RFID-LPR Parking Management for Multi-Level Location Precision
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current parking management systems struggle to accurately identify the location of vehicles in multi-level parking garages due to GPS limitations, leading to overlapping reads and increased error, especially in urban canyons, and lack precise enforcement of parking regulations.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system with RFID tags positioned at or near parking spots and a license plate reader in a mobile vehicle to collect and compare license plate data with authorized vehicle lists stored in RFID tags, enabling real-time management and precise enforcement of parking rules.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If GPS and LPR systems are used for parking management, then automated monitoring is improved, but location precision deteriorates in multi-level parking garages due to overlapping reads and inability to determine floor level
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces RFID tags as intermediary devices placed at specific parking spots to mediate between the mobile LPR system and the parking management system. These tags provide unique identifiers that disambiguate overlapping GPS reads and enable precise location determination in multi-level garages by associating each tag with specific spatial coordinates and floor level information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a third dimension to the traditional 2D GPS mapping by incorporating vertical floor level information. Each RFID tag is associated with specific three-dimensional coordinates (x, y, z) that include floor level data, enabling the system to distinguish between vehicles on different floors and eliminate overlapping reads that occur in traditional 2D GPS-based systems.
2Device complexity
If manual monitoring is used, then system complexity is reduced, but productivity and accuracy deteriorate due to manual writing and cross-referencing operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a self-service monitoring system where the mobile vehicle automatically performs license plate reading, RFID tag detection, and authorization verification without requiring manual intervention. The system autonomously compares read data against authorized vehicle lists stored in RFID tags and generates enforcement actions, eliminating the need for manual writing and cross-referencing operations while maintaining low system complexity.
3Device complexity
If GPS data is used without height tracking, then device requirements are simplified, but manufacturing precision and location accuracy deteriorate when determining specific parking spots and floor levels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses RFID tags as intermediary devices that carry precise location information including floor level and specific parking spot coordinates. These tags serve as reference points that enable the mobile LPR system to accurately determine vehicle location without requiring the vehicle itself to have complex height-tracking capabilities, thus maintaining simple device requirements while achieving high location accuracy.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables precise vehicle location tracking and enforcement of parking regulations, reducing errors and improving operational efficiency in multi-level parking facilities by integrating RFID tags with LPR systems for accurate authorization checks.
Implementation Method 1
collecting additional data for a corresponding parking spot or lot from an identifying device or tag, which in embodiments can comprise a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method to manage a parking area. The system may include one or more tags; a license plate reader configured to read license plates; and a tag reader configured to, in response to a license plate read by the license plate reader, read the tag and determine whether the read license plate belongs to an authorized or unauthorized vehicle.