Parking Space Management with Dual Detection and Alerts

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current parking space management systems, especially those with integrated energy charging stations, face challenges in simplifying and making management more reliable, precise, and flexible, particularly in self-service fleets where vehicles are temporarily personalized and interchangeable, leading to issues with abusive occupation, oversight, or malfunctions.

Innovation Solution

A method and system for managing parking spaces that include occupancy detection, energy recharging terminals, and alert mechanisms, which verify vehicle authorization and compatibility through GPS coordinates, allowing for timely interventions and different service options based on user and vehicle types.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If occupancy monitoring is implemented in parking spaces with charging stations, then management precision is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoccupancy detection accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments occupancy detection into two independent phases: presence detection (vehicle in space) and connection detection (vehicle connected to charger). This segmentation allows each detection function to be optimized independently, improving overall precision without proportionally increasing system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary processing system that coordinates between presence detectors, connection detectors, and alert mechanisms. This intermediary layer manages the complexity by centralizing the logic for interpreting detection data and triggering appropriate responses, rather than distributing complexity across multiple independent systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If alert mechanisms are added to notify unauthorized parking, then management reliability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanagement reliabilityVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements self-service alerting where the parking management system automatically detects unauthorized vehicles and triggers alerts without requiring manual intervention. The system serves itself by monitoring its own state and autonomously responding to violations, improving reliability while minimizing the need for additional complex management infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Alert mechanisms provide feedback to the system about unauthorized parking events, creating a closed-loop management system. This feedback enables continuous monitoring and automatic response, improving reliability by ensuring consistent enforcement of parking rules without requiring complex human oversight mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Measurement precision

If connection detection is implemented alongside presence detection, then management precision is improved, but difficulty of detecting and measuring increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanagement precisionVSAvoiddetection difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The detection system is segmented into separate presence detection and connection detection functions. Presence detection determines if a vehicle occupies the space, while connection detection determines if the vehicle is connected to the charging station. This segmentation simplifies each individual detection task while achieving comprehensive management precision through their combination.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs partial detection actions by focusing on specific aspects (presence and connection) rather than attempting to detect all possible vehicle states simultaneously. This approach reduces detection difficulty by breaking down the complex measurement task into manageable partial detections that can be processed independently.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP2727091B1Method and system for managing a power-charging space for a vehicle, especially a self-service electrical vehicle
Publication Date: 2017.09.13 BLUECARSHAR ING
  • EP2727091B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2727091B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2727091B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a method and a system for managing a parking space for a vehicle, for a space comprising means for detecting whether the space is occupied and at least one power-charging terminal suitable for automatic charging, especially automatic electrical charging following manual connection. Said method comprises, within a so-called occupation monitoring phase (as opposed to other phases such as a non-allocated vehicle storage phase): detection of a state of presence or absence of a vehicle or an object occupying the managed space, and detection of a state of connection or disconnection (operation or state) of a vehicle at the charging terminal. According to the invention, said method also comprises, in the event of a detection of presence without detection of connection, at least one so-called parking processing operation, for example, emitting at least one alert by acoustic or visual means, or recording or emitting at least one computer message.