Parking Availability Estimation Using Incomplete Camera Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Finding available and desirable parking spots in large parking lots is inconvenient due to incomplete sensor coverage and high overhead costs of equipping each slot with electronic sensors.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses existing security cameras with image recognition software and car counters to determine parking area density, providing real-time recommendations on parking spot availability and desirability, and assigns parking areas to drivers through a mainframe connected to user interfaces, allowing for minimal additional overhead.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If individual sensors are installed at each parking spot to achieve complete data coverage, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the parking detection function from individual spot sensors and consolidates it into centralized camera systems positioned at strategic locations. Instead of distributing sensors throughout the parking lot, the system uses a few centralized imaging devices to capture images of multiple parking areas, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining detection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The camera system serves multiple functions simultaneously: it detects parking spot availability, determines parking area density, provides real-time monitoring, and generates recommendations for drivers. This multi-functional approach replaces the need for dedicated sensors at each spot, reducing device complexity while improving measurement precision through image recognition technology.
2Reliability
If complete sensor coverage is implemented across all parking spots, then reliability of parking availability data is improved, but loss of time and resources for system installation and maintenance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements partial coverage by positioning cameras to monitor specific parking areas rather than installing sensors at every spot. The system uses image recognition to infer the status of individual spots from area-level images, achieving sufficient reliability for recommendation purposes without the time and resource investment required for complete spot-by-spot sensor deployment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a virtual representation of the parking lot status through image capture and processing. Instead of physically instrumenting each parking spot, the camera system creates optical copies (images) of parking areas, which are then processed to determine spot availability. This copying approach maintains reliability while dramatically reducing deployment time and resources.
3Productivity
If real-time monitoring of all parking spots is implemented, then productivity of parking information delivery is improved, but use of energy and computational resources increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the parking lot into multiple parking areas, each monitored by dedicated camera feeds. The system processes images separately for each area and aggregates results to determine overall availability. This segmentation allows for efficient parallel processing and reduces the computational burden compared to analyzing every individual spot continuously, while maintaining real-time information delivery capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs partial monitoring by focusing computational resources on analyzing parking area density and key indicator spots rather than processing every single spot uniformly. The image recognition software identifies relevant information from images without requiring exhaustive analysis of all pixels and objects, reducing energy consumption while maintaining productivity in delivering parking availability information.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for monitoring parking areas and/or recommending a parking spot or a parking area to a driver are provided. The methods and systems can operate using incomplete camera or sensor coverage and minimal additional overhead. A method for assigning parking locations can include providing a first parking area and a second parking area, providing a means for determining a first parking area density and a means for determining a second parking area density, calculating a first parking index for the first parking area and a second parking index for the second parking area, providing a user interface suitable for assigning parking areas to drivers, and providing an assigned parking area based on the means for determining the first parking area density, the means for determining the second parking area density, the first parking index, and the second parking index.