Parking management and navigation

A system, comprising:

• a hardware processor;
• an object detector;
• an RFID reader;
• an antenna;
• and
• a storage device storing instructions that, when executed by the hardware processor, configure the system to:
• determine a respective characteristic label for each of a plurality of parking spaces in a parking lot and store the respective characteristic label in a database maintained by the storage device in association with a respective parking space ID of the parking space, wherein determining the respective characteristic label for a given parking space comprises:
• determining a location of the given parking space;
• determining a location of a reference parking space in the parking lot;
• accessing a location of a parking space terminal, the parking space terminal being associated with an entrance of the parking lot, an exit of the parking lot, a mall entrance of the parking lot, or an elevator of the parking lot;
• determining a distance between the location of the given parking space and the accessed location of the parking space terminal;
• determining a distance between the location of the reference parking space and the accessed location of the parking space terminal;
• and
• in response to determining that the distance between the location of the given parking space and the accessed location of the parking space terminal is shorter than the distance between the location of the reference parking space and the location of the parking space terminal, assigning the respective characteristic label to the given parking space, the assigned respective characteristic label corresponding to the parking space terminal and comprising at least one of near-entrance, near-exit, near-elevator, or near-mall entrance;
• determine that a first vehicle enters the parking lot;
• in response to determining that the first vehicle enters the parking lot, access a parking preference of a user of the first vehicle, the parking preference comprising a characteristic of parking spaces, the characteristic of parking spaces comprising at least one of near-entrance, near-exit, near-elevator, near-mall entrance, or spacious;
• determine at least one candidate parking space among the plurality of parking spaces in the parking lot, the at least one candidate parking space each having a stored characteristic label matching with the parking preference of the user, wherein determining the at least one candidate parking space comprises accessing the database maintained by the storage device to identify, among the plurality of parking spaces, at least one parking space whose stored characteristic label matches the parking preference of the user, as the at least one candidate parking space;
• determine availability of the at least one determined candidate parking space;
• select, among the at least one candidate parking space, a first parking space based on the availability of the at least one candidate parking space;
• navigate the first vehicle to the first parking space;
• determine, by sensing with the object detector, a presence of first vehicle indicating a first availability of the first parking space, the first parking space having a first parking space ID, the first availability of the first parking spaces being either vacant or occupied, and the object detector being one of a plurality of object detectors in the parking lot, wherein the parking lot includes a structured layout with driving paths providing vehicular circulation between the plurality of parking spaces and wherein the plurality of object detectors in the parking lot are positioned only at the plurality of parking spaces;
• obtain, by the RFID reader, a first RFID associated with the first vehicle and a first user device in response to determining that the first parking space being occupied by the first vehicle;
• re-determine, by sensing with the object detector, the first vehicle indicating the first availability of the first parking space within a pre-specified length of time to confirm that the first parking space is still being occupied by the first vehicle, the object detector being one of the plurality of object detectors in the parking lot that are positioned only at the plurality of parking spaces;
• and
• communicate, by the hardware processor, the first RFID and the first parking space ID to the storage device via the antenna and a self-organized network formed by a plurality of parking space terminals, wherein the self-organized network is a self-organized network formed by antennae of the plurality of parking space terminals, and wherein each parking space terminal of the plurality of parking space terminals corresponds to a respective parking space of the plurality of parking spaces and comprises a respective object detector, a respective RFID reader, and a respective antenna.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the computer-readable storage medium including instructions that when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

• determine a respective characteristic label for each of a plurality of parking spaces in a parking lot and store the respective characteristic label in a database maintained by a storage device in association with a respective parking space ID of the parking space, wherein determining the respective characteristic label for a given parking space comprises:
• determining a location of the given parking space;
• determining a location of a reference parking space in the parking lot;
• accessing a location of a parking space terminal, the parking space terminal being associated with an entrance of the parking lot, an exit of the parking lot, a mall entrance of the parking lot, or an elevator of the parking lot;
• determining a distance between the location of the given parking space and the accessed location of the parking space terminal;
• determining a distance between the location of the reference parking space and the accessed location of the parking space terminal;
• and
• in response to determining that the distance between the location of the given parking space and the accessed location of the parking space terminal is shorter than the distance between the location of the reference parking space and the location of the parking space terminal, assigning the respective characteristic label to the given parking space, the assigned respective characteristic label corresponding to the parking space terminal and comprising at least one of near-entrance, near-exit, near-elevator, or near-mall entrance;
• determine that a first vehicle enters the parking lot;
• in response to determining that the first vehicle enters the parking lot, access a parking preference of a user of the first vehicle, the parking preference including a characteristic of parking spaces, the characteristic of parking spaces comprising at least one of near-entrance, near-exit, near-elevator, near-mall entrance, or spacious;
• determine at least one candidate parking space among the plurality of parking spaces in the parking lot, the at least one candidate parking space each having a stored characteristic label matching with the parking preference of the user, wherein determining the at least one candidate parking space comprises accessing the database maintained by the storage device to identify, among the plurality of parking spaces, at least one parking space whose stored characteristic label matches the parking preference of the user, as the at least one candidate parking space;
• determine availability of the at least one determined candidate parking space;
• select, among the at least one candidate parking space, a first parking space based on the availability of the at least one candidate parking space;
• navigate the first vehicle to the first parking space;
• determine, by causing an object detector to sense a presence of the first vehicle, thereby indicating a first availability of the first parking space, the first parking space having a first parking space ID, the first availability of the first parking spaces being either vacant or occupied, and the object detector being one of a plurality of object detectors in the parking lot, wherein the parking lot includes a structured layout with driving paths providing vehicular circulation between the plurality of parking spaces and wherein the plurality of object detectors in the parking lot are positioned only at the plurality of parking spaces;
• obtain a first RFID associated with the first vehicle and a first user device in response to determining that the first parking space being occupied by the first vehicle;
• re-determine, by causing the object detector to sense the first vehicle, thereby indicating the first availability of the first parking space within a pre-specified length of time to confirm that the first parking space is still being occupied by the first vehicle, the object detector being one of the plurality of object detectors in the parking lot that are positioned only at the plurality of parking spaces;
• and
• communicate the first RFID and the first parking space ID to the storage device via an antenna and a self-organized network formed by a plurality of parking space terminals, wherein the self-organized network is a self-organized network formed by antennae of the plurality of parking space terminals, and wherein each parking space terminal of the plurality of parking space terminals corresponds to a respective parking space of the plurality of parking spaces and comprises a respective object detector, a respective RFID reader, and a respective antenna.