Parking reservation systems and related methods

• US 7,783,530 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2003
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rivenburgh, Neil Fredrick, Slemmer, John Blake
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender; F. Ryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sheikh; Asfand M
• Application Number:
  US10/457,889
• Publication Number:
  US 20040254840A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,632 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/144 on portable or mobile units, e.g. personal digital assistant [PDA]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/146 where the parking area is a limited parking space, e.g. parking garage, restricted space
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/148 Management of a network of parking areas

Abstract

Parking reservation systems and methods for a parking lot having a plurality of individual parking spaces include an electronic database of an inventory of available parking spaces; and at least one processor in communication with the electronic database. The processor can be configured to: (a) accept user input regarding a request for a reserved parking space; (b) automatically reserve a parking space for a patron upon receipt of a payment therefor; (c) generate a confirmation of the reservation for the patron; and (d) automatically adjust the database of the inventory of available spaces based on the reservation. Other systems and methods are configured to identify parking lots with vacancies in a geographical region of interest.

Claims

1. A parking reservation system for a parking lot comprising a plurality of individual parking spaces, comprising:

a plurality of object detectors, at least one in communication with one or more of the parking spaces in a parking lot comprising the plurality of individual parking spaces, wherein the object detectors are configured to detect if a parking space is vacant or occupied;

an electronic database of an inventory of available parking spaces in communication with the object detectors; and

at least one processor in communication with the electronic database, the processor being configured to;

(a) accept input regarding a request for a reserved parking space for an event specific and/or date specific need;

(b) automatically reserve a parking space for an occasional use patron of the parking lot upon receipt of a payment therefor;

(c) generate a confirmation of the reservation; and

(d) automatically adjust the database of the inventory of available spaces based on the reservation and data from the object detectors,

wherein the processor is configured to relay the inventory of parking spaces to the computer network in substantially real-time based both on the spaces detected as being open by the detectors and spaces being unreserved based on electronic reservations.

2. A parking reservation system according to claim 1, wherein the electronic database of available parking spaces is event specific.

3. A parking reservation system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to accept the user input for a reservation over a computer network.

4. A parking reservation system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to wirelessly receive the request for a reserved parking space from the patron.

5. A parking reservation system according to claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to generate a downloadable printable or displayable parking pass and wirelessly transmit the downloadable pass to the patron.

6. A parking reservation system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to identify the location of the available and/or unavailable parking spaces.

7. A parking reservation system according to claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to generate a display of a map of parking spaces in the parking lot and visually contrast the available spaces from the spaces that are unavailable, wherein the map with the visually contrasted spaces is transmitted wirelessly to a mobile communications device associated with the patron, and wherein the map provides the available spaces in substantially real-time.

8. A parking reservation system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to generate a confirmation that is identifiable as specific to the patron.

9. A parking reservation system according to claim 8, further comprising an electronic reader in communication with the processor that can verify that a patron entering the parking lot has a confirmed reservation.

10. A parking reservation system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to generate a downloadable printable or displayable parking pass to the patron, wherein the downloadable parking pass is configured with safeguards to inhibit unauthorized duplication.

11. A system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to display a map of parking spaces in the parking lot and present the reserved unoccupied spaces in a first color, present the occupied spaces in a second color that is different from the first color, and present the available unoccupied and unreserved spaces in a third different color from the first and second colors.

12. A system according to claim 1, wherein the detectors are configured to be deactivated or placed in a sleep or standby mode for at least 15 minutes after detecting that a vehicle is detected in a parking space associated with that detector.

13. A system according to claim 1, wherein each parking space is located proximate a rail, wherein the rail comprises a reserved display sign for each parking space and comprises at least one emergency alert in communication with the object detector and processor that can automatically identify a location of where an alert is that has been triggered.

14. A system according to claim 1, wherein the system is configured to generate a tag with parking space data and patron data for each patron, and wherein each parking space is in communication with a reader that can electronically read the tag to verify that the respective patron is in the correct parking space.

15. A system according to claim 1 wherein the system is configured to correlate patron parking data to a parking space location, and wherein the system is configured to electronically search and identify a parking location and/or space of a particular patron if the patron forgets where he/she has parked.

16. A system according to claim 15, wherein the system comprises an anti-theft exit reader whereby the system reads the tag and matches data associated with the patron to a driver'"'"'s license at an exit from the parking lot to verify a match.

17. A system according to claim 1, wherein the system is configured to generate a parking alert at a central station and/or locally at the parking space when a patron is in an improper parking space.

18. A system according to claim 1, wherein the system is configured to generate verbal or text messaging with navigation instructions to a portable communications device associated with a patron directing the patron to a designated parking space in a parking lot.

19. A parking reservation system for a parking lot comprising a plurality of individual parking spaces, comprising:

a plurality of object detectors, at least one in communication with one or more of the parking spaces in a parking lot comprising the plurality of individual parking spaces, wherein the object detectors are configured to detect if a parking space is vacant or occupied;

an electronic database of an inventory of available parking spaces in communication with the object detectors; and

at least one processor in communication with the electronic database, the processor being configured to;

(a) accept input regarding a request for a reserved parking space for an event specific and/or date specific need;

(b) automatically reserve a parking space for an occasional use patron of the parking lot upon receipt of a payment therefor;

(c) generate a confirmation of the reservation; and

(d) automatically adjust the database of the inventory of available spaces based on the reservation and data from the object detectors,

wherein the system is configured with an electronically adjustable grid of parking spaces associated with parking spaces in a reserved or limited access region of the parking lot, the adjustable grid of parking spaces can be adjusted in size based on demand, and wherein a defined grid size for a particular day and/or event is output to lot attendants so that physical boundaries associated therewith can be adjusted accordingly whereby the parking lot reserved and/or limited access region is adjustable in size day to day and/or event to event.

20. A parking reservation system for a parking lot comprising a plurality of individual parking spaces, comprising:

a plurality of object detectors, at least one in communication with one or more of the parking spaces in a parking lot comprising the plurality of individual parking spaces, wherein the object detectors are configured to detect if a parking space is vacant or occupied;

an electronic database of an inventory of available parking spaces in communication with the object detectors; and

at least one processor in communication with the electronic database, the processor being configured to;

(a) accept input regarding a request for a reserved parking space for an event specific and/or date specific need;

(b) automatically reserve a parking space for an occasional use patron of the parking lot upon receipt of a payment therefor;

(c) generate a confirmation of the reservation; and

(d) automatically adjust the database of the inventory of available spaces based on the reservation and data from the object detectors,

wherein the processor is configured to identify a plurality of spatially separate parking lots within a target geographical location that have vacancies including parking lots not under common ownership or management, and wherein the system comprises a server that communicates with a computer network to relay that information to the patron.

21. A parking reservation system according to claim 20, wherein the server relays to a requesting patron the identification of parking lots with vacancies and identifies both parking lots with vacancies and parking lots without vacancies, but visually presents the parking lot with vacancies in a different manner from those without vacancies.

22. A parking reservation system according to claim 20, wherein the server relays the identification of parking lots with vacancies to a wireless communication device while a patron is en route.

23. A parking reservation system according to claim 20, wherein the system identifies the available spaces in substantially real-time based both on the spaces detected as being open by the detectors and being unreserved based on electronic reservations.

24. A method of reserving parking spaces in a parking lot, comprising:

detecting whether a space is vacant or occupied in the parking lot using electronic detectors;

determining whether a space is reserved but unoccupied in the parking lot based on the detecting step;

obtaining an inventory of available spaces in a parking lot based on the detecting and determining steps;

accepting an advance request for a reservation of a parking space from an occasional use patron;

reserving a parking space based on the accepted request for a reserved parking space; and

updating the inventory of available spaces in the parking lot based on the reservation and the detecting and determining steps,

wherein the step of updating available space inventory is carried out substantially continuously while reservations are being accepted and patrons are parking to provide a substantially real-time count of available parking spaces.

25. A method according to claim 24, further comprising generating a confirmation with an identifier unique to a patron'"'"'s accepted reservation.

26. A method according to claim 25, further comprising transmitting the confirmation to the patron over a global computer network and/or wirelessly transmitting the confirmation to the patron.

27. A method according to claim 24, wherein the inventory is event-specific.

28. A method according to claim 24, wherein the step of accepting includes telephonically accepting reservation requests from a patron.

29. A method according to claim 24, wherein the step of accepting comprises receiving inquiries for parking space reservations that are communicated over a computer network.

30. A method according to claim 24, wherein the step of accepting comprises wirelessly receiving the request for a reserved parking space and relaying confirmation of a successful reservation to a patron.

31. A method according to claim 24, wherein the step of obtaining the inventory is configured to relay the inventory of parking spaces to a global computer network in substantially real-time.

32. A method according to claim 24, further comprising generating a confirmation that is identifiable as specific to a patron.

33. A method according to claim 32, further comprising verifying that a patron entering the parking lot has an authentic confirmed reservation.

34. A method according to claim 24, further comprising providing a downloadable printable or displayable parking pass to the patron.

35. A method according to claim 34, further comprising configuring the downloadable parking pass with visual safeguards to inhibit unauthorized duplication.

36. A method according to claim 34, further comprising wirelessly transmitting the downloadable parking pass to the patron.

37. A method according to claim 34, wherein the parking pass is accessible for downloading via the internet.

38. A method according to claim 24, further comprising controlling access to the parking lot.

39. A method according to claim 38, further comprising verifying the identity of the patron and the authenticity of the reservation proximate entry at the parking lot.

40. A method of reserving parking spaces in a parking lot, comprising:

detecting whether a space is vacant or occupied in the parking lot using electronic detectors;

determining whether a space is reserved but unoccupied in the parking lot based on the detecting step;

obtaining an inventory of available spaces in a parking lot based on the detecting and determining steps;

accepting an advance request for a reservation of a parking space from an occasional use patron;

reserving a parking space based on the accepted request for a reserved parking space; and

updating the inventory of available spaces in the parking lot based on the reservation and the detecting and determining steps,

wherein the inventory is date-specific, the method further comprising;

electronically defining a grid of parking spaces in a reserved or limited access region of the parking lot that can be adjusted in size based on demand, and wherein grid size for a particular day and/or event of the reserved or limited access region is output to lot attendants so that boundaries associated therewith can be adjusted accordingly.

41. A method of reserving parking spaces in a parking lot, comprising:

detecting whether a space is vacant or occupied in the parking lot using electronic detectors;

determining whether a space is reserved but unoccupied in the parking lot based on the detecting step;

obtaining an inventory of available spaces in a parking lot based on the detecting and determining steps;

accepting an advance request for a reservation of a parking space from an occasional use patron;

reserving a parking space based on the accepted request for a reserved parking space;

updating the inventory of available spaces in the parking lot based on the reservation and the detecting and determining steps; and

identifying a plurality of spatially separate parking lots within a target geographical location that have vacancies including parking lots not under common ownership or management and relaying that information to a potential patron or user using a computer network.

42. A method according to claim 41, wherein the identification of parking lots with vacancies are relayed to the potential patron and the identification is in a graphic format that identifies both parking lots with vacancies and parking lots without vacancies, but visually presents the parking lot with vacancies in a different manner from those without vacancies.

43. A method according to claim 41, wherein the identification of parking lots with vacancies are relayed to a wireless communication device while a potential patron is en route proximate in time to when a potential patron is looking for a parking space.

44. A method of identifying parking lots with vacancies in a geographical region of interest, comprising:

electronically providing a database of an inventory of parking lots located in a geographical region of interest;

identifying those parking lots within the geographical region with vacancies at a time period of interest based on data from object detectors in those parking lots that detect whether a space is vacant or occupied; and

relaying vacancy data of the parking lots identified to a potential patron requester, wherein at least some of the parking lots are not commonly owned or under common management.

45. A method according to claim 44, wherein the step of relaying comprises wirelessly relaying data associated with the identified lots having vacancies to the requester.

46. A method according to claim 45, further comprising providing an electronically accessible and searchable web page with data on parking lots in different geographical areas.

47. A method according to claim 45, further comprising connecting the requester to a telephone or computer associated with an identified parking lot.

48. A method according to claim 44, wherein the step of relaying comprises relaying data associated with the identified lots having vacancies to the requester over a computer network.

49. A method according to claim 48, wherein the computer network is a global computer network.

50. A method according to claim 49, further comprising providing an electronically accessible and searchable web page with data on parking lots in different geographical areas, and wherein the step of relaying is carried out to provide the vacancy data responsive to the search parameters input by the requester with respect to the data supporting the web page.

51. A method according to claim 44, wherein the relayed vacancy data includes parking lot information includes a graphic visual display of parking lots on a map with those having vacancies shown thereon.

52. A method according to claim 44, further comprising updating the vacancy data for parking lots at least hourly during business hours.

53. A method according to claim 52, further comprising updating the vacancy data or information for the parking lots in substantially real-time.

54. A method according to claim 52, wherein the data indicates the aggregate numbers of available spaces in a plurality of identified lots.

55. A method according to claim 52, wherein the data just summarizes parking lots that identify themselves as having vacancies.

56. A method according to claim 44, further comprising identifying a space location of a parking space that is available for reservation and automatically providing the location of the identified available space to at least one output device in substantially real-time to a portable wireless communication device or a vehicle.

57. A method according to claim 44, wherein the step of relaying the vacancy data is configured to electronically generate and provide the requester a visual map display of the region of interest with locations of the identified parking lots with relayed vacancy data and show the parking lots with vacancies in a different manner from those without vacancies.

58. A method of identifying parking lots with vacancies in a geographical region of interest, comprising:

electronically providing a database of an inventory of parking lots located in a geographical region of interest;

identifying those parking lots within the geographical region with vacancies at a time period of interest based on data from object detectors in those parking lots that detect whether a space is vacant or occupied; and

relaying vacancy data of the parking lots identified to a requester,

wherein the step of relaying vacancy data of the parking lots in the region of interest comprises;

generating a visual map display of the region of interest with locations of the identified parking lots with relayed vacancy data and configuring the display to allow a requester to adjust a boundary of interest and automatically updating the visual display with the parking lots identified that reside within a perimeter of the adjusted boundary.

59. A method according to claim 58, wherein the relaying step relays a list of parking lots having vacancies based on input from object detectors in the parking lots that electronically detect whether a parking space is occupied and based on virtual reservations of spaces, the list including names and addresses thereof, and wherein the method further comprising compiling the list to present the lots in an order with a predetermined ordering arrangement.

60. A method according to claim 59, wherein the step of compiling comprises allowing the requester to input personal preferences and sorting the list based on the input.

61. A method according to claim 60, wherein the personal preferences include the target destination of the requester, and wherein the list presents the identified lots in the order of the closest in proximity to the target destination.

62. A method according to claim 59, wherein the ordering is carried out such that identified parking lots with vacancies that have larger numbers of vacancies are listed proximate the top of the list.

63. A method of identifying parking lots with vacancies in a geographical region of interest, comprising:

electronically providing a database of an inventory of parking lots located in a geographical region of interest;

identifying those parking lots within the geographical region with vacancies at a time period of interest based on data from object detectors in those parking lots that detect whether a space is vacant or occupied; and

relaying vacancy data of the parking lots identified to a requester, wherein the relayed vacancy data includes parking lot information includes a graphic visual display of parking lots on a map with those having vacancies shown thereon, and wherein parking lots without vacancies are shown on the display in a manner different from the lots with vacancies on the map, wherein the parking lots without vacancies are shown with an “

X”

over their parking lot on the display.

64. A method of identifying parking lots with vacancies in a geographical region of interest, comprising;

electronically providing a database of an inventory of parking lots located in a geographical region of interest;

identifying those parking lots within the geographical region with vacancies at a time period of interest based on data from object detectors in those parking lots that detect whether a space is vacant or occupied;

relaying vacancy data of the parking lots identified to a requester;

displaying a visual grid of a target geographical area of interest;

allowing the requester to touch the screen on the display to select the target destination in the geographical area of interest; and

displaying the parking lots identified as having vacancies in response thereto, wherein at least some of the parking lots are not commonly owned or under common management.

65. A method according to claim 64, further comprising removing a parking lot from the inventory of those identified as having vacancies responsive to when a parking lot sends a message to a monitoring computer that controls the inventory database to delist it therefrom for an event or on a particular time and/or date.

66. A system of identifying parking lots with vacancies in a geographical region of interest, comprising:

means for electronically providing a database of an inventory of parking lots located in a geographical region of interest;

means for identifying those parking lots within the geographical region with vacancies at a time period of interest, wherein the parking lots have object detectors that identify whether a parking space is vacant or occupied, and wherein the means for indentifying obtains vacancy data from the parking lots based on occupancy or vacancy information provided by the object detectors; and

means for relaying vacancy data or information of each of the parking lots identified to a requester,

wherein the means for providing the inventory of parking lots with vacancies comprises at least one processor that is configured to identify a plurality of spatially separate parking lots within a target geographical location that have vacancies including parking lots not under common ownership or management, and wherein the system comprises a server that communicates with a computer network to relay that information to the requester.

67. A system according to claim 66, wherein the means for relaying comprises means for wirelessly relaying data associated with the identified lots having vacancies to the requester.

68. A system according to claim 66, wherein the means for relaying comprises means for relaying data associated with the identified lots having vacancies to the requester over a computer network.

69. A system of identifying parking lots with vacancies in a geographical region of interest, comprising:

means for electronically providing a database of an inventory of parking lots located in a geographical region of interest;

means for identifying those parking lots within the geographical region with vacancies at a time period of interest, wherein the parking lots have object detectors that identify whether a parking space is vacant or occupied, and wherein the means for indentifying obtains vacancy data from the parking lots based on occupancy or vacancy information provided by the object detectors; and

means for relaying vacancy data or information of each of the parking lots identified to a requester, wherein the means for relaying the vacancy data is configured to generate a list of parking lots in the desired geographical region to the requester and present the list with the parking lots in a rotating order so that different parking lots are listed first for different requesters.

70. A system of identifying parking lots with vacancies in a geographical region of interest, comprising:

means for electronically providing a database of an inventory of parking lots located in a geographical region of interest;

means for identifying those parking lots within the geographical region with vacancies at a time period of interest, wherein the parking lots have object detectors that identify whether a parking space is vacant or occupied, and wherein the means for indentifying obtains vacancy data from the parking lots based on occupancy or vacancy information provided by the object detectors; and

means for relaying vacancy data or information of each of the parking lots identified to a requester,

wherein the system is configured to generate a list of parking lots in the desired geographical region to the requester and present the list with the parking lots in a rotating order so that different parking lots are listed first for different requesters.

71. A system of identifying parking lots with vacancies in a geographical region of interest, comprising:

means for electronically providing a database of an inventor of parking lots located in a geographical region of interest;

means for identifying those parking lots within the geographical region with vacancies at a time period of interest, wherein the parking lots have object detectors that identify whether a parking space is vacant or occupied, and wherein the means for indentifying obtains vacancy data from the parking lots based on occupancy or vacancy information provided by the object detectors; and

means for relaying vacancy data or information of each of the parking lots identified to a requester,

wherein the means for relaying the vacancy data is configured to electronically generate and wirelessly provide to a mobile communications device associated with the requester a visual map display of the region of interest showing locations of the identified parking lots with relayed vacancy data and showing the parking lots with vacancies in a different manner from those without vacancies, and wherein the map display of the region of interest is configured to allow a requester to adjust a boundary about the region of interest.

72. A parking reservation system for a parking lot comprising a plurality of individual parking spaces, comprising:

a plurality of object detectors, at least one in communication with one or more of the parking spaces in a parking lot comprising the plurality of individual parking spaces, wherein the object detectors are configured to detect if a parking space is vacant or occupied;

an electronic database of an inventory of available parking spaces in communication with the object detectors; and

at least one processor in communication with the electronic database, the processor being configured to;

(a) accept input regarding a request for a reserved parking space for an event specific and/or date specific need;

(b) automatically reserve a parking space for an occasional use patron of the parking lot upon receipt of a payment therefor;

(c) generate a confirmation of the reservation; and

(d) automatically adjust the database of the inventory of available spaces based on the reservation and data from the object detectors,

wherein the system is configured to automatically adjust a size of a reserved zone within a parking lot based on user-demand for an event, and provide the parking lot with a perimeter size of the reserved zone for adjusting a physical size of the reserved zone for an event-specific parking configuration.

73. A method of reserving parking spaces in a parking lot, comprising:

detecting whether a space is vacant or occupied in the parking lot using electronic detectors;

determining whether a space is reserved but unoccupied in the parking lot based on the detecting step;

obtaining an inventory of available spaces in a parking lot based on the detecting and determining steps;

accepting an advance request for a reservation of a parking space from an occasional use patron;

reserving a parking solace based on the accepted request for a reserved parking solace;

updating the inventor of available spaces in the parking lot based on the reservation and the detecting and determining steps;

electronically adjusting a size of a reserved parking zone in a parking lot based on the updating step; and

calculating a perimeter size of the reserved parking zone based on the adjusting step and providing the calculated perimeter size to the parking lot for a day-specific and/or an event-specific parking configuration.