Dynamically managing parking space utilization

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9530253-B2
Application number	US-201414572188-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2014
Priority date	Dec 16, 2014
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

A system or computer usable program product for dynamically managing parking space utilization including receiving a dynamic feed of available parking spaces across a set of sectors, each parking space associated with a parking control device, each sector having a preferred utilization rate; utilizing a processor to determine that a parking utilization rate of a first sector exceeds a preferred utilization rate for the first sector; upon receiving a location based parking space reservation request from a user, the request capable of being fulfilled from a plurality of sectors, providing a list of available parking spaces meeting the request including associated prices dynamically generated, wherein parking spaces in the first sector are priced higher than parking spaces in other sectors; and upon selection of one of the provided list of available parking spaces by the user, allocating the selected parking space to the user at the provided associated price and notifying the parking control device associated with the selected parking space.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer program product for dynamically managing parking space utilization, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processing circuit to cause the device to perform a method comprising:
receiving a dynamic feed of available parking spaces across a set of sectors, each parking space associated with a parking control device, each sector having a preferred utilization rate of parking in that sector;
receiving a traffic feed from a traffic database;
modifying the preferred utilization rate for at least one sector based on the traffic feed to affect traffic flow;
utilizing a processor to determine that a parking utilization rate of a first sector exceeds a preferred utilization rate for the first sector;
upon receiving a location based parking space reservation request from a user, the request capable of being fulfilled from a plurality of sectors, providing a list of available parking spaces meeting the request including associated prices dynamically generated, wherein parking spaces in the first sector are priced higher than parking spaces in other sectors; and
upon selection of one of the provided list of available parking spaces by the user, allocating the selected parking space to the user at the provided associated price and notifying the parking control device associated with the selected parking space.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the parking utilization rate of the first sector is a utilization of parking spaces in that sector.

3. The computer program product of claim 2 wherein the preferred utilization rate for each sector is based on a traffic flow with that sector.

4. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the preferred utilization rate of parking for the at least one sector is reduced to reduce traffic flow the at least one sector.

5. The computer program product of claim 4 further comprising dynamically generating a set of supply and demand based models using criterion based rules for pricing parking spaces to manage parking utilization rates in accordance with the preferred utilization rate for each sector.

6. The computer program product of claim 1 further comprising determining whether a utilization rate for a sector exceeds a preferred utilization rate for that sector; and upon such a determination providing a discount offer to the user of an allocated parking space in the sector for modifying the time period of the reservation.

7. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the preferred utilization rate for the at least one sector is reduced prior to an event, then raised as the event is about to occur thereby providing additional parking for event attendees.

8. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the preferred utilization rate is increased for sectors adjoining the at least one sector to reduce traffic flow to the at least one sector.

9. The computer program product of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving a parking incentive from a business user for a set of selected parking spaces;
providing the parking incentives to the user in response to the parking space reservation request; and
notifying the parking space database of the parking incentive for the reservation of the allocated parking space.

10. A data processing system for dynamically managing parking space utilization, the data processing system comprising:
a processor; and
a computer memory storing program instructions which when executed by the processor execute the steps of:
receiving a dynamic feed of available parking spaces across a set of sectors, each parking space associated with a parking control device, each sector having a preferred utilization rate of parking in that sector;
receiving a traffic feed from a traffic database;
modifying the preferred utilization rate for at least one sector based on the traffic feed to affect traffic flow;
utilizing a processor to determine that a parking utilization rate of a first sector exceeds a preferred utilization rate for the first sector;
upon receiving a location based parking space reservation request from a user, the request capable of being fulfilled from a plurality of sectors, providing a list of available parking spaces meeting the request including associated prices dynamically generated, wherein parking spaces in the first sector are priced higher than parking spaces in other sectors; and
upon selection of one of the provided list of available parking spaces by the user, allocating the selected parking space to the user at the provided associated price and notifying the parking control device associated with the selected parking space.

11. The data processing system of claim 10 wherein the parking utilization rate of the first sector is a utilization of parking spaces in that sector.

12. The data processing system of claim 11 wherein the preferred utilization rate for each sector is based on a traffic flow with that sector.

13. The data processing system of claim 10 wherein the preferred utilization rate of parking for the at least one sector is reduced to reduce traffic flow the at least one sector.

14. The data processing system of claim 13 further comprising dynamically generating a set of supply and demand based models using criterion based rules for pricing parking spaces to manage parking utilization rates in accordance with the preferred utilization rate for each sector.

15. The data processing system of claim 10 wherein the preferred utilization rate for the at least one sector is reduced prior to an event, then raised as the event is about to occur thereby providing additional parking for event attendees.

16. The data processing system of claim 10 wherein the preferred utilization rate is increased for sectors adjoining the at least one sector to reduce traffic flow to the at least one sector.

17. The data processing system of claim 10 further comprising:
receiving a parking incentive from a business user for a set of selected parking spaces;
providing the parking incentives to the user in response to the parking space reservation request; and
notifying the parking space database of the parking incentive for the reservation of the allocated parking space.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Banatwala Mustansir
• Brooks David A
• Russo Joseph A

Classifications

• G06Q30/0255

  based on user history · CPC title

• G08G1/0175

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

• G08G1/149

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

• G08G1/146

  where the parking area is a limited parking space, e.g. parking garage, restricted space · CPC title

• G08G1/017

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