Imaging a Parking Display Ticket

Abstract

Tracking the use of at least one destination location is disclosed. Initially, one or more first images of a parking display ticket within a vehicle that is occupying a destination location are received from a first camera of an unmanned air vehicle that is configured to be autonomously operated. Parking information for the vehicle occupying the destination location is determined based on at least one of the one or more first images of the parking display ticket. A unique identifier of the vehicle occupying the destination location is also determined. The parking information for and the unique identifier of the vehicle occupying the destination location is then indicated.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of tracking use of at least one destination location, the method comprising:
 receiving, from a first camera of an unmanned air vehicle that is configured to be autonomously operated, one or more first images of a parking display ticket within a vehicle that is occupying a destination location;   determining, based on at least one of the one or more first images of the parking display ticket, parking information for the vehicle occupying the destination location;   determining a unique identifier of the vehicle occupying the destination location; and   indicating the parking information for and the unique identifier of the vehicle occupying the destination location,   wherein the steps of receiving, determining and indicating are performed by one or more processors.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the parking information comprises one or more of a parking duration, a parking expiration time, an amount paid, a date of purchase of the parking display ticket, and time of purchase of the parking display ticket. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the parking display ticket is a Pay-and-Display parking ticket. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the parking display ticket is on a dashboard within the vehicle. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the parking information for the vehicle occupying the destination location based on the one or more first images of the parking display ticket comprises extracting parking information from a one-dimensional bar code, a matrix bar code, or printed characters on the parking display ticket. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the unique identifier of the vehicle occupying the destination location is a license plate number, a one-dimensional bar code, or a matrix bar code associated with the vehicle. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the parking display ticket comprises an RFID chip. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the one or more first images of the parking display ticket from the first camera of the unmanned air vehicle comprises zooming the first camera of the unmanned air vehicle. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the parking display ticket comprises the unique identifier of the vehicle occupying the destination location, and   determining the unique identifier of the vehicle occupying the destination location comprises determining, based on the one or more first images of the parking display ticket, the unique identifier of the vehicle occupying the destination location.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving one or more second images showing the vehicle occupying the destination location,   wherein determining the unique identifier of the vehicle occupying the destination location comprises determining, based on at least one of the one or more second images, the unique identifier of the vehicle occupying the destination location.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising determining, based on the one or more second images, a characteristic of the vehicle. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein receiving the one or more second images showing the vehicle occupying the destination location comprises receiving, from the first camera of the unmanned air vehicle, the one or more second images, the one or more second images showing a different field of view than the one or more first images. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein receiving the one or more second images showing the vehicle occupying the destination location comprises receiving, from another camera different than the first camera of the unmanned air vehicle, the one or more second images, the one or more second images showing a different field of view than the one or more first images. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the other camera is of another unmanned air vehicle that is configured to be autonomously operated. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the other camera is a fixed identification camera. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the other camera is an elevated destination camera. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , determining the unique identifier of the vehicle occupying the destination location comprises receiving, from a third-party Pay-and-Display system, the unique identifier of the vehicle occupying the destination location. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the destination location is a single multi-vehicle destination location. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving two or more second images showing the vehicle and the destination location;   determining, based on at least one of the two or more second images, that the vehicle is stopped within the destination location at a first time;   determining, based on at least another of the two or more second images, that the vehicle has left the destination location at a second time that is after the first time; and   indicating the first time and the second time.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the parking information comprises a parking duration, the method further comprising:
 comparing a difference between the first time and the second time to the parking duration.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 determining that the difference between the first time and the second time is greater than the parking duration;   determining, in response to the determination that the difference between the first time and the second time is greater than the parking duration, that the use of the destination location by the vehicle violates a restriction; and   indicating the restriction violated by the vehicle.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the parking information comprises a parking expiration time, the method further comprising:
 comparing the second time to the parking expiration time.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 determining that the second time is after the parking expiration time;   determining, in response to the determination that the second time is after the parking expiration time, that the use of the destination location by the vehicle violates a restriction; and   indicating the restriction violated by the vehicle.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining parking information for the vehicle occupying the destination location based on the one or more first images of the parking display ticket comprises:
 enabling presentation of at least part of the at least one of the one or more first images of the parking display ticket to a human operator; and   receiving, from the human operator in response to enablement of the presentation of the at least part of the at least one of the one or more first images of the parking display ticket, the parking information.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein enabling presentation of the at least part of the at least one of the one or more first images of the parking display ticket to the human operator comprises:
 determining that the parking information is not automatically identified based on the at least part of the at least one of the one or more first images of the parking display ticket; and   enabling presentation, in response to the determination that the parking information is not automatically identified based on the at least part of the at least one of the one or more first images of the parking display ticket, of the at least part of the at least one of the one or more first images of the parking display ticket to the human operator.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising receiving, from the human operator in response to enablement of the presentation of the at least part of the at least one of the one or more first images of the parking display ticket, a request to adjust the field of view of the first camera of the unmanned air vehicle by changing a pan, tilt, or zoom of the first camera. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving, from the first camera of the unmanned air vehicle that is configured to be autonomously operated, one or more second images of a handicap parking decal, a handicap parking mirror-hanger, a resident parking decal, or a vehicle registration decal. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more first images includes a visual timestamp indicating a time at which the respective image was captured by the first camera of the unmanned air vehicle. 
     
     
         29 . A system for tracking use of at least one destination location, the system comprising one or more processors connected to at least one storage device, the system being configured to:
 receive, from a first camera of an unmanned air vehicle that is configured to be autonomously operated, one or more first images of a parking display ticket within or on a vehicle that is occupying a destination location;   determine, based on the one or more first images of the parking display ticket, parking information for the vehicle occupying the destination location;   determine a unique identifier of the vehicle occupying the destination location; and   indicate the parking information for and the unique identifier of the vehicle occupying the destination location.   
     
     
         30 . A storage device storing a computer program for tracking use of at least one destination location, the computer program comprising one or more code segments that, when executed, cause one or more processors to:
 receive, from a first camera of an unmanned air vehicle that is configured to be autonomously operated, one or more first images of a parking display ticket within or on a vehicle that is occupying a destination location;   determine, based on the one or more first images of the parking display ticket, parking information for the vehicle occupying the destination location;   determine a unique identifier of the vehicle occupying the destination location; and   indicate the parking information for and the unique identifier of the vehicle occupying the destination location.