US 5,777,951 AGranted

Parking meter

AssigneeDigital Pioneer Technologies Corp.

InventorsFrederick L. Mitschele, Damien E. Reynolds

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Abstract

A parking meter includes a microcontroller and a timer coupled with the microcontroller. A mechanism for accepting payment by coin, credit card or both is coupled with the microcontroller for accepting payment for use of an associated parking space. The microcontroller initiates the timer for a prepaid parking interval upon receiving a signal from the payment acceptance mechanism. A vehicle detector is coupled with the microcontroller for detecting the presence or absence of a vehicle in the associated parking space. A communications modem is coupled with the microcontroller. The microcontroller initiates a call notifying authorities as to a parking violation upon the vehicle detector signalling to the microcontroller the presence of a vehicle in the associated parking space after the expiration of the prepaid parking interval.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A parking meter, comprising:

i) a microcontroller;
ii) a timer coupled with the microcontroller;
iii) payment acceptance means coupled with the microcontroller for accepting payment for use of an associated parking space, such that the microcontroller initiates the timer for a prepaid parking interval upon receiving a signal from the payment acceptance means;
iv) vehicle detection means coupled with the microcontroller for detecting the presence or absence of a vehicle in the associated parking space;
v) means for identifying a vehicle parked in the associated parking space, comprising digital camera means coupled with the microcontroller, said camera adapted to be focused at the associated parking space in the area of the parking space where the license plate of a parked vehicle is located, the microcontroller initiating the camera to take an image of a vehicle license plate upon determining the existence of a parking violation;
and
vi) digital storage means for storing said digital image for subsequent retrieval or transmission.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.