US 8,138,950 B1 · Programmable parking meter and integrated paging transmitter

Abstract

A programmable parking meter and integrated paging transmitter is provided to warn the parking patron with a pre-violation notice that the parking time is about to expire. The programmable parking meter and integrated paging transmitter includes a rechargeable battery, a flat display that provides programming options and status of parking information to the parking patron, coin slots for use as a conventional coin operated parking meter, an automated teller machine (ATM) style keyboard to activate and program the paging apparatus, and a paging transmitter to interface with existing digital relays and infrastructure for personal communications devices. The invention also includes a method for notifying a remote parking patron that a programmable parking meter and integrated paging transmitter is scheduled to expire.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A programmable parking meter and an integrated paging transmitter, comprising:

a coin slot;
a flat display;
a numeric keypad;
a rechargeable battery and a plurality of photocells;
a paging transmitter is connected to an antenna;
after a parking fee is deposited in said coin slot for a given amount of parking time, said flat panel display without any intervening communication instructs the user to activate a programming function by pressing a sequence of buttons on said keypad;
said flat panel display instructs the user to enter a phone number on said numeric keypad for a pre-violation notification to be sent directly to a communication device of the user without any intervening communication at a predetermined warning period before said given amount of parking time expires;
and
said paging transmitter transmits a notification signal directly to said communication device when said predetermined warning period has been reached, allowing the user to deposit an additional parking fee before said given amount of time expires.

6 more elements

A method for notifying a remote parking patron that a programmable parking meter and integrated paging transmitter is scheduled to expire, comprising the steps of:

forming a meter housing;
providing a coin slot on said meter housing;
installing a flat display on said meter housing;
forming a numeric keypad on said meter housing;
providing a rechargeable battery;
forming a plurality of photocells on said meter housing;
connecting a paging transmitter to an antenna;
depositing a parking fee in said coin slot for a given amount of parking time;
instructing the user without any intervening communication to activate a programming function by pressing a sequence of buttons on said numeric keypad with a set of instructions on said flat panel display;
entering a phone number on said keypad for a pre-violation notification to be sent directly to a communication device of the user without any intervening communication at a predetermined amount of time before said given amount of parking time expires;
and
transmitting a notification signal from said pager transmitter directly to said communication device when said predetermined amount of time has expired allowing the user to deposit an additional parking fee before said given amount of time expires.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Programmable parking meter and integrated paging transmitter

Life of this patent

Programmable parking meter and integrated paging transmitter

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16