parking space is imaged in at least one said occupancy image; and

(b) controlling at least one respective environmental aspect of the parking spaces at least in part in accordance with said at least one occupancy image.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said at least one environmental aspect includes illumination.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein said at east one environmental aspect includes ventilation.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein said at least one occupancy image is acquired periodically.

26. A system for managing a plurality of parking spaces, comprising:

(a) at least one camera for acquiring at least one occupancy image, such that each parking space is imaged in at least one said occupancy image;

(b) for each of at least one environmental aspect of the parking spaces, a plurality of devices for controlling said each environmental aspect; and

(c) a controller that uses said devices to controls said at least one environmental aspect at least in part in accordance with said at least one occupancy image.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein said at least one environmental aspect includes illumination.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein said at least one environmental aspect includes ventilation.

29. A method of managing a plurality of parking spaces, comprising:

(a) acquiring a respective occupancy image of each parking space;

(b) providing a system that assigns each said occupancy image a respective status selected from the group consisting of vacant and occupied;

(c) displaying said occupancy images along with said statuses thereof; and

(d) in response to said displaying;

for each said occupancy image;

(i) deciding whether said respective status of said each occupancy image is incorrect, and

(ii) if said respective status of said each occupancy image is incorrect, correcting said respective status of said each occupancy image.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein said providing includes providing machine-readable code of a self-modifying classification algorithm for assigning said respective statuses, the method further comprising:

(e) said system executing said machine-readable code to modify said classification algorithm in response to said correcting.

31. A system for managing a plurality of parking spaces, comprising:

(a) at least one camera for acquiring a respective occupancy image of each parking space;

(b) a display device for displaying at least a portion of said occupancy images;

(c) a memory for storing program code for;

(i) assigning each said occupancy image a respective status selected from the group consisting of vacant and occupied, and

(ii) displaying said occupancy images on said display device along with said respective assigned statuses thereof;

(d) a processor for executing said program code; and

(e) an input device for correcting said respective assigned statuses as displayed on said display device.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein said program code implements a self-modifying classification algorithm for assigning said respective statuses.

33. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable code embodied on the computer-readable storage medium, the computer-readable code for managing a plurality of parking spaces, the computer-readable code comprising:

(a) program code for assigning to each of a plurality of respective occupancy images of the parking spaces a respective status selected from the group consisting of vacant and occupied;

(b) program code for displaying said occupancy images along with said respective assigned statuses thereof; and

(c) program code for receiving corrections of said respective assigned statuses.

34. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 33, further comprising:

(d) program code for modifying said program code for assigning, in response to said corrections.

35. A method of configuring a plurality of sensors to monitor parking spaces of a plurality of aisles, each aisle including a respective plurality of the parking spaces, the method comprising:

(a) for each aisle;

(i) providing a respective sub-plurality of the sensors for monitoring the parking spaces of said each aisle, each sensor being for monitoring a respective at least one of the parking spaces of said each aisle, and

(ii) operationally connecting the sensors of said respective sub-plurality to each other in an ordered string, such that a first sensor of said string is a root node of said string;

(b) operationally connecting said root nodes to a central controller, thereby providing a network of the sensors;

(c) by said central controller;

discovering a topology of said network; and

(d) for each string;

(i) mapping only one sensor of said string to the respective at least one parking space that said one sensor is to monitor, and

(ii) using said topology to map each other sensor of said respective string to the respective at least one parking space that said each other sensor is to monitor.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein, for each of at least one said string, said only one sensor of said each string that is mapped to the respective at least one parking space that said one sensor of said each string is to monitor is said first sensor of said each string.

37. A system for monitoring parking spaces of a plurality of aisles, each aisle including a respective plurality of the parking spaces, the system comprising:

(a) for each aisle, a respective plurality of sensors operationally connected to each other in an ordered string, the sensors being for monitoring a respective at least one of the parking spaces of said each aisle, with a first said sensor of said string being a root node of said string; and

(b) a controller to which said root nodes are operationally connected so that said controller and said strings form a network, the controller being operative;

(i) to discover a topology of said network,

(ii) to present a user interface for mapping only one sensor of each said string to the respective at least one parking space that said one sensor is to monitor, and

(iii) for each said string, to use said topology to map each said sensor of said each string other than said only one sensor of said each string to the respective at least one parking space that said each sensor is to monitor.

38. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable code embodied on the computer-readable storage medium, the computer-readable code being for configuring a plurality of sensors to monitor parking spaces of a plurality of aisles, each aisle including a respective plurality of the parking spaces, the sensors of each aisle being operationally connected to each other in an ordered string with a first sensor of the string being a root node of the string, the root nodes being operaationally connected to a controller so that the controller and the strings fowl a network, the computer-readable code comprising:

(a) program code for discovering a topology of the network;

(b) program code for presenting a user interface for mapping only one sensor of each string to the respective at least one parking space that said one sensor is to monitor; and

(c) program code for, for each string, using said topology to map each sensor of said each string other than said only one sensor of said each string to the respective at least one parking space that said each sensor is to monitor.