On-Street Parking Notification System Using Wireless Feedback

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Solution Overview

Problem

In urban areas, finding on-street parking can be time-consuming and inefficient due to high demand, leading drivers to cruise for spaces and sometimes choose less convenient options because they cannot determine if closer spaces are available.

Innovation Solution

A system and method using portable wireless communications devices for users to share information about vacated on-street parking spaces, allowing users to transmit and receive notifications about available spaces, including location, time, and size, with route guidance and payment facilitation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If drivers cruise up and down streets to find parking spaces, then they can locate available spaces, but the search process becomes time-consuming and inefficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveparking search timeVSAvoidparking finding efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements real-time feedback by having parking space occupants transmit their location and vacating status via wireless messages. Searchers receive these feedback signals to identify available spaces without physically cruising, thereby reducing search time and improving efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces wireless communications devices as intermediaries between parking space occupants and searchers. These devices facilitate information exchange without requiring direct interaction or physical presence, enabling efficient parking location through digital communication

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If drivers take parking spaces not close to their destination just because they cannot determine availability of closer spaces, then they can secure any available space, but they miss the opportunity to use closer, more convenient spaces

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveparking space convenienceVSAvoidavailable space location information
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

Wireless communications devices serve as intermediaries that transmit detailed information about parking space availability and location. This enables drivers to make informed decisions about the most convenient spaces without uncertainty, improving ease of operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical process of physically cruising and visually inspecting parking spaces with electronic communication systems. This substitution provides comprehensive information about available spaces, eliminating the need to settle for suboptimal locations due to information lack

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentEP2267681B1Street parking community application and method
Publication Date: 2019.08.14 HERE GLOBAL BV
  • EP2267681B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2267681B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2267681B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

Disclosed is a system that facilitates finding on-street parking. A community of users has an application on their mobile communications devices that allows them to inform each other when vacating on-street parking spaces. When a user operates his automobile to vacate an on-street parking space, a message is transmitted wirelessly that indicates the position of the parking space. Another user in the community who is driving around looking for a parking space can specify a desired area. The availability of the parking space vacated by the one user is matched with the desired area of the other user. A message indicating the available parking space in the desired area is transmitted to the other user for display on the wireless communications device of the other user.