Parking meter system
AssigneeMunicipal Parking Services, Inc.
InventorsThomas G. Hudson, Joseph M. Caldwell, Richard C. Gage
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A parking enforcement system can include a weather resistant housing, a processor disposed inside of the housing, a memory disposed inside of the housing and coupled to the processor, a network interface disposed in the housing and coupled to the processor, a first camera disposed in the housing and facing outward towards a first parking space. The processor can be configured to recognize when a vehicle first occupies the first parking space and determine a classification for the vehicle.
Claims30
A system for enforcing parking rules at multiple parking facilities, wherein vehicles enter a first parking facility to park in one of a plurality of parking spaces within the first parking facility, and vehicles exit the first parking facility to leave the first parking facility, the system comprising:
- a remote computer system communicatively coupled to a communication network, the remote computer system being remote from the first parking facility,
- one or more databases communicatively coupled to the computer system, the one or more databases storing data defining:
- parking rules associated with the first parking facility, including a plurality of parking rates each rate associated with a respective time period;
- and
- a registration list that associates vehicle license plate characters with payment information;
- a first camera positioned to automatically capture first image data associated with a first vehicle when the first vehicle enters the parking facility;
- a second camera positioned to automatically capture second image data associated with the when the first vehicle exits the first parking facility;
- one or more processors that perform automated character recognition analysis of the first image data captured with the first camera and of the second image data captured with the second camera, wherein a result of the automated character recognition analysis comprises characters corresponding to a license plate of the first vehicle;
- and
- one or more network interface devices communicatively coupled to the first and second cameras to automatically transmit to the remote computer system the first image data and the second image data and time information corresponding to when the first vehicle entered and when the first vehicle exited the first parking facility,
- wherein the remote computer system is configured to automatically determine when a parking violation has occurred by the first vehicle based at least in part on a time associated with first vehicle entering the first parking facility, and by referencing the parking rules and the registration list, and to automatically generate a parking violation notice that is populated with at least the characters corresponding to the license plate of the first vehicle, the time of entry for the first vehicle, and an image of the first vehicle based on the first and/or the second image data captured at the first parking facility.
A system for generating parking violation notices for a plurality of parking facilities, wherein a first parking facility of the plurality of parking facilities has at least a first entrance, at least a first exit, and a plurality of parking spaces, wherein a vehicle enters the first parking facility through the first entrance and leaves the parking facility through the first exit, the system comprising:
- a remote computer system communicatively coupled to a communication network, the remote computer system being remote from the first parking facility,
- one or more databases communicatively coupled to the computer system, the one or more databases storing data defining:
- parking rules associated with the first parking facility, including at least one parking rate;
- and
- a registration list that associates vehicle license plate numbers with payment information;
- a first camera installed within line of sight of the first entrance to the first parking facility to automatically capture entry image data of a first vehicle entering the first parking facility, the first camera being communicatively coupled to a network interface for communicating with the remote computer system over the communication network;
- a second camera installed within line of sight of the first exit to the first parking facility to automatically capture exit image data of the first vehicle exiting the first parking facility, the second camera being communicatively coupled to a network interface for communicating with the remote computer system over the communication network,
- wherein the first camera automatically records time of entry for the first vehicle and transmits time of entry data and entry image data associated with the first vehicle to the remote computer system,
- wherein the second camera automatically records time of exit for the vehicle and transmits time of entry data and exit image data associated with the first vehicle to the remote computer system;
- one or more processors that perform automated character recognition analysis of the entry image data captured with the first camera to produce a first character output corresponding to a license plate number of the first vehicle;
- and
- one or more processors that perform automated character recognition analysis of the exit image data captured with the second camera to produce a second character output corresponding to a license plate of the first vehicle;
- wherein the remote computer system is configured to automatically determine when a parking violation has occurred by the first vehicle based at least in part on a time associated with the first vehicle entering the first parking facility and by referencing the parking rules and the registration list, and
- wherein the remote computer system is configured to automatically generate a parking violation notice that is populated with at least one of the first and second character outputs, the time of entry for the first vehicle, and an image of the first vehicle based on image data captured at the first parking facility.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.