Intelligent parking managing system, and methods of utilizing same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10741075-B2
Application number	US-201816127917-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 11, 2018
Priority date	Sep 20, 2017
Publication date	Aug 11, 2020
Grant date	Aug 11, 2020

Abstract

There is disclosed a system, method and software program for managing parking spaces in a geographical area. The system, method and software program includes monitoring the geographical area; identifying one or more available parking spaces in the geographical area based at least partly upon the monitoring; informing, over the air interface, one or more vehicle operators about a first available parking space of the one or more available parking spaces identified; and completing a parking reservation for the first available parking space with a first vehicle operator of the one or more vehicle operators.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of managing parking spaces in a geographical area, comprising:
monitoring a geographical area with a sensor located in the geographical area, the sensor arranged such that multiple parking spaces are within a field of view of the sensor, the multiple parking spaces along at least two streets;
identifying one or more of the multiple parking spaces as available parking spaces in the geographical area with a computing device in communication with the sensor, the identifying based at least partly upon the monitoring;
informing, over the air interface, one or more vehicle operators about a first available parking space of the one or more available parking spaces identified; and
completing a parking reservation for the first available parking space with a first vehicle operator of the one or more vehicle operators.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a first indication from the first vehicle operator when the first vehicle operator arrives at the first available parking space, receiving a second indication from the first vehicle operator when a vehicle of the first vehicle operator is leaving the first available parking space, and calculating a parking fee based upon a time when the first indication is received and a time when the second indication is received.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving from the first vehicle operator a request to extend a duration of the parking reservation, and sending a reply to the first vehicle operator responsive to the request to extend the duration of the parking reservation.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising repeating the monitoring, the identifying and the informing at predetermined times.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving from one or more vehicles in the geographical area parking space information of parking spaces in the geographical area, wherein identifying one or more available parking spaces in the geographical area is based at least partly upon the received parking space information.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising indicating at the first available parking space of a period of time corresponding to the parking reservation for the first available parking space.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, sending a notification to the first vehicle operator that the parking reservation is nearing an end or has ended.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein informing the one or more vehicle operators comprises updating a software application with data corresponding to the first available parking space, the one or more vehicle operators being subscribers of the application.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining that a second available parking space of the one or more available parking spaces is impermissibly occupied, determining that the second available parking space is occupied by a vehicle associated with a second vehicle operator of the one or more vehicle operators, and sending a message to the second vehicle operator to reserve the second available parking space.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining that a second vehicle has parked in a no-parking location in the geographical area, determining that the second vehicle is associated with a second vehicle operator of the one or more vehicle operators, and sending a message to the second vehicle operator that the second vehicle is parked in the no-parking location.

11. A program code product for managing parking spaces in a geographical area, the program code product stored in non-transitory memory and including instructions which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform:
monitoring a geographical area with a sensor located in the geographical area, the sensor arranged such that multiple parking spaces are within a field of view of the sensor, the multiple parking spaces along at least two streets;
identifying one or more of the multiple parking spaces as available parking spaces in the geographical area with a computing device in communication with the sensor, the identifying based at least partly upon the monitoring;
informing one or more vehicle operators about a first available parking space of the one or more available parking spaces identified; and
completing a parking reservation for the first available parking space with a first vehicle operator of the one or more vehicle operators.

12. The program code product of claim 11 , further comprising instructions for receiving a first indication from the first vehicle operator when the first vehicle operator arrives at the first available parking space, receiving a second indication from the first vehicle operator when a vehicle of the first vehicle operator is leaving the first available parking space, and calculating a parking fee based at least partly upon a time when the first indication is received and a time when the second indication is received.

13. The program code product of claim 11 , further comprising instructions for receiving from the first vehicle operator a request to extend a duration of the parking reservation, and sending a reply to the first vehicle operator responsive to the request to extend the parking reservation.

14. The program code product of claim 11 , further comprising instructions for repeating the monitoring, the identifying and the informing at predetermined times.

15. The program code product of claim 11 , further comprising instructions for receiving from vehicles in the geographical area parking space information of parking spaces in the geographical area, wherein identifying one or more available parking spaces in the geographical area is based at least partly received parking space information.

16. The program code product of claim 11 , further comprising instructions for indicating at the first available parking space of a period of time corresponding to the parking reservation for the first available parking space.

17. The program code product of claim 11 , further comprising instructions for determining that a vehicle in the geographical area is impermissibly parked, determining that the impermissibly parked vehicle is associated with a second vehicle operator of the one or more vehicle operators, and sending a message to the second vehicle operator concerning the impermissibly parked vehicle.

18. The program code product of claim 11 , wherein the program code product utilizes a self-learning algorithm for identifying the one or more available parking spaces in the geographical area.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is mounted on a traffic light.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is arranged at an intersection of two streets in the geographical area.

21. The method of claim 1 , further comprising monitoring the geographical area in four directions with the sensor.

Assignees

• Continental automotive systems inc

Inventors

• Adireddy Ganesh
• Alcazar Javier
• Froehlich Dominik
• Muharemovic Ibro

Classifications

• G08G1/143

  inside the vehicles · CPC title

• G08G1/147

  where the parking area is within an open public zone, e.g. city centre · CPC title

• G08G1/04

  using optical or ultrasonic detectors · CPC title

• G07F17/24

  for parking meters · CPC title

• G07B15/02

  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) · CPC title