Internet communication of parking lot occupancy

• US 6,501,391 B1
• Filed: 09/28/2000
• Issued: 12/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Open Parking LLC
• Original Assignee: Robert Vincent Racunas, Jr.
• Inventors: Racunas, Jr., Robert Vincent
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US09/671,363
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• Field of Search: 340/506, 340/539, 340/932.2, 340/928, 340/870.02, 340/870.07, 340/870.09, 235/378, 194/902, 705/13, 705/418
• US Class Current: 340/932.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0284 Time or distance, e.g. usage of parking meters or taximeters
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/14 indicating individual free spaces in parking areas

Abstract

A server transmits parking lot occupancy information over the Internet. The parking lot occupancy information is capable of being reproduced by a remote display device as a real-time representation of the parking lot indicating vacant parking spaces. When presented with the real-time representation of the parking lot, a commuter readily can locate an available parking space or decide to search for parking elsewhere.

Claims

1. A parking system comprising:

a server that is accessible over the Internet by a subscriber using a wireless communications device; and

a software application that instructs the server to transmit parking data over the Internet to the wireless communications device of the subscriber, wherein

the parking data can be rendered by the subscriber using the wireless communications device as a substantially real-time representation indicating an occupancy condition of an available parking lot, and

the occupancy condition changes according to presence and absence of vacant parking spaces within the available parking lot.

2. The parking system of claim 1 wherein the available parking lot comprises a public parking lot.

3. The parking system of claim 1 wherein the available parking lot comprises a reserved parking lot for which the subscriber has a reservation.

4. The parking system of claim 1 wherein the available parking lot comprises a parking lot in geographic proximity to the subscriber.

5. The parking system of claim 1 wherein the available parking lot comprises a parking lot in geographic proximity to a travel destination.

6. The parking system of claim 1 wherein the available parking lot comprises at least one of an airport parking lot, a hospital parking lot, a mass transit station parking lot, an entertainment forum parking lot, and shopping mall parking lot.

7. The parking system of claim 1 wherein the real-time representation comprises a map identifying a location of at least one available parking lot having an occupancy condition corresponding to at least one vacant parking space being present within the available parking lot.

8. The parking system of claim 1 wherein the real-time representation comprises a map identifying a location of at least one available parking space within an available parking lot having an occupancy condition corresponding to at least one vacant parking space being present within the available parking lot.

9. The parking system of claim 1 wherein the real-time representation comprises a Web page.

10. The parking system of claim 1 wherein the real-time representation comprises number of vacant parking spaces present within the available parking lot.

11. The parking system of claim 1 wherein the wireless communications device comprises a vehicle-mounted device.

12. The parking system of claim 1 wherein the wireless communications device comprises a hand-held device.

13. The parking system of claim 1 wherein the subscriber is associated with a wireless service provider.

14. The parking system of claim 1 wherein the subscriber is associated with an Internet service provider.

15. A parking system comprising:

a server that is accessible over the Internet by a display device; and

a software application that instructs the server to transmit parking data over the Internet to the display device, wherein

the parking data can be rendered by the display device as a substantially real-time representation indicating an occupancy condition of an available parking lot,

the occupancy condition changes according to presence and absence of vacant parking spaces within the available parking lot, and

the real-time representation comprises a map identifying a location of at least one available parking space within an available parking lot having an occupancy condition corresponding to at least one vacant parking space being present within the available parking lot.

16. The parking system of claim 15 wherein the available parking lot comprises at least one of a public parking lot and a reserved parking lot.

17. The parking system of claim 15 wherein the available parking lot comprises a parking lot in geographic proximity to a travel destination.

18. The parking system of claim 15 wherein the available parking lot comprises at least one of an airport parking lot, a hospital parking lot, a mass transit station parking lot, an entertainment forum parking lot, and a shopping mall parking lot.

19. The parking system of claim 15 wherein the real-time representation comprises a Web page.

20. The parking system of claim 15 wherein the real-time representation comprises a map identifying a location of at least one available parking lot having an occupancy condition corresponding to at least one vacant parking space being present within the available parking lot.