Multispace parking pay stations including payment improvements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025279001-A1
Application number	US-202519211711-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 19, 2025
Priority date	Jun 15, 2018
Publication date	Sep 4, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed herein are multispace parking pay stations comprising: at least one processor, a memory, a communications element, a printer, and a computer program including instructions executable by the at least one processor to create an application comprising: a software module receiving a unique identifier associated with a parking customer, the parking customer having executed a mobile payment for parking in a space associated with the pay station; a software module transmitting the unique identifier to a central parking management server and querying the central parking management server with the unique identifier to identify the parking customer and verify the mobile payment; and a software module generating and sending instructions to the printer to print a payment verification for the parking customer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A parking payment platform comprising:
a) at least one mobile processor configured to perform mobile operations comprising:
i. providing an interface allowing a user to configure a user account; and
ii. generating a unique identifier associated in a central parking management system with parking information comprising: user account identification, parking space identification, parking time, vehicle identification, and payment information; and
b) a parking meter comprising a sensor, a communications element, and at least one processor configured to perform meter operations comprising:
i. receiving, by the sensor, the unique identifier;
ii. transmitting, by the communications element, the unique identifier to the central parking management system to retrieve the parking information;
iii. executing a payment based on the parking information; and
iv. generating a verification.

2 . The parking payment platform of claim 1 , wherein the parking meter is associated with a single parking space.

3 . The parking payment platform of claim 1 , wherein the parking meter is associated with 2 to 400 parking spaces.

4 . The parking payment platform of claim 1 , wherein the unique identifier comprises a barcode.

5 . The parking payment platform of claim 4 , wherein the barcode comprises a linear barcode.

6 . The parking payment platform of claim 4 , wherein the barcode comprises a two-dimensional barcode.

7 . The parking payment platform of claim 6 , wherein the two-dimensional barcode comprises a quick response (QR) code.

8 . The parking payment platform of claim 1 , wherein the unique identifier comprises biological identification information.

9 . The parking payment platform of claim 8 , wherein the biological identification information comprises facial biometric data, retinal biometric data, finger print biometric data, palm print biometric data, or a combination thereof.

10 . The parking payment platform of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises: an optical scanner, a camera, a near field communication (NFC) reader, a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader, a Bluetooth radio, or a combination thereof.

11 . The parking payment platform of claim 1 , wherein the communications element is a wireless communications element.

12 . The parking payment platform of claim 1 , wherein the payment verification comprises a receipt, an expense report, or a replacement receipt.

13 . The parking payment platform of claim 1 , wherein the parking meter further comprises a printer.

14 . The parking payment platform of claim 13 , wherein the meter operations further comprise generating and sending instructions to the printer to print the verification.

15 . The parking payment platform of claim 14 , wherein the verification is utilized in a pay-and-display parking regime.

16 . The parking payment platform of claim 1 , wherein the meter operations further comprise determining an advertisement appropriate for the user.

17 . The parking payment platform of claim 16 , wherein the advertisement is determined based, at least in part, by an identity of the user, a parking history of the user, a transaction history of the user, a location of the parking meter, a time of day, a day of the week, one or more current promotions offered by nearby vendors, or a combination thereof.

18 . The parking payment platform of claim 16 , wherein the advertisement is presented on the verification, presented on a display of the parking meter, or presented on a display of a mobile device.

19 . The parking payment platform of claim 1 , wherein the mobile operations further comprise providing an interface allowing the user to generate the unique identifier.

20 . The parking payment platform of claim 19 , wherein the interface allowing a user to configure a user account enables the user to enter a plurality of vehicle identifications, and wherein the interface allowing the user to generate the unique identifier enables the user to selecting a vehicle identification from the plurality of vehicle identifications.

21 . The parking payment platform of claim 20 , wherein the interface allowing a user to configure a user account enables the user to associate an alias with each vehicle identification.

22 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
a) providing, at a mobile application in communication with a central parking management system, an interface allowing a user to configure a user account; b) generating, at the mobile application, a unique identifier associated in the central parking management system with parking information comprising: user account, parking space, parking time, vehicle, and payment information; c) receiving, at a parking meter sensor, the unique identifier; d) transmitting, by the communications element, the unique identifier to the central parking management system to retrieve the parking information; e) executing a payment based on the parking information; and f) generating a parking verification.

Assignees

• Ips Group Inc

Inventors

• King David William
• Randall Chad P

Classifications

• G08G1/149

  coupled to means for restricting the access to the parking space, e.g. authorization, access barriers, indicative lights · CPC title

• G06Q30/0253

  During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions · CPC title

• G06Q30/0237

  at kiosk · CPC title

• G06Q20/3278

  RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices · CPC title

• G06Q20/102

  Bill distribution or payments · CPC title