AU2014100632A4 - An innovation that manages Car Parking bays simply, both for the user and compliance responsibilities for park management. - Google Patents

Abstract

While there are Apps and Systems available in the market none appear to take advantage of Car Bay identification and GPS in creating a more engaging user model with personal devices such as smart phones, while also assisting the administration and management of the car park environment. This innovation is a process that allows the user to register as the person parking the car, as soon as they exit the vehicle. The process only requires the user to: identify the number of the bay they have parked in, when they step out of the vehicle, engage the system on their mobile device select the matching bay number from a short list that presents on the screen of their device, and then walk away

Description

Editorial Note 2014100632 There is one page of description only 1 Create a Simple Car Park Fees Application. Objective: (0001) Creation of an engaging process designed to provide a simple way that users can self-manage their own usage and payment (where relevant) of Car Parking Bays. This also allows for significantly reduced systems and administration costs incurred by parking area rangers and owners.

Claims (38)

1. While there are Apps and Systems available in the market none appear to take advantage of Car Bay identification and GPS in creating a more engaging user model with personal devices such as smart phones, while also assisting the administration and management of the car park environment.

2. This innovation is a process that allows the user to register as the person parking the car, as soon as they exit the vehicle.

3. The process only requires the user to: * identify the number of the bay they have parked in, when they step out of the vehicle, e engage the system on their mobile device * select the matching bay number from a short list that presents on the screen of their device, and then walk away.

4. There is a number of systems currently available seeking to assist a car driver in registering their car in a car parking area.

5. Unfortunately, the established models require users to identify a number of specific information items, most or all needed to be entered into the system including, identifying their location of parking (zone, area etc), zone identification and time of planned departure from the car bay.

6. Information required by these systems to open the parking transaction, must be determined, generally by physical search within the area, and then entered into data fields on the device by the user. 2

7. The innovation created in this model, is the simplicity of opening entry to the system on the mobile device, and when presented with a relatively small list of parking bays, select the correct bay.

8. The step of engaging with the system occurs after the car is parked and the user is able to step out of the vehicle.

9. The system will be aware of the different pieces of information between different parking areas or properties, and apply only relevant information to the device using GPS.

10. With general location determined automatically, the only task for the user is to physically identify their car bay, and then identify that bay presented within a small list of car bays within the immediate area.

11. The user then selects the correct bay and the process is complete.

12. Any other relevant information already known within the system will also be automatically presented on the screen. Improving the utility of a Parking App:

13. Currently there are a number of Apps available to the public to register parking of a vehicle and associated fees using mobile devices.

14. From user observation these require data entry processes and / or the need to make a telephone call, to confirm parking in a parking area.

15. The advantage of any mobile device is its efficiency of use, best measured by the number of screen touches or amount of information to be entered.

16. In both cases the minimum amounts of either are the better indicators of efficiency, all influencing likelihood of user support. 3

17. The operational stages of using a parking system are: 1. registering as a user 2. opening and closing a parking event 3. having access to personal account data of multiple parking events

18. Smart devices and the GPS system, both vary on accuracy of GPS location identification. Reliability of GPS accuracy varies between locations for a number of reasons so is not adequate to function alone, generally, in the management of individual car parking bays.

19. However, GPS can still offer significant improvement in the administration of car parking bays in 2 important perspectives.

20. The first is its contribution to simplifying the opening of a car parking transaction within the environment of the parking area, the second is its contribution to the compliance / monitoring of the car parking bay user, by parking area owners and staff.

23. This innovation is making the parking process simpler. This is achieved by the engagement of an identifier of a parking bay, most likely as a number, and GPS functionality of the smart device.

24. The car parking bays will be GPS defined and stored in the general car bay database, before being made available to users of the App.

25. The database will include relevant information about the car parking bay and general area information as defined by the owner.

26. When the mobile device engages with the system, the system will recognise the general positioning of the user and present a short list of options, requiring a single selection by the user. 4

27. When the car is parked, the system can be engaged, the 'show car bays' button activated and a list of car bays will be presented. E.g. Car bays 6,7,8, and 9.

28. More than one parking bay is likely to be presented to the user, subject to the level of accuracy of the GPS operating at the time, depending on location and mobile device used.

29. The driver will exit the car, identify the number of the car bay and select that bay from the list presented, before moving away from the car.

30. In doing so the parking event is activated.

31. Critical in this innovation is that should the driver move away from the vehicle, the identified car parking bay list will change. Eg. Walking down the row of cars will change the list of bays available on the screen: Bays 6,7,8,and 9, may become 8,9,10 and 11, due to the movement of the user.

32. This characteristic makes the user aware that the parking event must be initiated before moving too far away from the vehicle.

33. This stops drivers from registering their parking event later, to reduce parking cost, given that any material departure from the vehicle will prevent the selection of the parking bay they have parked in earlier.

34. Completion of the parking event will be executed by the user when they return to their vehicle by pressing the End Button.

36. This act will close the event, calculating any relevant fees that apply for that occasion.

37. Security of the system is that matching GPS information will be necessary to both ensure that the event is not closed accidentally when away from the 5 vehicle, and also protecting fee revenues from attempts to close the event earlier than appropriate. Summary:

38. The simplicity of this innovation is the single touch approach, required to select the correct car parking bay.

39. This becomes more apparent when the differences of each car park are recognised due to environmental design, difficulty in finding and processing information from fixed machines, and differences in terminology between machines or property signs and explanations provided to users.

40. The system also avoids the requirements of entering multiple data items, when the correct information has been determined, minimising any risk of error and a significant increase in efficiency and user satisfaction.

41. Answering the question of "Which Car Bay Am I in" is completely intuitive on exit from the vehicle, through using this innovation. END.