Electronic parking meter

An electronic parking meter providing unattended supervision and sale of space usage for a plurality of parking spaces comprising in combination:

• a housing;
• identification means in said housing for customer entry of space and customer personal identification data;
• display means in said housing for visually displaying the identification data entered by the customer through said identification means for verification thereof;
• coin acceptance means in said housing;
• paper currency acceptance means in said housing;
• transaction complete means in said housing for activation by the customer after purchasing the length of parking time desired;
• printer means in said housing for printing a customer receipt for each transaction;
• and
• central computer means in said housing interconnected with said identification means, said display means, said coin acceptance means, said paper currency acceptance means, said transaction complete means, and said printer means, and wherein said computer responds to a predetermined code entered into the central computer means through said identification means to actuate said printer to print a lot status log listing each parking space, and for each space the starting and expiration time for the sale of such space.

An electronic parking meter providing unattended supervision and sale of space usage for a plurality of parking spaces comprising in combination:

• a housing having a front panel;
• readiness indication means providing a visual indication of a state of readiness for the sale of space usage to a customer;
• identification means on said front panel for customer entry of space and customer personal identification data;
• display means on said front panel for visually displaying the identification data entered by the customer through said identification means for verification thereof;
• sequential instruction means on said front panel instructing the customer to initially enter the identification data through said identification means;
• coin acceptance means on said front panel;
• paper currency acceptance means on said front panel;
• said sequential instruction means secondly instructing the customer to enter coins and/or paper currency to purchase space usage;
• transaction complete means on said front panel for activation by the customer after purchasing the space usage desired;
• said sequential instruction means thirdly instructing the customer to activate said transaction complete means;
• printer means on said front panel for printing a customer receipt for each transaction;
• said sequential instruction means fourthly instructing the customer to take said receipt;
• and
• central computer means interconnected with said readiness indication means, said identification means, said display means, said coin acceptance means, said paper currency acceptance means, said transaction complete means and said printer means, and wherein said computer responds to a predetermined code entered into the central computer means through said identification means to actuate said printer to print a lot status log listing each parking space, and for each space the starting and expiration time for the sale of such space.

An electronic parking meter providing unattended supervision and sale of space usage for a plurality of parking spaces comprising in combination:

• a housing;
• identification means in said housing for customer entry of identification data;
• display means in said housing for visually displaying identification data entered by the customer through said identification means for verification thereof;
• coin acceptance means in said housing;
• paper currency accepting means in said housing;
• transaction complete means in said housing for activation by the customer after purchasing the length of parking time desired;
• printer means in said housing for printing a customer receipt for each transaction;
• central computer means in said housing interconnected with said identification means, said display means, said coin acceptance means, said paper currency means, said transaction complete means, and said printer means;
• and
• a hand-held electronic lot check register having a memory and a removable data link for interconnection of said lot check register with said central computing means for data transfer therebetween, and wherein said printer means prints a lot status log listing each entry of identification data and expiration time, upon entry through said identification means of a predetermined code by a lot checker, said expiration time information being transferred to said electronic lot check register upon connection thereof through said data link to said central computer means, said electronic lot check register having display means for indicating violation information to the lot checker during inventory after disconnection of said data link, said lot check register further having identification means for entry of parked vehicle identification information by said lot checker during said lot inventory for transfer to said central computer means upon reconnection of said data link for updated printing of vehicle identification information by said printer means on subsequent printouts on subsequent lot status logs.

A lot check register for interconnection to and use with an electronic parking meter for supervision of the sale of space usage for a plurality of parking spaces, comprising:

• computer means including a memory;
• a key pad for entry of parked vehicle identification information for each parking space for storage in the memory of said computer means;
• display means visually displaying data from said computer means and data entered through said key pad and a visual indication of a violation;
• and
• interface means for establishing a communication link between said computer means and the electronic parking meter to transfer into the memory of said computer means information concerning numbered parking spaces from said electronic parking meter and upon completion of a lot inventory transferring identification data to the electronic parking meter for updating a subsequent lot status log to contain current parked vehicle identification information for each parking space.