Parking meter communications for remote payment with updated display
AssigneeIps Group Inc.
InventorsDavid William King, Chad P. Randall
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A parking meter receives data indicative of a remote payment being completed and displays an amount of time purchased by the remote payment for a parking session. The parking meter determines an amount of time remaining in the parking session and powers down at least a portion of a meter communication subsystem subsequent to receiving the data indicative of the remote payment being completed. The parking meter wakes up the powered down portion of the communication subsystem upon determining that the amount of time remaining is below a threshold time, and can receive an indication of additional time being paid for remotely, and can update the displayed time remaining to reflect the additional time.
Claims18
A parking meter device comprising a communication subsystem configured to provide two-way wireless communication, at least a portion of the communication subsystem comprising a first power mode, a second power mode, and a third power mode, the parking meter device configured to perform at least the following:
- a) operate in the first power mode;
- b) periodically enter into the second power mode, wirelessly communicate, and subsequently return to the first power mode;
- c) receive a wireless communication indicative of a payment, and enter, from the first power mode or the second power mode, into the third power mode;
- and
- d) in response to the wireless communication indicative of the payment, return to the first power mode.
A method of operating a parking meter device which comprises a communication subsystem configured to provide two-way wireless communication, at least a portion of the communication subsystem comprising a first power mode, a second power mode, and a third power mode, the method comprising:
- a) operating in the first power mode;
- b) periodically entering into the second power mode, wirelessly communicating, and subsequently returning to the first power mode;
- c) receiving a wireless communication indicative of a payment, and entering, from the first power mode or the second power mode, into the third power mode;
- and
- d) in response to the wireless communication indicative of the payment, returning to the first power mode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.