Parking Facility Vehicle Tracking Across Rule-Based Sublots
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional parking management systems struggle to monitor and enforce different parking rules across multiple areas within a facility efficiently, leading to issues like non-permit holders using reserved spaces and inefficient space allocation, due to the high cost and complexity of adding additional cameras and gates.
Innovation Solution
A centralized parking management system using multiple cameras to track vehicle movements between different parking areas, reading license plates and other characteristics, and a central computer to enforce parking rules and issue violations, eliminating the need for separate entrance cameras at each area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If additional cameras and gates are added to each level or lot within the facility to monitor vehicle locations, then monitoring precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by enabling a single camera system to perform multiple functions: it detects vehicle entries at facility entrances, tracks vehicle movements between different levels, and monitors exits. The same camera infrastructure serves general parking monitoring while also specifically enforcing zone-based parking rules, eliminating the need for separate specialized equipment at each location.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the functions of multiple separate camera systems into a unified monitoring approach. By combining entrance/exit camera data with inter-level camera observations, the system creates a comprehensive vehicle tracking capability using an integrated camera network rather than separate systems for each monitoring need.
2Device complexity
If conventional entrance/exit monitoring systems are used without internal cameras, then device complexity is reduced, but the ability to monitor parking locations and enforce different parking rules is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the camera system as an intermediary that indirectly obtains vehicle location information. Rather than requiring direct monitoring equipment at each parking zone, the system uses cameras at strategic points (entrances, exits, inter-level areas) to capture vehicle movements, and the central computer processes this intermediate data to determine precise vehicle locations and enforce appropriate parking rules.
3Reliability
If multiple cameras are deployed to track vehicles between sublots, then parking rule enforcement is improved, but cost increases due to additional equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by strategically positioning cameras only at specific locations where they provide maximum monitoring value: at facility entrances/exits and at key inter-level transitions. This selective camera placement ensures reliable detection of vehicle movements that are critical for enforcing parking rules, while avoiding unnecessary cameras in areas where vehicle movements are already captured or where monitoring is less critical.
Data Source
AI summary
A parking facility that includes two or more parking areas/levels/sublots that are subject to different parking rules and/or cost structures employs cameras to monitor exit events for each separate parking area/level/sublot that is subject to different parking rules and/or cost structures. Vehicle parking is monitored for each different parking area by reading a vehicle characteristic with a camera, such as a license plate reading (LPR) camera where plates of vehicles exiting each sublot can be read. As the vehicle is determined to be exiting a first sublot, it is removed from the tally for that first sublot and simultaneously added to the tally for the second sublot. Additional sublots are monitored and tallied in a similar manner.