# US 11,307,580 B2 · Autonomous vehicle parking system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,307,580 B2 - Document ID: US11307580B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/982,363 - Filed: 2018-05-17 - Published: 2018-11-22 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2017-05-18 - Assignees: Meter Feeder, Inc. - Applicants: Meter Feeder, Inc. - Inventors: James Gibbs; Daniel W. Lopretto - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11307580B2 ## CPC - G08G 1/147: {where the parking area is within an open public zone, e.g. city centre} - B60W 30/06: Automatic manoeuvring for parking - B62D 15/0285: {Parking performed automatically} - G05D 1/00: Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots (drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00) - G05D 1/0225: {involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay (parking aids B62D15/027)} - G05D 1/0248: {in combination with a laser (lasers per se H01S)} - G05D 1/0278: {using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS} - G05D 1/0297: {by controlling means in a control room} - G07B 15/02: taking into account a variable factor such as distance or time, e.g. for passenger transport, parking systems or car rental systems (G07B15/06 takes precedence; taximeters G07B13/00; parking meters per se G07F17/24) - G08G 1/146: {where the parking area is a limited parking space, e.g. parking garage, restricted space} - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT - B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M) - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - G07B: TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS ## Abstract An autonomous vehicle parking system includes a parking system server that is in electronic communication with an autonomous vehicle. The server executes programming instructions that cause it to receive a parking location request from the autonomous vehicle, identify one or more parking zones that are proximate to the autonomous vehicle, determine an estimated density and a distance from a present location of the autonomous vehicle for each the parking zones, use the estimated densities and the distances to select one of the parking zones as a destination zone, and provide the autonomous vehicle with a geographic identifier for the destination zone. After the vehicle identifies an available parking space in the destination zone, the system will initiate a transaction with a parking service provider to authorize the autonomous vehicle to park in the destination zone for a period of time. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A parking system, comprising: a server having a computer-readable medium that stores programming instructions configured to cause the server to: receive a parking location request including at least a current location and a next service request location, determine an estimated density for each of one or more parking zones that are less than a first threshold distance from the current location and less than a second threshold distance from the next service request location, provide a geographic identifier for a destination zone having the determined estimated density below a threshold, and cause a transport system to move a vehicle to the destination zone. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The parking system of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises programming instructions that are configured to cause the server to identify parking zones that are proximate to a transceiver in communication with the server via a wireless network. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The parking system of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises programming instructions that are configured to cause the server to estimate a distance from a transceiver in communication with the server via a wireless network and each of the one or more parking zones proximate to the next service request location identified in the parking location request. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The parking system of claim 1, wherein the instructions to determine the estimated densities for each of the one or more parking zones further comprise instructions configured to cause the server to receive the estimated densities from a parking analysis system. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The parking system of claim 1, wherein the instructions to determine the estimated densities for each of the one or more parking zones further comprise instructions configured to cause the server to receive real-time parking usage data from one or more parking service providers and use the real-time parking usage data to calculate the estimated densities. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The parking system of claim 1, wherein the instructions to determine the estimated densities for each of the one or more parking zones further comprise instructions configured to cause the server to capture one or more images of the one or more parking zones and identify a number of vehicles in the one or more images. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The parking system of claim 1, wherein the instructions to determine the estimated densities for each of the one or more parking zones further comprise instructions configured to cause the server to access a parking enforcement database, identify a number of real-time, active parking purchase transactions in each of the one or more parking zones, and estimate parking density. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The parking system of claim 1, wherein the estimated density is a number of vehicles per unit area. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The parking system of claim 1, wherein a sum of the first threshold distance and the second threshold distance is less than an overall threshold distance. ### Claim 10 A method for parking comprising: by a server that is in electronic communication with an autonomous vehicle via a wireless communication network: receiving a parking location request including at least a current location and a next service request location, determining an estimated density for each of one or more parking zones that are less than a first threshold distance from the current location and less than a second threshold distance from the next service request location, providing a geographic identifier for a destination zone having the determined estimated density below a threshold, and cause a transport system to move a vehicle to the destination zone. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising identifying parking zones that are proximate to a transceiver in communication with the server. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising estimating a distance from a transceiver in communication with the server and each of the one or more parking zones proximate to the next service request location identified in the parking location request. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving the estimated densities from a parking analysis system. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving real-time parking usage data from one or more parking service providers and using the real-time parking usage data to calculate the estimated densities. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising capturing one or more images of the one or more parking zones and identifying a number of vehicles in the one or more images. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising accessing a parking enforcement database, identifying a number of real-time, active parking purchase transactions in each of the one or more parking zones, and estimating a parking density based on the number of real-time, active parking purchase transactions. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the estimated density is a number of vehicles per unit area.