# US 2018/0025641 A1 · Parking detection and guidance system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0025641 A1 - Document ID: US20180025641A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/217,693 - Filed: 2016-07-22 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-22 - Inventors: Alexander LaVelle; Bryce Loop - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180025641A1 ## CPC - G08G 1/143: {inside the vehicles} - G08G 1/0116: {from roadside infrastructure, e.g. beacons} - G08G 1/0129: {for creating historical data or processing based on historical data} - G08G 1/0141: {for traffic information dissemination} - G08G 1/02: using treadles built into the road (pads or other sensitive devices responsive to passage of vehicles E01F11/00) - G08G 1/096816: {where the complete route is transmitted to the vehicle at once} - G08G 1/09685: {where the complete route is computed only once and not updated} - G08G 1/096861: {where the immediate route instructions are output to the driver, e.g. arrow signs for next turn} - G08G 1/096883: {where input information is obtained using a mobile device, e.g. a mobile phone, a PDA} - G08G 1/144: {on portable or mobile units, e.g. personal digital assistant [PDA]} - G08G 1/146: {where the parking area is a limited parking space, e.g. parking garage, restricted space} - G08G 1/147: {where the parking area is within an open public zone, e.g. city centre} - G08G 1/149: {coupled to means for restricting the access to the parking space, e.g. authorization, access barriers, indicative lights} - H04B 10/1149: {Arrangements for indoor wireless networking of information} - H04B 10/11: Arrangements specific to free-space transmission, i.e. transmission through air or vacuum - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) - H04B: TRANSMISSION ## Abstract A real-time vehicle parking guidance system includes a plurality of wireless sensor nodes distributed in a parking area for detecting the presence of vehicles in parking spaces in the parking area, wherein the wireless sensor nodes transmit vehicle detection information through a hybrid communication method that uses optical wireless communication along with a backup radio frequency (RF) transmission; and a wireless hub communications unit including a programming element and a data module, for receiving the vehicle detection information from the wireless sensor nodes and transmitting the vehicle detection information to a processor for updating a corresponding display of the real-time vehicle parking on a computer or mobile device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A real-time vehicle parking guidance system, comprising: a plurality of wireless sensor nodes distributed in a parking area for detecting the presence of vehicles in parking spaces in the parking area, wherein the wireless sensor nodes transmit vehicle detection information through a hybrid communications method that uses optical wireless communication (OWC) along with a backup radio frequency (RF) transmission; and a wireless hub communications unit including a programming element and a data module, for receiving the vehicle detection information from the wireless sensor nodes and transmitting the vehicle detection information to a processor for updating a corresponding display of the real-time vehicle parking on a computer or mobile device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The real-time vehicle parking guidance system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of wireless sensor nodes use pulse induction technology for detecting the presence of vehicles. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The real-time vehicle parking guidance system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of wireless sensor nodes use a programmed timing profile to turn on the sensor nodes more frequently during peak parking hours and less frequently during off peak parking hours. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The real-time vehicle parking guidance system of claim 1, wherein the wireless hub communications unit transmits the vehicle detection information to the processor using a machine to machine connection. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The real-time vehicle parking guidance system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of wireless sensor nodes are arranged to provide two-way communication between emitters and receivers of the sensor nodes. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The real-time vehicle parking guidance system of claim 5, wherein the plurality of wireless sensor nodes are arranged in a point to point (line) topology using optical wireless communication multihopping between the sensor nodes for communication between the sensor nodes and the wireless hub communications unit. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The real-time vehicle parking guidance system of claim 1, wherein a light emitting diode (LED) array, or similar light emitting component, in each of the plurality of wireless sensor nodes passes data between each sensor node using optical wireless communication. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The real-time vehicle parking guidance system of claim 6, wherein the optical wireless communication transmits vehicle detection information faster and/or more efficiently than the RF transmission. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The real-time vehicle parking guidance system of claim 1, wherein there is one or more wireless sensor node for each parking space. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The real-time vehicle parking guidance system of claim 1, wherein the parking area is a parking area of a parking lot, a parking structure, or a street parking. ### Claim 11 A method of providing real-time vehicle parking guidance, comprising: detecting whether a vehicle is present in a parking space in a parking area using a wireless sensor node; transmitting the vehicle detection information from the wireless sensor node to a wireless hub communications unit through a hybrid communication method that uses optical wireless communication (OWC) along with a backup radio frequency (RF) transmission, wherein the wireless hub communications unit includes a programming element and a data module; and transmitting the vehicle detection information from the wireless hub communications unit to a processor for updating a corresponding display of the real-time vehicle parking on a computer or mobile device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of providing real-time vehicle parking guidance of claim 11, wherein the wireless sensor node uses pulse induction technology for detecting the presence of a vehicle. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of providing real-time vehicle parking guidance of claim 11, wherein the wireless sensor node uses a programmed timing profile to turn on the sensor node more frequently during peak parking hours and less frequently during off peak parking hours. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of providing real-time vehicle parking guidance of claim 11, wherein the wireless hub communications unit transmits the vehicle detection information to the processor using a machine to machine connection. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of providing real-time vehicle parking guidance of claim 11, wherein the wireless sensor node is arranged to provide two-way communication between emitters and receivers of other wireless sensor nodes. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of providing real-time vehicle parking guidance of claim 15, wherein the wireless sensor nodes are arranged in a point to point (line) topology using optical wireless communication multihopping between the sensor nodes for communication between the sensor nodes and the wireless hub communications unit. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of providing real-time vehicle parking guidance of claim 16, wherein a light emitting diode (LED) array, or similar light emitting component, in each of the wireless sensor nodes passes data between each sensor node using optical wireless communication. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of providing real-time vehicle parking guidance of claim 16, wherein the optical wireless communication transmits detection information faster than the RF transmission. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The method of providing real-time vehicle parking guidance of claim 11, wherein there is one or more wireless sensor node for each parking space. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The method of providing real-time vehicle parking guidance of claim 11, wherein the parking area is a parking area of a parking lot, a parking structure, or a street parking.