System and method for delivering parking information to motorists

Abstract

Embodiments of the present claimed invention utilize video imaging to analyze the availability of parking spaces. In one embodiment, a computer is used to process video images of a parking location to determine if a parking space is available. In another embodiment of the present claimed invention, the type of parking space is also considered. For example, the system can distinguish between a compact parking space and a full-size parking space and direct vehicles to the appropriate parking space. This distinction becomes important when the optimization of space for parking in a crowded area is desired. Additionally, wireless communication can be used to deliver information regarding vacant parking spaces to motorists. Furthermore, embodiments of the present invention incorporate a global positioning system (GPS) to provide location dependent parking availability to motorists. For example, a motorist can request the location of the closest available parking space by pressing a button inside the vehicle. In one embodiment, audible directions are provided to guide a motorist to the available parking location. In addition to using wireless communications to provide parking availability to motorists, the location of an available parking space can be printed on a ticket and provided to the motorist when entering a parking facility or can be displayed on a sign to alert motorists of available parking spaces.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A server based method for automatically reporting vacant parking stalls comprising: 
 a) accessing a plurality of digital images, each image associated with a portion of a parking facility and each image covering a plurality of parking stalls;    b) performing computerized image processing on each image to automatically detect vacant parking stalls of said plurality of parking stalls;    c) indexing a map database with information regarding said vacant parking stalls of each image to determine physical locations of vacant parking stalls of said parking facility; and    d) reporting information regarding a portion of said vacant parking stalls of said parking facility.    
     
     
         2 . A method as described in  claim 1  wherein said information is driving directions and wherein d) is performed by wirelessly transmitting said driving directions to a motorist directing said motorist to a vacant parking stall.  
     
     
         3 . A method as described in  claim 1  wherein d) is performed by printing said information on a paper ticket given to a motorist at said parking facility.  
     
     
         4 . A method as described in  claim 1  further comprising e) a motorist conveying location information to said server and wherein said information of d) is reported in a location-specific format based on said location information of said motorist.  
     
     
         5 . A method as described in  claim 1  further comprising e) a motorist conveying native language information to said server and wherein said information of d) is reported in a language-specific format based on said native language of said motorist.  
     
     
         6 . A method as described in  claim 1  wherein said information of d) is wirelessly transmitted to a mobile computer system of a motorist and further comprising displaying said information on a display screen of said mobile computer system.  
     
     
         7 . A method as described in  claim 1  wherein said parking stall is located in a parking garage.  
     
     
         8 . A method as described in  claim 1  wherein said parking stall is on-street parking.  
     
     
         9 . A method as described in  claim 1  wherein d) is performed using an IEEE 802.11 wireless Ethernet protocol.  
     
     
         10 . A computer system comprising a processor coupled to a bus and a memory coupled to a bus, said memory comprising instructions for executing a method for automatically reporting vacant parking stalls comprising: accessing a plurality of digital images, each image associated with a portion of a parking facility and each image covering a plurality of parking stalls; 
 b) performing computerized image processing on each image to automatically detect vacant parking stalls of said plurality of parking stalls;    c) indexing a map database with information regarding said vacant parking stalls of each image to determine physical locations of vacant parking stalls of said parking facility; and    d) reporting information regarding a portion of said vacant parking stalls of said parking facility.    
     
     
         11 . A system as described in  claim 10  further comprising a plurality of video cameras for capturing said digital images.  
     
     
         12 . A system as described in  claim 10  further comprising a remote computer system accessible to a motorist and for displaying said information regarding a portion of said vacant parking stalls of said parking facility.  
     
     
         13 . A system as described in  claim 10  further comprising a printer for printing a ticket containing said information regarding said vacant parking stalls of said parking facility.  
     
     
         14 . A system as described in  claim 10  further comprising a parking type database for reporting a type of said vacant parking stalls of said parking facility.  
     
     
         15 . A system as described in  claim 14  wherein said type of said vacant parking stalls is compact.  
     
     
         16 . A system as described in  claim 14  wherein said type of said vacant parking stalls is handicap.  
     
     
         17 . A system as described in  claim 10  wherein said information regarding said vacant parking stalls of said parking facility is selected based on a known location of a motorist.  
     
     
         18 . A computer system comprising a processor coupled to a bus and a memory coupled to a bus, said memory comprising instructions for executing a method for automatically reporting vacant parking stalls comprising: 
 a) accessing a plurality of digital images, each image associated with a portion of a parking facility and each image covering a plurality of parking stalls;    b) performing computerized image processing on each image to automatically detect vacant parking stalls of said plurality of parking stalls;    c) indexing a map database with information regarding said vacant parking stalls of each image to determine physical locations of vacant parking stalls of said parking facility; and    d) reporting information regarding a portion of said vacant parking stalls of said parking facility to a mobile computer system accessible to a motorist.    
     
     
         19 . A system as described in  claim 18  wherein said information is driving directions and wherein d) is performed by wirelessly transmitting said driving directions to said mobile computer system directing said motorist to a vacant parking stall.  
     
     
         20 . A system as described in  claim 18  further comprising e) conveying location information of said motorist to said server and wherein said information of d) is reported in a location-specific format based on said location information of said motorist.  
     
     
         21 . A system as described in  claim 18  further comprising e) conveying native language information of said motorist to said server and wherein said information of d) is reported in a language-specific format based on said native language of said motorist.  
     
     
         22 . A system as described in  claim 18  wherein said information of d) is transmitted wirelessly to said mobile computer system of said motorist and further comprising displaying said information on a display screen of said mobile computer system.  
     
     
         23 . A method for determining parking space availability comprising: 
 a) capturing an image of a portion of a parking area;    b) transmitting said image to a processor;    c) automatically determining available parking spaces within said image and mapping said image to said parking area;    d) outputting the location of an available parking space of said parking area to a motorist.    
     
     
         24 . A method as described in  claim 23  wherein said output of d) is printed on a ticket available to said motorist.  
     
     
         25 . A method as described in  claim 23  further comprising displaying said location of an available parking space on a display screen of a computer system available to said motorist.  
     
     
         26 . A method as described in  claim 23  wherein said parking space is located in a parking garage.  
     
     
         27 . A method as described in  claim 23  further comprising determining a location of said motorist and reporting location specific parking availability based on said location of said motorist.  
     
     
         28 . A method as described in  claim 27  wherein a global positioning system (GPS) is used to determine said location of said motorist.  
     
     
         29 . A method as described in  claim 23  wherein step c) uses an IEEE 802.11 wireless Ethernet protocol to transmit said image.  
     
     
         30 . A method as described in  claim 23  further comprising transmitting said location of said available parking space to a wireless electronic device of said motorist, said electronic device comprising: 
 a) a processor coupled to a bus;  
 b) a memory coupled to said bus;  
 c) a communication circuit coupled to said bus;  
 d) a display device coupled to said bus.  
 
     
     
         31 . A method as described in  claim 30  further comprising displaying information about said location of said available parking space on said display device.  
     
     
         32 . A method of finding vacant parking stalls comprising: 
 a) a motorist providing a request to a remote service provider for parking availability, said request containing a location of said motorist;    b) said service provider polling parking garages nearby said motorist for parking availability;    c) said parking garages each automatically determining parking availability and reporting same to said service provider; and    d) said service provider providing parking availability results to said motorist.    
     
     
         33 . A method as described in  claim 32  wherein c) comprises: 
 c1) accessing a plurality of digital images, each image associated with a portion of a parking garage and each image covering a plurality of parking stalls;  
 c2) performing computerized image processing on each image to automatically detect vacant parking stalls of said plurality of parking stalls;  
 c3) indexing a map database with information regarding said vacant parking stalls of each image to determine physical locations of vacant parking stalls of said parking garage; and  
 c4) reporting information regarding a portion of said vacant parking stalls of said parking garage.  
 
     
     
         34 . A method as described in  claim 32  wherein said request of a) is transmitted wirelessly to said service provider.  
     
     
         35 . A method as described in  claim 34  wherein said parking availability results of d) are transmitted to said motorist using a wireless communication channel.  
     
     
         36 . A method as described in  claim 32  wherein said parking availability results are filtered to be customized to said motorist.