Systems and Methods for Shared Parking Permit Violation Detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023410646-A1
Application number	US-202318319210-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 17, 2023
Priority date	Dec 1, 2015
Publication date	Dec 21, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

Provided is a technology that allows, inter alia, two different patrol-vehicles to be used to enforce parking regulations. Unique systems and methods, inter alia, allow a patrol vehicle or the like to collect parking data pertaining to parked vehicles, and to wirelessly transmit such parking data to a server. A later patrol vehicle or the like can wirelessly receive parking data related to parking events related to its parking enforcement situation and determine whether parking violations, such as overtime or permit sharing violations, are occurring using a combination of parking data generated locally and extraneous parking data collected by the previous patrol vehicle.

First claim

1 - 26 . (canceled)

27 . A distributed mobile parking enforcement system including a plurality of mobile parking enforcement devices movable to be brought to locations where vehicles are parked to monitor and/or enforce parking regulations, the system comprising:
at least one first mobile parking enforcement device generating first parking events, each first parking event pertaining to a respective parking instance of a parked vehicle observed by the at least one first mobile parking enforcement device and comprising first parking data including at least a vehicle identifier of the parked vehicle and one additional parking parameter observed by the at least one first mobile parking enforcement device about the parking instance of the parked vehicle and transmitting the first parking events for storage in a remote parking enforcement server; and a second mobile parking enforcement device separate from the at least one first mobile parking enforcement device, comprising:
a wireless interface to obtain, from the remote parking enforcement server, a set of at least one extraneous past parking event taken from the first parking events generated by the at least one first mobile parking enforcement device;
a data interface communicatively couplable with parking data acquisition hardware to obtain therefrom second parking data pertaining to parked vehicles observed by the parking data acquisition hardware, the second parking data comprising current parking data pertaining to a current parking instance of a nearby parked vehicle and including at least a current vehicle identifier of the nearby parked vehicle and one additional current parking parameter observed by the second mobile parking enforcement device about the current parking instance of the nearby parked vehicle;
computer-readable memory storing program instructions; and
a processor in communication with the wireless interface, the data interface, and the computer-readable memory. the processor being operable to execute the program instructions for:
generating a current parking event pertaining to the current parking instance of the nearby parked vehicle using the current parking data;
determining a parking violation by searching the set of at least one extraneous past parking event by comparing the current parking event to individual extraneous past parking events in the set of at least one extraneous past parking event to identify amongst the at least one extraneous past parking event of the set a violation parking event for which the vehicle identifier of the violation parking event matches the current vehicle identifier and for which the additional current parking parameter and the additional parameter of the violation parking event indicates a violation of a regulation; and
generating a violation event for the nearby parked vehicle and storing the violation event in the computer-readable memory.

28 . The parking enforcement system of claim 27 , wherein the processor is operable to execute the program instructions for determining a particular geographic location of the second mobile parking enforcement device, wherein the wireless interface is to transmit an indication of the particular geographic location to the remote parking enforcement server, and wherein the set of at least one extraneous past event obtained at the wireless interface is selected based on the particular geographic location of the second mobile parking enforcement device.

29 . The parking enforcement system of claim 28 , wherein the data interface is communicatively couplable to a global position system (GPS) unit to obtain therefrom the particular geographic location of the second mobile parking enforcement device.

30 . The parking enforcement system of claim 27 , wherein the set of at least one extraneous past parking events generated by the at least one first mobile parking enforcement device is selected based on a transmission time of the subset of at least one extraneous past parking event.

31 . The parking enforcement system of claim 27 , wherein the wireless interface is to transmit at least a portion of the violation event to the remote parking enforcement server.

32 . The parking enforcement system of claim 27 , wherein the computer-readable memory comprises a database of parking events, wherein the processor is operable to execute the program instructions for storing the current parking event in the database.

33 . The parking enforcement system of claim 27 , wherein determining the parking violation comprises:
comparing, by the processor, the additional parking parameter of the violation parking event and the additional current parking parameter; generating, by the processor, a tentative violation event based on the result of the comparing and the regulation; transmitting, by the wireless interface, a request for context data associated with the violation parking event to the parking enforcement server; and obtaining, by the wireless interface, context data associated with the violation parking event from the parking enforcement server.

34 . The parking enforcement system of claim 33 , wherein the second mobile parking enforcement device comprises a user interface for providing data to and obtaining input from a user, the user interface to provide at least a portion of the context information to the user and to obtain confirmation that the tentative violation event is a parking violation from the user, wherein the processor being operable to execute the program instructions for determining the parking violation is based at least in part on the confirmation.

35 . The parking enforcement system of claim 27 , wherein the second mobile parking enforcement comprises the parking data acquisition hardware including at least one license plate reader to capture license plate numbers as part of the second parking data pertaining to the parked vehicles observed by the parking data acquisition hardware.

36 . The parking enforcement system of claim 27 , the second mobile parking device being movable to be brought nearby one or more subsequent nearby parked vehicles, wherein:
the data interface is to obtain from the parking data acquisition hardware subsequent current parking data pertaining to subsequent parking instances of the one or more subsequent nearby parked vehicles, the subsequent current parking data including at least a subsequent current vehicle identifier for the one or more subsequent nearby parked vehicles and one subsequent additional current parking parameter observed by the second mobile parking enforcement device about the subsequent parking instances of the one or more subsequent nearby parked vehicles; and the processor is to execute the program instructions for generating one or more subsequent current parking events for the one or more subsequent nearby parked vehicles using the subsequent current parking data.

37 . The parking enforcement system of claim 36 , wherein determining the parking violation comprises searching the one or more subsequent current parking events by comparing the current parking event to individual subsequent current parking events.

38 . The parking enforcement system of claim 36 , wherein the wireless interface is to transmit, to the remote parking enforcement server, part or all of the subsequent current parking events.

39 . The parking enforcement system of claim 27 , wherein the wireless interface is to transmit at least a portion of the current parking event generated by the processing device to the remote parking enforcement device.

40 . The parking enforcement system of claim 27 , wherein the second mobile parking enforcement

Assignees

• Genetec Inc

Inventors

• Yigit Chris
• Lambert Jean
• Nadeau Mathieu
• Aublet Yannick
• Brousseau Guy
• Commeyne Christophe

Classifications

• G08G1/017 Primary

  identifying vehicles (G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence) · 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

• G08G1/04

  using optical or ultrasonic detectors · CPC title

• G08G1/0175

  by photographing vehicles, e.g. when violating traffic rules · CPC title

• G06V20/56

  exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle · CPC title