Methods and systems for tracking a vehicle's position using a plurality of light sensors

A first light sensor for use in tracking a vehicle's position in a parking area, comprising:

• a light-sensing module configured to detect physical presence of a vehicle;
• a communication interface;
• and
• a tracking module coupled with the light-sensing module and the communication interface and configured to:
• receive, over the communication interface, a vehicle identifier assigned to a vehicle;
• and
• provide, over the communication interface, the vehicle identifier to one or more others of a plurality of light sensors used to track the vehicle's position within the parking area responsive to detection of the physical presence of the vehicle by the first light sensor,
• wherein the tracking module is configured to receive, over the communication interface, the vehicle identifier from one or more neighboring light sensors of the plurality of light sensors on detection by the one or more neighboring light sensors of physical presence of the vehicle, wherein the tracking module is further configured to provide, to the one or more others of the plurality of light sensors in response to receiving the vehicle identifier from the one or more neighboring light sensors more than a predetermined number of times, an announcement that a passing object is a vehicle.

A vehicle position tracking system, comprising:

• a tracker computing device;
• and
• a plurality of light sensors in communication with the tracker computing device to monitor a parking area for physical presence of vehicles;
• wherein the tracker computing device is configured to:
• assign a vehicle identifier to a given vehicle on passage of the given vehicle through an entry into the parking area;
• provide, to a first of the plurality of light sensors, the vehicle identifier;
• when the given vehicle is parked in a parking spot within the parking area, receive, from a second of the plurality of light sensors, information indicative of the parking spot where the given vehicle is parked within the parking area and,
• after the given vehicle is parked in the parking spot:
• receive from a user of the given vehicle, the vehicle identifier;
• determine, based on the vehicle identifier, the parking spot where the given vehicle is parked within the parking area;
• and
• provide to the user output indicative of the determined parking spot where the given vehicle is parked.