US RE40,013 E1
Method and apparatus for detection and remote notification of vehicle parking space availability data
Joseph P. Quinn, 17 Ridge Rd., Norfolk, Mass. 02056 (US)
Filed on Aug. 09, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/501,406.
Application 11/501406 is a reissue of application No. 09/754454, filed on Jan. 04, 2001, now 6,927,700, filed on Aug. 09, 2005.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/174320, filed on Jan. 04, 2000.
Int. Cl. G08G 1/14 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 340—932.2  [340/927; 340/937; 340/942; 340/995; 340/505; 340/506; 340/468; 340/687] 31 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A parking space locating system comprising:
at least one vehicle detector disposed proximately to an associated parking space and configured to output an occupied/vacant signal along with an associated space identifier according to whether said vehicle detector detects that a vehicle is present/absent in/from said associated parking space respectively;
a central processor in communication with said at least one vehicle detector via at least one communication link;
wherein said central processor is programmed to receive at least one of said occupied/vacancy signals along with said associated space identifiers and maintain an updated database of said occupied/vacant signals along with associated space identifiers,
wherein said central processor integrates said database with geographical map data including a geographical area of said parking space(s) and generates an electronic street map which is capable of being displayed on a standard computer device screen as a graphical map, said graphical map having sufficient detail to distinguish individual parking spaces, wherein said occupied/vacant signal is indicated at a corresponding location on said graphical map;
wherein said central processor is further programmed and configured to quickly communicate updated graphical map data structures including updated occupied/vacant signal indication to a network.