Communications: electrical – Vehicle parking indicators
Reexamination Certificate
2002-12-02
2004-09-14
Goins, Davetta W. (Department: 2632)
Communications: electrical
Vehicle parking indicators
C340S309160, C340S539130, C340S933000, C340S988000, C235S381000, C235S384000, C705S013000, C705S418000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06791473
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to a parking meter system which allows rapid communication between parking meter elements at the parking locations and a transportable unit operable by an attendant.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Originally networks were designed for the communication of one computer to a group of other computers, where they all could share data—this was typically done via a wire such as a coaxial cable. One of the set-backs to all these networks were they were fixed in place and required set up, such as infrastructure. Today, we not only use wires but we are also migrating to a new form of data transfer—wireless. The basic fundamental concept of wireless communication is how the frequency spectrum works. The range of frequencies supported by some wireless protocol is referred to as the bandwidth of that protocol; and the transmission rate is proportional to bandwidth.
One available communications protocol is that provided by Ericsson under the trademark “Bluetooth” which is an open wireless specification of communicating on the 2.4 GHz ISM band. Many wireless applications work on a precise frequency, such as Bluetooth.
Bluetooth utilizes the 2.4 GHz ISM band for wireless communication. This means that we are essentially going to have networks that act like “plug and play” hardware for computers. There is not much set up required, just simple authentication on to the system and we can use it, without much configuration or problems.
For our application, we used the Bluetooth wireless standard (our communication protocol is independent of the wireless medium) when this network is installed, it allows simple, embedded micro-controllers to communicate to each other and pass a specific data set to other embedded micro-controllers via a wireless communication link.
Depending on where you go and what system is being implemented in those areas the wireless revolution is growing at an exponential rate, beginning with AMPS (advanced mobile phone service), to wireless LANs based on the IEEE standard or 802.11, personal area networks such as the Bluetooth technology, and wide area networks beginning with AMPS and now including GSM (global system for mobile communications) and CDMA (code division multiple access, which includes second to third generation technologies).
With the advent of wireless networks we are now wanting continuous connection, from our personal area networks, local area networks to our wide area networks. This translates into fixed networks, to wireless networks, to ad-hoc wireless network.
All devices using the Bluetooth open standard will be interoperable. When 802.15 is finalized then we will be guaranteed of the interoperability of all Bluetooth devices.
The 802.15 is the IEEE standard for Personal Area Networks, and more specifically wireless short distance ad-hoc networks. There are 4 main task groups in the 802.15 standard:
Task Group 1-wireless
This task group is based on the Bluetooth
personal area networks
version 1.1 standard.
Task Group 2-coexistence
This task group deals with the interaction
and coexistence of 802.15 and 802.11
(wireless local area networks).
Task Group 3-high data rate
This task group deals with high speed data
rates for wireless personal area networks.
Task Group 4-low data rate
This task group deals with low speed data
Rates that is required with long term
battery solutions.
With the creation of this new IEEE 802.15 based on the Bluetooth standard, it will become a long lasting standard to be implemented in wireless ad-hoc networking.
The standard for the token ring protocol is Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.5.
Performance Improvement Studies in Bluetooth Piconet Formation: Using Knowledge at the Master. S. Balasubramanian, S. P. D. William, A. Swaminathan, A. Siromoney, and M. Rajam. HiPC 2002.
Developing with Qt makes the process of keeping the PDA environment pleasing for a great number of local schemes. For example a 24 hour clock might be more pleasing for some eastern country. Or another country might be more accustomed to another language besides the default for the PDA. For brevity we will refer you to the Qt documentation that in online or that comes with the toolkit download. This seamless feature allows one to code relatively exactly the same and have the Qt framework handle all the details. This will make the introductions to a foreign country much easier. It should be noted that the objects and concepts implemented with QT is not specific to QT, it may be also implemented on Windows, or any type of system that allows for object collaboration.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Currently a city police or a parking ticket officer or attendant is required to walk along the street to inspect each parking meter to see if there is parking violation. Under this Smart Parking Meter System, the officer needs to just carry a handheld device and drive in a car or walk along a street, to patrol streets with parking meters. The device will automatically beep with a red light when it passes by a violated parking stall. Not only with expired parking meters, this can also apply to free limited time parking, say 2-hours free parking. Officers no longer need to mark the tires anymore nor go outside for long hours under harsh weather conditions.
According to the invention there is provided a apparatus for use in controlling parking comprising:
a plurality of parking meter elements each for mounting on a support adjacent a parking location, each parking meter element including:
a payment receptacle operable by a person parking a vehicle for receiving a payment from the person;
a display for displaying an allowable time of parking;
a sensor for detecting the presence of a vehicle in the associated parking location;
a control module responsive to the payment receptacle and the sensor and arranged to control the display;
at least one transportable communication unit for transportation by and manual operation by an attendant including a control module for communicating with the parking meter elements;
the control modules of each of the parking meter elements and the communication unit including communications protocols by which the parking meter element and the communications unit communicate to each other via a wireless medium.
The Smart Parking Meter System is an ad-hoc wireless networking communication protocol. The Smart Parking Meter System communication protocol is implemented within a handheld device and a parking meter, where both devices communicate to each other via a wireless medium. The Smart Parking Meter System protocol can be employed in either a point-to-point wireless system or a multi point wireless system.
This network is job specific, meaning that its network protocol and communication protocol will only be used and accessible to the other systems that use these specific protocols; in this case the Smart Parking Meter clients (or nodes) and servers (or master nodes) will have access to this network only.
There are two hardware components to the Smart Parking Meter System, the handheld device, and the parking meter. The handheld device will require a wireless module either embedded in the system or something which may be connected to the device, such as a PCMCIA (Personal Card Memory Card International Association) card sleeve. The parking meter will require the Smart Parking Meter Application to be installed in each parking meter. The parking meter will require power to be supplied to each meter. The power will be used by the motion sensor for the parking meter to detect an object in its view range (that is, a vehicle or some object in the parking stall), and some embedded device, that will have a wireless module for wireless communication to other parking meters with this system, wireless communication with the handheld device, and the Smart Parking Meter System application.
The embedded system will be required to:
Sense if the meter is in the paid or unpaid state.
Sense if the parking stall is occupied or not.
For limited time parking meters, the device needs to have a motion sensor and will be require
Card Paul Serge
Kavanagh Christopher Troy
Kibria Sami
Rueda Jose Alejandro
Thiessen Nicholas Christopher Wade
Battison Adrian D.
Dupuis Ryan W.
Goins Davetta W.
Telecommunications Research Laboratory
Williams Michael R.
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