Automated Parking Meter Cameras for Continuous Violation Capture

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing parking meter systems fail to effectively capture parking violations and optimize revenue without the need for costly on-site attendants, and existing camera-based systems are unreliable in detecting violations before vehicles leave the camera's field of view.

Innovation Solution

An automated parking meter system with integrated cameras, microcontrollers, and network connectivity that senses vehicle presence, captures license plate images, and communicates with a remote computer system to enforce parking rules, accept payments, and reset timers upon vehicle exit, eliminating the need for manual enforcement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If more parking meter attendants are employed to police violations, then violation detection improves, but operational cost increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveviolation detectionVSAvoidoperational cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The parking meter system performs self-monitoring and self-enforcement of parking rules through integrated cameras, microcontrollers, and automated violation detection mechanisms, eliminating the need for human attendants to manually police violations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical system of human attendants physically monitoring and enforcing parking rules with an automated electronic system comprising cameras, microcontrollers, and networked communication for violation detection and enforcement

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Productivity

If camera-based violation detection is used, then revenue optimization improves, but reliability of violation capture deteriorates when vehicles leave field of view

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverevenue optimizationVSAvoidviolation capture

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The camera system maintains continuous monitoring of the parking space and vehicle throughout the entire parking duration, ensuring uninterrupted capture of violation events from entry to exit without gaps in observation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Solution Approach 2:

The system captures images of vehicles at multiple predetermined moments including entry, intermediate points during parking, and exit, establishing a timeline of presence that enables reliable violation detection even when vehicles are momentarily outside the camera's direct field of view

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS20250391203A1Parking meter system

Publication Date: 2025.12.25 MUNICIPAL PARKING SERVICES INC

AI summary

A parking enforcement system can include a weather resistant housing, a processor disposed inside of the housing, a memory disposed inside of the housing and coupled to the processor, a network interface disposed in the housing and coupled to the processor, a first camera disposed in the housing and facing outward towards a first parking space. The processor can be configured to recognize when a vehicle first occupies the first parking space and determine a classification for the vehicle.