Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
  • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
  • G07B15/00—Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points
  • G07B15/02—Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points taking into account a variable factor such as distance or time, e.g. for passenger transport, parking systems or car rental systems
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
  • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • G06Q20/00—Payment architectures, schemes or protocols
  • G06Q20/08—Payment architectures
  • G06Q20/20—Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
  • G06Q20/204—Point-of-sale [POS] network systems comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method of paying for a parking space.
• the present invention also relates to a system for implementing this method.
• a paid parking space payment system built around a mobile telephone network of GSM or other type, in which a user calls, by means of his mobile telephone, a parking server to indicate the chosen parking zone, and provide a vehicle identifier such as the registration number, and possibly a personal identification code.
• the parking server records the call data as well as the parking start time. When the user leaves the parking place, he calls the parking server again to inform him of his departure. Taking into account the duration of parking and the rates in force in the parking area, the server can calculate the price to be paid by the user and establish an invoice either directly or through the mobile operator. .
• control is carried out by surveillance agents equipped with portable devices allowing them to consult the parking server by telephone link in order to know whether the parked vehicles, identified in particular by their registration number, have have been regularly registered with the server.
• a telephone call payment system two separate payment methods can be used.
• the payment is initiated by a first communication to the system and interrupted by a second communication to the same system, in the second mode the payment is made for a predefined duration.
• the first method of payment has the major drawback of requiring two calls.
• the second its application to a parking system by place number, raises certain difficulties.
• “Best Time” mode that is to say the best time between the remaining time and the paid time.
• the terminal checks what is the most favorable end of parking: that previously recorded, the fruit of the previous transaction for the same place or that corresponding to the transaction that has just been validated. This option prevents a new transaction from “canceling” the previous transaction, but obliges the user wishing to extend their parking time to wait until the end of the first period to pay for their additional time, under penalty of paying twice for the recovery period.
• “Add Time” mode ie adding the paid time to the remaining time.
• the newly paid duration is added to the possible residual duration resulting from the previous transaction and then defines a new end time for authorized parking.
• This option prevents a new transaction from “canceling” the previous transaction. It also allows a user to extend their parking period without waiting for the end of the initial period and at no additional cost.
• it has the disadvantage that an arriving user fully benefits from the possible parking rights of the previous user, rights which he did not pay, which goes against the profitability of the political parking service of parking. It also has a negative impact in terms of parking management since it allows a user to obtain an authorized parking time greater than a possible maximum authorized duration.
• the present invention therefore proposes to remedy the problems posed above by proposing a method of paying for a parking space which is both simple and original.
• the method of paying for a parking space uses a payment system comprising acknowledgment means by which the user operates the payment of a given amount so as to benefit from a corresponding duration of authorized parking.
• the method of paying for a parking space is characterized in that said acknowledgment means cooperate with appropriate processing and communication means to provide said user with a specific code for the transaction, and in that said acknowledgment means cooperate with appropriate processing and input means by which the user can enter the code of a previous transaction and thus increase said authorized parking duration by the possible residual authorized duration corresponding to the authorized duration related to said previous transaction.
• said parking space is identified by an appropriate number and the user must enter during the payment operation said number using appropriate input and processing means cooperating with said acknowledgment means.
• said number is used by said processing means to develop said specific code of the transaction.
• said authorized parking duration is only increased by the possible residual authorized duration corresponding to the authorized duration linked to said previous transaction code entered by the user only if said transaction previous relates to the same parking space.
• the authorized duration corresponding to a given amount paid by a user is equal to the greater of the following durations: the duration directly linked to said payment as defined in particular by a table of appropriate tariff and any residual authorized duration corresponding to the previous authorized duration concerning said parking space.
• the authorized duration corresponding to a given amount paid by a user is equal to the greater of the following durations: the duration directly linked to said payment as defined in particular by a table of appropriate tariff and any residual authorized durations corresponding to the previous authorized durations for said parking space.
• the authorized duration of parking after entry by the user of the code of a previous transaction is equal to the greater of the following durations: the duration directly linked to said payment, such that in particular defined by an appropriate tariff table, increased by the possible authorized residual duration corresponding to the authorized duration linked to said previous transaction and the possible residual authorized duration corresponding to the preceding authorized duration concerning said parking space.
• the authorized duration of parking after entry by the user of the code of a previous transaction is equal to the greater of the following durations: the duration directly linked to said payment, such that in particular defined by an appropriate tariff table, increased by the possible authorized residual duration corresponding to the authorized duration linked to said previous transaction and the possible residual authorized durations corresponding to the preceding authorized durations concerning said parking space.
• the present invention also relates to a payment system for parking space for the implementation of the process.
• the payment system for a parking space comprises appropriate acknowledgment means by which the user operates the payment of a given amount so as to benefit from a corresponding duration of authorized parking.
• the system is characterized in that said acknowledgment means cooperate with appropriate processing and communication means to provide said user with a specific code for the transaction, and in that said acknowledgment means cooperate with appropriate processing and input means by which the user can enter the code of a previous transaction and thus increase said authorized parking duration by the possible authorized residual duration corresponding to the authorized duration linked to said previous transaction.
• FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a parking space payment system implementing the method according to the invention
• FIGS. 2a and 2b are timing diagrams illustrating the determination of the authorized parking durations according to the method which is the subject of the present invention.
• the payment system for a parking space is presented applied to on-street parking, it can obviously apply to parking in a closed park.
• This system includes a payment terminal 2 of the multiplace parking meter type connected to a remote server 1 to which the user can access by telephone call from a telephone set 3 through an appropriate network 4: PSTN, GSM, etc.
• This parking meter 2 belongs to a network of terminals regularly distributed, for example every fifty meters, along the sidewalks of streets subject to paid regulated parking.
• Such a network, meshing an agglomeration, is managed by an operator such as a private organization or even a municipality.
• the same park can include several tens to several thousand terminals depending on the size of the city or agglomeration concerned.
• the use of payment terminals of the parking meter type is not limiting of the present invention which can also relate to parking meters.
• This composition of the payment system shown in FIG. 1 is not limitative of the invention, which can be implemented with a network of terminals operating alone, without requiring a remote server to implement the invention, or even be implemented without a terminal with simply a remote server alone which then communicates directly the information relating to the payment of places to the surveillance agents on portable terminals equipping the latter.
• the payment terminal 2 makes it possible to manage a plurality of parking spaces P3, P4, P5, P6, ..., the choice of which is made by pressing the key on a keyboard corresponding to the selected location. The user then pays a predetermined parking time for said location thus identified.
• Terminal 2 conventionally comprises a certain number of means making it possible to ensure the essential functions of a multiplace parking meter, that is to say means of payment, such as a card reader with electronic memory or with microcontroller and / or a coin or token collection device, information input means, such as a keyboard or a scroll wheel, associated with a display screen, in particular for selecting the parking space and the parking time, a generator time, means of power supply, etc.
• Terminal 2 further comprises means for visual indication of the monitoring state of the locations managed by terminal 2. These means for visual indication can be arranged on the front face and / or on the rear face of terminal 2, in depending on the layout of the man / machine interface of the terminal in relation to the public road. Indeed, it is very advantageous to have the means of visual indication so that the attendant can take note of the payment status of a given place from a vehicle traveling on the public highway.
• the terminal 2 also includes, as is known, printing means for example with thermal head, capable of delivering a ticket indicating the amount paid and the parking limit time.
• printing means for example with thermal head, capable of delivering a ticket indicating the amount paid and the parking limit time.
• a central unit or microcontroller with appropriate software ensures the operation of the parking meter and its various peripherals.
• the terminal 2 also includes appropriate communication means making it possible to exchange data with the remote server 1
• the microcontroller of terminal 2 is equipped with a specific program, capable of providing and using a transaction code making it possible to optimize the payment for a parking time, both for the user and for the manager of the terminal 2.
• Figures 2a and 2b specify the method according to the invention for determining the parking time.
• This method is based on the general application of the "Best Time” mode from one transaction to another, except when it is the same user who wishes to extend their parking time and to which the mode is then offered. "Cumulative Times” thanks to the code given to the user after each payment.
• User “B” then presents himself in front of terminal 2 at time t2 (9:25 am) (t2 ⁇ tl), notes that the place is in authorized parking thanks to the green light corresponding to place P5, but not knowing not the end of this period, pays the amount necessary for the planned parking period, for example fifty cents of a euro (0.5 €) for twenty minutes of authorized parking, period from instants t2 to t3 (9.45 am).
• the user “B” receives during his payment a parking code for example "P5-5489" associated with this n + l-th transaction.
• user “B” benefits from an authorized parking duration equal to the greater of the following durations:
• the user “B” therefore benefits from the duration tl-t2 since the latter is greater than t3-t2.
• user "B” knows a priori only the period for which he paid, that is to say t3-t2.
• User “B” having subsequently realized that he needs a longer parking period than the one initially chosen returns to time t4 (9:35 am) to make a second payment, for example a euro (l €) for forty minutes of authorized parking from t4 to t5 (10hl5 am), if during this new payment the user "B” enters the code previously obtained, namely "P5-5489", then the authorized parking time is calculated according to the "Cumulative Times" mode , that is to say that the authorized duration is equal to fifty minutes from t4 to t6 (9.45 am), i.e.
• the user “B” could just as easily have extended his authorized parking period without returning to terminal 2 but directly by calling the server 1 from his telephone 3 or any other telephone.
• the paid parking spaces are numbered and the payment can be made either to the server 1 via a telephone or to the terminal 2.
• the user carrying out a transaction receives in return a unique code valid until the expiration of the authorized parking time initially requested.
• This code can be transmitted via the terminal 2 display, or printed on a receipt by the terminal, or be communicated by the server 1 via the mobile phone in the event of payment with such a means (voice message, SMS, etc.
• This code can be the unique identifier of the electronic means of payment if applicable (mobile phone identifier, bank card number, etc.) or a badge type identifier.
• the user realizing that the time for which he has chosen to park is not sufficient can then, remotely or directly on the terminal, extend the transaction in progress for the location considered, provided that he indicates via the chosen interface (mobile phone or parking terminal keypad), the transaction code allowing to extend it. If the code is the identifier of the means of payment, the system will automatically authorize the extension of the parking time.
• the system only allows the same user to extend his own transaction in progress, based on an identifier which is specific to him or which is known only to him.
• the system allows to force the rotation of vehicles:
• Another user will not be able to use any time remaining since he is not aware of the code linked to the transaction. He must therefore carry out a standard transaction, with calculation of the time from the moment at which payment is made.

Landscapes

• Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
• Finance (AREA)
• Accounting & Taxation (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Economics (AREA)
• Development Economics (AREA)
• Strategic Management (AREA)
• General Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
• Devices For Checking Fares Or Tickets At Control Points (AREA)
• Management, Administration, Business Operations System, And Electronic Commerce (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

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Family Applications (1)

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• 2002
  • 2002-10-30 FR FR0213631A patent/FR2846773B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2003
  • 2003-07-18 US US10/531,404 patent/US20070100700A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-07-18 CA CA002504157A patent/CA2504157A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-07-18 WO PCT/EP2003/007944 patent/WO2004040522A1/fr not_active Ceased
  • 2003-07-18 AU AU2003251433A patent/AU2003251433B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2003-07-18 EP EP03809712A patent/EP1561186A1/de not_active Ceased

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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