Optical Sensor Parking Occupancy Estimation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for determining on-street parking availability, such as puck-style magnetic sensors and video-based solutions, are costly, prone to damage, and require extensive equipment and maintenance, making them inefficient for estimating parking space occupancy, especially in undemarcated areas and dynamic pricing scenarios where exact spot location is not necessary.
Innovation Solution
A method and system using two or more image capture devices to estimate parking occupancy by measuring initialization data, detecting vehicle entry and exit, and calculating the difference between vehicles in transit and those parked, providing a percentage of available parking spaces within an area, which can be implemented with fewer cameras and less computational power, reducing costs while maintaining accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If video-based solutions with multiple surveillance cameras are used to detect parking vehicles, then accurate parking space estimation is achieved, but equipment cost, installation cost, and maintenance cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential function of vehicle detection from complex video surveillance systems. Instead of using multiple cameras to capture and analyze video feeds, the invention uses simple optical sensors (photoeyes) that merely detect the presence or absence of vehicles in parking spaces, eliminating unnecessary video processing infrastructure while maintaining detection accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces expensive, fragile video surveillance cameras with inexpensive, durable optical sensors. These simple photoeye devices are much cheaper to deploy and maintain, and while they have limited functional capabilities compared to video cameras, they are sufficient for the specific task of detecting vehicle presence in parking spaces
2Measurement precision
If puck-style magnetic ground sensors are used to detect vehicles in parking stalls, then accurate single spot counts are provided, but the system is prone to damage by parking vehicles and maintenance equipment
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of placing sensors underneath the parking surface (as with magnetic puck sensors), the patent positions optical sensors above the ground level, pointing horizontally across the parking space. This inversion of sensor placement protects them from being crushed by vehicles while still enabling reliable vehicle presence detection through optical interruption
3Productivity
If puck-style magnetic ground sensors are installed to monitor parking spots, then parking information is obtained, but traffic disruption occurs during installation, repair, and replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical installation process of magnetic puck sensors (which require drilling, embedding, and positioning in the pavement) with a non-intrusive optical sensor system mounted on existing infrastructure such as poles or buildings. This substitution eliminates the need for road construction work, thereby avoiding traffic disruption while maintaining continuous parking monitoring capability
4Adaptability or versatility
If video-based solutions are used to cover four to five parking spots per camera, then parking availability is detected, but the system incurs significant equipment and maintenance costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple simple optical sensors to cover multiple parking spaces, rather than using a single complex video camera system. By combining several low-cost photoeye devices, the system achieves multi-space coverage at a fraction of the cost of video surveillance, while simplifying installation and maintenance requirements
Data Source
AI summary
A method and structure for estimating parking occupancy within an area of interest can include the use of at least two image capture devices and a processor (e.g., a computer) which form at least part of a network. A method for estimating the parking occupancy within the area of interest can include the use of vehicle entry and exit data from the area of interest, as well as an estimated transit time for vehicles transiting through the area of interest without parking.