# US 2014/0379442 A1 · Methods and systems for electronic payment for on-street parking > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0379442 A1 - Document ID: US20140379442A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/482,369 - Filed: 2014-09-10 - Published: 2014-12-25 - Earliest claimed: 2012-04-23 - Assignees: Transparent Wireless Systems, LLC - Applicants: Transparent Wireless Systems, LLC - Inventors: Santanu DUTTA; Nils RYDBECK - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140379442A1 ## CPC - G07B 15/00: Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points (handling coins or valuable papers, e.g. banknotes, G07D; apparatus for vending or hiring articles or services activated by coins, credit cards, paper currency or the like G07F7/00, G07F17/00) - G06Q 20/145: {Payments according to the detected use or quantity} - G06Q 20/322: {Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]} - G06Q 20/3224: {Transactions dependent on location of M-devices} - G06Q 20/326: {Payment applications installed on the mobile devices} - G06Q 20/3278: {RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices} - G06Q 50/40: Business processes related to the transportation industry (shipping G06Q10/083) - 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) - G07F 17/246: {provided with vehicle proximity-detectors (detecting hidden masses, e.g. metal detectors, G01V, e.g. G01V3/00; proximity switches per se H03K17/00; traffic control systems G08G1/00)} - G07B: TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G07F: COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS (coin sorting G07D3/00; coin testing G07D5/00; {handling coins or paper currencies apart from payment activated apparatus G07D; payment architectures, schemes or protocols G06Q20/00}) ## Abstract This disclosure describes a method of payment for parking of a vehicle including determining the location of the vehicle with a wireless communication device. Determining the location includes using a satellite radio navigation system such as GPS with the facility for user provided corrections and avoiding the use of zone IDs. The method also includes automatically extending an initiated parking session with subsequent prepaid time durations until certain predetermined conditions are met. The method includes automatically determining the end of an initiated parking session based on detecting movement of the vehicle away from a parking spot provided the Handset containing the parking payment App has sensed a Bluetooth tag in the vehicle or paired with the built-in Bluetooth system of the vehicle. The method also includes targeted parking enforcement where parked vehicles are identified wirelessly by short range radio beacons emitted by tags placed in/on the vehicles and their session status checked with information downloaded from a parking application server. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of payment for parking of a vehicle comprising: determining the location of the vehicle with a wireless communication device, wherein determining the location comprises using a satellite navigation system; initiating a parking session having a first prepaid time duration with a server; transmitting the location of the wireless communication device and an identity of the vehicle to the server; and automatically extending the parking session with subsequent prepaid time durations until at least one of the following conditions is reached: the user closes the parking session, a maximum parking session is reached, a free parking period begins or the parking session closes on detection of movement of the vehicle away from a parking spot. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a warning is sent prior to expiration of the parking session. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein parking charges for the first prepaid time duration and the subsequent prepaid time durations are accumulated in the server until the parking session is closed. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a parking payment application is part of the vehicle's electronic system and the parking session is started with a single user input following opening the parking payment application. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the parking payment application is located on a Handset and the parking session is initiated subsequent to exchanging information by the Handset with an identification device in/on the vehicle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein exchanging information includes methods standardized by the Bluetooth protocols, including the Bluetooth Low Energy extensions thereof. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, where the wireless communications device comprises a Handset and wherein closing the parking session on detection of movement of the vehicle away from a parking spot occurs when data has been exchanged between a Bluetooth device in/on the vehicle and the Handset. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, where the wireless communications device comprises a Handset and information available from a vehicle's built-in subsystems, including a positioning subsystem, are accessed by the Handset via an application programming interface. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein accessing is performed wirelessly. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A system comprising: a wireless communications device providing user input and output and position location capability, and a server connected to the wireless communications device, wherein both the wireless communications device and the server are configured to pay for parking according to the method of claim 1. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the system comprises an identification device located in or on the vehicle or wherein the identification device is built into the vehicle's electronic system. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, further comprising a Handset, wherein the parking session is initiated subsequent to the Handset exchanging information with the identification device in the vehicle and/or the parking session is closed on detection of movement of the vehicle away from a parking spot subsequent to the Handset exchanging information with the identification device in the vehicle. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein pairing comprises Bluetooth pairing. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the vehicle comprises a parking application that is part of the vehicle's electronic system and the parking session is opened with a single user input. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, further comprising a built-in positioning system in the vehicle. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, further comprising an application programming interface allowing access of a parking application to the built-in positioning system. ### Claim 17 A method of validating a parking session of a parked vehicle comprising: receiving information with a handheld terminal carried by an enforcement officer from a radio beacon emitted by an identification device placed in or on the vehicle, wherein the identification device autonomously transmits the radio beacon, the radio beacon carrying vehicle identification information; and determining the identity of the vehicle directly from the information carried by the beacon, or communicating with the identification device to gather information about the identity of the vehicle. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein transmission from the radio beacon is not responsive to receipt of a query signal from the handheld terminal. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the identification tag comprises a low power broadcast radio beacon.