System for monitoring arrival of a vehicle at a given location and associated methods

A method of monitoring arrival of a vehicle by a server and a plurality of vehicle detection devices, the method comprising:

• sensing arrival of a vehicle at a given location, by the plurality of vehicle detection devices configured to sense arrival of the vehicle at a first area, and causing information about the vehicle to be transmitted from a first vehicle detection device of the plurality of vehicle detection devices to a second vehicle detection device of the plurality of vehicle detection devices for relaying by the second vehicle detection device to the server in response to sensing arrival of the vehicle, wherein the server is configured to determine a context of the vehicle based upon the information about the vehicle,
• the plurality of vehicle detection devices spaced apart and physically emplaced at the first area and at least a portion of the plurality of vehicle detection devices in communication with the server over a network, at least one of the plurality of vehicle detection devices comprising:
• a magnetometer configured to detect a change in a magnetic field and generate magnetometer data representative of the change in the magnetic field;
• an accelerometer physically emplaced at the first area and configured to detect a vibration and generate accelerometer data representative of the vibration;
• and
• a processor configured to receive the magnetometer data and the accelerometer data and transmit the magnetometer data and accelerometer data;
• transmitting, by the processor of at least one of the plurality of vehicle detection devices, the magnetometer data and accelerometer data to the server;
• determining, by the server whether the vehicle is entering or leaving the first area based upon the accelerometer data;
• transmitting parking lot inventory information from the server to a parking lot operator;
• and
• reading vehicle payment information from a mobile wireless communications device in the vehicle, using the first vehicle detection device;
• wherein at least one of the plurality of vehicle detection devices is configured to cooperate with at least one other vehicle detection device of the plurality of vehicle detection devices to perform triangulation to determine a location of the vehicle within the first area and to direct a driver of the vehicle to an open parking space within the first area;
• wherein at least the first vehicle detection device of the plurality of vehicle detection devices communicates with the second vehicle detection device of the plurality of vehicle detection devices acting as a relay for the first vehicle detection device to transmit the information about the vehicle that is received therefrom to the server;
• wherein, in response to the information about the vehicle, the server updates a parking lot inventory;
• wherein the context comprises whether payment for a parking space for the vehicle has been received;
• wherein the server executes an action, the action comprising to transmit the updated parking lot inventory information to the parking lot operator, if payment for the parking space has been received;
• and
• wherein the action further comprises to send a prompt requesting payment for the parking space to the mobile wireless communications device if payment for the parking space has not been received.

A system for monitoring arrival of a vehicle, the system comprising:

• a server;
• a plurality of vehicle detection devices configured to sense arrival of the vehicle at a first area, and cause information about the vehicle to be transmitted from a first vehicle detection device of the plurality of vehicle detection devices to a second vehicle detection device of the plurality of vehicle detection devices for relaying by the second vehicle detection device to the server in response to sensing arrival of the vehicle, wherein the server is configured to determine a context of the vehicle based upon the information about the vehicle,
• wherein the plurality of vehicle detection devices are spaced apart and physically emplaced at the first area, at least a portion of the vehicle detection devices in communication with the server over a network, and each of the plurality of vehicle detection devices comprising:
• a magnetometer configured to detect a change in a magnetic field and generate magnetometer data representative of the change in the magnetic field;
• an accelerometer physically emplaced at the first area and configured to detect vibrations and generate accelerometer data representative of the vibrations;
• a processor configured to receive the magnetometer data and the accelerometer data and transmit the magnetometer data and accelerometer data;
• and
• wherein the server is configured to determine whether the vehicle is entering or leaving the first area based upon the accelerometer data;
• wherein at least one of the plurality of vehicle detection devices is configured to cooperate with at least one other vehicle detection device of the plurality of vehicle detection devices to perform triangulation to determine a location of the vehicle within the first area and to direct a driver of the vehicle to an open parking space within the first area,
• wherein at least the first vehicle detection device of the plurality of vehicle detection devices communicates with the second vehicle detection device of the plurality of vehicle detection devices acting as a relay for the first vehicle detection device to transmit the information about the vehicle that is received therefrom to the server,
• wherein, in response to the information about the vehicle, the server updates a parking lot inventory,
• wherein the server is configured to transmit parking lot inventory information to a parking lot operator;
• wherein at least one of the plurality of vehicle detection devices is configured to read vehicle payment information from a mobile wireless communications device in the vehicle;
• wherein the context comprises whether payment for the parking space for the vehicle has been received;
• wherein the server executes an action, the action comprising to transmit the updated parking lot inventory information to the parking lot operator, if payment for the parking space has been received;
• wherein the action comprises to send a prompt requesting payment for the parking space to the mobile wireless communications device if payment for the parking space has not been received,
• wherein the action further comprises also to, in response to sending the prompt requesting payment for the parking space to the mobile wireless communications device and not receiving the payment within a given period of time, determine whether the vehicle has left the first area, and to alert the parking lot operator if the vehicle has not left the first area, and
• wherein the first vehicle detection device is further configured to send a parked location of the vehicle to the server;
• wherein the server is further configured to determine whether the parked location of the vehicle is authorized, and to notify the parking lot operator of unauthorized parking if the parked location of the vehicle is not authorized.