# US 8,812,353 B2 · Method and apparatus for parking lot metering

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- Number: US 8,812,353 B2
- Document ID: US8812353B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/659,376
- Filed: 2010-03-05
- Published: 2011-04-21
- Granted: 2014-08-19
- Earliest claimed: 2009-10-19
- Assignees: Liberty PlugIns, Inc.
- Applicants: William Gibbens Redmann; Chris Outwater
- Inventors: William Gibbens Redmann; Chris Outwater
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8812353B2

## CPC

- B60L 53/14: Conductive energy transfer
- B60L 1/02: to electric heating circuits
- B60L 53/305: {Communication interfaces}
- B60L 53/64: Optimising energy costs, e.g. responding to electricity rates
- B60L 53/65: involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
- B60L 53/665: {Methods related to measuring, billing or payment}
- G06Q 20/127: {Shopping or accessing services according to a time-limitation}
- G06Q 20/14: specially adapted for billing systems
- 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)
- G07C 1/30: Parking meters (registering or indicating waiting time of vehicles by means driven by the vehicle G07C5/02; coin-freed parking meters G07F17/24)
- G07F 9/001: {Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices}
- G07F 9/002: {Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines}
- G07F 17/24: for parking meters
- G08G 1/14: indicating individual free spaces in parking areas
- G08G 1/145: {where the indication depends on the parking areas}
- G08G 1/148: {Management of a network of parking areas}
- B60L 2240/445: Temperature
- B60L 2240/80: Time limits
- B60L 2250/10: by alarm
- B60L 2250/12: by confirmation, e.g. of the input
- B60L 2250/14: by input of vehicle departure time
- B60L 2250/20: by driver identification
- B60L 2260/58: Departure time prediction
- B60L 2270/12: of exhaust
- Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
- Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
- Y02T 90/12: Electric charging stations
- Y02T 90/14: Plug-in electric vehicles
- Y02T 90/16: Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
- Y02T 90/167: Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
- Y04S 30/14: Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing
- B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
- 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
- G07B: TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
- G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
- 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})
- 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})
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
- Y04S: SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS

## Abstract

A method and apparatus for parking lot metering. The present invention allows multi-space meters to separately manage and control premium parking spaces, such as those for charging electric vehicles or those which supply electric power for engine block heaters in both pay-by-space and pay-an-display systems. Such premium spaces can be managed together over large areas (e.g., a city or region), or may be managed over smaller areas (e.g., the domain of an individual kiosk), or individually per parking space. Management includes pricing, time limits, hours, seasons of operation, and restrictions by vehicle type, and alternative pricing and restrictions for non-premium hours.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for managing parking, the method comprising the steps of:
a) automatically receiving, by a controller, a first parking request from a first motorist, said controller programmed to manage a plurality of parking spaces having a plurality of parking space kinds, said plurality of parking space kinds comprising a first parking space kind having a charging device for electric vehicles and a second parking space kind having no charging device for electric vehicles, wherein at least a first parking space has the first parking space kind having a charging device and a second parking space has a second parking space kind having no charging device, said first parking request having a first parameter comprising a first identifier of one or more of the following: the first parking space and the first parking space kind;
b) automatically providing, by the controller, to the first motorist one or more of the following: a first receipt and a first parking pass, each for parking in at least one of said plurality of parking spaces complying with said first parameter;
c) automatically receiving, by the controller, a second parking request from a second motorist, the second parking request having a second parameter comprising a second identifier of one or more of the following: the second parking space and the second parking space kind; and
d) automatically providing, by the controller, to the second motorist, one or more of the following: a second receipt and a second parking pass, each for parking in at least one of said plurality of parking spaces complying with the second parameter,
wherein for each of the first parking request and the second parking request, parking duration analysis is performed, comprising:
receiving a desired parking time duration as input;
determining that more than one parking space kind applies over the desired parking time duration;
determining which applicable parking space kind has the longest parking time limit; and
determining that the desired parking time duration is less than the determined longest parking time limit.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method for managing parking as in claim 1 wherein said plurality of parking space kinds further comprises one or more of the following: a parking space having a faster charging device; a parking space having an engine heater, a covered parking space, and an ordinary parking space.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method for managing parking as in claim 2, wherein at least one of the first parking space kind and the second parking space kind is associated with a device, the method further comprising the step of:
e) transmitting an activation to the device.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method for managing parking as in claim 3 wherein said device comprises one or more of the following: a charger, a faster charger, and an engine warmer.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method for managing parking as in claim 1 further comprising the step of:
e) accepting a payment, wherein the payment is based on at least the first parking space kind and the performance of b) is in response to the payment.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method for managing parking as in claim 5 wherein said payment is made using one or more of the following: a credit card, a debit card, a radio-frequency identification (RFID), and a cell phone.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method for managing parking as in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:
e) displaying, with a display having communication with the controller, one or more questions to the first motorist; and
f) accepting with the controller, one or more answers in response to said one or more questions, said first parameter further comprising at least one of said answers.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method for managing parking as in claim 1 further comprising the step of:
e) logging said at least one of said plurality of parking spaces complying with said first parameter to a list identifying one or more of said plurality of parking spaces that are in use.

### Claim 9

A kiosk for managing parking, comprising:
a controller programmed to manage a plurality of parking spaces having a plurality of parking space kinds, said plurality of parking space kinds comprising a first parking space kind having a charging device for electric vehicles and a second parking space kind having no charging device for electric vehicles, wherein at least a first parking space has the first parking space kind having a charging device and a second parking space has a second parking space kind having no charging device; and
an input device in communication with said controller, said input device to accept a first parking request from a first motorist, said first parking request having a first parameter comprising a first identifier of one or more of the following: the first parking space and the first parking space kind,
wherein said controller automatically provides to the first motorist one or more of the following: a first receipt and a first parking pass, each for parking in at least one of said plurality of parking spaces complying with said first parameter,
said input device further to accept a second parking request from a second motorist, said second parking request having a second parameter comprising a second identifier of one or more of the following: the second parking space and the second parking space kind;
wherein said controller automatically provides to the second motorist one or more of the following: a second receipt and a second parking pass, each for parking in at least one of said plurality of parking spaces complying with said second parameter, and
wherein for each of the first parking request and the second parking request, parking duration analysis is performed, comprising:
receiving a desired parking time duration as input;
determining that more than one parking space kind applies over the desired parking time duration;
determining which applicable parking space kind has the longest parking time limit; and
determining that the desired parking time duration is less than the determined longest parking time limit.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The kiosk for managing parking as in claim 9 wherein said plurality of parking space kinds further comprises one or more of the following: a parking space having a faster charging device, a parking space having an engine heater, a covered parking space, and an ordinary parking space.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The kiosk for managing parking as in claim 9 further comprising:
a card reader in communication with the controller, for receiving data from a card, wherein the one or more of said first receipt and said first parking pass is provided in response to a payment made using the data from the card, and wherein the payment is based on at least the first parking space kind.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The kiosk for managing parking as in claim 9 further comprising:
a radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader in communication with the controller, for receiving data from an RFID tag, wherein the one or more of said first receipt and said first parking pass is provided in response to a payment made using the data and the payment is based on at least the first parking space kind.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The kiosk for managing parking as in claim 9 wherein the one or more of said first receipt and said first parking pass is provided in response to a payment initiated with a cell phone of the first motorist, and the payment is based on at least the first parking space kind.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The kiosk for managing parking as in claim 9 further comprising:
a display having communication with the controller, said display showing one or more questions to the first motorist;
wherein said input device receives one or more answers in response to said one or more questions, said first parameter further corresponds to at least one of said answers.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The kiosk for managing parking as in claim 9 further comprising:
at least one memory, wherein said controller logs said at least one of said plurality of parking spaces complying with said first parameter to a list in said at least one memory, the list identifying one or more of said plurality of parking spaces that are in use.

### Claim 16 (depends on 9)

The kiosk for managing parking as in claim 9, wherein at least one parking space kind is associated with a device, and wherein said controller transmits an activation to the device.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The kiosk for managing parking as in claim 16 wherein said device comprises one or more of the following: a charger, a faster charger, and an engine warmer.