Field of the Invention The present invention relates to the field of parking systems. More particularly, the invention relates to a parking management system.

Background of the Invention

There are parking systems that automatically collect the parking fees, which are in use today.

For example, there are systems which make use of cellular communication for a parking order, requested by a driver, and delivered through cellular communication to a control center for billing and execution.

Within parking systems like the one specified in this example from the prior art, a driver makes a phone call or writes a text message to the control center, requesting to park in a specific place. The authorized personnel or automatic machinery in the control center issues a parking authorization valued for a certain period of time. Usually, a parking order is limited to a certain predetermined period of time, typically two or three hours at many city centers.

With the help of a GPS system, some parking charging methods similar to the one described above, may automatically send the GPS coordinations of the vehicle's location to a control center, hence making the actual description of the parking location or address redundant, thereby saving the driver some efforts.

Other sorts of parking systems known from the prior art, are electronic systems making use of a small parking unit visible to the parking inspector looking from outside the vehicle through the window, presenting the parking time left. A driver usually manually operates such a charging unit, and hangs it from the inner side of the vehicle's window. The charging unit uses an electronic parking meter to calculate the time of parking and how much to charge the driver for the total amount of time. A parking unit like that generally serves as an electronic parking ticket, capable of being charged with money and visible to a parking inspector through the vehicle's window.

All the methods described above have not yet provided satisfactory solutions to the problem of a location-related parking management system with a location-related guiding end unit.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a solution to the above-mentioned and other problems of the prior art.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds. Summary of the Invention

In one aspect, the present invention is directed to a parking management system, comprising:

- a plurality of end units (10), each being installed in a vehicle (24);

- a database comprising location-related information;

- a plurality of service provider terminals, through which a plurality of service providers provide location-related information to the database;

- a server coupled to the database, for presenting to each of the end units information related to the current geographical location thereof;

wherein each of the end units comprises ^' ■

- a geographical locator (26), for obtaining the current geographical location of the end unit (10);

- a cellular communication module (18), for communicating with the server through which the current geographic location of the vehicle (24) is sent to the server (40), and in return obtaining therethrough information related to the geographical location from the server; and

- a digital display (12) and operational buttons (22), as a part of a user interface with the server.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the geographical locator is a GPS receiver. According to another embodiment of the invention, the geographical locator is based on cellular positioning.

The system may further be adapted to alert a cellular telephone of a driver of the vehicle about ending of parking session.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the server is adapted to send voucher codes, barcodes, and QR Codes (Quick Response Code) to a cellular telephone of the driver, thereby allowing the driver to obtain discounts and services in restaurants, shops and service centers, each nearby the current location of the vehicle. According to one embodiment of the invention, the digital display (12) is a touch screen, thereby enabling the driver to point at a menu and to choose between different operational options. According to one embodiment of the invention, the digital display (12) is adapted to present QR Codes (Quick Response Code), thereby allowing the driver to receive discounts and services at garages and vehicle service centers. According to one embodiment of the invention, each of the end units further comprising a software driver component compatible with various communication protocols, thereby enabling to communicate with the server in different communication protocols. According to one embodiment of the invention, the location-related information is selected from a group consisting of a parking lot nearby the geographical location of the vehicle, availability of parking spaces in the parking lot, parking tariff thereof, nearby gas stations, nearby road services, road conditions.

The system may be further adapted to provide accounting / clearing of services consumed by the vehicle or the driver.

The system may be further adapted to direct the driver to a location where the vehicle is parked.

The system may be further adapted to alert the driver when the vehicle is parked on a forbidden parking space.

The system may be further adapted to direct a driver to a parking lot selected by the driver from a list of parking lots nearby the current location of the vehicle.

The system may be further adapted to allow the driver to order a road service.

The system may be further adapted to automatically inform the server, by a parking lot, about available parking spaces. The system may be further adapted to direct a driver to a gas station nearby the current location of the vehicle.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the location-related information is selected from a group consisting of sales nearby the geographical location of the vehicle, nearby restaurants, voucher codes to the sales, voucher codes to the restaurants.

The location-related information may be offered by at least two of the plurality of service providers.

The offering of location-related information by at least two of the plurality of service providers may comprise offering the same parking space by the at least two of the plurality of service providers. The reference numbers have been used to point out elements in the embodiments described and illustrated herein, in order to facilitate the understanding of the invention. They are meant to be merely illustrative, and not limiting. Also, the foregoing embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated in conjunction with systems and methods thereof, which are meant to be merely illustrative, and not limiting. Brief Description of the Drawings

Embodiments and features of the present invention are described herein in conjunction with the following drawings^

Fig. 1 schematically illustrates the major elements of a parking management system, according to one embodiment of the invention, and the data flow between the objects using the system.

Fig. 2 pictorially illustrates an end unit of parking management system coupled with a GPS device installed in the vehicle, according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 pictorially illustrates the end unit of the parking management system coupled with a geographical locator and a cellular communication module, according to another embodiment of the present invention.

It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments

The present invention will be understood from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, which are meant to be descriptive and not limiting. For the sake of brevity, some well-known features, methods, systems, procedures, components, circuits, and so on, are not described in detail. Fig. 1 schematically illustrates the major elements of a parking management system, according to one embodiment of the invention, and the data flow between the objects using the system. Service providers terminals 14, such as terminals of local restaurants, shops, garages, gas stations, vehicle service centers, parking lots and parking providers, send information to the server 40 about services, discounts, tariffs, parking hours, and available parking spaces.

According to one embodiment, a plurality of service providers, each having its own terminal 14 may offer the same location-related information, being the entity of service. For example two parking providers, each having a separate terminal 14, as shown in the figure, may offer the same parking space through the single database 16. According to this example, each parking provider is informed by database 16 that this parking space has been ordered and thus is not allowed to offer it any more.

However, each service provider, such as the parking provider may offer a different price or vouchers or discounts to the same parking space.

A driver of a vehicle receives location-related information about nearby restaurants, shops, garages, gas stations, vehicle service centers, service providers, parking lots and parking providers from the server 40. Thus, by means of the location-related information, the server 40 may direct a driver looking for parking to an available parking space in a parking lot.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the server 40 is adapted to send voucher codes, barcodes, and QR Codes (Quick Response Code) to a cellular telephone of the driver, thereby allowing the driver to obtain discounts and services in restaurants, shops and service centers nearby the current location of the vehicle. The parking management system is also adapted to alert a cellular telephone of a driver about the ending of a parking session, and to direct a driver to the location where the vehicle is parked.

Fig. 2 pictorially illustrates an end unit of parking management system coupled with a GPS device installed in the vehicle, according to one embodiment of the present invention. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a geographical locator 26 obtains the current geographical location of an end unit 10 installed in a vehicle 24. According to one embodiment, geographical locator 26 is a GPS receiver.

With the signals received at the GPS receiver from satellites within a GPS navigation system, the geographical locator calculates the current geographical location of the end unit 10. The cellular transmission from an end unit 10 to a server 40 transmits the current location of the vehicle to the server. The server 40 retrieves location-related information from the database, and transmits the location-related information to the end unit 10.

With the GPS system coupled to end unit 10 installed inside vehicle 24, a driver may facilitate parking payment and activate a parking meter. According to the present invention, each end unit of parking management system 10 has a unique identification number for providing identity information to the server 40.

A digital display 12 presents location-related information about parking to a driver, and shows the driving directions to an available parking space. Such information may be related either to street parking, or to an available parking space within a parking lot. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in the case of street parking, a driver of a vehicle may receive location-related information about parking-hours and parking costs from different service providers. The end unit of parking management system 10 calculates the time a vehicle has parked in a parking space and the cost of parking, according to the location-related information about parking costs from different parking providers in a certain area. In contrast to parking within a parking lot, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the location-related information about an available parking space may be sent from a parking lot operator via a server 40 through cellular communication.

The driving directions to an available parking space are shown on the digital display 12. In this case, reserving a parking space for a specific vehicle whose geographic location is known helps both the driver of the vehicle who is looking for parking in a certain area, and the parking lot operator who may calculate the occupancies of parking spaces in a parking lot and reserve available spaces for certain vehicles at certain times. Such a procedure enables a parking lot operator to improve the management of his parking lot, and to receive information about parking orders from drivers who are looking for parking for their vehicles in a nearby location, and he may secure a parking space for their vehicle.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, both in the case of street parking and in the case of parking in a parking lot, a parking meter is operated to calculate the time the vehicle was parking, and a payment execution for the parking may be done by the driver from the end unit 10.

The end unit 10 may be operated with an operational button 22. Thus, for example, the end unit 10 may be turned on or off when operational button 22 in pushed. A speaker may be connected to the end unit 10 for providing the information vocally. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, digital display 12 may constitute a touch screen, enabling a driver to point with his finger on a menu, and to choose between different operational options. Thus, with the help of a touch screen, no additional operational buttons are needed, and all the selections may be made with the help of menus which are presented on the screen. A high-resolution digital screen may provide road maps and driving directions.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the location-related information presented on the digital display may represent locations of restaurants, gas stations, vehicle garages, shops and other service providers, and the directions to get to them. Upon parking a vehicle in a certain place, the digital display 12 presents voucher codes and discounts to restaurants, gas stations, vehicle garages, shops and other service providers in the area. Assisted by geographical locator 26, end unit 10 coupled to the GPS receiver may also detect the parking time, and present the voucher codes and discounts on the digital display 12. Barcodes and QR Codes (Quick Response Code) may also be presented on the digital display 12, and they may also be sent to the cellular telephone of the driver, to allow the driver to present the discount codes at restaurants, shops, garages, gas stations and service centers.

Fig. 3 pictorially illustrates the end unit of the parking management system coupled with a geographical locator and a cellular communication module, according to another embodiment of the present invention.

According to this embodiment, the geographical locator 26 coupled to the end unit 10 is a GPS receiver. The geographical locator 26 enables to obtain the current geographical location of the end unit 10. The digital screen 12 is connected to the cellular communication module 18 with a communication cable 30. The cellular communication module 18 is connected with a communication cable 28 to a geographical locator 26.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the geographical locator for obtaining the geographical location of the end unit 10 is based on cellular positioning. According to this embodiment of the invention, the calculated geographical location of an end unit is based on the triangularity of signals received in the antenna for cellular communication 20, or in the radio towers of the cellular network from the antenna for cellular communication 20. In the figures and/or description herein, the following reference numerals have been mentioned: numeral 10 denotes an end unit of parking management system;

numeral 12 denotes a digital display for presenting information to a driver;

numeral 14 denotes a service provider terminal;

numeral 16 denotes a database;

■ numeral 18 denotes a cellular communication module;

numeral 20 denotes an antenna for cellular communication; numeral 22 denotes an operational button of an end unit; numeral 24 denotes a vehicle;

- numeral 26 denotes a geographical locator;

■ numeral 28 denotes a communication cable connecting the geographical locator (26) with the cellular communication module (18);

numeral 30 denotes a communication cable connecting a cellular communication module (18) with a digital display (12); and

numeral 40 denotes a server;

The foregoing description and illustrations of the embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the above description in any form.

Any term that has been defined above and used in the claims, should to be interpreted according to this definition. The reference numbers in the claims are not a part of the claims, but rather used for facilitating the reading thereof. These reference numbers should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any form.