CA2191896C - System and voucher for vehicle parking - Google Patents
System and voucher for vehicle parkingInfo
- Publication number
- CA2191896C CA2191896C CA 2191896 CA2191896A CA2191896C CA 2191896 C CA2191896 C CA 2191896C CA 2191896 CA2191896 CA 2191896 CA 2191896 A CA2191896 A CA 2191896A CA 2191896 C CA2191896 C CA 2191896C
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- parking
- fee
- voucher
- vouchers
- marked
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Fee Related
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B42—BOOKBINDING; ALBUMS; FILES; SPECIAL PRINTED MATTER
- B42D—BOOKS; BOOK COVERS; LOOSE LEAVES; PRINTED MATTER CHARACTERISED BY IDENTIFICATION OR SECURITY FEATURES; PRINTED MATTER OF SPECIAL FORMAT OR STYLE NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; DEVICES FOR USE THEREWITH AND NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; MOVABLE-STRIP WRITING OR READING APPARATUS
- B42D25/00—Information-bearing cards or sheet-like structures characterised by identification or security features; Manufacture thereof
- B42D25/20—Information-bearing cards or sheet-like structures characterised by identification or security features; Manufacture thereof characterised by a particular use or purpose
- B42D25/26—Entrance cards; Admission tickets
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
- G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
- G07B15/00—Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points
- G07B15/02—Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points taking into account a variable factor such as distance or time, e.g. for passenger transport, parking systems or car rental systems
Landscapes
- Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
- Finance (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Devices For Checking Fares Or Tickets At Control Points (AREA)
- Control Of Vending Devices And Auxiliary Devices For Vending Devices (AREA)
Abstract
An economical system for flexible parking of vehicles, within different periods and at various rates, by means of alterable vouchers is provided. The voucher consists of several fee units, each fee unit having a space for marking actual parking data. Zones of uniform parking charges are marked with time rates, the time rate being a parking period per fee unit. Entering parking facilities, drivers just mark a number of fee units and park their vehicles. The number of marked fee units multiplied by the zonal time rate determines a prepaid parking period which is not be exceeded. The marked vouchers are displayed in parked vehicles for an easy outside inspection.
The used vouchers may serve as an evidence in parking violation disputes as well as receipts for reimbursements of parking payments.
The used vouchers may serve as an evidence in parking violation disputes as well as receipts for reimbursements of parking payments.
Description
~' 21 91 896 SYSTEM AND VOUCHER FOR VEHICLE PARKING
The present invention relates to a system for unattended parking of vehicles by means of alterable vouchers. In this description, "alterable voucher", "park voucher" or in brief "voucher"
means a receipt certifying that a sum of money has been deposited for payment of parking fees and the money becomes the parking authority's property when the voucher is altered or destroyed and "park zone" means an area of uniform parking charge.
Various types of unattended parking systems are known. One type comprises conventional, coin-operated parking meters or various electronic devices with means for time measuring, processing, memorizing, reading, etc. The stationary parking meters obstruct park spaces and sidewalks, are susceptible to innocent damage, vandalism and pilferage. The electronic devices 10 involve a complicated accounting system usually with a charge per operation, infringe on driver's privacy and are susceptible to counterfeiting. But the main disadvantage of this type is the initial and operational expenditure for these sophisticated devices; it is too high in relation to the simple service of showing that the required fee for a parking period has been paid.
Another type comprises cards or tickets for a fixed parking period in a given park zone. Indicia of 12 months, 31 days, many hours and minutes are printed on the card for showing the actual commencement and/or end of the fixed parking period. The card is displayed inside the vehicle for an outside inspection. Although this type is very economical, it has its own disadvantages.
2i9~896 ~. . .
The large number of printed indicia is confusing, the cards are not suitable for alteration of zonal charges and parking periods. Therefore, a variety of cards is needed to cover various zones and different parking periods. In case of an average size municipality with three park zones and four parking periods, drivers have to carry 12 different cards to be able to park a vehicle for a chosen period in a required zone. When joint parking services are provided by several individual municipalities, this number may further increase to include differential local charges.
An object of the present invention is to provide a simple system for more flexible parking of vehicles during various lengths of time in different park zones; the system to be economical and suitable for joint parking services provided by a number of individual authorities.
10 The present invention consists of a system for unattended parking of vehicles, the system comprising the following steps:
marking park zones with time rates, the rate being defined as a parking period allowed in a given zone per a fee unit and the fee unit being common to all park zones;
providing alterable vouchers for sale, each voucher consisting of a number of fee units and each fee unit having a space for marking actual parking data;
marking a number of fee units with the actual start, the zonal rate and the end of prepaid .....
parking period, the prepaid parking period being a product of the zonal time rate multiplied by the number of fee units marked on one parking occasion;
parking the vehicle having the vouchers with marked fee units displayed for an outside inspection of an adequate fee payment and use of the prepaid parking period.
The first two steps are accomplished by respective parking authorities, in advance, and the other two are performed by drivers who are required just to mark the vouchers and park their vehicles. In this description, therefore, the system for unattended parking of vehicles by means of alterable vouchers is called in brief "mark-and-park system"TM.
The invention, as exemplified by a preferred embodiment, is described with reference to the 10 accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 shows signs for marking park zones of various rates like P30 for marking the zone allowing 30 minute parking per one fee unit.
Fig. 2 is a face view of a $1.00 voucher having four blank fee units, each fee unit representing one fourth of the voucher price.
Fig. 3 is a face view of the voucher shown in Fig. 2 marked for a 45 minute parking in zone P1s at the rate of 15 min/unit.
Fig. 4 is a face view of the voucher shown in Fig. 3 marked on a second occasion for a 45 minute parking in zone P45 at the rate of 45 min/unit.
~ ..
Fig.1 shows park signs 10 with zonal rates and parking time limits for marking of three different park zones. According to the preferred embodiment of this invention, each park zone is marked with a time rate expressed by number of minutes 12 allowed per one fee unit e.g., 30 min/unit marked as P30. A standard rate may also be set up and applied where other rates are not indicated. Park zones may be marked as well on pavements or signs of different shapes with characters, numerals or colours related to respective zonal rates. A zonal time rate determines parking charges in a given park zone independently of charges in other zones or voucher/fee unit values; thus, the parking charges may be set up or changed by individual municipalities, at any time. This is a convenient flexibility of the mark-and-park system which allows cooperating 10 municipalities to control their local parking charges, while using common vouchers. The vouchers and fee units, being of a common value for all park zones within a given municipality as well as within all cooperating municipalities, are to be set up jointly by the cooperating bodies. The fee unit value should be suitable for a short stopover as well as for a longer parking period when a plurality of fee units is used. One fee unit is the minimum charge for entering the facilities in any zone for even a very short time; this is a nominal charge offsetting an increase of some expenses due to short parking periods.
Fig.2 shows an alterable voucher 20 comprising a serial number 22, the municipality's name or symbol 24, the year of issue 26, a price 28 and a frame 30. The frame has four rows 32 through 38, each row representing one fee unit. Each fee unit has a suitable space for marking 20 the actual parking START in column 40, the zonal RATE in column 42, as well as the END of 2~91896 . . ~
prepaid parking period in column 44. An additional space for other information, like the vehicle's plate number 46, may also be provided. The alterable vouchers are issued by parking authorities and distributed to filling stations and other local retailers for sale. Drivers purchase the vouchers in advance and keep them ready for their future parking needs. For a protection against thievery, the vehicle plate number 46 may be marked on the vouchers right at the purchase time.
Entering park spaces, the drivers mark the actual parking start in column 40 and the zonal rate in column 42 on a number of fee units. The product of zonal rate multiplied by the number of marked fee units, or simply the sum of zonal rates marked for one occasion in column 42, is the total prepaid parking period. Its end may then easily be determined and marked in column 44.
Fig. 3 shows the voucher marked for parking of a vehicle on October 17 at 10:45 in zone P1s for a period of 45 minutes. At the zonal rate of 15 min/unit, the intended parking period is covered by three fee units 32, 34 and 36. The actual parking start is marked in column 40 on the first fee unit 32. The zonal rate is marked in column 42 on each of the three units, bringing the total prepaid parking period to 45 minutes. The end of prepaid parking period, 11:30, is marked in column 44 on the last unit 36. At or before that time, the parked vehicle should be removed or more fee units should be marked. Shown with small characters in Fig. 3, the interim figures and date repetitions illustrate the effect of individual unit addition, one by one, and need not to be marked when a plurality of units is used on one occasion.
To discharge the fee payment, each fee unit used for a parking is to be marked at least in one 21qt896 column, as shown with the large characters in Fig. 3. Like entries on cheques or other payment receipts, marking on fee units is to be permanent so that the marked units can not be reused.
As a fee unit is irreversibly altered by the marking, the money paid for it becomes the property of parking authorities. All blank fee units, below the mark of last parking end in column 44, may be used for an extension of the present parking, for another parking occasion or may be returned for payment refund. To avoid any confusion, all the previously used fee units should be crossed out. Fig. 4 shows the voucher with three previously used units crossed out and the last unit 38 marked for a new 45 minute parking of vehicle in zone P45 on October 23 at 3:15.
Thus, the prepaid parking period ends at 4:00, unless it is extended using more fee units of 10 another voucher.
Within the prepaid parking period, the vehicle may be moved to other parking spaces located in zones of the same or higher time rate. The marked vouchers may be displayed on the vehicle dashboard or exposed in any other way, as designated by parking authorities, providing for an easy inspection. When a fee payment or parking period is violated, the driver risks a parking violation charges. Counterfeiting of vouchers priced at about one dollar is not likely to be profitable considering the time and cost involved as well as the risk of much more serious fraudulent charges. An inspector laying charges refers to the voucher serial number and the driver may submit the voucher as a defence evidence or accept the charges. This system eliminates disputes on alleged malfunctions of parking equipment and infringement on driver's 20 privacy. Used vouchers can also serve as receipts for reimbursement of parking payments.
2~91896 According to the preferred embodiment of this invention, a number of municipalities may cooperate in providing parking services by a mutual acceptance of their vouchers. In this case, the vouchers 20 of all participants may be identical except that municipalities may keep their names or symbol 24. The cooperating municipalities may collect their individual revenues from selling their own vouchers through retailers located on their respective territories. A combined collection and distribution of the revenue may also be organized.
The mark-and-park system allows for an easy creation of new park zones and changing or relocation of the existing ones literally ovemight. This can be done without any significant investment just by changing park signs. Such parking flexibility promotes a better utilization of 10 the potential park resources in relation to traffic conditions or an arrangement of temporary parking facilities for special events. The reverse side of the voucher may be used for providing brief marking guidelines and information of interest to drivers like ads of local repair workshops, road assist~nce, motels, etc. The system may be used alongside the existing stationary parking meters and both the vouchers and coins can be used during a transition period .
The present invention relates to a system for unattended parking of vehicles by means of alterable vouchers. In this description, "alterable voucher", "park voucher" or in brief "voucher"
means a receipt certifying that a sum of money has been deposited for payment of parking fees and the money becomes the parking authority's property when the voucher is altered or destroyed and "park zone" means an area of uniform parking charge.
Various types of unattended parking systems are known. One type comprises conventional, coin-operated parking meters or various electronic devices with means for time measuring, processing, memorizing, reading, etc. The stationary parking meters obstruct park spaces and sidewalks, are susceptible to innocent damage, vandalism and pilferage. The electronic devices 10 involve a complicated accounting system usually with a charge per operation, infringe on driver's privacy and are susceptible to counterfeiting. But the main disadvantage of this type is the initial and operational expenditure for these sophisticated devices; it is too high in relation to the simple service of showing that the required fee for a parking period has been paid.
Another type comprises cards or tickets for a fixed parking period in a given park zone. Indicia of 12 months, 31 days, many hours and minutes are printed on the card for showing the actual commencement and/or end of the fixed parking period. The card is displayed inside the vehicle for an outside inspection. Although this type is very economical, it has its own disadvantages.
2i9~896 ~. . .
The large number of printed indicia is confusing, the cards are not suitable for alteration of zonal charges and parking periods. Therefore, a variety of cards is needed to cover various zones and different parking periods. In case of an average size municipality with three park zones and four parking periods, drivers have to carry 12 different cards to be able to park a vehicle for a chosen period in a required zone. When joint parking services are provided by several individual municipalities, this number may further increase to include differential local charges.
An object of the present invention is to provide a simple system for more flexible parking of vehicles during various lengths of time in different park zones; the system to be economical and suitable for joint parking services provided by a number of individual authorities.
10 The present invention consists of a system for unattended parking of vehicles, the system comprising the following steps:
marking park zones with time rates, the rate being defined as a parking period allowed in a given zone per a fee unit and the fee unit being common to all park zones;
providing alterable vouchers for sale, each voucher consisting of a number of fee units and each fee unit having a space for marking actual parking data;
marking a number of fee units with the actual start, the zonal rate and the end of prepaid .....
parking period, the prepaid parking period being a product of the zonal time rate multiplied by the number of fee units marked on one parking occasion;
parking the vehicle having the vouchers with marked fee units displayed for an outside inspection of an adequate fee payment and use of the prepaid parking period.
The first two steps are accomplished by respective parking authorities, in advance, and the other two are performed by drivers who are required just to mark the vouchers and park their vehicles. In this description, therefore, the system for unattended parking of vehicles by means of alterable vouchers is called in brief "mark-and-park system"TM.
The invention, as exemplified by a preferred embodiment, is described with reference to the 10 accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 shows signs for marking park zones of various rates like P30 for marking the zone allowing 30 minute parking per one fee unit.
Fig. 2 is a face view of a $1.00 voucher having four blank fee units, each fee unit representing one fourth of the voucher price.
Fig. 3 is a face view of the voucher shown in Fig. 2 marked for a 45 minute parking in zone P1s at the rate of 15 min/unit.
Fig. 4 is a face view of the voucher shown in Fig. 3 marked on a second occasion for a 45 minute parking in zone P45 at the rate of 45 min/unit.
~ ..
Fig.1 shows park signs 10 with zonal rates and parking time limits for marking of three different park zones. According to the preferred embodiment of this invention, each park zone is marked with a time rate expressed by number of minutes 12 allowed per one fee unit e.g., 30 min/unit marked as P30. A standard rate may also be set up and applied where other rates are not indicated. Park zones may be marked as well on pavements or signs of different shapes with characters, numerals or colours related to respective zonal rates. A zonal time rate determines parking charges in a given park zone independently of charges in other zones or voucher/fee unit values; thus, the parking charges may be set up or changed by individual municipalities, at any time. This is a convenient flexibility of the mark-and-park system which allows cooperating 10 municipalities to control their local parking charges, while using common vouchers. The vouchers and fee units, being of a common value for all park zones within a given municipality as well as within all cooperating municipalities, are to be set up jointly by the cooperating bodies. The fee unit value should be suitable for a short stopover as well as for a longer parking period when a plurality of fee units is used. One fee unit is the minimum charge for entering the facilities in any zone for even a very short time; this is a nominal charge offsetting an increase of some expenses due to short parking periods.
Fig.2 shows an alterable voucher 20 comprising a serial number 22, the municipality's name or symbol 24, the year of issue 26, a price 28 and a frame 30. The frame has four rows 32 through 38, each row representing one fee unit. Each fee unit has a suitable space for marking 20 the actual parking START in column 40, the zonal RATE in column 42, as well as the END of 2~91896 . . ~
prepaid parking period in column 44. An additional space for other information, like the vehicle's plate number 46, may also be provided. The alterable vouchers are issued by parking authorities and distributed to filling stations and other local retailers for sale. Drivers purchase the vouchers in advance and keep them ready for their future parking needs. For a protection against thievery, the vehicle plate number 46 may be marked on the vouchers right at the purchase time.
Entering park spaces, the drivers mark the actual parking start in column 40 and the zonal rate in column 42 on a number of fee units. The product of zonal rate multiplied by the number of marked fee units, or simply the sum of zonal rates marked for one occasion in column 42, is the total prepaid parking period. Its end may then easily be determined and marked in column 44.
Fig. 3 shows the voucher marked for parking of a vehicle on October 17 at 10:45 in zone P1s for a period of 45 minutes. At the zonal rate of 15 min/unit, the intended parking period is covered by three fee units 32, 34 and 36. The actual parking start is marked in column 40 on the first fee unit 32. The zonal rate is marked in column 42 on each of the three units, bringing the total prepaid parking period to 45 minutes. The end of prepaid parking period, 11:30, is marked in column 44 on the last unit 36. At or before that time, the parked vehicle should be removed or more fee units should be marked. Shown with small characters in Fig. 3, the interim figures and date repetitions illustrate the effect of individual unit addition, one by one, and need not to be marked when a plurality of units is used on one occasion.
To discharge the fee payment, each fee unit used for a parking is to be marked at least in one 21qt896 column, as shown with the large characters in Fig. 3. Like entries on cheques or other payment receipts, marking on fee units is to be permanent so that the marked units can not be reused.
As a fee unit is irreversibly altered by the marking, the money paid for it becomes the property of parking authorities. All blank fee units, below the mark of last parking end in column 44, may be used for an extension of the present parking, for another parking occasion or may be returned for payment refund. To avoid any confusion, all the previously used fee units should be crossed out. Fig. 4 shows the voucher with three previously used units crossed out and the last unit 38 marked for a new 45 minute parking of vehicle in zone P45 on October 23 at 3:15.
Thus, the prepaid parking period ends at 4:00, unless it is extended using more fee units of 10 another voucher.
Within the prepaid parking period, the vehicle may be moved to other parking spaces located in zones of the same or higher time rate. The marked vouchers may be displayed on the vehicle dashboard or exposed in any other way, as designated by parking authorities, providing for an easy inspection. When a fee payment or parking period is violated, the driver risks a parking violation charges. Counterfeiting of vouchers priced at about one dollar is not likely to be profitable considering the time and cost involved as well as the risk of much more serious fraudulent charges. An inspector laying charges refers to the voucher serial number and the driver may submit the voucher as a defence evidence or accept the charges. This system eliminates disputes on alleged malfunctions of parking equipment and infringement on driver's 20 privacy. Used vouchers can also serve as receipts for reimbursement of parking payments.
2~91896 According to the preferred embodiment of this invention, a number of municipalities may cooperate in providing parking services by a mutual acceptance of their vouchers. In this case, the vouchers 20 of all participants may be identical except that municipalities may keep their names or symbol 24. The cooperating municipalities may collect their individual revenues from selling their own vouchers through retailers located on their respective territories. A combined collection and distribution of the revenue may also be organized.
The mark-and-park system allows for an easy creation of new park zones and changing or relocation of the existing ones literally ovemight. This can be done without any significant investment just by changing park signs. Such parking flexibility promotes a better utilization of 10 the potential park resources in relation to traffic conditions or an arrangement of temporary parking facilities for special events. The reverse side of the voucher may be used for providing brief marking guidelines and information of interest to drivers like ads of local repair workshops, road assist~nce, motels, etc. The system may be used alongside the existing stationary parking meters and both the vouchers and coins can be used during a transition period .
Claims (3)
1. A system for unattended parking of vehicles by means of alterable vouchers, the system comprising the steps of:
marking park zones with time rates, each zonal rate being a parking period allowed in a given zone per a fee unit, the fee unit being common to all park zones;
distributing the alterable vouchers in advance, each voucher consisting of a number of fee units, each unit having a space for marking necessary parking data;
marking the actual parking start, the zonal rate and the end of prepaid parking period on the fee units, the marking being an irreversible alteration of the voucher;
parking the vehicle having the voucher with marked fee units displayed for an outside inspection of adequate payment for and prompt use of the parking facilites;
marking park zones with time rates, each zonal rate being a parking period allowed in a given zone per a fee unit, the fee unit being common to all park zones;
distributing the alterable vouchers in advance, each voucher consisting of a number of fee units, each unit having a space for marking necessary parking data;
marking the actual parking start, the zonal rate and the end of prepaid parking period on the fee units, the marking being an irreversible alteration of the voucher;
parking the vehicle having the voucher with marked fee units displayed for an outside inspection of adequate payment for and prompt use of the parking facilites;
2. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein park zones are marked with characters, symbols or colours related to parking time.
3. Alterable vouchers, each voucher consisting of a number of fee units, each fee unit being an equal fraction of the voucher price and having a space for marking parking data, such marking being an irreversible alteration of the fee unit.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2191896 CA2191896C (en) | 1996-12-03 | 1996-12-03 | System and voucher for vehicle parking |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2191896 CA2191896C (en) | 1996-12-03 | 1996-12-03 | System and voucher for vehicle parking |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2191896A1 CA2191896A1 (en) | 1998-06-03 |
| CA2191896C true CA2191896C (en) | 1999-08-10 |
Family
ID=4159362
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2191896 Expired - Fee Related CA2191896C (en) | 1996-12-03 | 1996-12-03 | System and voucher for vehicle parking |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2191896C (en) |
-
1996
- 1996-12-03 CA CA 2191896 patent/CA2191896C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| CA2191896A1 (en) | 1998-06-03 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| EEER | Examination request | ||
| MKLA | Lapsed |