RU2273050C2 - Method and system for organization of payment for services for parking of vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: engineering of means for organization of payment for parking services.

SUBSTANCE: method for organization of parking payment with at least one parking spot marked by unique code uses mobile communication device, database of mobile communication network and mobile communication device of parking lot employee. Database of parking service operator is formed, wherein preliminary payment account is opened for client, to which money sums are to be transferred. These sums may be utilized for parking fees: transfer occurs either from bank account of client as preliminary payment, or crediting client in accordance to agreement.

EFFECT: possible check of rights to parking by using mobile communication device and connection of all mobile bases of network operators with database of parking service operator.

7 cl, 1 dwg

Description

Technical field

The present invention relates to methods and systems for organizing payment for parking services, the invention specifically relates to methods and systems that use a mobile communication tool to provide payment for parking services and perform a number of other operations.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Most cities use a certain type of prepayment for parking a car. Various payment systems were invented. Typically, the client must determine the time required for parking, and must make a prepayment at the final payment point or purchase a parking token in advance, for example, at a newsstand. He must also show the parking token to the parking attendant who checks the token. Such systems require significant investment and high operational costs, mainly because payment centers are expensive and require ongoing maintenance. The cost of prepaid tokens is high, and these tokens can be tampered with.

Thanks to the development of mobile communications, parking methods and systems have been developed that are based on such communications to pay for parking services at public parking lots. For example, in such a system, a driver trying to park a car (client) sends data about the parking place, registration number of the car and his personal identifier to the mobile phone operator. The parking bill will later be attached to the regular phone bill.

This method allows the employee (parking attendant) to check the right to park in a given location by accessing the database of the parking service operator using a laptop computer, where you can view the numbers of vehicles that paid for parking on a graphic display (patent application WO 93/20539) .

The disadvantage of this method or system is that it is necessary to equip all the on-duty parking lots with portable computers and provide communication for data transfer between the computer and the base of the mobile operator of the mobile communication network. The use of computers and mobile data transmission tools makes such a system unnecessarily expensive. Another disadvantage is that such a system must be operated by a national or regional mobile network operator and that only registered customers of a mobile operator can use such services, and this is undesirable in an area with many mobile system operators.

As an improvement to the system described above, a method and system has been proposed (patent application WO 96/34366) in which a customer’s identity is automatically determined based on the communication device used by the customer. When checking the right to park in this place, the parking attendant sends a corresponding question to the mobile database of the network operator using, for example, a portable telephone, and receives an answer on a special control device. According to this system, the client must also be a subscriber of the mobile communication network. This solution can be regarded as the closest to the known level of technology.

The disadvantage of the last solution described is the complicated procedure for processing calls, which makes this system unsuitable for practical use. The system does not allow the use of prepaid cards of the GSM communication system to pay for parking, because their use is basically anonymous and they do not receive any bills from the mobile operator. Similarly, the system excludes customers from other mobile network operators to pay for parking services.

The aim of the present invention is to provide a flexible and friendly method and system for organizing payment for parking services, eliminating the disadvantages of the above technical solutions, and suitable for use by all subscribers with a mobile communication device. It does not matter which operator services this client, and makes it easy to check the parking right by using a standard mobile communication device.

To achieve the objective of the invention, the databases of the mobile network operator and the parking service operator were separated, i.e. A mobile network operator should not act as an operator or administrator of parking services. This ensures that all mobile databases of network operators working in the area are connected to the database of the parking service operator. A client can use the services of the system if he is a client (subscriber) of one of the mobile network operators that is connected to the parking system, or if he uses a prepaid calling card of such a mobile network operator.

In order to pay for parking via the mobile system and use the parking services, the client makes a call at a special tariff telephone number allocated to the mobile network operator. Performing this operation, the client opens his parking account and prepays parking services for this account, i.e. A prepayment account is created when a down payment is made. After that, the client will receive a voice message confirming the amount transferred to the advance payment account. In addition, a short message (SMS) is sent to the client confirming the amount added and the balance of the prepayment account. The invoice amount can be increased by dialing the indicated number several times. Each such contribution will add the corresponding specified amount to the next account of the client’s mobile phone. To start parking, the client dials an IVR (interactive voice communication system) number or sends an SMS message or uses a wireless access protocol browser (WAP) mobile phone, indicating the parking zone code and registration number of the vehicle. To finish the parking, the client makes a call to a special phone number. Each client message is accompanied by a response in the form of an SMS message sent via the client’s mobile phone.

The link to this place is checked on the basis of the database of the parking service operator, while the parking service invoice is sent to the client along with the invoice sent by the mobile network operator for the advance payment made on the advance payment account. The parking attendant, checking the right to park in this place, can make a request through the database of the parking service operator and through the mobile network operator regarding the registration number of the car using SMS or IVR messages. The answer to the question is also given through IVR or SMS via the mobile phone of the person on duty, checking the right to parking.

Example

The method includes at least one parking zone indicated by a unique code (1) and at least one mobile communication device (2), a database of a mobile communication network operator (3), a database of a parking service operator (4), a mobile communication device of the parking lot duty (5), a network of computers connecting the databases (6), which in this embodiment is the global Internet, and the bank database (7).

In accordance with this method, the driver can park the car if he has an open prepayment account (41) in the database of the parking service operator (4). To open a prepayment account and replenish the prepayment amount, the driver dials a special tariff telephone number. The call is registered and the operation is transferred to the database of the parking service operator (4). The advance payment account (41) is then opened for this customer in the database of the parking service operator, and the money is transferred to this account either from the customer’s bank account (mobile operator) as a prepaid account or as a loan (mobile operator) of the customer under the agreement . The client has the right to park within the amount transferred for payment, and a message is sent to the client about the amount added to the prepayment account (for example, "N CZK was added to your account").

Thus, in order to start parking, the customer must know the parking zone code (1) and have a sufficient amount to pay for the service on his prepayment account (41). The client can check the balance of the prepayment account by dialing a special tariff telephone number or sending an SMS message using a special short number or using WAP or IVR. The parking zone code can be determined from the information shown in the parking zone, from the received information material or by dialing a special short tariff number. In the latter case, the parking zone can be found either by the object located near the parking lot (street, house number) or automatically (for example, using the global positioning system (GPS) or the mobile positioning system (MPS).

Start of parking must be recorded. To do this, the client sends an SMS message containing the parking zone code (1) or the name (for example, 123) and the vehicle number (for example, 345ABC), separated by a sign that is not used in the registration number of the vehicle (for example "*" or a space) in the same special tariff telephone number. Thus, an SMS message can, for example, have the following form: 345ABC * 123. Registration can also be done through WAP or IVR. The customer receives a feedback message (for example, "number 345ABC, car parking started in zone X, account balance x kroons, if you want to finish parking soon, dial 5678"). If the amount on the prepayment account is selected, a warning will be sent to the client shortly (for example, 5 minutes) before the end of the paid parking period, allowing the client to either add money from his account to the prepayment account or leave the parking lot.

In another embodiment, the payment for parking is calculated within a certain predetermined amount in order to avoid spending money on parking that will not be used. For example, many users of this service forgot to finish the parking operation when they had already left the parking lot and, therefore, used all the money that they contributed to the advance payment. Most people forget to finish the parking operation after receiving an SMS message that the deposited money is running out. Thus, the client does not lose the entire amount deposited as an advance payment if he forgets to complete the parking end operation. This means that the parking fee is calculated within some time. This limit is different for different parking zones and is mainly limited, for example, to four hours of parking payment provided by the parking service provider. Before the end of this period, the parking service user receives an SMS warning that the parking fee is about to expire. If the client wishes to continue parking, he can increase the parking time through the parking initiation procedure or by sending an SMS message or by starting parking via WAP or through IVR. If it is already known that parking will take place for more than four hours, an SMS message about parking initiation can be sent twice or several times: the parking time increases accordingly. When initiating parking via WAP, you can select the appropriate amount on the WAP screen; through the IVR interface, the client can initiate the operation in the same way as initiating SMS or use the DTMF selection.

The client, as a user of parking services, must understand that the time limit is not equal to the amount of money deposited for advance payment, and these two indicators are not directly related. For example, when parking is located in the city center, the time limit is four hours or a certain amount of money (48 kroons). If 12 kroons is deposited as a prepayment, the client will receive a warning message half an hour before the amount transferred is spent. To continue parking, additional money must be deposited into the account by making a call to a special tariff telephone number (or numbers).

To complete the parking before the amount on the prepayment account is spent, the client dials a special tariff telephone number issued to him by the mobile network operator. The client receives a feedback message informing him of the completion of the parking, as well as the balance of the prepayment account (for example, "Car parking number 345ABC is finished, your account balance is X CZK"). The amount left on the prepayment account can be used for parking later at any time.

The subject of the contract (subscriber) of the mobile network operator pays for parking on the mobile phone bill provided by the mobile network operator.

To check the right of the driver of the vehicle to park the car in a given place, the parking attendant on duty either sends a message to a special phone number allocated by the parking database operator (for example, a mobile network operator, a parking operator, etc.), and the message should include the number of the parked vehicle (for example, 345ABC), or by using, for example, a special terminal equipped with a touch screen, using technology to transfer data through a common packet radio network osvyazi (GPRS), or via a voice recognition system. The mobile network operator reports the answer either to the parking attendant using an SMS, WAP message, or through a speech recognition system.

One skilled in the art will appreciate that the system of this method can be modified in accordance with the characteristics of the invention set forth in the claims. For example, you can use the database of several mobile network operators (for example 31) connected to the database of the parking service operator. In that case, customers of all mobile communication network operators can pay for parking services using a mobile communication device (for example, 21), using the telephone number provided by the mobile network operator, for which the driver in question is also a client (who uses either the WAP system or IVR system). The client pays for the parking service services to the mobile network operator of which he is a subscriber, and the mobile network operator transfers the corresponding payments to the parking service operator (3). Various communication devices and systems can also be used here.

Data transmission between the databases of the mobile network operators and the database of the parking service operator can be carried out either over the global communications network (Internet) using encoding, or over the local area network (LAN).

The transfer of monetary amounts from the mobile parking payment system from the client’s bank account to the prepayment account is carried out by calling through a special tariff short telephone number. After dialing the short number, the client is identified using the IVR system, and a non-cash money transfer of the amount selected by the client is performed. The user of this service must conclude an agreement with the bank. When concluding a contract with the bank, the client can select the amount of the fixed payment and then select the desired payment when calling by short number. The Bank, in turn, transfers money to the bank account of the mobile network operator (3), which provides the relevant services, and sends the necessary information (in real time) to the database of the parking service operator (4) and to the prepayment account (41 ) customer.

The transfer of various monetary amounts to the advance payment account can be carried out using only one short number. For example, when a client dials a short number, the IVR answers “if you want to add 100 crowns to the account, press 1, if you want to add 200 crowns, press 2,” etc. The client can select the amount to be transferred to the prepayment account by making an advance payment by pressing the corresponding phone key using the well-known dual-tone multi-frequency dialing (DTMF) technology. Using this technology, the user can transfer money from a bank account to a prepayment account in the usual way or through an Internet bank or other possible banking channel.

Claims (7)

1. A method of providing payment for parking a vehicle, which consists in creating a database of a parking service operator with data on opening a customer’s prepayment account if there is a contribution of a specified amount and transferring an SMS message confirming the amount transferred to the customer using a mobile communication device on call to the database of the operator of the parking service, in assigning at least one parking zone a unique code, when starting parking, the client can of a mobile communication device sends a text message to the tariff phone number allocated by the mobile operator or uses the WAP protocol of the mobile communication device’s wireless access protocol for a message containing a unique parking zone code and vehicle number, they check the parking right using the database data of the parking service operator and the databases of the mobile network operator, connected among themselves, carry out registration of the beginning of parking with the calculation of the payment limit for archiving by the client and the parking time, depending on the payment of the parking zone, before the payment limit is exhausted, an SMS message is sent to the client’s mobile communication device, when the parking is finished, the client sends an SMS message or message using the WAP wireless protocol browser using the indicated tariff phone number indicating unique parking zone code and vehicle number. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the money is transferred to the customer’s prepayment account, either from the customer’s bank account of the prepaid account of the mobile operator, or in the form of a loan by the operator of the mobile communication network under an agreement with the client using a mobile communication device (2) or by dialing the number of the mobile network operator. 3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that in the case of permanent parking, the beginning of parking is registered by dialing an IVR-interactive voice communication system. 4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that in order to continue parking and increase the time limit, an SMS message is sent through the parking system or at the start of parking via WAP. 5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the parking time for a certain amount differs in the parking zones, and a maximum parking fee can be assigned at the beginning of parking. 6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the parking right in a given parking lot is checked by sending an SMS message, or by calling on a mobile phone to the parking lot standby device (5), or by making a call through a terminal equipped with a touchscreen screen, using data transfer technology and equipment with a touch screen, or using speech recognition in the database of the parking operator (4), while information regarding the parking right is received through the mobile network operator in accordance with the message Niemi SMS via WAP, or IVR-interactive voice system. 7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the databases of the mobile network operator (3), the database of the bank (7) and the database of the parking service operator (4) are connected through a computer network (6) for the purpose exchange of information.