Method of processing a transaction for a parking session

Abstract

Methods of processing payment transactions associated with parking sessions and at least one parking related service. The payment transactions are between the parking supplier, for example, the owner or manager of a parking lot, and a payment provider, for example, a credit card company, on behalf of a user. The methods involve retrieving parking supplier information stored in a memory based on an identifier that defines the location of the parking session, and retrieving payment provider information stored in the memory based on an identifier that defines the user, and processing the transaction, where the amount or cost associated with the transaction is based on the duration of the parking session and whether the user opted to use the at least one parking related services.

1 . A method of processing a payment transaction associated with a parking session and one or more parking related services, the payment transaction being between a parking supplier and a payment provider on behalf of a user, said method comprising:
 receiving a first signal over a wireless network from a mobile computing device, the first signal conveying a user identifier and a parking identifier;   retrieving parking supplier information stored in a memory based on the parking identifier;   retrieving payment provider information stored in the memory based on the user identifier; and   processing the transaction between the payment provider and the parking supplier, wherein an amount associated with the transaction is based on a parking duration associated with the parking session and a selected one of the one or more parking related services.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the parking supplier information stored in memory includes the one or more parking related services offered by the parking supplier, said method further comprising:
 transmitting a signal to the mobile computing device over the wireless network, the signal conveying the one or more parking related services offered by the parking supplier.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising:
 receiving a second signal from the mobile computing device over the wireless network, the second signal conveying the selected one of the one or more parking related services. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the selected one of the one or more parking related services is an electric vehicle charging service. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  further comprising:
 transmitting a signal to the mobile computing device over the wireless network, the transmitted signal conveying an electric vehicle charging equipment activation code. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4  further comprising:
 transmitting a signal to electric vehicle charging equipment over the wireless network, wherein the transmitted signal conveys an activation instruction for the electric vehicle charging equipment. 
 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the amount of the transaction is based on the utilization of electric vehicle charging equipment at a parking location corresponding to the parking identifier. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 4  further comprising:
 transmitting a signal to the mobile computing device over the wireless network, the transmitted signal conveying a cost associated with an electric charge duration; and 
 receiving a second signal from the mobile computing device over the wireless network, the second signal conveying a selected number of electric charge durations. 
 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the amount of the transaction is based on the utilization of electric vehicle charging equipment at a parking location corresponding to the parking identifier, and wherein the utilization of electric vehicle charging equipment is based on the selected number of electric charge durations. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 receiving an input that includes the parking identifier and the user identifier; and 
 transmitting the first signal that conveys the parking identifier and the user identifier to a server over the wireless network. 
 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising:
 receiving at the mobile computing device, a signal transmitted by the server over the wireless network, wherein the signal transmitted by the server conveys the one or more parking related services offered by the parking supplier; 
 receiving an input that identifies the selected one of the one or more parking related services; and 
 transmitting a second signal to the server over the wireless network, the second signal conveying the selected one of the one or more parking related services. 
 
     
     
         12 . A method of processing a payment transaction associated with a parking space reservation services, the payment transaction being between a parking supplier and a payment provider on behalf of a user, said method comprising:
 receiving a first signal over a wireless network from a mobile computing device, the first received signal conveying location information associated with the mobile computing device;   accessing information stored in memory, wherein the stored information identifies a number of available parking locations that are within a set distance from the location of the mobile computing device;   transmitting a first signal over the wireless network to the mobile computing device, the first transmitted signal conveying the available parking locations that are within a set distance from the location of the mobile computing device;   receiving a second signal over the wireless network from the mobile computing device, the second received signal conveying a reservation request for a selected one of the available parking locations; and   processing the payment transaction between the payment provider and the parking supplier, wherein a cost associated with the transaction is based on a parking session duration at the selected one of the available parking locations.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising:
 transmitting a second signal to the parking supplier over the wireless network, the second transmitted signal conveying reservation information associated with the selected one of the available parking locations. 
 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising:
 receiving from the mobile computing device, over the wireless network, a signal that conveys parking preference criteria, and wherein the information that identifies a number of available parking locations within a set distance from the location of the mobile computing device meets the parking preference criteria. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the signal received by the mobile computing device that conveys the parking preference criteria is the first signal. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising:
 receiving a third signal over the wireless network from the mobile computing device, the third received signal conveying the selected one of the available parking locations; 
 accessing from memory parking duration options associated with the selected one of the available parking locations; 
 transmitting a second signal over the wireless network to the mobile computing device, the second transmitted signal conveying the parking duration options associated with the selected one of the available parking locations; and 
 receiving from the mobile computing device over the wireless network a signal that conveys a selected parking duration option. 
 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the received signal that conveys the selected parking duration option is the second received signal conveying the reservation request for the selected one of the available parking locations. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising:
 receiving a third signal over the wireless network from the mobile computing device, the third received signal conveying a request for directions; and 
 transmitting a second signal over the wireless network to the mobile computing device, the second transmitted signal conveying directions from the mobile computing device location to the location of the selected one of the available parking locations. 
 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the cost associated with the transaction includes a cost associated with reserving an available parking location.