Parking lot monitoring system

What is this patent about?

'172 is related to the field of parking management systems, specifically those used in parking lots and ramps. Traditional parking systems often rely on numbered spaces, manual ticket systems, and human attendants for monitoring and enforcement. These systems can be inconvenient for users, costly to operate, and prone to revenue loss due to uncollected violations. The patent addresses the need for an automated, efficient, and cost-effective solution for managing parking facilities.

The underlying idea behind '172 is to automate parking management by using image recognition to identify vehicles entering and exiting a parking area, and then comparing the time spent in the area to payments made. This allows for unattended operation, automatic violation detection, and potentially increased revenue capture. The system aims to eliminate the need for physical meters, attendants, and manual enforcement.

The claims of '172 focus on a parking lot management system that includes a kiosk and a lot camera. The kiosk has a processor, memory, network interface, graphical user interface, camera, microphone, speaker, and payment acceptor. The lot camera captures images of vehicles entering the lot, and the kiosk processor detects the vehicle, captures its identification, transmits it to a remote computer, times a grace period, receives payment, determines violations based on time, and transmits violation notices.

In practice, the system works by capturing an image of the vehicle's license plate upon entry to the parking lot. This image is processed to extract the license plate number, which is then associated with the time of entry. The driver then interacts with the kiosk to select a parking duration and make a payment. Upon exiting the lot, the system again captures the license plate and compares the time spent in the lot to the paid duration. If a violation is detected, a notice is sent to the vehicle owner.

This system differentiates itself from prior approaches by automating the entire parking management process. Instead of relying on manual ticket systems or attendants, the system uses license plate recognition (LPR) and networked kiosks to track vehicles, process payments, and enforce parking regulations. This automation reduces operational costs, minimizes revenue loss, and provides a more convenient experience for users. The system can also integrate with law enforcement databases to identify stolen vehicles or vehicles associated with persons of interest.