Data processing: financial – business practice – management – or co – Automated electrical financial or business practice or... – Transportation facility access
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-17
2002-12-10
Choi, Kyle J. (Department: 3744)
Data processing: financial, business practice, management, or co
Automated electrical financial or business practice or...
Transportation facility access
C705S417000, C705S418000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06493676
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to vehicle parking, and specifically to cash less parking and automatic parking toll collection.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There are numerous systems used today for controlling and charging for parking.
Examples of parking control systems include parking meters adjacent parking bays requiring the insertion of coins as payment for specific parking periods, and centralized parking machines in which money is inserted and a ticket printed out by the parking machine for the period of time paid for. Alternatively, preprinted tickets or parking cards can be bought which the driver uses to indicate the date and time parking commenced or the parking period. These cards are usually displayed in the car window so that it can be seen by a parking inspector. Such tickets are usually limited for a specific number of minutes, such as 60 minutes. In certain locations, it may also be possible to use several tickets to park for a longer period.
Off-street parking generally requires payment to be made on entry or exit of a parking lot, either automatically monitored or manually supervised. Generally, off-street parking in private parking lots is supervised.
One of the main problems associated with paid parking is the abuse of the various systems by avoiding payment either by non-payment of parking for a longer period of time than paid for, thereby depriving the municipal authority responsible for town parking from revenue. One common system for monitoring parking is to use inspectors who are authorized to issue parking tickets or fines for non-compliance with parking regulations and other abuses of the system. The use of inspectors is expensive and though parking fines may be issued, there is no guarantee that they will be paid, thus requiring additional resources for collection of the fines.
The use of meters has a number of disadvantages. They are costly to manufacture and require installation into the pavement next to each parking space. They break down, can be broken into and the money accumulated stolen. Moreover it needs a special expensive and in some locations it is also dangerous to collect cash from each meter and carry it all over the city. From the driver's point of view, the main disadvantage of the parking meter is that he needs to have small change and if he leaves the parking space before the end of the time paid for, he has overpaid for the actual time used. On the other hand, if he is late returning to his car, he is endanger of being fined.
The centralized parking machine has the advantage of saving multiple meters, by using one parking machine for one parking lot. However, it also suffers from the other disadvantages of the individual parking meter, such as being vulnerable to break in. As in the case of parking meters, there is also the problem of under or over-paying.
The preprinted parking tickets is no doubt the least costly to the proprietor of the parking lots, mostly municipal authorities, as it does not need any expensive construction work. As in the other systems described above, there is also the problem of under or over-paying.
The proprietor of the parking lot, requiring the car owner to voluntarily purchase a ticket, can lose money in cases where drivers park and take the risk of getting a ticket and do not pay the parking toll.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved system for vehicle parking charges which overcomes the limitations and disadvantages of prior art systems.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a system which is automatic and accurately records the exact time parked and charges accordingly.
There is therefore provided, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a mobile parking unit and a parking system which includes a plurality of mobile parking units, each of the mobile parking units having an unique identification for installation in a vehicle and a parking control center for communicating with each of the mobile parking units. Each of the mobile parking units checks its location whenever the vehicle is not moving and if the location coincides with a known parking area, a charge for parking is activated until the vehicle resumes traveling.
Furthermore, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each of the mobile parking units includes a vehicle location device for determining the geographic location and speed of each of the mobile parking unit, a transceiver connected to a modem, for communicating with the mobile parking units and a computer unit for coupling to the vehicle location device and the transceiver.
In an alternative embodiment, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each of the mobile parking units includes a vehicle location device for determining the geographic location and speed of each of the mobile parking units, a computer unit for coupling to the vehicle location device and a smart card reader coupled to the central processor.
Furthermore, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the computer unit includes a central processor and a smart card reader coupled to the central processor.
Furthermore, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each of the mobile parking units includes an electronic map database containing at least the geographic location of parking spaces in at least one specific region of operation, a Geographic Information System (GIS) interpreter for interpreting the data within the electronic map database and means for calculating the cost of parking. The electronic map database contains data associated with each of the parking spaces.
Furthermore, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cost of parking is determined by the calculating means in accordance with the geographic location of each of the mobile parking units and the time it is immobile.
Furthermore, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each of the mobile parking units further includes input and output channels connected to at least one of a group of control elements including the vehicle ignition switch, the vehicle doors and volume (space) sensor. In addition, each of the mobile parking units further includes an indication unit for displaying an indication that parking is being charged for. The mobile parking unit includes a non-volatile memory unit for storing a prepaid monetary value for parking.
Furthermore, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle location device includes a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver having an antenna coupled thereto.
Furthermore, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the computer unit further includes input/output (I/O) channels coupled to the central processor, the input/output (I/O) channels having at least one sensing elements connected thereto. The sensing elements comprise at least one of a group of sensors connected to the vehicle ignition switch, the vehicle doors and the internal volume of the vehicle.
Furthermore, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the control center includes a control computer and a transceiver coupled to a modem, which is coupled to the control computer.
In addition, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the control center further includes an electronic map database containing at least the geographic location of parking spaces in at least one specific region of operation, a Geographic Information System (GIS) interpreter for interpreting the data within the electronic map database and a means for calculating the cost of parking.
Additionally, there is provided, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method for charging for vehicle parking which includes the steps of:
recording the time and location whenever the vehicle is immobile; and
if the location coincides with a known parking area, calculatin
Choi Kyle J.
Eitan Pearl Latzer & Cohen-Zedek
Norman Marc
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