GB2477855A

GB2477855A - Vehicle parking registration device

Info

Publication number: GB2477855A
Application number: GB1102233A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Steve Wyllie
Original assignee: SAVVY UK Ltd
Current assignee: SAVVY UK Ltd
Priority date: 2010-02-09
Filing date: 2011-02-09
Publication date: 2011-08-17
Also published as: GB201002042D0; GB201102233D0

Abstract

A vehicle parking area 1 is un-barriered, such that vehicles can enter and exit the area unimpeded. A vehicle parking registration device 3 is provided in the car parking area 1. The vehicle parking registration device 3 is operable to read a user's token, preferably a smartcard, wireless client or smartphone, which is pre-loaded with parking time credit. The device 3 is further operable to determine a duration of parking time for the user. The device 3 includes data entry means to receive and store data for enabling a vehicle of the user to be identified, such as via a number plate or a unique parking bay identifier. The device 3 adjusts the credit on the user's token in dependence upon the duration of the parking time. The user may be able to set a parking duration time or the parking device 3 may be able to measure a parking duration between token reads at the start and end of the parking duration and adjust the credit on the token accordingly. Parking in the parking area 1 is controlled without the use of barriers and without the issuing of printed tickets.

Description

VEHICLE PARKING

The present invention relates to a vehicle parking area having an associated vehicle parking registration device, to a parking control system, and to a method of controlling vehicle parking in an area.

It is desirable to control vehicle parking in particular areas for various reasons.

This is typically achieved by making a charge for parking, the charge being proportionate to the duration of the parking. Parking may be controlled to prevent vehicles from being parked for a long period of time (such as might be done by rail commuters), which would prevent the same parking resource being used by a multiplicity of other users over that period of time, such as shoppers.

Control of parking may also be used to discourage use of vehicles (or certain usage patterns) for environmental reasons or to maximise revenues.

There are two main known types of parking control. In a first type (so-called "pay and display") a user obtains a printed ticket from a machine on payment of a predetermined amount of money. The ticket indicates the duration of parking that has been purchased and is displayed in the user's vehicle window, which enables a parking attendant to check whether an appropriate parking payment has been made in respect of a particular vehicle. This type of parking control is typically used in un-barriered areas.

An alternative type of known parking arrangement requires a barriered entry point to and a barriered exit point from the parking area, with the remainder of the parking area being secure. In order to gain entry to the car parking area, a user takes a ticket at the entry barrier, which causes the barrier to open. When the user wishes to leave the car parking area the ticket obtained on entry to the car parking area is interrogated by a machine to determine the duration of car parking used. The payment of an amount that is proportional to the duration of parking is then required of the user. The ticket is then modified to include a flag (which can be either manually readable or electronically readable). The ticket is presented, and the flag read, at the exit, and which causes the exit barrier to open.

Embodiments of the present invention seek to provide improved parking control (which is effective in un-barriered areas) by requiring less hardware and simplifying the actions required of the user.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle parking area having an associated vehicle parking registration device, which device includes means operable to read a user token that is pre-loaded with parking credit, means operable to determine a duration of parking time for the user, data entry means operable to receive and store data for enabling a vehicle of the user to be identified, and means operable to adjust the credit on the user's token in dependence upon the duration of parking time.

In the embodiment to be described the data for enabling a vehicle of a user to be identified is a unique identifier of a parking bay in which the user chooses to park their vehicle. When the user parks their vehicle, they will note the unique bay identifier and will enter this, using the data entry means, into the vehicle parking registration device. Alternative data for enabling a vehicle to be identified includes the vehicle registration mark. In this alternative, the owner of the vehicle would, using the data entry means of the device, enter the registration mark of their vehicle.

The means operable to determine a duration of parking time for the user may determine that parking time by obtaining from the user an indication or estimate of the amount of time that they will leave their vehicle parked in the parking area, Alternatively, a duration of parking time of a predetermined amount (such as one day) may be deducted from the use? s token. If the user subsequently re-presents their token to the vehicle parking registration device, a calculation is made of the amount of parking time actually used by the user and an appropriate refund of any unused parking time can be made to the user's token.

The embodiments allow access to the vehicle parking area to be uncontrolled by physical obstructions, such as bathers and fences. This is particularly advantageous as it allows vehicle parking in an area to be controlled without the expense or the inconvenience of erecting barriers and fences. The embodiments of the invention also allow a vehicle parking in the area to be controlled without requiring a ticket to be printed and displayed in the vehicle.

In order to encourage users to use the vehicle parking area properly, and to use their token for paying for car parking time, the vehicle parking registration device may include data output means operable at a requested time to provide the bay identifiers of those bays (or the vehicle's registration marks, or other unique identifier) in respect of which a user parking credit adjustment has been made which includes that time. For example, the vehicle parking registration device may periodically or continuously review the status of a flag associated with each parking bay. This flag may be set to a value of either "paid for" or "free". By comparing the current time to the duration of parking time deducted from the user's token for each bay, the correct status of the flag can be updated continuously or periodically so that, for example, the value changes from "paid for" to "free" for that bay when the expiration of parking time expires. This information can be output to either a central data store or directly onto a device used by a parking attendant, and facilitates the parking attendant determining whether any bays are being used by vehicles for which no payment has been made. An appropriate penalty can then be issued for those vehicles.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling vehicle parking in an area having an associated vehicle parking registration device including means operable to read a user's token that is pre-loaded with parking credit, means operable to determine a duration of parking time for the user, data entry means operable to receive and store data for enabling a vehicle of the user to be identified, and means operable to adjust the credit on the user's token in dependence upon the duration of parking time, the method including operating the vehicle parking registration device to read the user's token when presented thereto, to determine a duration of parking time for the user and to adjust the credit on the user's token in dependence upon the duration of parking time.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a parking control system for a vehicle parking area, including a user's token pre-loadable with parking time credit, a vehicle parking registration device for being located at the vehicle parking area and including means operable to read the user's token, means operable to determine a duration of parking time for the user, data entry means operable to receive and store data for enabling a vehicle of the user to be identified, and means for adjusting the credit on the user's token in dependence upon the duration of parking time.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling vehicle parking in an un-barriered area, including providing a vehicle parking registration device and operating that device to: read a user's token that is pre-loaded with parking time credit, determine a duration of parking time for the user, receive and store data that enables a vehicle of the user to be identified, adjust the credit on the user's token in dependence upon the duration of parking time, and at a requested time, outputting data which enables the vehicles of the users to be identified in respect of which a user parking credit has been made and which includes that time to facilitate penalising of users of the vehicles.

The embodiments of the invention, to be described in more detail below, allow parking to be controlled in an area without requiring barriers or other access control security and without requiring machinery for printing tickets, and the associated need to keep this machinery supplied with paper and ink.

The token may be a smart card, wireless client, smart phone or any device that can communicate (preferably wirelessly) with another device to allow parking credit to be adjusted. Advantageously, the token used to allow a user to pay for parking may be a token that is also used for other purposes. For example, the token may be used to make an electronic payment for goods from shops or for services from tradesmen, and may be a "loyalty card" or payment-enabled smartphone. By using an existing token, the amount of hardware required is further minimised.

The token may include contactless payment systems (also known as "touch and go" or "wave and pay") which use radio-frequency identification (RFID) for communicating with other devices. An embedded chip and antenna enable communication with a reader device by bringing the token into proximity with the reader device.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle parking area having an associated vehicle parking registration device, which device includes means operable to read a user token that is operable to provide parking credit, means operable to determine a duration of parking time for the user, data entry means operable to receive and store data for enabling a vehicle of the user to be identified, and means operable to adjust the credit on or via the user's token in dependence upon the duration of parking time. In this arrangement the token may provide secure access to the user's bank account to allow payment by, e.g., direct debit.

For a better understanding of the present invention, an embodiment will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a schematic drawing of a car parking area which includes a vehicle parking registration device in accordance with the embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a flow chart which shows the steps performed by a customer to prepare their token for use in paying for parking in the parking area; Figure 3 is a flow chart which shows the initial steps taken by a customer when they enter the parking area; Figure 4 is a flow chart showing subsequent steps taken by a customer in accordance with a first charging regime; Figure 5 is a flow chart showing the steps taken by a customer in accordance with a second charging regime; Figures 6-1 and 6-Il are a flow chart showing the steps taken by a customer in accordance with a third parking regime; Figure 7 is a flow chart which shows the steps taken by a parking attendant to check that a payment has been made for all the parking bays in the parking area that are occupied by a vehicle; and Figure 8 is a flow chart which shows the steps performed to enable the car park operator to obtain payment for car parking.

A car park is an area where cars can park. A car park operator is the entity responsible for collecting payments made for car parking in the car park area, and may or may not be the owner of the car park.

In Figure 1 the car parking area is shown generally at 1. The car parking area 1 is, in this example, divided into fifteen bays, which are marked in the car parking area, for example by painting lines on the car parking surface. The bays are sized to accommodate a single vehicle, such as a typical passenger car.

The surface of each bay is marked with a unique identifier (that is, unique within the parking area). In the example shown, the bays arc numbered "I" to 111511.

The car park area 1 of Figure 1 is an open area, to which vehicular access is unrestricted and which does not have a barrier at any entry or exit point.

The car parking area 1 includes a vehicle parking registration device 3. The device 3 may or may not be connected to an external power supply. The device 3 includes a clock 2, a microprocessor 4 and an electronic memory store 6 which are used to calculate and store the occupancy status of the bays (to be described in more detail below). The device 3 also includes a token reader 5 that is operable to read data stored on a user token. The user token identifies the user, and may be a smart card, or other form of wireless client such as a wireless-enabled smartphone 7 running an application which performs the functions now to be described. Such a wireless-enabled smartphone may be operable to communicate via a mobile/cellular telecommunications network and via another wireless technology, such as Near Field Communication, NFC, or infra red. In the following description, the token will be referred to as a wireless client. The wireless client 7 may include a microprocessor and an electronic memory store that can be read from and written to by the wireless client reader 5 of the device 3. To read from or write to the wireless client 7, wireless client reader 5 may require the wireless client 7 to be physically coupled thereto (e.g. by presenting the wireless client 7 to the reader 5 or inserting the wireless client 7 into a holder in the reader 5), or data may be exchanged wirelessly (e.g. by radio, such as Near Field Communication or infra-red transmission by holding the wireless client 7 close to the reader 5). If the wireless client is a wireless smart card 7 may conveniently have the same dimensions as a credit card.

In the embodiment, a plurality of payment locations are available in the neighbourhood of the car parking area 1. The payment locations may be several miles distant from the car parking area 1 (there is no particular requirement for a minimum distance therebetween). The payment locations allow the user to make a payment in exchange for the wireless client being loaded with a value of some type, this being recorded on the memory of the wireless client. The payment location may be any location with the ability to accept cash, cheques, credit card and/or debit card payments using a payment device, including businesses, offices, etc. The payment location may conveniently be a shop at which the wireless client can be used to purchase goods or services in exchange for the "value" loaded onto the wireless client using the payment device. The wireless client may include a unique electronically-readable ID to identify the user.

Payments may also be made to a central data store with which the wireless client communicates -e.g. via a cellular telecommunications network if the wireless client is provided by a smartphone. The central store then loads value to the memory of the wireless client. Communications between the wireless client and the central data store may be via the internet. When a central store is established, user payments can be effected by direct debit from the user's bank account.

If a customer wishes to use the parking area 1, the steps shown in the flow chart of Figure 2 are performed. At step 2A the customer attends a suitable payment location (or logs onto a central data store). The customer then makes a payment to buy a required amount of parking time. At step 2B the customer payment is received at the payment device. In exchange for this payment, the required amount of parking time (either units of time or units of money) is loaded onto the wireless client at step 2C. In step 2C the microprocessor of the wireless client 7 stores in the memory of the wireless client 7 the amount of parking time purchased. The customer then removes their wireless client 7 from the payment device.

When the customer wishes to park in the parking area 1, the initial steps shown in the flow chart of Figure 3 are performed. At step 3A the customer enters the car parking area and parks their vehicle in an available marked bay, and notes the unique identifier of that bay. The absence of barriers or other devices to impede access makes the process of accessing the car parking area simpler and quicker. After parking their vehicle in an available bay, the customer walks from their vehicle to the vehicle parking registration device 3 and, at step 38, presents their wireless client 7 to the wireless client reader 5 of the vehicle parking registration device 3. The wireless client 7 and the wireless client reader 5 are coupled together such that data exchange can occur between the memory and microprocessor on the wireless client 7 and the microprocessor 4 in the vehicle parking registration device 3. The vehicle parking registration device 3 then prompts the customer to enter the unique identifier of the bay in which they have parked their vehicle. This prompt may be an audible prompt and/or a visual prompt -such as text instructions. At step 3C, the unique bay identifier may be entered using a numeric or alphanumeric keypad, or may be recognised by speech recognition, for example. The microprocessor 4 of the device 3 maintains a store 6 of the occupancy status of each bay (identified by its unique bay identifier), which is updated periodically or continuously by the microprocessor 4 of the device 3. The microprocessor 4 indicates that a bay is "paid for" in the store 6 during the parking time period debited from the wireless client 7 -by setting a flag for that store to "paid for" or "free".

The device 3 may communicate with the car park operator via a suitable communication link to provide the car park operator with up-to-date information about occupancy of the parking bays.

Three alternative schemes for deducting car parking time from the customer wireless client 7 will now be described with reference to the flow charts of Figure 4,5 and 6. Typically only one of these schemes will be implemented for a particular parking area.

According to the scheme of Figure 4, after step 3C, at step 4A the vehicle parking registration device 3 prompts the customer to enter their estimated parking duration. This prompt may be an audible or visual prompt, and the estimated parking duration may be entered by the customer using a numerical or alphanumeric keypad or by a voice recognition system. The microprocessor 4 of the vehicle parking registration device 3 then communicates with the microprocessor of the wireless client 7 via the wireless client reader 5 and amends the car parking time in the store of the microprocessor on the wireless client so that this is reduced by an amount corresponding to the estimated parking duration specified by the user at step 4A. The device 3 then indicates to the user that the required parking duration has been deducted from their wireless client, and the user has then completed the car parking transaction.

The microprocessor 4 of the device 3 then updates the status of the bay identified at step 3C in the store 6 as occupied ("paid for"). The store 6 stores in association with each bay the time (using the clock 2) at which the car parking time was debited from the wireless client 7 and the duration of the car parking time debited. Periodically or continuously, the microprocessor uses this data and the current time (from the clock 2) to determine whether the duration of the car parking debited from the wireless client 7 has expired, and changes the flag status to "free" if the duration has expired.

When the user wishes to subsequently leave the car parking area 1 in their vehicle, there is no need to re-present their wireless client to the vehicle parking registration device, the user can simply drive their vehicle out of the S (unbarriered) car parking area 1.

In the alternative scheme of Figure 5, after step 3C, at step SA the microprocessor 4 of the vehicle parking registration device 3 modifies the car parking time stored on the memory of the microprocessor of the wireless client 7 an amount equivalent to a full day's parking time (or other fixed amount).

The microprocessor 4 of the device 3 then updates the status of the flag of the bay, identified at step 3C, in the store 6 to occupied ("paid for"). There is no requirement for the customer to estimate or indicate how long they intend to park in the car parking area 1.

At step SB, when the customer subsequently wishes to remove their vehicle from the car parking area 1, the customer re-presents their wireless client S to the vehicle parking registration device 3 before exiting the car park in their vehicle. The microprocessor 4 of the device 3 calculates the duration for which the customer's vehicle has been parked in the car parking area 1, by comparing the current time (using the clock 2) with the time at which the user initially presented their wireless client 7 to the device 3 (in step 3B).

At step SC the device 3 calculates the difference between the car parking duration and the full day duration deducted at step 5A, this difference being the unused parking time that was deducted from the wireless client at step 5A. The microprocessor 6 of the device 3 then adjusts the value in the store of the microprocessor of the wireless client S such that the unused car parking time is refunded to the wireless client and can be used on another occasion. The microprocessor 4 of the device 3 then updates the status of the flag of the bay identified, at step 3C, in the store 6 as unoccupied ("free"). If the customer does not re-present their wireless client 7 before the end of the day, the full day!s parking time remains deducted from their wireless client 7. Tn this event, at the end of the day (or other fixed amount of time), the microprocessor 4 of the device updates the status of the flag of the bay, identified at step 3C, in the store 6 as unoccupied ("free').

Figure 6-I and 6-Il show a further alternative scheme. After step 3C, at step 6A, the customer enters their estimated car parking duration in the vehicle parking registration device 3, as in step 4A.

At step 6B the device 3 records the estimated time at a second storage location on the wireless client 7 and/or on the store 6 of the device 3.

At step 6C the device 3 deducts a full day1s parking time from the (first) storage location from the customer's wireless client, as in step 5A. The microprocessor 4 of the device 3 then updates the status of the flag of the bay, identified at step 3C, in the store 6 to occupied ("paid for").

At step 6D, when the customer subsequently wishes to remove their vehicle from the car parking area 1, the customer re-presents their wireless client to the car park device before exiting the car park, as in step 5B.

At step 6E, the device 3 calculates the used car parking time by comparing the current time (using the clock 2) with the time at which the user initially presented their wireless client 7 to the device (in step 3B).

At step 6F it is determined whether the used parking time calculated at step 6E is less than or equal to the estimated parking duration entered by the customer at step 6A and stored in the second storage location on the wireless client 7 and/or on the store 6 of the device 3.

If the used parking time is less than or equal to the estimated parking duration, at step 6G, the device 3 calculates the unused parking time and refunds this by adjusting the parking time value in the (first) storage location on the wireless client 5, as in step SC.

However, if the used parking time is greater than the estimated parking duration then, at step 6H, the device 3 also calculates the unused parking time and refunds this to the customer's wireless client, by adjusting the parking time value in the (first) storage location, but deducts from this refunded amount a penalty for staying longer than the original customer estimate provided at step 6A and in the second storage location on the wireless client 7 and/or on the store 6 of the device 3.

After step 6G or 6H, the microprocessor 4 of the device 3 then updates the status of the flag of the bay identified, at step 3C, in the store 6 as unoccupied ("free"). If the customer does not re-present their wireless client 7 before the end of the day, the full day's parking time remains deducted from their wireless client 7. In this event, at the end of the day, the microprocessor 4 of the device updates the status of the flag of the bay, identified at step 3C, in the store 6 as unoccupied ("free").

In order to provide an incentive for customers to pay for use of the car parking area, by obtaining a wireless client and loading this with car parking time, and by presenting the wireless client to the vehicle parking registration device 3, it is desirable for an attendant to periodically check that users of the car parking area 1 are using the car parking area in accordance with the rules.

The car parking attendant uses a portable data processing apparatus, such as a personal digital assistant (PDA), which is capable of (either wired or wireless) data communication with the micro processor 4 of the vehicle parking registration device 3. The attendant couples their PDA to the device 3 and loads from the device 3 to a parking monitoring system on the PDA the unique identifiers of parking bays for which, at that time, the flags in the store 6 indicate that the bay is occupied ("paid for").

At step 7B the parking attendant then observes whether each of the bays that should be vacant (i.e. is not paid for1') is in fact vacant. If a bay that should be vacant is occupied, the user of that vehicle is given a penalty for unauthorised use of the bay. A fine may be issued and/or the vehicle may be immobilised.

Reference is now made to the flow chart of Figure 8, which describes the steps taken by the car park operator to obtain payment for use of the car parking area 1. On an agreed schedule the organisation running the payment location will identify the payment due to the car parking operator. This can be indicated through a number of mechanisms including: a) Presenting a Parking Fee Collection Wireless client to the payment device used to load customer's wireless client with parking time credit, b) Pressing predefined key(s) on the payment device, or c) Typing a code number into the payment device.

In one of these ways, an indication to the payment device that car park fee collection is required is made (step 8A).

At step 8B the payment device displays payment data, including: a) A digital signature for that Parking Fee Collection.

b) A running total of all car parking time purchased to date using that payment device at that payment location.

c) The payment due to the car park operator.

At step 8C the owner of the payment location will then pay the car park operator by cash, cheque, credit card, debit card or any other suitable means and provide the digital signature for that payment to the car park operator.

At step 8D the car park operator validates the payment with a collection validation system to validate that the correct payment has been received. The collection validation system allows the car park operator to confirm that the correct digital signature has been supplied for each payment made.

The payment may be accompanied by a hash code that is generated by the payment device. The hash code is based on the value of the sum of the parking fees received by the payment device. The car park operator has equipment capable of verifying the relationship between the hash code and the amount received -to confirm that the correct payment has been made.

If the central data store is under the control of the car park operator, and payments are made directly to the central data store, then the process of Figure 8 may be unnecessary.

The embodiment described advantageously allows cashless, ticketless parking in an unbarriered open area in a manner that is convenient for both the users of the car parking area and the operator of the car parking area. The embodiment may be used alongside a conventional pay and display parking system for the area 1, providing users with a choice of ways of paying for car parking. Over a period of time users may "migrate" from pay and display parking to the new system.

It should be understood that the embodiment is described by way of example only. Various modifications to the embodiment may be made and still be in accordance with the invention. For example, the parking area may include more than or fewer than fifteen bays, and may include a plurality of car parking registration devices. In the embodiment described the unique identifier which enables a vehicle of a user to be identified is the unique identifier of a parking bay. However, an alternative unique identifier could be used, such as the registration mark of the user's vehicle. In this modification, at step 7A of the flow chart of Figure 7, the data loaded from the car parking registration device to the attendant's PDA would be the registration marks of the vehicles for which, at that time, the flags in the store 6 of the device 3 indicate that parking of that vehicle is paid for. The parking attendant is then able to identify, by their registration marks, any vehicles for which a payment has not been made, and can issue an appropriate penalty.

The system described allows parking charges to be varied dynamically depending on factors such as time, date, location, duration of parking stay. The current tariff may be displayed electronically on the vehicle parking registration device 3.

A car park operator may operate a plurality of car parking sites using the system described above. The operator may dynamically vary the charges between the car parking sites, for example, to actively manage utilisation of each car park.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A vehicle parking area having an associated vehicle parking registration device, which device includes means operable to read a user token that is pre-loaded with parking credit, means operable to determine a duration of parking time for the user, data entry means operable to receive and store data for enabling a vehicle of the user to be identified, and means operable to adjust the credit on the user's token in dependence upon the duration of parking time.
2. The vehicle parking area of claim 1, wherein the vehicle entry and/or exit to and/or from the vehicle parking area is uncontrolled.
3. The vehicle parking area of claim 1 or 2, including a plurality of parking bays, each of which is marked with a unique identifier.
4. The vehicle parking area of claim 3, wherein data entry means is operable to enable a token holder user to enter the unique bay identifier of the bay occupied by that user's vehicle, thereby allowing the vehicle to be identified.
5. The vehicle parking area of claim 3 or 4, wherein the vehicle parking registration device includes data output means operable at a requested time to provide the bay identifiers of those bays in respect of which a user parking credit adjustment has been made which includes that time.
6. The vehicle parking area of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the vehicle parking registration device includes time entry means operable to enable the token holder user to enter the duration of parking time.
7. The vehicle parking area of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the vehicle parking registration device includes processing means operable to determine the time period between a first and a subsequent second presentation of a particular user's token and to determine the duration of parking time in dependence thereupon.
8. A method of controlling vehicle parking in an area having an associated vehicle parking registration device including means operable to read a user's token that is pre-loaded with parking credit, means operable to determine a duration of parking time for the user, data entry means operable to receive and store data for enabling a vehicle of the user to be identified, and means operable to adjust the credit on the user's token in dependence upon the duration of parking time, the method including operating the vehicle parking registration device to read the use? s token when presented thereto, to determine a duration of parking time for the user and to adjust the credit on the user's token in dependence upon the duration of parking time.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the vehicle entry and/or exit to and/or from the vehicle parking area is uncontrolled.
10. The method of claim 8 or 9, wherein the parking area includes a plurality of parking bays, each of which is marked with a unique identifier.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the data entry means enables a token holder user to enter the unique bay identifier of the bay occupied by that user's vehicle, thereby allowing the vehicle to be identified.
12. The method of claim 10 or 11, wherein the vehicle parking registration device outputs at a requested time the bay identifiers of those bays in respect of which a user parking credit adjustment has been made which includes that time to facilitate penalising users of vehicles parked in other ones of the bays.
13. The method of any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein the vehicle parking registration device enables the token holder user to enter the duration of parking time.
14. The method of any one of claims 8 to 13, wherein the vehicle parking registration device determines the time period between a first and a subsequent second presentation of a particular user's token and to determine the duration of parking time in dependence thereupon.
15. A parking control system for a vehicle parking area, including a user's token pre-loadable with parking time credit, a vehicle parking registration device for being located at the vehicle parking area and including means operable to read the user's token, means operable to determine a duration of parking time for the user, data entry means operable to receive and store data for enabling a vehicle of the user to be identified, and means for adjusting the credit on the user's token in dependence upon the duration of parking time.
16. The parking control system of claim 15, wherein the vehicle parking registration device includes data entry means to enable the token holder user to enter the parking duration time.
17. The parking control system of claim 15 or 16, wherein the vehicle parking registration device includes processing means operable to determine the time period between the first and a subsequent second presentation of a particular user's token and for determining the duration of parking time in dependence thereupon.
18. A method of controlling vehicle parking in an un-barriered area, including providing a vehicle parking registration device and operating that device to: read a user's token that is pre-loaded with parking time credit, determine a duration of parking time for the user, receive and store data that enables a vehicle of the user to be identified, adjust the credit on the user's token in dependence upon the duration of parking time, and at a requested time, outputting data which enables the vehicles of the users to be identified in respect of which a user parking credit has been made and which includes that time to facilitate penalising of users of the vehicles.
19. The vehicle parking area, method or system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the token comprises a smart card, wireless client or smartphone.
20. A vehicle parking area substantially as hereinbef ore described with reference to and/or substantially as illustrated in any one of or any combination of the accompanying drawings.
21. A method of controlling vehicle parking in an area, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and/or substantially as illustrated in any one of or any combination of the accompanying drawings.
22. A parking control system for a vehicle parking area, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and/or substantially as illustrated in any one of or any combination of the accompanying drawings.