HK1024794B - A method for parking reporting - Google Patents

Description

Method for parking reporting

Technical Field

The present invention generally relates to a method for parking reporting.

Background

The ever increasing number of cars and the limited parking space, especially in urban areas, have caused serious problems in parking management. Police and municipal officials monitoring those parking without paying for them is expensive and logistically inconvenient. Parking meters do not fully address this problem because they require extensive investment and full monitoring of the personnel involved in municipalities.

Another problem with parking management is that the available parking space cannot be increased. If not impossible, it is difficult for a motorist to know in advance whether there is parking space available before he wishes to drive to a block. In short, in the field of parking management, there is a lack of communication between municipalities, motorists and parking lots.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention seeks to provide a parking management communication system comprising a municipality, a driver and a parking lot. The communication system of the present invention may be used to report parking, monitor parking, and reserve parking spaces. The present invention also allows law enforcement personnel to more easily and conveniently monitor parking facilities.

It should be noted that in the present description and claims, a parking facility includes any dedicated or public parking space or place.

A method for parking reporting, comprising:

providing a plurality of parking spaces in various distributed parking facilities;

parking a vehicle in a parking space selected from the plurality of parking spaces; and

reporting to a central control unit, via a non-human dedicated mobile communication device, an indication that the parking space is now occupied.

Wherein the reporting by the personal non-dedicated mobile communication device is done by a mobile phone.

Wherein the reporting by the personal non-dedicated mobile communication device is done by charging an account of the user of the parking space with a credit card.

Wherein the reporting by the personal non-dedicated mobile communication device is accomplished by using an identification card to report the identity of a user of the parking space.

Wherein the reporting is done by the motorist.

Wherein the step of transmitting a reservation request to the central control unit for reserving one of the parking spaces prior to parking is further included.

Drawings

The present invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a simplified pictorial illustration of a parking management communication system constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a simplified flowchart of a method for parking reporting and for monitoring use of parking facilities of an area in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

fig. 3 is a simplified flowchart of a method for maintaining a parking facility in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Reference is now made to fig. 1, which is a simplified pictorial illustration of a parking management communication system, constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Parking management communication system 10 preferably includes a central control unit 12 having a database 14, and a central interface unit 16. The central control unit 12 may comprise any type of data processing and information center, such as a central processing unit in a municipality. The database 14 preferably includes any information relating to the monitoring and/or fee use of the parking facility, such as the identity of the parking facility, the availability of the parking facility in a region, vehicle identification, user identification, fee information, and time-related information for using the parking facility. The database 14 may also include law enforcement information such as the identity of stolen vehicles or previous parking or traffic violations.

The central interface unit 16 communicates with at least one user interface unit 20 via a wired or wireless communication link, which may include telephone lines, wireless telephone lines, communication network systems, such as the internet, and/or citizens band radio. The central interface unit 16 may comprise, for example, any type of telephone switch, LAN or transceiver, depending on the type of communication selected. The user interface unit 20 may include, for example, a public telephone 22, a mobile telephone 24, or a computer terminal 26 or computer network (not shown) connected to a modem 28.

In addition, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the communication system 10 includes a charging device 30 for charging the user for the use of the parking facility. The charging device 30 may include any type of system or software for generating and delivering bills to a bill collection facility, bank account, credit card, charge card, smart card, charge account, or virtual currency. Since parking charges are usually small in number, it is preferable to charge the user's telephone account for use of the parking facility.

Frequent users of a parking location have monthly reservations for the parking location. In this case, the charging means 30 may conveniently charge the user account according to the predetermined term of the subscription.

In further accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, communication system 10 includes a law enforcement interface unit 31 for monitoring permitted use of the parking facility. The law enforcement interface unit 31 preferably includes a receiver 32 that receives corresponding information, such as parking facility availability, vehicle identification, user identification, and time-related information regarding the use of the parking facility, from the central interface unit 16, preferably via wireless communication. The law enforcement interface unit 31 preferably includes a report generator 34 for generating a parking report 36 that may be provided onsite to a user of the parking facility. Additionally or alternatively, the central control unit 12 may generate a parking report that is transmitted directly to a law enforcement agency or municipality.

Referring now to fig. 2, describing the general operation of communication system 10 in flow chart format, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method for parking reporting and for monitoring the use of parking facilities for an area, a user may use user interface unit 20, such as mobile phone 24, to perform certain initial actions required prior to using a parking facility, as desired, upon arrival at the parking facility. For example, the user may report his arrival to, for example, central control unit 12 or to a parking attendant. Another example is a parking spot where the entrance is blocked by a partition operable by a wireless communication unit carried by an authorized user. The user may use the user interface unit 20 to transmit a permit signal to remove the partition to allow access to the parking facility. Yet another example is the incorporation of an elevator or other vehicle handling device. The handling device may be designed for communication with a wireless communication unit carried by an authorized user. The user may use the user interface unit 20 to transmit an approval signal to operate the handling apparatus.

After parking their car at the parking facility, the user reports the parking to the central interface unit 16 via the user interface unit 20. The report may include vehicle identification, such as license plate number, and/or user identity, such as name or license number, parking facility identification number, parking time, and time period for which parking is desired. Additionally, for example, in a parking location, parking of the vehicle within the parking facility may be sensed by a sensor, such as a light sensor, that reads vehicle identification data and automatically reports the parking of the vehicle to the central interface unit 16. Another example of such a sensor is a card reader, which reads user identification data from a user identification card. Such a sensor may be used to check whether the vehicle is authorized to use the parking facility. For example, if a user of a vehicle reserves access to the parking facility, the sensor may check whether the vehicle actually arrived is the vehicle requesting the reservation.

The central control unit 12, via the central interface unit 16, may send a report of which parking facilities are being used and which are idle to a law enforcement interface unit 31, typically held by a law enforcement officer. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the exact location of the parking facility is not reported and, as will be explained below, there is no need to even determine a parking violation. Since the law enforcement officer has received a report from which he knows which parking facilities are presumed to be free, he only has to select those parking facilities that the central control unit 12 reports as free and submit a traffic report that a vehicle has not permitted use of a free parking facility. This frees him from having to monitor the entire parking area. However, according to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the exact location of the parking facility must be reported. In such a case, each parking facility may be encoded with an identification number for monitoring by the central control unit 12. It is clear that law enforcement officers may also frequently check the parking facility that central control unit 12 reports as being authorized. This is required to ensure that no user is attempting to "spoof" the system. For example, a permit may be authorized to use a given parking facility for only a predetermined period of time. An irregular person may attempt to use the parking facility unauthorized beyond that time, for example by unlegally telephoning the central control unit 12 by another person's name.

Additionally, vehicles in a given area may be identified by their license plate or other identification data, such as by law enforcement officers patrolling the area and recording the identification data or by an automated data recording system. The vehicle identification data may then be checked to see if it has been authorized to permit use of the parking facility.

The method further includes charging the user for use of the parking facility, such as billing the user's telephone account.

The user may report the completion of use of the parking facility to the central interface unit 16 via the user interface unit 20.

Reference is now made to fig. 3, which is a simplified flowchart of a method for maintaining a parking facility in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The user reserves a parking facility, for example, by using the user interface unit 20, such as a computer terminal 26 and modem 28, to communicate with the central control unit 12, for example, via the internet. The central control unit 12 may provide the user with a map of an area in which the user is interested in parking. The user may select a parking facility and send a message to the central control unit to reserve the parking facility. The central control unit then registers the reservation. The next time a potential user (other than the registered reserved user) wishes to park in the reserved parking facility and communicate with the central control unit 12, the potential user will receive a message via the central interface unit 16 that the facility has been reserved and cannot be permitted to use. The user registering the reservation, upon parking his vehicle in the reserved facility, reports his identification number to the central control unit 12 and receives confirmation of permission to park there.

It is also evident that the various features of the invention which are, for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any subcombination.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove. The scope of the invention is limited only by the following claims.

Claims (6)

1. A method for parking reporting, comprising:

providing a plurality of parking spaces in various distributed parking facilities;

parking a vehicle in a parking space selected from the plurality of parking spaces; and

reporting to a central control unit, via a personal non-dedicated mobile communication device, an indication that the parking space is now occupied.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said reporting by the personal non-dedicated mobile communication device is accomplished by a mobile phone.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said reporting by the personal non-dedicated mobile communication device is done by charging an account of the user of the parking space with a credit card.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the reporting by the personal, non-dedicated mobile communication device is accomplished by using an identification card to report the identity of a user of the parking space.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the reporting is done by a motorist.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting a reservation request to the central control unit to reserve one of the parking spaces prior to parking.