Method and system for managing a parking lot based on intelligent imaging

A method of managing a plurality of parking spaces, comprising:

• monitoring a parking space by obtaining a first type of image from an imaging camera sensor of an imaging unit;
• determining occupancy or vacancy of said parking space by classifying said first type of image;
• based on determining vacancy of said parking space, providing the first type of image to a graphical user interface of a human operator;
• receiving a change of status from the human operator for the parking space from the vacancy status to an occupied status;
• in response to the change of status received from the human operator:
• obtaining, as a result of said parking space having said occupied status, a second type of image, said second type of image being a high resolution image of a vehicle occupying said parking space, said high resolution image obtained by same said imaging camera sensor;
• storing at least part of said high resolution image;
• and
• processing said high resolution image to extract a vehicle identifier of said vehicle from said high resolution image;
• and
• in response to an inquiry, by a customer, that includes vehicle information entered in the form of one of a keyed in license plate number, a keyed in make or color of vehicle, or an encoded vehicle license plate number read from a receipt or access ticket issued to said customer, prior to parking said vehicle:
• having a system controller compare said entered vehicle information to said vehicle identifier extracted from said high resolution image obtained by said imaging camera sensor, and
• identifying a location of said parking space based on a known location of said imaging camera sensor which obtained said high resolution image.