Enhanced parking meter utilizing user identification technology

• US 7,019,670 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2002
• Issued: 03/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Reuben Bahar
• Original Assignee: Reuben Bahar
• Inventors: Bahar, Reuben
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US10/330,574
• Publication Number:
  US 20030132840A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,187 Days
• Field of Search: 340/932.2, 340/933, 340/937, 340/942, 340/995.1, 340/904, 340/905, 235/378, 235/384, 701/1, 701/2
• US Class Current: 340/932.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/04 Systems determining presence of a target based on relative movement of target G01S13/56
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/127 Shopping or accessing services according to a time-limitation
• 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: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/246 provided with vehicle proximity-detectors detecting hidden masses, e.g. metal detectors, G01V, e.g. G01V3/00; proximity switches per se H03K17/00; traffic control systems G08G1/00

Abstract

An enhanced parking meter system utilizing user identification technology to achieve improved efficiencies in the enforcement and regulation of parking meters. A user and/or vehicle is identified by communication of user data into the parking meter system. If the meter becomes expired with the vehicle remaining in the parking space, a citation will be electronically processed, in accordance with the user data, and thereafter delivered to the user or vehicle owner. Recognition of the user and/or vehicle further enables the system to limit the individual'"'"'s and/or vehicle'"'"'s parking time in front of a particular meter or designated cluster of meter. This would help regulate traffic within a municipality district as well as prevent people from parking in a metered location for excessive periods of time.

Claims

1. A parking meter system to discourage a user from parking a vehicle in at least one parking space beyond a maximum parking time, comprising:

a. at least one parking space, each parking space having a parking meter associated therewith;

b. each parking meter associated with a detector for detecting the presence of a vehicle in

said parking space;

c. each parking meter associated with a data receiving element for receiving identifying data relative to the use of said parking space;

d. each parking meter associated with a payment receiving element responsive to a payment made by said user of said parking space;

e. a data processor capable of detecting that said user is attempting to park within said parking space beyond a predetermined maximum time allowance, said data processor causing said parking meter to refuse further payment from said user.

2. The parking meter system of claim 1, further comprising:

a data storage element which stores said identifying data.

3. The parking meter system of claim 1, wherein said system provides said identifying data to law enforcement officials, thereby aiding law enforcement in locating individuals or vehicles identified by said system.

4. The parking meter system of claim 1, wherein said system collects identifying data from users of said system.

5. The parking meter system of claim 1, wherein said system collects statistical data pertaining to users of said at least one parking space.

6. The parking meter system of claim 1, wherein said payment is made to said system via an electronic transaction.

7. The parking meter system recited by claim 1 wherein said data receiving element and said payment receiving element are collectively comprised by an electronic reader which senses both the identifying data and payment authorization.

8. The parking meter system recited by claim 1 wherein said identifying data identifies a person wishing to use said at least one parking space.

9. The parking meter system recited by claim 1 wherein said identifying data identifies the vehicle currently occupying said at least one parking space.

10. The parking meter system recited by claim 1 further comprising:

a. a remote computer remotely situated from said parking space; and

b. a transmitter generally proximate to said at least one parking space which transmits data to said remote computer.

11. The parking meter system recited by claim 1, wherein said data receiving element is a data card reader.

12. The parking meter system recited by claim 1 further comprising:

an identification element containing said identifying data, said identification element being kept within the possession of said user.

13. The parking meter system recited by claim 12, wherein said identification element comprises a pre-paid parking card.

14. The parking meter system of claim 13, wherein said pre-paid parking card includes a payment source for purchasing parking time from said system.

15. The parking meter system recited by claim 12, wherein said identifying data includes the user'"'"'s address.

16. The parking meter system recited by claim 1, wherein a new parking control cycle is initiated upon detection of a new vehicle entering said parking space.

17. The parking meter system recited by claim 1 wherein said system detects that said user has exceeded their allowable parking time limit and causes a parking violation citation to be issued without the need for an enforcement officer to physically arrive at said parking space.

18. The parking meter system recited by claim 17 wherein said parking violation citation is printed remote from said at least one parking space for subsequent delivery to the user of said parking space.

19. The parking meter system recited by claim 17 further comprising:

a printing element generally proximate to said at least one parking space, said printing element capable of printing said parking violation citation for delivery to said user of said parking space.

20. The parking meter system recited by claim 1, wherein said system provides enforcement of restricted district permit parking by refusing payment from users who are not authorized to park in said at least one parking space.

21. The parking meter system recited by claim 1, wherein said system generates statistical data pertaining to ongoing parking cycles which occur at said at least one parking space over a predetermined period of time.

22. The parking meter system recited by claim 1, wherein said detector, data receiving element, payment receiving element, and data processor, comprise an independent enhancement unit for installation onto an existing parking meter.

23. A method for limiting the duration in which a user of a first parking meter associated with a first parking space may park at said first parking meter, said method comprising the steps of:

a. receiving identifying data from the user of the first parking space;

b. allowing said user to pay for a parking cycle; and

c. rejecting additional payment made to said first parking meter when conditions indicate that said user has exceeded a maximum allowable parking time limit at said first parking meter.

24. The method recited by claim 23 including the further step of detecting the presence of a vehicle within the first parking space.

25. The method recited by claim 23 including a plurality of secondary parking meters associated respectively with a plurality of secondary parking spaces within a vicinity of said first parking space, further including the steps of:

d. receiving identifying data from the user of each of the secondary parking spaces;

e. determining whether said user has exceeded a maximum allowable parking time limit at said first parking space; and

f. causing each of said secondary parking meters to refuse further payment by said user if said user has exceeded a maximum allowable parking time limit at said first parking space.

26. A parking meter system to discourage a user from parking a vehicle within a group of parking spaces beyond a maximum parking time, comprising:

a. a plurality of parking spaces forming a group, each such parking space having a parking meter associated therewith;

b. each parking meter associated with a detector for detecting the presence of a vehicle in each such parking space;

c. each parking meter associated with a data receiving element for receiving identifying data relative to the use of such parking space;

d. each parking meter associated with a payment receiving element responsive to a payment made for parking a vehicle at each such parking space;

e. a communication network coupling the plurality of parking meters together, said communication network being able to detect that said user is attempting to park within the group of parking spaces beyond a maximum permitted duration, said communication network causing said plurality of parking meters to refuse further payment from said user.

27. The parking meter system recited by claim 26 wherein said communication network further comprises:

a remote computer remotely situated from said parking meter system, said remote computer capable of communicating data with said plurality of parking meters.

28. The parking meter system recited by claim 26 wherein said data receiving element and said payment receiving element are collectively comprised by an electronic reader which senses both the identifying data and payment authorization.

29. The parking meter system recited by claim 26 wherein said identifying data identifies a person wishing to use said at least one parking space.

30. The parking meter system recited by claim 26 wherein said identifying data identifies the vehicle currently occupying said at least one parking space.

31. The parking meter system recited by claim 26, wherein said data receiving element is a data card reader.

32. The parking meter system recited by claim 26 further comprising:

an identification element containing said identifying data, said identification element being kept within the possession of said user.

33. The parking meter system recited by claim 32, wherein said identification element comprises a pre-paid parking card.

34. The parking meter system of claim 33, wherein said pre-paid parking card includes a payment source for purchasing parking time from said system.

35. The parking meter system recited by claim 32, wherein said identifying data includes the user'"'"'s address.

36. The parking meter system recited by claim 26, wherein a new parking control cycle is initiated upon detection of a new vehicle entering each of said plurality of parking spaces.

37. The parking meter system recited by claim 26 wherein said system detects that said user has exceeded their allowable parking time limit and causes a parking violation citation to be issued without the need for an enforcement officer to physically arrive at said parking space.

38. The parking meter system recited by claim 37 wherein said parking violation citation is printed remote from said plurality of parking spaces for subsequent delivery to the user of said plurality of parking spaces.

39. The parking meter system recited by claim 37 further comprising:

a printing element generally proximate to said plurality of parking spaces, said printing element capable of printing said parking violation citation for delivery to said user of said plurality of parking spaces.

40. The parking meter system recited by claim 26, wherein said system provides enforcement of restricted district permit parking by refusing payment from users who are not authorized to park in any of said plurality of parking spaces.

41. The parking meter system of claim 26, wherein said system generates statistical data pertaining to ongoing parking cycles which occur at each of said plurality of parking spaces over a predetermined period of time.

42. The parking meter system recited by claim 26, wherein said detector, data receiving element, and payment receiving element comprise an independent enhancement unit for installation onto an existing parking meter.

43. The parking meter system of claim 26, further comprising:

a data storage element which stores said identifying data.

44. The parking meter system of claim 26, wherein said system provides said identifying data to law enforcement officials, thereby aiding law enforcement in locating individuals or vehicles identified by said system.

45. The parking meter system of claim 26, wherein said system collects identifying data from users of said system.

46. The parking meter system of claim 26, wherein said system collects statistical data pertaining to users of said at least one parking space.

47. The parking meter system of claim 26, wherein said payment is made to said system via an electronic transaction.

48. A parking meter system for limiting the time duration in which an individual may park at least one parking meter comprising:

a. a data receiving element associated with at least one parking meter and generally proximate to at least one parking space which receives identifying data relative to the use of said at least one parking space;

b. a payment receiving element associated with at least one parking meter and generally proximate to said at least one parking space which is responsive to a payment made for parking a vehicle at said at least one parking space; and

c. a data processor associated with said at least one parking meter that allows for the rejection of additional payment made to said at least one parking meter when conditions indicate that said user has exceeded a predetermined maximum allowable parking time limit.

49. The parking meter system recited by claim 48, wherein said at least one parking meter is networked with another of said at least one parking meter.

50. The parking meter system recited by claim 48, wherein said system comprises an add-on attachment unit to an existing parking meter.

51. A method of discouraging a user from parking a vehicle within a group of parking spaces beyond a maximum parking time, said method comprising the steps of:

a. providing a parking meter associated with each of a plurality of parking spaces forming said group of parking spaces;

b. providing a data receiving element associated with each of said parking meter for receiving identifying data relative to the use of said parking space;

c. providing a payment receiving element associated with each of said parking meter responsive to a payment made for parking a vehicle at each such parking space;

d. networking the plurality of parking meters together; and

e. detecting that the user is attempting to park within the group of parking spaces beyond a maximum permitted duration, and causing each of the plurality of parking meters to refuse further payment from such user.

52. The method recited by claim 51 including the further step of providing a detector associated with each parking meter for detecting the presence of a vehicle in each of said parking space.

53. A method for limiting the duration in which a user of a parking meter associated with a plurality of parking spaces may park at said meter, said method comprising the steps of:

a. receiving identifying data from the user of the parking meter;

b. allowing said user to pay for a parking cycle; and

c. rejecting additional payment made to said parking meter when conditions indicate that said user has exceeded a maximum allowable parking time at said parking meter.

54. The method of claim 53 including the further step of detecting the presence of a vehicle within at least one of said plurality of parking spaces.