Parking Spot Locator Using Statistical Availability Prediction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current delivery services face inefficiencies in locating parking spots, particularly in congested areas, which wastes time and increases fuel consumption, as existing systems lack effective methods to guarantee parking spot availability near delivery destinations.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that utilize a vehicle-mounted computer to input a destination address and a specified level of certainty for parking spot availability within a defined walking distance, performing statistical analysis of occupancy history to guarantee a vacant spot, and directing the vehicle to the most likely available spot or an alternative if needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If drivers manually search for parking spots in congested areas, then they can deliver packages, but time is wasted searching for parking and fuel consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by analyzing historical parking occupancy data and predicting future availability before the driver arrives. The computer identifies probable available parking spots in advance and provides directions to these pre-selected locations, eliminating the need for drivers to manually search for parking upon arrival at the destination.
2Productivity
If drivers manually search for parking spots in congested areas, then they can deliver packages, but fuel consumption increases due to extended searching
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by analyzing historical parking occupancy data and predicting future availability before the driver arrives. The computer identifies probable available parking spots in advance and provides directions to these pre-selected locations, eliminating the need for drivers to manually search for parking upon arrival at the destination.
3Reliability
If no parking guarantee system is used, then drivers have flexibility in choosing parking spots, but parking availability cannot be guaranteed near delivery destinations
Solution Approach 1:
The computer acts as an intermediary between the driver and the complex task of finding parking. It collects and analyzes historical occupancy data from multiple parking spots, performs statistical analysis to predict availability, and presents simplified directions to the driver. This intermediary system handles the complexity of data collection, analysis, and prediction, while providing simple, actionable guidance to the user.
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure is generally directed to systems and methods to locate a parking spot for a vehicle. In an example method, an address of a destination for a trip is provided to a processor. The processor identifies a cluster of parking spots based on determining a statistical probability that at least one parking spot in the cluster of parking spots is available at an expected time of arrival of the vehicle at the cluster of parking spots. An availability of the first parking spot is then checked by the processor at a time of arrival of the vehicle at a perimeter of the cluster of parking spots. The processor may direct the vehicle to travel from the perimeter to either the first parking spot if still available, or to a second parking spot if the first parking spot is unavailable.