GB2403837A

GB2403837A - Method and Apparatus of preventing unauthorised parking in a parking space

Info

Publication number: GB2403837A
Application number: GB0415047A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Coutts; Alastair Dougall
Original assignee: AD ON US Ltd
Current assignee: AD ON US Ltd
Priority date: 2003-07-05
Filing date: 2004-07-05
Publication date: 2005-01-12
Also published as: GB0415047D0; GB0315794D0

Abstract

An apparatus for preventing unauthorised parking in a parking place comprises a detector and an alarm output means which is activated when a body is detected. The alarm output means may be visual and/or audible. The alarm output may be dependent upon the body detected. Power for the unit may be provided by batteries or solar panels. In a method of use the detector discriminates between a vehicle and a pedestrian. The issue of the alarm may be delayed by a time period dependent on the body detected. The alarm may operate for a predetermined time or until deactivated. The deactivation may be performed by either an active source or passive source being presented to an appropriate means in the apparatus. In a particular embodiment, the apparatus is used to prevent unauthorised parking in a space reserved for disabled drivers.

Description

c- - À - 1 Apparatus And Method For the Detection of A Body 3 This

invention relates to apparatus and a method for the 4 detection of a body. In particular it relates to apparatus and a method suitable for detecting a body 6 within an area adjacent to the apparatus and thereafter 7 activating an alarm in response to the presence of this 8 body.

There is a requirement on the proprietors of a car 11 parking area to allocate a minimum number of vehicle bays 12 for disabled drivers. Generally these vehicle bays are 13 located near to the entrance or exit of the car parking 14 area for the convenience of the disabled driver. The disabled vehicle bays are commonly distinguished by 16 incorporating a sign either on an adjacent wall or else 17 painted on the surface of the vehicle bay.

19 It is a known problem within the art that non disabled drivers use the vehicle bays allocated for disabled 21 drivers due to laziness or more commonly during busy 22 periods where vacant vehicle bays can be difficult to 23 find. This obviously has a detrimental impact on the 2 Àe.e.. a.. .. .e availability of vacant, accessible vehicle bays for 2 disabled drivers. Furthermore, new European legislation 3 is being introduced that will result in the proprietors 4 of car parking areas being fined if they permit non disabled drivers to occupy vehicle bays designated for 6 disabled drivers.

8 It is an object of an aspect of the present invention to 9 provide apparatus and a method for detecting a body within an area adjacent to the apparatus so as to 11 activate an alarm in response to the presence of the 12 body.

14 It is a further object of an aspect of the present invention to provide apparatus for monitoring and 16 controlling the use a vehicle bay within a car park area.

18 According to a first aspect of the present invention 19 there is provided a monitoring apparatus suitable for the detection of a body in an area adjacent to the apparatus 21 comprising a detector and a warning output means wherein 22 the warning output means is activated when the detector 23 senses a body within the area.

Most preferably the monitoring apparatus further 26 comprises a computer processing unit wherein the computer 27 processing unit is capable of identifying the body sensed 28 by the detector.

Preferably the warning output means comprises one or more 31 speakers capable of producing an audible output.

32 Additionally the warning output means comprises one or 33 more visual displays capable of producing a visible 34 output.

À . . À - 3. . ! 2 Most preferably the form of the audible output of the one L 3 or more speakers and/or the visible output of the one or 4 more visual displays is dependent on the body identified S by the computer processing unit.

7 Preferably the monitoring apparatus further comprises a 8 dedicated power source. Optionally the power source! 9 comprises one or more batteries. Alternatively the power source comprises one or more solar panels.

12 According to a second aspect of the present invention 13 there is provide a method of monitoring and controlling 14 the use of an area comprising the steps of: a) detecting the presence of a body within the area; 16 and 17 b) activating one or more warning outputs in response 18 to the detection of the body. 19;

Preferably the detection of the body comprises the step; 21 of identifying whether the body is a pedestrian or a 22 vehicle.

24 Optionally the activation of the warning output is delayed be a time period dependent on the identity of the 26 body.

28 Most preferably the activation of the warning output is 29 repeated until a deactivating event occurs.

Alternatively the activation of the warning output is 31 repeated for a predetermined number of repetitions.

33 Preferably the deactivating event comprises a step 34 selected from the group consisting of: 4 À: .e À.e ce.

1) the body vacating the area; or 2 2) the body presenting an authorized user source.

4 Preferably the body presents an authorised user source by presenting an active source to an active source 6 identification means. Alternatively the user presents an 7 authorized user source by presenting a passive source to 8 a passive source identification means.

Preferably the activation of the warning output comprises 11 the production of one or more audible warnings.

12 Additionally the activation of the warning output 13 comprises the production of one or more visual warnings.

Preferably the form of the one or more audible warnings 16 are determined by the identity of the body.

18 Preferably the form of the one or more visual warnings 19 are determined by the identity of the user.

21 Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by 22 way of example only, with reference to the accompanying 23 drawing, in which: Figure 1 present a schematic representation of a 26 body monitoring apparatus suitable for 27 use with a vehicle parking bay.

29 The user monitoring apparatus 1, in accordance with an aspect of the present invention, is presented in 3I Figure 1. The apparatus can be seen to comprise a; 32 detector 2, a visual display 3, a speaker 4 and a 33 computer processing unit (CPU) 5, all of which are 34 mounted within a housing unit 6. . .

Àe.e ee::.

À À:. ate:.:.: 2 In the preferred embodiment the monitoring apparatus 3 further comprises a power source 7 in the form of one or 4 more battery cells or a solar panel. Alternatively, the S power for the monitoring apparatus l may be drawn from 6 the mains supply of a car parking area.

8 During operation the detector 2 is employed to monitor 9 the presence of a user within a vehicle parking bay.

When a user enters the parking bay the detector 2 11 generates a signal that is forwarded to the CPU 5 so as 12 to allow identification of the user. For example, the 13 CPU 5 is able to distinguish between the user being a 14 pedestrian or a vehicle. Therefore, a signal appropriate to either a pedestrian or a vehicle can be sent to the 16 speaker 4 and/or the visual display 3 which are then able 17 to generate appropriate audible or visual messages, 18 respectively.

If the user is a pedestrian then this message will be in 21 the form of a warning in relation to the possible 22 approach of a vehicle. Alternatively if the user is a 23 vehicle the message will warn the driver that the 24 particular vehicle bay is reserved for disabled drivers.

26 The sounding or display of the warning message can be 27 timed by the CPU so as to activate immediately following 28 the detection of a user in the vehicle bay.

29 Alternatively, when the monitoring apparatus l identifies a pedestrian user a pedestrian time delay may be 31 introduced so as to allow for the pedestrian user to walk 32 across the vehicle bay without activating the monitoring 33 apparatus 1.

6 c.e e. i. ... ..-. is..

In a further alternative, the CPU 5 can be employed to 2 introduce a vehicle time delay on detecting a vehicle 3 user. This vehicle time delay is set to allow the driver 4 of the vehicle to turn off the vehicle engine and possibly even exit the vehicle before the audible warning 6 is sounded. This alleviates the problematic feature of 7 the audible warning being drowned out by the vehicle' s 8 engine.

In all of the above embodiments the audible warning may 11 be repeated a predetermined number of times and/ or the 12 visual warning caused to flash. Alternatively, the 13 audible warning may be sounded and/or the visual warning 14 displayed indefinitely until some deactivation action is taken.

17 The deactivation action would involve either the driver 18 entering a password or pin number into a keypad (not 19 shown) mounted externally on the monitoring apparatus 1.

Alternatively, the deactivation action involves the 21 detector 2 sensing a deactivating means such as an active 22 source e.g. a radio transmitter or an optical signal 23 generator, or detecting a passive source e.g. a bar code 24 or a magnetic strip. In a preferred embodiment the password, pin number, active sources or passive source 26 would be issued to the disabled driver as they entered 27 the car parking area.

29 It is envisaged that the body monitoring apparatus l could be easily incorporated into existing car parking 31 areas or incorporated at the outset within new car 32 parking areas. The incorporation of solar panel power 33 sources makes them ideal for use in outdoor car parking 34 areas, even when there is no direct mains power supply.

e. e. if:: a. . c.. .: À 7 À '.' ..: .., 2 The body monitoring apparatus exhibits the significant 3 advantage that it provides the proprietors of a car 4 parking area with a means for monitoring and controlling the use of vehicle bays and in particular those 6 designated for disabled drivers.

8 It is further envisaged that the portable nature of the 9 body monitoring apparatus allows it to be employed in alternative environments to the above described car 11 parking areas. In fact any area where there is a 12 requirement to alert a pedestrian or the user of a 13 vehicle of the possibility of a danger would be a 14 suitable environment for deploying the apparatus.

Examples range from the approach area to a staircase or a 16 set of escalators to a particular hazardous area on an 17 offshore oil rig.

19 The foregoing description of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description 21 and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the 22 invention to the precise form disclosed. The described 23 embodiments were chosen and described in order to best 24 explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable others skilled in the art 26 to best utilise the invention in various embodiments and 27 with various modifications as are suited to the 28 particular use contemplated. Therefore, further 29 modifications or improvements may be incorporated without departing from the scope of the invention herein 31 intended.

Claims

eece. ee.: .: .. .. cee Claims 3 1) Monitoring apparatus suitable for the

detection of a 4 body in an area adjacent to the apparatus comprising a detector and a warning output means wherein the 6 warning output means is activated when the detector 7 senses a body within the area.

9 2) Monitoring apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 the monitoring apparatus further comprising a computer 11 processing unit wherein the computer processing unit 12 is capable of identifying the body sensed by the 13 detector.

3) Monitoring apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 16 wherein the warning output means comprises one or 17 more speakers capable of producing an audible output.

19 4) Monitoring apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding Claims wherein the warning output means 21 further comprises one or more visual displays capable 22 of producing a visible output.

24 5) Monitoring apparatus as claimed in Claim 3 or Claim 4 wherein the audible output of the one or more 26 speakers is dependent on the body identified by the 27 computer processing unit.

29 6) Monitoring apparatus as claimed in Claim 4 or Claim 5 wherein the visible output of the one or more visual 31 displays is dependent on the body identified by the 32 computer processing unit.

eceeee:: ce ce't' :e ee.

À e:. e.e:: ace 7) Monitoring apparatus as claimed in any of the 2 preceding Claims wherein the monitoring apparatus 3 further comprises a dedicated power source.

8) Monitoring apparatus as claimed in Claim 7 wherein 6 the power source comprises one or more batteries.

8 9) Monitoring apparatus as claimed in Claim 7 wherein 9 the power source comprises one or more solar panels.

11 10) A method of monitoring and controlling the use of an 12 area comprising the steps of: 13 a) detecting the presence of a body within the area; 14 and b) activating one or more warning outputs in response 16 to the detection of the body.

18 11) A method of monitoring and controlling the use of an 19 area as claimed in Claim 10 wherein the detection of the body comprises the step of identifying whether 21 the body is a pedestrian or a vehicle.

23 12) A method of monitoring and controlling the use of an 24 area as claimed in Claim 10 or Claim 11 wherein the activation of the warning output is delayed be a time 26 period dependent on the identity of the body.

28 13) A method of monitoring and controlling the use of an 29 area as claimed in any of Claim 10 to Claim 12 wherein the activation of the warning output is 31 repeated until a deactivating event occurs.

33 14) A method of monitoring and controlling the use of an 34 area as claimed in any of Claims 10 to 12 wherein the I..: ... ace. ace activation of the warning output is repeated for a 2 predetermined number of repetitions.

4 15) A method of monitoring and controlling the use of an S area as claimed in Claim 13 wherein the deactivating 6 event comprises a step selected from the group 7 consisting of: 8 a)the body vacating the area; or 9 b)the body presenting an authorized user source. ! 11 16) A method of monitoring and controlling the use of an 12 area as claimed in Claim 15 wherein the step of the 13 body presenting an authorised user source comprises 14 the body presenting an active source to an active source identification means.

17 17) A method of monitoring and controlling the use of an 18 area as claimed in Claim 15 wherein the step of the 19 body presenting an authorised user source comprises the body presenting a passive source to a passive 21 source identification means.

23 18) A method of monitoring and controlling the use of an 24 area as claimed in any of Claims 10 to 17 wherein the activation of the warning output comprises the 26 production of one or more audible warnings.

28 19) A method of monitoring and controlling the use of an 29 area as claimed in any of Claims 10 to 18 wherein the activation of the warning output comprises the 31 production of one or more visual warnings.

33 20) A method of monitoring and controlling the use of an 34 area as claimed in Claims 18 wherein the form of the e.. .: ... À .e one or more audible warnings are determined by the 2 identity of the body.

4 21) A method of monitoring and controlling the use of an area as claimed in Claims 19 wherein the form of the 6 one or more visual warnings are determined by the 7 identity of the body.