Apparatus For Providing Convenience Services To Vehicles

Abstract

A convenience service unit for providing convenience services to vehicles parked in a parking lot includes a base located outside a peripheral boundary of the parking lot, and a boom coupled to the base and extending over the parking lot. The apparatus further includes a service module located outside the parking lot and configured to provide at least one convenience service to a vehicle. A conduit supported on the boom has a first end coupled to the service module, and a second end extending into the parking lot for connection to a vehicle.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for providing convenience services to vehicles parked in a parking lot, comprising:
 a base located outside a peripheral boundary of the parking lot;   a boom coupled to said base and extending over the parking lot;   a service module located outside the peripheral boundary of the parking lot, said service module configured to provide at least one convenience service;   a conduit supported on said boom and having a first end operatively coupled to said service module and a second end extending into the parking lot for operative connection to the vehicle such that said convenience service is provided to the vehicle.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said convenience service comprises at least one of electrical power, conditioned air, telephone communication, internet communication, video signals, or radio signals. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said convenience service is conditioned air and wherein said service module includes an evaporator for providing said conditioned air to the vehicle, said evaporator supported on said base. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein said evaporator is operatively coupled to a compressor for providing conditioned air to the vehicle, and wherein said compressor is not supported on said base. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein said compressor is, in turn, operatively coupled to at least one other evaporator of a separate apparatus for providing convenience services, including conditioned air, to vehicles. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein said compressor is further operatively coupled to a ground-source heat exchange system. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising an auxiliary power source supported on said base, said auxiliary power source comprising at least one of a solar power source, a wind power source, a geothermal source for providing heating and/or cooling and/or power generation, or a battery power source. 
     
     
         8 . A system for providing convenience services to vehicles parked in a parking lot, comprising:
 a plurality of convenience service units for providing convenience services to respective vehicles parked in the parking lot, each convenience service unit comprising:
 a base located outside a peripheral boundary of the parking lot, 
 a boom coupled to said base and extending over the parking lot, 
 a service module located outside the peripheral boundary of the parking lot, said service module configured to provide at least one convenience service, and 
 a conduit supported on said boom and having a first end operatively coupled to said service module and a second end extending into the parking lot for operative connection to a respective vehicle such that said convenience service is provided to the vehicle. 
   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein said convenience services comprise at least one of electrical power, conditioned air, telephone communication, internet communication, or television/cable communication. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein said convenience service comprises conditioned air and wherein each said service module includes an evaporator for providing said conditioned air to a respective vehicle, said evaporator supported on said base. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising at least one compressor, said compressor operatively coupled to multiple ones of said evaporators for providing conditioned air to multiple vehicles parked in the lot.