Patent Application
20050237225
Presently, in a parking lot, drivers must waste so much time, energy and fuel finding an unoccupied parking space. This is most undesirable for clients of all shopping complexes. Thus, this system of computerized on-line detection of any available unoccupied parking spaces is invented to help minimizing the time for finding a parking space and the unnecessary waste of the fuel. There are presently, only the inventions that help the driver to park properly in an available parking space in a parking lot using sensors either visual or audible (U.S. Pat. No. 5,945,907), infrared or laser transmitting devices (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,177,479 and6,531,966) to detect the distance between the car and other objects to avoid hitting the car against a wall of a garage or any other cars or objects, thus avoid any possible damage. None yet has been invented as of this present invention which are apparatus and method of finding any unoccupied spaces available at a certain moment in a parking lot to help directing a driver to such a space with no need to spend too much of his time and effort.
Apparatus and method for finding an unoccupied parking space in a parking lot by an On-line computerized system comprises a barring mechanisms at a parking space. A driver obtains a remote control device from an authority at the entrance of a parking lot. Upon pressing a button of the remote control having a specific predetermined code matching to the receiver at that particular parking space, the barring mechanisms is removed. The vehicle can then move in to park in the parking space. The transmitter at the parking space transmits an infrared beam to detect the presence of the vehicle in the parking space where the on-line transmitting device informs the system computer that the particular space is ‘occupied’. Simultaneously, the system computer informs a computer at the exit of a parking lot to start counting the time of parking. When the vehicle leaves the parking space, the barring components return to the original position to prevent any unauthorized vehicle from getting into the space. The infrared beam of a dark-on type sends the information to the system computer notifying that the particular parking space is now ‘vacant’. The parking fee is charged at the exit as the driver returns the remote control to the authority at the exit.
For a long term rented parking space, the receiver of the parking space is preset to be able to receive the code from a remote control for a certain period of time.
The components for guiding a car to an unoccupied parking space comprises 3 main sets of apparatus as follows:
The system functions as follows:
Switch 7 is connected to receiver 6 which is capable of receiving either radio-frequencies or infrared or any communicable forms of electromagnetic wave energy. On-line Signal transmitting Device 12 is connected to switch 7. Supposing receiver 6 receives a matching radio-frequency from remote control 13. When receiver 6 which is connected to the DC-motor 5 receives the signal from remote control 13, it commands motor 5 to turn counterclockwise. This causes plate 2 together with stem 3 turns pivotally to lie down on to the ground. Switch 10 is connected to relay 11 which is connected to infrared transmitter 8 (or any device which can communicate through any type of electromagnetic wave(s) or any communicable signal or wave energy). Transmitter 8 emits infrared beam 9 whose beam ends at about 5 feet above the ground and which is of ‘switch on tailing down’ or ‘dark-on’ type, which means that it starts functioning only after any object blocking the beam has moved away.
Transmitter 8 is also connected to motor 5 and causes motor 5 to turn clockwise and thus pivotally turn stem 3 together with plate 2 to stand upright.
Remote control 13 is the one to transmit radio-frequency or any kind of wave energy for communication where each remote control is specifically assigned—i.e. factory preset, to transmit only a specific radiofrequency unique only for that particular remote control and not for the other. This frequency can be received only by a particular matching receiver 6. Button 14 on the remote control 13 is for transmitting the radiowave to receiver 6. Thus, the wave carries code to the receiver in the same manner as a hand phone capable of transmitting a wave energy of 900 MHz sending a code of a particular wave frequency to just one particular receiver of another hand phone of a specified phone number. There on each remote control 13 is assigned a bar code 15 and an identification number of each remote control, e.g. 1234. This number ‘1234’ is to be encoded in the system computer at the entrance and encoded for only one of the receiver 6 at that particular parking space such that only that particular receiver 6 can detect the radio-frequency from the remote control No. 1234, and not from any other remote control.
Encoding of the code to only a particular receiver 6 is performed by the authority at the entrance where he keys in the number identifying the remote control into the system computer, e.g. ‘1234’. This code ‘1234’ will be on-lined to receiver 6. On the other hand, code ‘1234’ may be keyed into the barcode reader within the remote control No. 1234. The barcode reader sends the information of code number 1234 to the computer and the computer processes and sends the code ‘1234’ to receiver 6.
All the components 1-12 is installed at the outer edge of each parking space. Their dimension and location are designed such that none will be run over by any of the tires of the vehicle and there will not be contact to any part underneath of the car nor the chassis while the car is parking in the described parking space nor while it is moving out from the parking space.
Alternatively, the components may be installed at the ceiling just above the parking space where the mechanisms may be of mechanical or electronics devices.
The area of each parking space is indicated by the dotted line.
As shown in
Stem 3 is standing upright and thus presses switch 10 into an ‘OFF’ position. Thus, there will not be any electric current into relay 11 and transmitter 8, causing transmitter 8 to be in ‘OFF’ position and no emission of infrared beam 9.
In this situation, switch 7 is in an ‘ON’ position, and it allows supply of electric current to receiver 6. Receiver 6 is therefore in a ready-to-function position or ‘STAND-BY’ mode. When switch 7 is in an ‘ON’ position, transmitter 12 transmits a message to appear on the monitor of the system computer that ‘space no.567, row A, 20th floor—“VACANT”’.
To direct to a vacant parking space can be done as follows:
The parking lot authority at the entrance keys No. ‘1234’ in the computer or using the barcode reader 15 to key number ‘1234’. The system computer will send the message on-line to receiver 6 which is in a stand-by mode at the parking space 567 at row A of 20th floor and the number 1234 is encoded into the memory of receiver 6 where receiver 6 is able only to detect or receive only the wave energy code from the remote control 1234 and never any other wave energy from any other remote control.
The system computer simultaneously sends the message on-line to the computer at the exit informing that remote control no. 1234 has been handed out to a car entering in the parking lot. The computer at the exit registered and then starts counting the time of parking of that car utilizing the remote control no. 1234 thus the fee for parking can be calculated.
When the code is decoded from the receiver 6 as the electric current stops supplying to receiver 6. Receiver 6 thus can not receive any wave signal from any remote control.
In this manner, switch 10 turns to an ‘ON’ position. There should be electrical supply to transmitter 8, but relay 11 causes delay of electric supply that transmitter 8 can not yet transmit infrared beam 9 for a preset period of time until the car has moved into and parked properly in the parking space. The sequence is as follows:
1. When button 14 on remote control no. 1234 is pressed, motor 5 turns counterclockwise. The lower end of stem 3 moves pivotally away from pressing on switch 10 and allow switch 10 to be in ‘ON’ position. If there is no relay 11, electric current will supply immediately to transmitter 8 causing transmitter 8 to transmit infrared beam instantaneously. If such happens, and if the driver needs to move the car a few times before the car can be properly parked, then the car will be moving in and out of the parking space and thus will block the infrared beam on and off also for a few time. If there is no relay 11, when the car moves away from the infrared beam, motor 5 is commanded to turn clockwise by transmitter 8 and thus stem 3 together with plate 2 will move pivotally upright to be in the way and prevent the car to get in. This will be quite awkward upon parking a car. Relay 11 must then be added to delay the functioning of transmitter 8 to allow smooth parking of a car.
2. Once the car get into the parking space properly, and relay 11 does not delay the signal any further. Relay 11 commands transmitter 8 to transmit infrared beam 9 up vertically. The underneath of the car blocks beam 9 at all time while the car is parking.
3. As shown in
4. Arriving at the exit of the parking lot, the driver hands the remote control no. 1234 back to the authority at the exit. The barcode is read by the barcode reader. The parking fee is calculated. The driver pays the fee and departs the parking lot.
In the condominiums or the renting apartments, mostly each parking is rented for a longer period of time, monthly or annually. The remote control can be preset to transmit a particular wave energy to match with the receiver of such particular parking space for the time rented.
In the present invention, the receiver unit can be any of the wave energy detector(s) and the transmitter unit can be any of the wave energy source(s) which can communicate to allow appropriate best functioning of the above described system.
Alternatively, instead of handing a remote control to the driver, the authority at the entrance may inform the driver of the available parking space and operate to remove the barring mechanisms from a distance although using a remote control would provide convenience to the driver and lower the cost for installation of the whole system.
It will be understood that modifications can be made in the above description without departing from the scope of this invention by one of ordinary skill in the art. It is accordingly intended that all matter contained in the above description be interpreted as descriptive and illustrative rather than in a limiting sense.
It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention as described herein, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.
