Parking environment management system and method

[0001] The present invention generally relates to the enforcement of parking provisions, and more particularly to a system and method for administering, managing and monitoring parking programs.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Publicly and privately administered parking programs are constantly struggling with the seemingly difficult problem to provide parking services for an area with a limited number of parking spaces for an increasing number of vehicles. In particular, more and more efforts are being made to deal with this problem in housing communities, where cities and towns are struggling to provide local residents with a place to park. These efforts essentially include the use of parking programs designed to impose a set of rules and regulations governing parking privileges in a specific area or zone.

[0003] Traditional parking programs require the enforcement of regulatory rights and parking regulations by many enforcing officers, referred to as parking enforcement officers (Parking Enforcement Officers) (PEO). PEO officers monitor the area and detect parking violations, essentially by visual inspection of vehicles violating the regulations (eg identification of a vehicle parked unlawfully) or the surrounding area (eg observation of the vehicle position

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EP 2 011 091 B1, the prohibition of parking ", the passage of parking time use the restriction of privileges opposite the sign of the parking meter, etc.).

[0004] In the past, there are other permit and parking programs to ensure that local residents are able to find a place to park their vehicles on the street or in a designated area. The purpose of such permit-based parking schemes is to encourage people to obtain a permit: for parking privileges, or alternatively transfer vehicles without unlicensed owners to a paid, time-limited or garage parking lot.

[0005] However, parking programs are very difficult and expensive to implement and manage. The inefficiency in administering these parking schemes and the lack of enforcement are the widespread problems faced by modern parking programs, which leads to a significant reduction of the intended benefits.

[0006] For example, a small municipality that establishes a permit program based on permits may face the task of issuing from 20,000 to 500,000 permits per year, which requires a complete modernization of the existing municipal parking enforcement plan.

[0007] Although the issuing of permits supports the establishment of parking provisions, the use of traditional permits has many disadvantages. Traditional permits are usually made as a sticker that sticks to the window of the vehicle or a tag that hangs in the vehicle (ie it is hung in the rearview mirror). However, it is usually difficult to determine whether a visual inspection of a vehicle is available due to a variety of factors, including the presence of colored windows and / or vehicle positioning (e.g., angled parking). This imposes a significant burden on the person responsible for vehicle control in order to

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To determine if the vehicle is parked in accordance with the law, referred to as a parking enforcement officer (PEO), who must locate and read the permit via visual inspection of the vehicle.

[0008] In addition, traditional permits are often stolen or "sold to the left" (i.e., sold by an authorized holder of the permit to an unauthorized person). Without efficient means to track permissions administered as part of a parking program, such misuse is extremely difficult to detect and eliminate.

[0009] In order to enforce car parking regulations, parking programs usually issue a ticket or a summons and place a call on the vehicle. Basically, the owner and / or user of the vehicle acquainted with the summons, and must check what the amount of the fine is and how it was paid. Then, the owner / user takes steps to pay the fine and / or appears in court to challenge the summons. Enforcement of fines is not systematic because in many cases the owner of the vehicle does not pay a fine and gathers calls and fines. The imposed fines can be increased substantially for multiple infringers, referred to as disregarding the law, which ignores such a call.

[0010] WO2006 / 026515 describes a method and apparatus for monitoring and regulating street parking using RFID technology. Parking tickets containing RFID tags are purchased by vehicle users and attached to their vehicles when they are parked. The RFID tag scan is performed, and the central server is notified if a missing RFID tag is detected or one that has elapsed. The central server then notifies the parking enforcement in order to send a parking enforcement officer to the place of the parked vehicle.

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EP 2 011 091 B1

The lock is [0011] One traditional way to pay fines is to immobilize the locking on the wheel of the vehicle.

a device that is attached to the vehicle wheel to prevent the use of the vehicle, because the wheel is no longer able to roll along the way due to the presence of a blockage. However, such locks are usually uncomfortable and heavy. For example, such blocks are disclosed in the Japanese JP patent

58076348, in patents for industrial designs UK 3008370 and U.S. Patents No. 3,907,072; 4,768,359; 5,134,868;

3007353, 1.530, 622;

1,489,272;

5,315,848;

5,372,018 and 5,673,574.

[0012] Lock systems of the type in use, although unpopular among motorists, have become more accepted. The parking enforcement staff therefore assumes an inconvenient blockade of excessive size on the vehicle wheel, immobilizing the vehicle. The perpetrator of the violation returns to the vehicle and can not use the vehicle. The perpetrator of the violation is asked by means of a sticker on the window to establish a connection with the appropriate unit (eg law enforcement agency) in order to receive instructions on how to release and remove the blockade. The perpetrator is asked during a call to go to a police station, court or administrator, without his vehicle, to the place of payment. The infringer is required to pay a fine for this violation and all other outstanding breaches, if any. In this regard, locking systems allow catching persons disrespecting the law, which have many overdue parking violations. In particular, when the lock is attached to a vehicle disregarding the law, the authorities can maintain control of the vehicle until it is paid for all outstanding infringements made by the vehicle owner or user.

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[0013] Of course, the use of a wheel lock closure is inconvenient for the perpetrator of the violation, who must try to secure an alternative transport from any location in which he could park to a payment location that could be at a certain distance and to which transport is not easily accessible. When the offender's account is settled, he must return to his vehicle by finding another transport, while at the same time returning to his vehicle, the perpetrator of the violation must wait for the parking enforcement person to remove the blockage. Such a person may, but does not have to arrive in time on the vehicle in breach of the rules, causing frustration to the infringer. This process may take hours or even days, absorbing some of the fine that has been collected by the sending agency,

[0014] Furthermore, it is expensive for both the motorist and the agency responsible for enforcing road traffic regulations. In some cases, the lock is used instead of towing on private premises to secure payment of a fine for parking violations. The tug operator may not come to the private parking lot to complete the claim.

[0015] WO2004 / 034294 discloses a system in which, when a user of the vehicle realizes that his vehicle has been immobilized due to the immobilizing device attached to a vehicle wheel, the user starts the terminal to make a payment and enters the identifier of the immobilizing device into the terminal. When the payment is approved, the user receives the unlocking code to unlock the immobilizing device.

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[0016] There is therefore a need for a method and system for efficiently and effectively implementing, managing, administering, monitoring and implementing a parking program.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0017] A first aspect of the present invention provides a parking management system as defined in the claim

1.

[0018] A second aspect of the present invention provides a method for resolving a violation, which method is defined in claim 9.

[0019] A third aspect of the present invention provides a solution solution for solving a violation, wherein the solution module is defined in claim 13.

[0020] According to an embodiment of the invention, the detection and enforcement modules and the present parking management system solution may include a permit management system, one or more RFID readers, and a number of parking permits, each of which has a unique RFID tag and tag identifier (e.g. tag number containing a series of alphanumeric characters). The permit management system is configured to manage the permit-based parking program, as described in detail in US Patent Application No. 11 / 281,841.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the enforcement enforcement component of the parking management system of the present and solution components may include a lock based enforcement system comprising a plurality of vehicle locks, each of which has a unique tag

RFID lock and lock tag identifier (e.g., tag number containing a series of alphanumeric characters)

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EP 2 011 091 B1 readable by one or more RFID readers and a lock management system, as described in detail in the related US patent application No. 1 I / I.

22.953.

[0022] According to an embodiment of the invention, the permit management system, referred to as the "PermitView" system, provides efficient administration, management and implementation of permit-based parking detection, enforcement and solution modules (referred to herein as "parking program") that regulates permit-based parking environment.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, each authorization included in the parking program is assigned a unique identifier of the RFID marker (e.g., tag number) which is stored in the RFID tag attached to or embedded in the authorization (e.g., in the form of an RFID chip). The RFID tag identifier is associated with information or data particularly related to this parking permit, including authorized vehicle data, authorization holder data and parking privilege data (collectively referred to as "tag data"), but without being limited to those mentioned.

[0024] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the PermitView system comprises a computer available memory for storing an RFID tag identifier and associated tag data for each permit maintained by the parking program, to enable ongoing management within the permit's operating time.

[0025] According to an embodiment of the present invention, one or more parking areas based on parking environment permits, which are subject to regulations regarding a parking program, referred to herein as "zones", are

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EP 2 011 091 B1 is monitored by one or more RFID readers, which may be a handheld device operated by a parking enforcement officer (PEO) or a stationary reader. The RFID reader scans the parked vehicle, reads the RFID tag and acquires the RFID tag identifier. In order to determine if the vehicle is parked in an acceptable manner, the RFID reader accesses the memory available to the PermitView computer and reviews the tag data associated with the acquired RFID tag.

[0026] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the PermitView system provides efficient determination of whether the scanned vehicle is parked within the privileges associated with the permit or not. In the event that the vehicle is parked in a way that exceeds the scope of parking privileges granted for this permit, an appropriate enforcement action is carried out and recorded by the PermitView system.

[0027] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the authorized vehicle data (e.g., color, make, model, year, license plate number, etc.) associated with the scanned RFID identifier are sent to the RFID reader, for comparison with the data of the parked vehicle, in to determine if the permit is being used by an authorized vehicle, i.e. a vehicle associated with the permit.

[0028] According to an embodiment of the present invention, access to the PermitView system can be accessed via the user interface by a number of different users, such as permit holders, license applicants, parking program managers, PermitView administrators, and one or more readers.

[0029] According to an embodiment of the present invention, one or more docking stations,

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EP 1 011 091 B1 capable of docking one or more handheld RFID readers may access the PermitView system. Docking stations communicate with the PermitView system in order to synchronize data stored in the system and data stored in the RFID reader. In addition, one or more stationary RFID readers may connect to the system for data synchronization.

[0030] According to an embodiment of the present invention, newly issued permits are registered in the PermitView system, which acts as a clearing house for all permits managed under the parking program. The PermitView system then monitors and monitors the use of each permit for the duration of the permit's operation.

[0031] The PermitView system provides effective enforcement of parking regulations, thus creating a secure and structured parking environment that results in benefits for license holders and a parking program. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the lock-based enforcement system makes it possible to immobilize the offending vehicle using the vehicle lock (i.e., enforcement action). The lock-based enforcement system includes a lock management system, referred to as the "BootView" system, allows the administration and management of locks, and the BootView system ensures the release and recovery of blockades following the implementation of appropriate remedies (eg payment of a fine).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0032] The present invention will be more readily understood from the detailed description of the embodiments

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EP 2 011 091 B1, presented below, considered in connection with the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an illustration of an authorization-based parking environment containing a permit management system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary authorization process based on a parking environment permit in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary process performed by an authorization management system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates steps in accordance with an exemplary privilege analysis according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a lock-based enforcement system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of a lock-based enforcement system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a representation of a lock-based enforcement system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a reader-transmitter RFID polling and tag system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is an illustration of a parking management system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] It should be understood that the attached drawings are intended to illustrate the concept of the invention and may not be kept to scale.

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [0034] The present invention relates to a method and system for managing a parking environment. The parking management system includes a detection module to detect a parking violation (i.e., identification of an illegally parked vehicle or vehicle of interest), an enforcement module to perform an appropriate enforcement action, and a solution module to enable the vehicle owner / user to implement corrective measures.

[0035] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the parking management system detection module identifies a parking violation or vehicle of interest, collectively referred to as "violation" as a result of a visual inspection of the vehicle or its surroundings (i.e., a parking meter) by a person (i.e., an enforcement officer) a parking tag) and / or by scanning the RFID tag associated with the vehicle to determine the parking privileges associated with the vehicle, as described in detail below.

[0036] Once the violation has been detected, the enforcement module of the parking management system ensures the performance of one or more enforcement actions. An "enforcement action" may include any one or more of the following actions: 1) issuing a summons or a fine that may have an associated fine or penalty, and / or 2) seizing a vehicle (e.g., immobilizing a vehicle, towing a vehicle, etc.).

[0037] After the enforcement action has been taken, the parking management system solution module enables the vehicle owner / user to implement the corrective measures that correspond to the operation. the enforcing. For example, if a fine is imposed and the vehicle is

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If the system is immobilized (enforcement action), then the system assists the vehicle owner / user in paying the fine, releasing the immobilizing device (e.g.

blocking the vehicle) and returning the immobilizing device (preventive measures).

[0038] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the solution module is a computer-based and / or human-based based system comprising a payment processor configured to communicate with the user and process the payment of a fine related to a parking violation, a release processor configured to transmit an unlock code for the immobilizing device used to enforce the parking violation, and a return processor configured to send feedback instructions to the user.

[0039] A parking management system that entirely, end-to-end, enforcement detection and solution processes may include one or more computer-based systems and / or systems based on human labor.

[0040] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the parking environment managed by the parking management system of the present invention may comprise one or more parking areas or "zones" that are controlled by a parking program. The "parking program" contains a set of rules and regulations that regulate parking in parking areas.

[0041] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the detection module may comprise one or more parking enforcement officers identifying parking violations by visual inspection of vehicles (i.e., registration plate control and / or vehicle registration sticker) and / or vehicle environment (e.g.

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EP 2 011 091 B1 parking meter, markings on curbs, parking signs, etc.). Based on visual inspection, the parking enforcement officer may determine that the vehicle is currently violating regulatory parking regulations or, alternatively, by checking the number plate number, it may specify that one or more court calls related to parking for the vehicle have been issued and / or vehicle owner (ie a person disregarding the law).

[0042] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the parking management system can be used to manage a parking-based management environment. Detection of a parking violation in a permit-based parking environment can be implemented using the permit management system (referred to herein as PermitView 1), one or more RFID 8 readers to scan vehicles in one or more zones, and one or more a larger number of parking permits 11 (as shown in FIG. 1), each of which has a unique RFID tag (referred to in FIG.1 as RFID TAG_1, RFID TAG_2, ... and RFID TAG_N, for a parking program having the number "N" One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize

[0043] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the PermitView 1 system is a computer-based system available to one or more users that includes the following components: a user interface, a report generator, a privilege module 40, and a database of 50 licenses; it is not limited to the listed components. The term "computer" is aimed at

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To encompass any data processing device, such as a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a mainframe computer, a personal digital assistant, a server, a handheld device, or any other device capable of processing data. Optionally, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the PermitView 1 system may include a synchronizing module 60.

[0044] One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the components of the PermitView 1 system may be located in a single computer as shown in FIG. 1, or in more communicatively connected computers. The term "communicatively connected" is intended to cover any type of connection, wired or wireless, by means of which data can be transmitted. The term "communicatively connected" is intended to include a connection between devices and / or programs on a single computer or between devices and / or programs on separate computers. the skilled person in the art will recognize that at least a portion of the PermitView 1 system may contain components based on human labor. For example, the user interface 20 may be a telephone center or a traditional office in which persons (e.g. permit holders or persons applying for permits) may access the PermitView 1 system via telephone or by personal contact 5B, as shown in FIG. 1.

[0045] The PermitView 1 system may be an application or a program executable by a computer, available to many groups of users, wherein the characteristics of the user group impose the level, scope and type of permissible access to the PermitView system 1. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the following main are defined user groups: permit holders and license applicants, parking program managers, PermitView administrators and RFID readers. Each group

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The user may access the PermitView 1 system via a suitable user interface 20 that may be particularly adapted and / or configured based on a particular user group, as shown in FIG.

1. The user interface 20 provides a user-specific access to the PermitView 1 system, wherein the level of access is particularly suited for each group of users.

[0046] The user group "permit holder / applicant" includes all persons having or applying for one or more permits for one or more zones supervised as part of the parking program. As shown in FIG. 1, a group of users including permit / license holders may access the PermitView 1 system through the portal of license holders / applicants for user interface permits 20 using this document as a permit / applicant. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that a user group including permit / license holders may also access the PermitView 1 system through other means, such as, e.g.

determined in the computer holder, a computer

1.

[0047] The user group "PermitView administrator" includes all persons authorized to maintain, manage, monitor, supervise, or otherwise control the PermitView 1 system. As shown in FIG. 1, a group of users including administrators PermitView gains access to the PermitView 1 system via the Administrator portal of the user interface 20 of the PermitView

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EP 2 011 091 B1 using a computer, referred to herein as the PermitView administrator computer 6.

[0048] The user group "parking program manager" includes all those authorized to maintain, manage, monitor, supervise, or otherwise control the permit-based parking program managed by the PermitView 1 system. As shown in FIG. 1, a user group comprising parking program managers acquires access to the PermitView 1 system via the park interface manager portal 20 of the user using a computer referred to herein as the parking manager computer 7. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that a group of users comprising parking program managers may access the user interface 20 based on the call center and / or office via the telephone or by personal contact.

[0049] The user group "reader" includes any device, preferably an RFID device, adapted to scan vehicles, or readable devices contained therein, in one or more zones. As shown in FIG. 1, a group of users including readers obtains access to the PermitView 1 system via the user interface reader portal 20 using a communicatively connected reader 8.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the permit holder computer 5, PermitView administrator computer 6, permit manager computer 7 and reader 8 can each have an internet browser 5A, 6A, 7A, 8A, respectively, which provides access to the portal. on one or more Web sites, such as, for example, network / Internet 100. Each Internet browser 5A, 6A, 7A, 8A is communicatively connected to the PermitView 1 system via

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EP 1 011 091 B1 / Internet 100. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that any web browser is suitable for use in the present invention, including FireFox, Microsoft® Internet Explorer, Netscape, Opera, WebTV® and Mozilla ™, but without limitation to these.

[0051] According to a preferred embodiment, the reader 8 may be any suitable device or computer capable of reading the RFID tag. The reader 8 may be a handheld device operated by a PEO officer or a stationary device. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the readers 8 may be passive, active or semi-active. Reader 8 may comprise one or more software applications or programs (e.g., RFID / barcode scanning software and permit evaluation, such as PermitFinder, forensic software, etc.) configured to perform functions performed by readers 8, including acquiring data, storing data and scanning, but not limiting it.

[0052] The reader 8 may be configured to access data stored in a computer or database using any suitable program or language, such as, for example, Microsoft Access, MsSQL, a server-side database system based on a language program. server queries as part of open software, which system is commercially provided by, for example, Microsoft Corporation, files with explicit text (.txt) and / or other database technologies. A file with explicit text is crucial for extracting data from multiple sources and for use with a universal readable format. Suitable readers 8 for use in the present invention include the Symbol MC9000-G RFID device, but are not limited thereto. An average expert in the field

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EP 2 011 091 B1 will recognize that the parking permit may contain any readable device or means, other than an RFID tag.

Accordingly, the reader 8 may be any device capable of reading a readable device or means that is associated with a parking permit.

with an embodiment of this or a larger number of handheld stations

9, adapted for docking one handheld number [0053] According to the invention, one docking communication device 8 may be connected via PermitView 1 or via the network / Internet 100. The handheld reader 8 may be docked in a handheld docking station 9 to synchronize recorded data. in the PermitView 1 system with data stored in a handheld reader 8.

[0054] According to the invention, a hand-held communication link is made via the synchronizing means of the module

0 may be an embodiment of the present docking station 9 with the PermitView 1 system for synchronization 60. The module may be a computer-executable module capable of retrieving and / or sending data to and from one or more readers 8 docked in the docking station 9. In particular , synchronization module 60 can retrieve / send data, including valid permits lists, software updates, PEO identification information, a list of scans performed by a PEO official, a list of scan results including any enforcement action taken (e.g., court summonses, immobilization details, etc. .), announcements and alarms for PEO officers, a list of notifications of defects (described in more detail with reference to FIG. 2), etc., but not limited to.An example of a synchronization module 60 suitable for use in the present invention is the SQL 2000 / CE synchronization tool.

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[0055] According to an embodiment of the present invention, data stored in a handheld reader 8 and in a system

PermitView 1 can be synchronized in real time via a wireless connection between the reader and the PermitView 1 system.

[0056] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the PermitView 1 system includes a report generator 30. The report generator 30 is a computer-executable module configured to generate parking program reports. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that many different reports may be generated by a generator of 30 reports, said reports including any information relating to the parking program that is maintained by the PermitView 1 system.

[0057] Exemplary reports that may be generated include reports regarding: 1) financial information (e.g., parking program receivables); 2) scan results; 3) reports specific to PEO officers including information on the activities of PEO officers (eg number of scans, number of warnings / notifications, number of court summonses, number of cases in which the PEO officer did not act, etc.); 4) information on the permit holder's account; 5) records of permits; 6) information on enforcement activities; 7) data of the parked vehicle; and 8) marker data, but are not limited to those listed.

[0058] User groups (permit holders / license applicants, parking program managers, readers, and / or PermitView administrators) can forward a report request to a generator of 30 reports via the user interface 20. Based on the request of the report, the report generator 30 obtains relevant information from the communicatively connected memory available to the computer, referred to as the database of 50 licenses, generates a report and

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EP 2 011 091 B1 provides a report to the requesting user group via a user interface 20 or synchronization module 60. The term "computer readable memory" is intended to include any data storage device available for a computer or database in the form of volatile or nonvolatile memory. electronic, optical, or other, including floppy disks, hard disks, CD-ROMs, DVDs, flash memories, ROMs and RAMs, but without being limited thereto. [0059] One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the report generator 30 may be configured to automatically create reports at one or more specific time intervals (e.g., every hour, once a day, once a week, once a month, once a year, etc. .) according to a predetermined and adjusted schedule.

[0060] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the report generator 30 may automatically receive synchronization report requests from the communicating module connected to it.

60, according to a predetermined schedule. For example, the synchronization module 60 may send a daily report request providing updates to permit data for communication with one or more readers 8 docked in the docking station 9.

[0061] According to an embodiment of the present invention, when the handheld docking station 9 detects docking of the reader 8, it may automatically send a report request to the synchronization module 60. The synchronization module 60 may then send a request to the report generator 30 for

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EP 2 011 091 B1. For example, handheld docking station 9 can be configured to automatically request a report containing updated information of the authorization holder for a specific zone associated with a specific reader 8, each time a specific reader 8 is docked in a handheld docking station 9.

[0062] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a monitoring process based on parking environment permits to determine whether a vehicle (vehicles) parked there is parked in an acceptable manner. It should be understood that the schematic representation provided in FIG. 2 is exemplary, and the scope of the invention includes alternative layouts.

[0063] In step S1, the reader 8 scans the vehicle parked in the permit-based parking zone managed by the PermitView 1. The reader 8 scans the vehicle to determine if it has a parking permit having a valid RFID tag. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the permit may be in the form of a sticker adhered to a vehicle or object hanging inside the vehicle. The reader 8 may be a stationary reader or, as described herein, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a handheld reader operated by a PEO officer. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the RFID reader 8 is configured to detect and read the license and the corresponding RFID tag from a distance. In addition, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize

[0064] In tappee 22, the card 8, the RFID tag is inserted. If no marker is detected, the reader 8 and / or the PEO officer determines the cause of the failure to detect the mark at step S3A.

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EP 2 011 091 B1. At officer [0065] During step S3A, if it is determined that the failure to detect the tag occurred because of a reader operator error, i.e. a PEO officer, the vehicle is re-scanned, in step S1. If the failure to detect the tag has occurred because of a malfunction of the reader, the reader 8 is repaired or replaced.

[0066] Alternatively, during step S3A, it may be determined that the failure to detect the tag occurred due to either a flawed mark or none of these cases, in step S4, the PEO identifies information about the parked vehicle being tested, referred to as "parked data" the vehicle, "and enter the data of the parked vehicle into the reader 8. The data of the parked vehicle may include the following information: 1) the make, model, year and color of the vehicle; 2) number plate of the vehicle; 3) location of the parked vehicle (eg designated area, street and / or zone); and 4) the date, time and day of the week of scanning, but are not limited to those listed. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize

[0067] The data of the parked vehicle is used to determine whether it is associated with a scanned vehicle with a valid tag, in step S5. For example, if, after a visual inspection of a vehicle, the PEO officer determines that there is no authorization / tag, or that there is a marker / authorization, but the tag malfunctions, the vehicle license plate number can be checked in the PermitView 1 system to determine whether An important tag is associated with the vehicle. If so, the PEO officer may issue a notice or warning to the authorization holder

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EP 2 011 091 B1 regarding the lack of correct presentation of the permit / marker by the holder or a malfunction of the permit, in step S5A. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the PermitView 1 system can track the number of such notifications issued to a specific authorization holder, and if the number exceeds a predetermined threshold value (i.e., three previous warnings), appropriate enforcement action may be taken (e.g., issuing a subpoena or immobilizing of the vehicle). The enforcement action may include one or more of the following: 1) issuing a subpoena or subpoena; 2) issuing a notice or warning; 3) immobilization of the vehicle (ie the establishment of a blockade) and / or 4) no action, but it is not limited to those mentioned.

[0068] If, during step S5, it is determined that no valid tag is associated with the parked vehicle, an appropriate enforcement action is determined in step S8.

Alternatively, if a tag is detected during step S2, the reader 8 acquires the unique identifier of the tag referred to herein as the "tag number" in step S3B and identifies the data of the parked vehicle in step S4. that the tag number can be a sequence of alphanumeric characters of any length capable of identifying a specific authorization with which it is uniquely associated According to an embodiment of the present invention, the tag number is stored in an RFID tag embedded or attached to the permit.

[0070] After obtaining the RFID tag number and the data of the parked vehicle, the reader 8 sends this data to the system

PermitView 1. FIG. 3 illustrates at least part of the permissions management process performed by the system

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EP 2 011 091 B1

PermitView 1. As shown in FIG. 3, the PermitView 1 system receives the tag number and parked vehicle data from the reader 8 via the user interface 20, in step S1. The information is provided to the privilege module 40, which in turn obtains the marker data associated with the tag number from the database of 50 licenses, in step SII. [0071] According to an embodiment of the present invention, & quot; tag data & quot; includes the following information: 1) details of an authorized vehicle; 2) data of the permit holder; and / or 3) data on parking privileges, but are not limited to those listed. "Authorized vehicle details" includes the make, model, color, year and / or number of the license plate of the vehicle or vehicles authorized under the valid permit, but are not limited to those mentioned. 'Data of the holder of the authorization' include name and surname, address, telephone number, e-mail address and / or fax number of the authorization holder, but are not limited to those listed. 'Parking privilege data' generally specifies the scope of the privileges or parking rights belonging to the holder of the permit, including: a) one or more locations, zones, streets, designated areas, spaces or areas where the vehicle has a parking permit; b) the date of the permit and / or the date of expiry of the permit; and / or c) allowed parking time or times (ie parking rights only during the weekend, only on weekdays, seasonally, etc.), but are not limited to those listed. 'Parking privilege data' generally specifies the scope of the privileges or parking rights belonging to the holder of the permit, including: a) one or more locations, zones, streets, designated areas, spaces or areas where the vehicle has a parking permit; b) the date of the permit and / or the date of expiry of the permit; and / or c) allowed parking time or times (ie parking rights only during the weekend, only on weekdays, seasonally, etc.), but are not limited to those listed. 'Parking privilege data' generally specifies the scope of the privileges or parking rights belonging to the holder of the permit, including: a) one or more locations, zones, streets, designated areas, spaces or areas where the vehicle has a parking permit; b) the date of the permit and / or the date of expiry of the permit; and / or c) allowed parking time or times (ie parking rights only during the weekend, only on weekdays, seasonally, etc.), but are not limited to those listed. parking rights only during the weekend; only on weekdays, seasonally, etc.), but are not limited to those listed. parking rights only during the weekend; only on weekdays, seasonally, etc.), but are not limited to those listed.

[0072] In step SIII, the privilege module 40 performs the privilege analysis described in detail below with reference to FIG. 4. In the SIV stage, after analyzing the privileges, the privilege module 40 sends the results of the privilege analysis to the reader 8.

[0073] Returning to the process illustrated in FIG. 2, in step S8, if it has been determined that there has been an infringement

59P38659PL00

On the basis of the analysis of privileges (see step S7) or as described above, with the parked vehicle no valid marker is associated (see step S5), the appropriate enforcement action to be taken is determined. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the determination of the appropriate enforcement action can be made by the PermitView 1 system (as part of the privilege analysis), the PEO officer or the parking program manager.

[0074] FIG. 4 illustrates the steps included in the exemplary privilege analysis, according to an embodiment of the present invention. Essentially, the privilege analysis is performed by the PermitView 1 system, and involves comparing the data of the parked vehicle with the parking privilege data associated with the permission assigned to the parked vehicle, but it is not limited to this. In the SA stage, module 40, the privilege determines whether the parked vehicle data matches or not, with the authorized vehicle data associated with the scanned tag number in the license database 50. If the data does not match, then there is the wrong use of the parking permit, and there has been a parking violation. For each parking violation that has occurred, the database of 50 permits saves information related to the parking violation, referred to as "parking violation data". Parking violation data may include the data of the parked vehicle (i.e., information regarding the infringing vehicle); information about the vehicle owner (obtained from the plate number), information about the PEO officer, type of enforcement action taken, etc., but are not limited to those mentioned. For example, a license that has been stolen or illegally transferred to an unauthorized vehicle will result in this type of non-compliance, and appropriate type of enforcement action taken, etc., but not limited to those listed. For example, a license that has been stolen or illegally transferred to an unauthorized vehicle will result in this type of non-compliance, and appropriate type of enforcement action taken, etc., but not limited to those listed. For example, a license that has been stolen or illegally transferred to an unauthorized vehicle will result in this type of non-compliance, and appropriate

59P38659PL00

EP 2 011 091 B1 may temporarily thereby violate parking. According to an embodiment of the present invention, if the misuse of the permit is detected, the PermitView 1 system blocks the permission, signaling to the PEO officer (s) that the permission is inactive or invalid.

[0075] Alternatively, the PermitView 1 system may transmit to the reader 8 the authorized vehicle data associated with the scanned permission. Then, on the basis of visual inspection of the vehicle, the PEO officer can determine if there is a lack of compliance or not between the data of the parked vehicle and the data of the authorized vehicle.

[0076] If the data matches, the privilege module 40 identifies parking privilege data (i.e., the range of privileges) assigned to the permit, in step SB. According to an embodiment of the present invention, parking privilege data can be defined in the parking program at the time of issuing the permit, or at the time of the next update or edition. For example, the permit holder, Jan Kowalski, may hold a license that includes parking privileges for the "C" / Główna Główna, Hoboken, New Jersey / Monday-Friday / between 6am and 7pm. In addition, the same permission may also include privileges allowing Jan Kowalski, a student enrolled in summer classes at Rutgers University; for parking your vehicle on the designated parking area of ​​the campus "11" / strefa "H" / positions "1927" / from 15 June to 15 August. Collectively, these parking privileges create parking privilege data related to the parking permit of Jan Kowalski.

[0077] Referring to FIG. 4, in step SC, the privilege module 40 compares the data of the parked vehicle with the parking privilege data. Then, in the SD step, it is determined if the vehicle is lined up in

59P38659PL00

EP 2 011 091 B1 privileges. If not, then there is a determination that there has been a parking violation and the parking violation data is registered and saved in the database of 50 permits. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the determination of a parking violation can be made by the PermitView 1 system, the PEO officer or the parking program manager.

[0078] In the example presented above, it is assumed that the vehicle of Jan Kowalski is parked in the designated parking area 9 / zone "B" / station 6, 17 June. In the SC stage, these parked vehicle data are compared with the parking privilege data, which in turn leads to a finding that there has been a parking violation in the SD stage. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the privilege module 40 transmits the results of the privilege analysis to the reader 8 for performing an appropriate enforcement action. In addition, the parking violation data is stored in the database of 50 permits.

[0079] One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the enforcement action may be performed in response to the detection of a parking violation and / or the identification of a person disregarding the law. A person disrespecting the law is a person whose vehicle has many outstanding calls for parking violations that have been ignored. The number of outstanding breaches to achieve the status of a person disregarding the law may vary for different numbers of summons issued by managing authorities for issuing requests, such as, for example, a municipality, city, university or corporation. For example, a person disregarding the law may have two or more outstanding infringements.

[0080] One exemplary enforcement action that can be performed by a parking management system is to impose a fine (e.g., a fine). According to this embodiment, the parking management system includes

59P38659PL00

A payment processing module that is configured to enable payment of a fine (i.e. payment processing may be remedy). A computer-based system module and / or a human-based system that provides the vehicle with means to ensure the owner / user to pay the overdue fine.

[0081] Another exemplary enforcement action involves immobilizing a violating vehicle. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the enforcement module including this includes a lock-based enforcement system configured for the vehicle. As shown in the immobilisation of FIG. 5, the exemplary enforcement module includes a lock-based enforcement system 1000, comprising one or more vehicle wheel locks 12 used to immobilize the vehicle 14, one or more readers 8 configured to communicate with the lock 12, and a lock interlock management system 500 connected to one or more readers 8 and / or multiple locks 12 of the lock-based enforcement system.

[0082] Bl rim 12 includes a combination lock 3 ^ 83, which can be unlocked by entering a "unlock code", which can be a combination of characters (e.g., numbers, letters, symbols, etc.), the serial arrangement of which is unique to each lock 18. A blocking RFID tag 218 is attached to the lock 12 as a result of sticking or any other convenient method of attachment. Lockout RFID tag 218 operates on radio frequencies as is known in the art and will be described in more detail below in connection with FIG. 8. The lock 12 is preferably light to ensure easy handling. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the lock 12 may have jaws 22, 24 that deflect to an open and closed position relative to the wheel 16 in response to the introduction of a suitable

59P38659PL00

In general, the lock 18 is assigned a unique serial number and this serial number is the same as the unique ID code number assigned to the lock RFID tag 218. Each RFID tag 218 locking each of the plural locks has a unique ID in the tag memory corresponding to the unique serial number of the lock combination lock. All locks used by the lock-based enforcement system 1000 are thus identifiable by their unique RFID code and preferably the identical associated serial number of the respective lock 18.

[0083] As described above, the reader 8 may be a handheld device operated by a PEO officer, such as a PDA, or a stationary device. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the readers 8 may be passive, active or semi-active. Reader 8 may include one or more software applications or programs (e.g., RFID / barcode scanning software, forensic software, etc.) configured to perform functions performed by readers 8, including data acquisition, data storage, and operation scanning, but not limited to. Suitable readers 8 for use in the present invention include the Symbol MC9000G RFID device, but are not limited thereto.

[0084] According to an embodiment of the invention, the lock management system 500, referred to herein as the "BootView" 500 system, includes a block of 44 locks, a payment processor and a lock release module. The BootView 5 0 0 system may contain eeeen Ibb a larger number of computers and / or human-based processing components configured to provide efficient

59P38659PL00

EP 2 011 091 B1 blocking code in the program; unlock code)

2:

3;

administration and management of locks 12 of the 1000 block-based enforcement system.

[0085] According to an embodiment of the invention, each parked parking lock 12 has a unique RFID tag identifier (e.g., tag number) which is stored in a RFID tag 218 of a blockade attached to or embedded in a lock 12 (e.g., in the form of an RFID chip). . The RFID tag identifier is associated with information or data particularly related to this interlock, including: 1) code for blocking the interlock (i.e. the code to unlock the interlock (i.e.

type / manufacturer of the block; 4) serial number; 5) default or master unlock code; 6) current active unlock code; 7) location of the block (ie location tracked by GPS or other tracking system); 8) maintenance records; 9) diagnostic information, such as battery level, accelerometer readings (i.e. for impact or shock), and / or temperature; and / or 10) the current state of the lock (e.g. blocked or unlocked), collectively referred to as "lock data", but without being limited thereto. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the lockout database 44 is any suitable memory available to the computer or data storage device that is configured to store the RFID tag identifier lock and associated lock data for each lock 12 managed by the parking program,

59P38659PL00

It can be blocked or unblocked, and sends this information to the reader 8.

[0087] For example, after detecting a parking violation, the PEO officer can scan the lock 12 using the reader 8, identify the lock tag identifier and send this information to the BootView 500 system. Upon receiving the lock tag identifier, the BootView 500 system can check the lock tag identifier in 44 locks on the database to obtain the lock code associated with this block. Then, the BootView 500 system sends a blocking code to the reader 8 for use by the PEO officer in blocking the blockade 12, thereby immobilizing the vehicle. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that a similar process occurs when enabling blocking release 12, in which the lockout database 44 provides an unlocking code to the BootView 500 system for transmission to the reader 8.

[0088] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the lock 12 may include a GPS receiver that allows determining the location of the lock 12 by a GPS system or other tracking system. The BootView 500 system may be communicatively coupled to the GPS system to enable the BootView 500 system to identify the location of each block 12 of the lock-based enforcement system 1000. Optionally, the location of the lock 12 can be transmitted to the BootView 500 system directly from the lock 12 via the pager signal in the pager network.

[0089] According to an embodiment of the present invention, if the lock 12 is not communicatively connected to the BootView 500 system via a pager network (as described in detail below), the lock 12 can be configured to cyclically operate and change its unlocking code periodically in accordance with a predefined one , an already predictable algorithm. The algorithm is known and

59P38659PL00

The system is maintained by the BootView 500 system, thus allowing the system to determine the current unlock code without any direct communication with the lock 12. [0090] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the BootView 500 system may be communicatively connected to the system locks 12 1000 lock-based enforcement via any suitable communication means, for example, via a traditional telephone system 66 (shown in FIG. 5).

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the reader 8 comprises an RFID interrogator 216. Interrogator 216 communicates via the communication network 28 with the BootView 500 system or another database of persons disregarding the right of the governing body. The RFID interrogator 216 of the reader 8 also communicates with the lock RFID tag 218 for the lock 12 as shown in FIG. 8.

[0092] Referring to FIG. 8, the RFID system 214 includes the interrogator 216 and the RFID tag 218 of the interlock. Interrogator 216 includes a host controller 220 for processing received information from the RFID tag 218 of the lock via receiver / memory 224 and antenna 222 and from keyboard 250 (or other input device) of the reader 8. A separate memory (not shown) may be included in the host controller to receive and save data entered using the keyboard separately from data entered from the tag. [0093] In FIG. 8, the antenna 222 may also receive data via the communication network 28, as shown in FIG. 5, or from other sources, such as, for example, a computer system 300 violations of commune traffic. The data of the law disrespectant may also be sent directly to the BootView 500 system from the 300 municipal computer system via the network 28 or from the communication modem 36 of the reader 8, as shown in FIG. 7, using the link

59P38659PL00

Communication to the network 28 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Network 28 may include, but is not limited to, an Internet network, a local area network (LAN), or an intranet (not shown). Optionally, the BootView 500 system and the 300 municipal computer system can be integrated and maintained on the same computer or computers.

[0094] The PEO officer may receive and communicate data of the law disrespectant from the municipal computer system 300 to the reader 8 via the modem 36 and the network 28, to the RFID tag 218 by using the RFID interrogator transmitter described in detail below and to the BootView 500 system via a telephone system such as cellular telephony (not shown).

[0095] In FIG. 8, the RFID system includes an interrogator 214 that further includes a host controller 220 that generates a query command signal that is transmitted by the transmitter 226 and the antenna 228 as a signal 230. The controller 220 also transmits data of the law disrespectant and other information in the reader's memory entered by the person issuing the call via the antenna 228, the keypad 250 or a separate antenna that may be needed.

[0096] The data entered into the reader 8 via the keypad 250, as shown in FIG. 8, by an officer

PEO 38, see FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, such as a PEO official

7, contain data presented in the name of a mareikrego, for example, ^ m ^^ ę or officer, a unique RFID tag number, date, time and location of the request, where the location can be selected from memory as saved codes for cities, municipalities and so on , registration number and vehicle registration status, call number, violation code and an indicator disregarding the law, which indicates that the infringer is a person disregarding the law.

[0097] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the location can also be determined by

59P38659PL00

EP 2 011 091 B1 is a GPS receiver located in the reader 8. Data such as, for example, the location of the reader 8, installed receiver system, registration information, information of the PEO officer (which in some cases may be entered by the scanner with the ID of the officer, when available) may be input partly via the keypad 250. Optionally, if the reader 8 includes a GPS receiver, the location data may be obtained via a GPS tracking system. The BootView 500 system may provide data of the person disregarding the law (ie the number of the license plate, the make, model and year of the vehicle of the person disregarding the law, name, surname and address of the person having overdue parking tickets),

FIG. 5.

[0098] For readers 8 without a modem communication device, communication with the 500 and / or computer system 300 carried out manually using a mobile phone or other telephone or communication device via the telephone system 66, followed by various data received from the staff at the main location and location municipalities can be entered manually via the 250 keypad.

[0099] Referring to FIG. 8, the RFID tag 218 has a receive antenna 236 connected to the controller 240 via the receiver 238, a memory 242 connected to the controller 240 that extracts the relevant data after receiving the signal 230, and a transmitter 244 to transmit information in the memory 242 via the transmission antenna 234. Interrogator 216 may selectively transmit the interrogation signal and / or the first information to the tag, which may include the violation data, such as the violation code, number

59P38659PL00

The RFID tag 218 transmits an RFID 232 signal containing the second information in response to the antenna 228 receiving the call signal 236. The second tag and the call, date and time stamp, location, registration number, and other data entered into the reader. the interrogator 216 to the antenna, the information includes the ID of the respective violation data which is transmitted to the interrogator 216 via the interlocking antenna 224 of the RFID tag 218 to the interrogator antenna 222. The signal 232 discloses the RFID identification number as well as the violation data which may be stored in the memory 242. Such violation data may be received from the interrogator 216 under the supervision of the controller 220 and stored in the reader's memory (not shown) as previously introduced . manually and / or also electronically from the data of the person disregarding the right retrieved from the BootView 500 system or the 300 municipal computer system. This data is transmitted by the transmitter 226 under the supervision of the controller 220. The keypad 250 may include keys for controlling the controller 220 to refer to the command signal 230 or the data transmission signal 230 of violating the first information to be recorded in the RFID tag lock 218, depending on the what is the case.

Received violation data of a unique RFID number are stored in memory 242 and retrieved from memory and transmitted to antenna 234 in response to a control signal received by controller 240 via antenna 236 and signal 230.

supervision of the controller

240 In order to obtain information from the tag, the host controller 220 generates a query signal 230 after a command from the keypad 250 or as a result of a signal received by it, the signal 230 being transmitted by the transmitter 226 and the antenna 228 as a signal 230 to the receiving antenna 236 RFID tag 218 lock.

59P38659PL00

[0101] The RFID tag 218 may be attached to the lock 12 at any convenient location by any suitable attachment method. Such a method may include gluing, fixing in a radio wave permeable casing that is permanently attached to the outside of the interlock, secured in the inner space of the interlock, but exposed in a radiation-permeable casing for receiving and transmitting radio signals from and to the interrogator, and so on. The interrogator may also be included in the BootView 500 system and / or the 300 municipal computer system to communicate with the RFID tag 218 of the lock.

[0102] In FIG. 5, a handheld RFID reader 8 is used to scan the lock RFID tag 218. Interrogator 216 logs the scanned information in its memory, the unique ID of the tag and the date / time stamp. The remaining part of the data required as enumerated above and as shown in FIG. 6, is introduced as described above. The reader 8 is used, if it is equipped with a communication modem, to contact the 300 municipal computer system in order to obtain the data of the disregarding the law, which in the case of occurrence, are entered into the reader's memory. The reader 8 is then used to transmit this information stored in the reader 8 to the BootView 500 system and any associated database.

[0103] Any commercially known RFID interrogator 216 and RFID lock tag 218 may be used in the reader 8 and lock 12, and if necessary, may be modified as described above. In addition, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that a known reader 8 may be adapted to include an RFID interrogator 216, such as a TEK protege RFID adapter. Preferably, an employee identification card is provided for use by a person

59P38659PL00

EP 2 011 091 B1 issuing a request for scanning to the reader 8 its employee number.

[0104] The reader 8 using the network 28 sends the tamper data stored in the reader 8 including the tag ID and so on to the BootView 500 system.

[0105] According to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 7, the BootView 500 system includes one or more computers or servers 42 having CPU, memory and one or more databases 44. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the commune computer system 300 may comprise one or more computers or servers 46 and One or more databases 48. Optionally, the BootView 500 system and / or the municipal system 300 may include a communication connection to a traffic department data center 510 that contains data of a disincentive person stored therein and which are included in the system databases 48 municipalities.

[0106] Although the BootView 500 system and the 300 municipal computer system are described as computers or servers that contain hard drives, fast microprocessors, and large memories, conventional PCs may alternatively be used. Such systems also include printers (not shown) for printing the necessary data. [0107] A BootView 500 system or a municipality system 300 may work as configuration systems to configure readers 8 and markers using relevant data, such as location codes in the reader 8, serial numbers and RFID tag numbers for tags, and so on, for use in 1000 block-based enforcement system. Readers 8 can also have jack plugs for connection to the BootView 500 system and the 300 gmina system in order to download the necessary configuration information and implement information in known devices (e.g. file transfer server protocols). Devices

59P38659PL00

The memory devices used in the lock-based enforcement system 1000 may be implemented using various data formats known in the art (e.g., relational databases). Storing memories can be part of computer systems or can be implemented in separate devices. Access to saved data can be made using Microsoft Access or other relevant databases. The servers of the BootView 500 system and the 300 municipal system may be in the same location as the storage devices of the respective systems. Communication between them is traditional. The network 28 may be wireless or wired and may be any known system, including the systems indicated above.

[0108] In operation, a PEO officer or call issuer 38, as shown in FIG. 5 and 7, issue a parking call for a vehicle violating the parking law, in step 54a in FIG. 6. The PEO 38, using the reader 8, communicates via the network 28 (see FIG 5) or via the telephone system 400 with the database 48 of the municipal computer system (see FIG 7) to check whether the vehicle has previous overdue breaches, i.e. whether it is a law disrespectful, as shown in step 54b in FIG. 6. These information are automatically downloaded to the reader 8 via the network 28 or entered manually if obtained from the telephone, at 56 in FIG. 6.

[0109] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a municipal computer system 300 may be maintained by a management body, and includes a database 48 with data of law offenders. The 300 municipal computer system may also include a device for reading / writing a memory card

59P38659PL00

EP 2 011 091 B1 (not shown) associated with a database 48 for copying data of a person disregarding the right to a memory card associated with a read / write device. The card is used to carry data disregarding the law from the database 48 to the reader 8. Such cards, referred to as compact flash memory cards, secure data cards (SD), etc., are relatively small, but usually have a relatively large memory capacity (e.g., a memory capacity of 16, 64, 128 or 256 megabytes). Such card readers, commonly used in digital cameras and other electronic circuits, are widely available. The reader 8 also has such a card reader (not shown) for carrying data of a law disrespectful, inserted on the card from the database 43 of the 300 municipal computer system, as shown in FIG. 7, to your memory.

[0110] If the vehicle has associated outstanding violations; the PEO 38 then enters the data as shown in FIG. 6 and described above, to the reader 8 via the keyboard and using the network 28, if available. The exhibitor then pins the lock 12 to the vehicle wheel 16 as shown in step 60 in FIG. 6.

[0111] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the RFID tag 218 is embedded in the lock 12, and has a unique ID number code, which preferably corresponds to the lockout serial number 12. At the same time, the tag ID and the corresponding lock 18 combination they can be stored in a database 44 communicatively connected to the BootView 500 system, as shown in FIG. 7. This tag ID is correlated in the database 44 with the appropriate combination code to unlock the lock 12 associated with this unique tag ID.

[0112] In FIG. 6, the issuer then communicates with the tag to send the tag ID identifier, a

59P38659PL00

EP 2 011 091 B1 then communicates with the BootView 500 system in step 88. This time the reader is used to send violation data containing a unique RFID code, date and time of violation, information indicating a person disregarding the law, if the offender is a person disregarding the law and optionally with taking into account all fines attributed to overdue violations, optionally the vehicle brand, vehicle registration number, registration status, call number and violation code via network 28 or by telephone may be sent if reader 8 does not have a modem or communication device to communicate with network 28. These violation data are also transmitted to the RFID lock tag 218 via the interrogator 216 as shown in step 60 in FIG. 6.

[0113] A block-based enforcement system 1000 may serve as a module for the solution of a parking management system. The lock-based enforcement system 1000 assists the vehicle owner / user when implementing appropriate remedies that may include payment of any overdue fine, remove the lock 12 from the vehicle, and / or return the lock 12 to the appropriate location, but are not limited to those mentioned.

[0114] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the solution module is a computer-based system and / or a human-based system, a payment processor configured to be with the vehicle owner / user and payment processing of a fine related parking violation, a processor for transmitting a disablement code (e.g. .

releasing configured to be unlocked for the lock device 12), and a return processor configured to communicate the return instructions to the user.

59P38659PL00

[0115] In order to be able to implement the block image, the officer of the PEO 38 may provide information regarding the removal of the block 12 (i.e., instructions for implementing the corrective measures), namely, contact information (e.g., the phone number of the BootView control unit) 500) to the vehicle owner / user. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle owner / user may communicate with the unit 62 via a traditional telephone system 66 as shown in FIG. 5, 6 and 7, or using other appropriate means of communication.

[0116] Unit 62 receives a challenge number (which may also be owner / user number 64. unit 62 searches, in a lock) from this information, serial

Using its computer system database, the ID of the tag sent to it earlier by a PEO 38 officer (ie via a reader 8, in person or via a telephone). These events can occur with respect to each other within minutes or hours, because usually the lock will be attached before the owner / user returns to the vehicle. When the unit obtains the ID of the tag, it also gets related data of the person disregarding the law and information about the fines.

[0117] Alternatively, the entity may contact the commune's database 48 to obtain information on fines, which is more time-consuming and not as desirable as the immediate availability of information on fines. An entity may use the BootView 500 system and / or associated databases 44 to correlate data of the person disregarding the law with the fine data to determine the fine due for any number of outstanding requests. However, preferably, this data is provided by the reader as taken directly from the municipal system 300 as shown in FIG. 5, or as forwarded

59P38659PL00

EP 2 011 091 B1 directly to the BootView 500 system via the telephone by the call issuer.

[0118] As described above, one example of the remedies provided by the lock management-based management system 1000 is payment of a fine. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the BootView 500 system includes a payment processor that is configured to enable the owner / user to pay fines. The payment processor may be communicatively connected to a communication network that allows the vehicle owner / user to authorize payment of the fine over the telephone by providing his credit card number or other payment information (e.g., debit card number) in step 70 in FIG. 6. The corrective measures may include payment of a deposit for blocking 12 to secure the return of the lock 12 to the unit by the owner / user. After implementing the corrective measures (i.e. Payment of the overdue fine), the entity may provide the owner / user with the code required to unlock the lock 12. The unlock code may be provided by any suitable means of communication, such as, for example, via a telephone. In addition, other remediation information may be provided to the owner / user, such as, for example, an address to which the lock 12 can be returned, after being removed from the vehicle.

[0119] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the release and / or removal of the lock may be provided by enabling the user to make an appropriate payment using electronic or card-based payment methods. The user can pay for the release using a traditional card issued by a petrol station, such as the Exxon / Mobil Speedpass ™ card.

example, locks from

59P38659PL00

[0120] In step 72, when the jeet lock 12 being returned to the appropriate unit, agent, vendor, etc., the lock tag of the jeet read to determine whether the blocked lock of jeet matches the lock information associated with the lock. owner / user data received from the functioning of the PEO. If you need to certify, aaucat the owner / user. Covetrains, solutions (ie, releasing the blockade) may end up in a relatively short part time. In addition, the return of the lock can be performed in a convenient time for the owner / user.

[0121] In the event that the owner / user decides not to pay and does not contact with the one-off, the one-piece may have issued a notice of attachment to the municipality issuing the summons. The term "municipality" is intended to include any governing body that determines the parking program.

[0122] According to an embodiment of the invention, the municipality can contact the towing telegraph via the telephone, in step 74, to tow away the vehicle to the occupant of the occupant. In order to tow the vehicle away, the operator of the muei tug will release the lock in step 76. The tug operator communicate with the eyetem 32 one-offs (e.g., via telephone) to obtain the required combination to unlock the lock, in step 74. According to an embodiment of the invention, The tug operator may use the reader 8 to obtain the tag ID and related data of the request and to communicate this information either to a single ticket, or to the municipality via e-mail 28 or over the phone to obtain a combination of unlocking the lock.

59P38659PL00

[0123] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the lock release code may be a scrolled number to prevent randomly distributing the block release codes. This means that codes can be assigned as random numbers to each block. When numbers are assigned in this way, they are then entered into the relevant main database and the commune database, where blocking control is initially maintained. If the locks are distributed by the municipality, it assigns release codes to each lock, registers release codes and lock tag identifiers, and transmits the codes to the unit in accordance with the unique identifier ID tags associated with each lock.

[0124] The reader 8 may have software configured to read data of a person disregarding the law stored in the municipal computer system database. The reader 8 may include a connector to be connected to a socket by means of which such data may be transmitted using the control system in the 300 municipal computer system. In addition, the municipal system 300 may also alternatively include a system for loading data of a person disregarding the right directly to the lock tag without having to perform this reader 8. This direct entry of data into the memory of the tag in the commune's computer system eliminates a possible error in the transmission of such data in the system communication, through the reader to the tag.

[0125] One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the illustrated embodiments are provided by way of example only, and that modifications may be made in the displaced systems. For example, the reader 8 may comprise a digital camera whose data may also be transmitted by the reader 8 to the RFID tag 218 of the lock, and to the system.

59P38659PL00

EP 2 011 091 B1

BootView 500 and / or 300 municipal computer system. The illustrated embodiments are provided only as an example and not as a limitation. It is intended that the invention be determined by the appended claims and not by the illustrated embodiments.

[0126] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the alphanumeric pager network may be used for bi-directional communication between the block 12 and the main computer system 62 of the unit. Using the pager network, the main computer system 62 units unlocks the lock 12 remotely by transmitting a corresponding unlock code to the lock 12. [0127] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the pager network may be used to transmit new unlocking codes from the lock 12 to the main computer system 62 unit. According to this embodiment, the lock 12 may be equipped with an unlock code generator that periodically generates an unlocking code when it is effectively locked. The lock 12 transmits the unlock code to the main computer system 62 of the unit via the paging network. In the event that the transmission fails, the code generator detects a transmission error and causes a default transition to the secure unlocking mechanism in case of a failure, which may be a manual bypass (ie unlocking using a key) or a default unlock code. Alternatively, after the block 12 has been successfully blocked, the BootView 500 system can generate an unlock code and transmit the lock code 12.

[0128] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the lock-based enforcement system 1000 may comprise one or more lockout stations configured to dock one or more of the locks.

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EP 2 011 091 B1 locks. Locking stations can be communicatively connected to the BootView 500 system and the PermitView 1 system.

[0129] The lock lock stations may be configured to perform one or more of the following: 1) recharging the lock power 12, 2) transmitting usage data and diagnostic data to the BootView 500 system; 3) reprogramming the firmware saved in block 12; 4) communicating software updates from the BootView 500 system to block 12; 5) updating or changing the lock and unlocking codes; and 6) printing the lock / payment return confirmation.

[0130] The lock station can be communicatively connected to interlocks via suitable communication and connection means, such as, for example, a USB connection, Firewire, Ethernet connection, wireless connection (e.g., Bluetooth or WiFi connection), etc. Optional, station the docking lock may use a powerover-ethernet connection to recharge the power supply (e.g. battery) of the lock 12. The lock docking station may be protected by external factors such as weather, vandalism and cutting.

[0131] According to an embodiment of the invention, one or more of the "return" locations may include a cabinet type docking station that is adapted to store and dock multiple locks 12.

[0132] According to an embodiment of the present invention, both existing and future permit holders may access the PermitView 1 system through the portal of permit holders / applicants for user interface permits. The user interface 20 may have an authentication or login screen that encourages existing authorization holders to enter login information (e.g., user name and password). One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that any

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A suitable system or method of authentication can be used in accordance with the present invention, such as, for example, authentication based on ASP.Net WebForms. The permit holder can access information about his account and perform many tasks related to the account, including the following:

1) adding / editing / deleting / updating authorized vehicle data;

2) adding / editing / removing / updating permit data; 3) adding / editing / deleting / updating the data of the permit holder; 4) making payments for bills, renewals and / or court summonses; and 5) viewing account information including previously issued warnings / notifications and / or court summonses; etc., but not limited to.

[0133] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a person may access the PermitView 1 system to apply for a new permit. The application for a new permit may include the data of the permit holder, the vehicle or vehicles associated with the permit, the desired scope of payment means and / or the proof required for the permit, but it is not limited to

Proof required to obtain a permit or privileges, issuance of listed include proof of place of residence regarding parking privileges at your place of residence (e.g. utility bill, owner / user driving license, real estate tax bill, etc.), proof of employment for privileges employee parking, proof of recruitment for student parking privileges, ID card (eg driving license of the owner / user, social security card, etc.), but it is not limited to those listed. According to an embodiment of the invention, this information can be electronically scanned and transmitted to the PermitView 1 system in any suitable format

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A file, such as, for example, Portable Document Format (PDF).

[0134] The skilled artisan will appreciate that the records of available and / or issued permits can be managed, recorded and maintained by the PermitView 1 system in a database, such as, for example, a license database. Alternatively, the record may be stored in a separate database, referred to as the database 7B of the records in FIG. 1, managed and maintained by the manager of the parking program; via a computer 7 parking manager. According to this embodiment, new applications can be received by the PermitView 1 system and sent to the computer 7 a parking manager for review and evaluation.

[0135] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the system administrator PermitView can access the PermitView 1 system via the admin portal of the user interface PermitView. Preferably, an elevated or relatively higher level of authentication is required to gain access through the admin portal due to the type and scope of access to the PermitView 1 system owned by the administrator.

[0136] According to an embodiment of the present invention, one or more administrators may access the PermitView 1 system for performing a plurality of functions, including: 1) configuring and administering new parking programs; 2) providing online support; 3) management of user groups; 4) setting the parking privilege data in accordance with the parameters of the parking program; 5) management of permit records; 6) processing of applications for new permits; 7) management of issuing warnings / notices and court summonses; 8) defining and delivering reports to user groups; and 9) managing the issuing processes

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[0137] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the parking program manager may access the PermitView 1 system via the park manager parking program manager portal 20. Compared to other user groups, program managersThe parking lot requires a unique level and type of access to the PermitView 1 system. According to an embodiment of the present invention; one or more administrators can access the PermitView 1 system to perform multiple functions, including: 1) creating a variety of parking program reports; 2) setting up and administering new parking programs; 3) updating / editing data of the holder of an existing permit; 4) management and registration of permits; and 5) tracking information about enforcement activities, but not limited to those mentioned.

[0138] FIG. 9 illustrates the parking management system for lock-based management and permissive parking environment described in detail above, including the BootView 500 system, PermitView 1 system, multiple locks 12, each with an RFID lock tag, multiple permissions, each with a marker RFID, and a plurality of readers 8 for communicating and reading RFID tags associated with blocks 12 and permits 11.

[0139] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the PermitView 1 system can be used to manage a program and / or environment of a multi-station "pay-to-park". Traditional paid parking programs essentially allow an individual to pay for parking in a specific space, area or parking zone for a desired time allocation. Usually, an individual person makes a payment, for

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By means of a parking meter or a "multi-seat" device or issuing pay and display receipts, in cash, by credit card, by debit card, in the parking meter itself. Alternatively, an individual person can make a payment via telephone communication with a set up system such as "pay by phone" or "park by phone" ("park by phone"). Basically, after payment, the individual person prints the receipt or proof of purchase and returns to his vehicle to place the receipt in the vehicle, usually in a place visible from outside the vehicle, such as the dashboard or windshield.

[0140] In order to enforce these programs according to traditional systems, information regarding vehicles that are parked legally (i.e., information identifying those vehicles for which a payment has been made and for which the time interval has not expired) are collected in the "list of legally parked vehicles" "which is delivered to a PEO officer, usually via wireless communication with a hand-held device for issuing PEO officer tickets, or more generally, via a" report "to which the PEO officer can access and who can print via the parking meter by entering a special code in the parking meter. [0141] Then, the PEO officer, through visual inspection,

[0142] Furthermore, traditional systems and programs of "multi-station" parking meters usually require a motorized person to go to a multi-station parking meter associated with a designated parking area,

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In general, a parking meter is designated for a designated area to purchase parking time via cash, credit card or debit card. It is required that designated parking areas using "multi-seat" parking meters visually denote each parking position using an identifier (eg numerical and / or letter designation), or by printing an identifier on the surface, floor or pavement, or near each single parking stand in a method that clearly identifies each parking position in the designated area. As such, a motorized person must remember the identifier and enter the identifier in the "multi-station" parking meter in order to purchase time for that particular parking position.

[0143] According to an embodiment of the present invention, payment for a parking position in a paid parking environment can be made by an individual person using payment means, such as an account number or smart card associated with its permission 11. This allows an individual to purchase time in a multi-seat environment parking meter, either in the parking meter itself or via the telephone payment system. In the case of "multi-station" parking meters, due to the connection between the payment method and the vehicle related authorization (ie linked to the vehicle in the PermitView 1 system and attached to or displayed by the vehicle), the individual person can make the payment without having to save or remember the parking station identifier on which she parked.

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EP 2 011 091 B1 via the PermitView 1 system and related to its permission

11, and sent by the PermitView 1 system to the appropriate PEO officer.

[0144] According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the case of parking meters issuing pay and display receipts, an individual person does not have to return to his vehicle in order to place a receipt on the vehicle's dashboard. This provides additional convenience for the individual, while providing an improved enforcement method for enforcement authorities.

[0145] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the PermitView 1 system allows enforcement in parking environments using telephone parking receipts and payment by particular, a list of legally parked vehicles can be provided by the PermitView 1 system directly to the reader 8. Alternatively, the PermitView 1 system may provide a list of legally parked vehicles for a multi-station parking meter or a parking meter issuing a parking payment receipt which is communicatively connected to the reader 8 via, for example, a wireless connection. Preferably, processing the list of legally parked vehicles in accordance with the exemplary embodiment eliminates the need for a parking meter interaction to generate and obtain a report, and also eliminates the need for visual inspection of non-reportable positions to determine if enforcement action is required. Instead, the reader 8 can receive a list of legally parked vehicles from the PermitView 1 system, scan permission (permits) of 11 vehicles parked in the parking tag data, telephone. In the present invention, the PEO officer with the environment, obtain permission 11, and compare the marker data with the list

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EP 2 011 091 B1 legally parked vehicles to determine if an enforcement action is required.

but they are not limited to those listed. [0147] Paid parking data is associated with permission 11 in the PermitView 1 system, which prepares a list of legally parked vehicles and delivers a list to the reader 8, for consideration by the PEO officer. The PEO officer may scan permits 11 in a paid parking environment using the reader 8, which automatically checks the marker data associated with the scanned permission 11 with respect to the list of legally parked vehicles taken from the PermitView 1 system, thus eliminating the need for the PEO officer to perform visual inspections to detect parking violations. who prepares a list of legally parked vehicles and delivers a list to the reader 8, for consideration by the PEO officer. The PEO officer may scan permits 11 in a paid parking environment using the reader 8, which automatically checks the marker data associated with the scanned permission 11 with respect to the list of legally parked vehicles taken from the PermitView 1 system, thus eliminating the need for the PEO officer to perform visual inspections to detect parking violations. who prepares a list of legally parked vehicles and delivers a list to the reader 8, for consideration by the PEO officer. The PEO officer may scan permits 11 in a paid parking environment using the reader 8, which automatically checks the marker data associated with the scanned permission 11 with respect to the list of legally parked vehicles taken from the PermitView 1 system, thus eliminating the need for the PEO officer to perform visual inspections to detect parking violations.

[0148] According to an embodiment of the present invention, when an individual attempts to process a payment for a parking position in a paid parking environment, the PermitView 1 system may determine that an individual person is on the list of persons disregarding the law. According to an embodiment of the present invention,

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The list of persons disregarding the law may be provided by one or more sources, such as a commune or other administrative unit. The list of persons disregarding the law may contain information identifying each person having outstanding parking violations, which has been assigned the "prohibition status" meaning that an individual person is forbidden to park in one or more zones regulated by a parking program managed by the PermitView system

1. When an individual person as such or a related prohibited vehicle attempts to process a payment for a paid parking position, the PermitView 1 system may notify an individual person of his / her prohibition status and inform the individual that parking is prohibited due to failure to settle overdue infringements. In addition, the PermitView 1 system may indicate to an individual person the payment of any outstanding debts or fines in order to remove the prohibition status. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that communication between the PermitView 1 system and an individual person is via any suitable communication means, such as, e.g. via telephone and / or through a multi-station parking meter or similar interactive display provided in a paid parking environment. [0149] It should be understood that the embodiments are merely illustrative of the invention and that many variations of the above-described embodiments can be worked out by one of skill in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. It is, therefore, intended that all such variations fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.

IPT LLC

Proxy:

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EP 2 011 091 B1