Electronic parking and dispatching management method and apparatus

Claim 1

A system for monitoring and managing vehicle access to a restricted access area comprising, a base transceiver including means for repeatedly transmitting radio frequency signals toward vehicles utilizing said area, said signals including information signals including a current date and time, and a fee rate schedule, a plurality of vehicle transponders, each of said transponders having an associated identification code and being located in a vehicle requiring access to said restricted access area, each of said vehicle transponders including a vehicle data processor, a vehicle memory, a vehicle transceiver, and means for intercoupling said data processor, said memory and said vehicle transceiver so that said information signals transmitted from said base transceiver can be received, and processed in said vehicle data processor and at least a subset of said information signals can be stored in said vehicle memory in at least one of, received and processed form, said vehicle memory including means for storing a parking credits signal representative of a monetary quantity available for paying any fees associated with entering into and remaining in said restricted access area, and said vehicle data processor including, means for tracking an elapsed time that said vehicle is within said restricted access area, said time being in relation to said current date and time received from said base transceiver, means for calculating a usage fee based on said fee rate schedule and said elapsed time and for periodically debiting said parking credits signal to reflect said fee, said vehicle transceiver including means for transmitting an information signal to said base transceiver including a signal representing said transponder identification code, and independent data processor means coupled to said base transceiver for two-way communication with said base transceiver.

Claim 2

A system for monitoring and managing vehicle access to a restricted access area comprising, a base transceiver including means for repeatedly transmitting radio frequency signals toward vehicles utilizing said area, said signals including information signals including a current date and time, and a fee rate schedule, a plurality of vehicle transponders, each of said transponders having an associated identification code and being located in a vehicle requiring access to said restricted access area, each of said vehicle transponders including a vehicle data processor, a vehicle memory, a vehicle transceiver, and means for intercoupling said data processor, said memory and said vehicle transceiver so that said information signals transmitted from said base transceiver can be received, and processed in said vehicle data processor and at least a subset of said information signals can be stored in said vehicle memory in at least one of, received and processed form, said vehicle memory including means for storing a parking credits signal representative of a monetary quantity available for paying any fees associated with entering into and remaining in said restricted access area, and said vehicle data processor including, means for tracking an elapsed time that said vehicle is within said restricted access area, said time being in relation to said current date and time received from said base transceiver, means for calculating a usage fee based on said fee rate schedule and said elapsed time and for periodically debiting said parking credits signal to reflect said fee, said vehicle transceiver including means for transmitting an information signal to said base transceiver including a signal representing said transponder identification code, and independent data processor means coupled to said base transceiver for two-way communication with said base transceiver.

Claim 16

A method for monitoring and managing vehicle access to a restricted access area comprising the steps of, prior to said vehicle accessing said restricted access area storing in said vehicle transponder a parking credits signal representative of a monetary quantity available for paying any fees associated with entering into and remaining within said restricted access area, repeatedly transmitting radio frequency signals toward vehicles accessing said restricted access area from a base transceiver, said radio frequency signals including information signals indicating a current date and time, and a fee rate schedule, receiving said transmitted radio frequency signal at a vehicle receiver carried by a vehicle responder in at least one of a plurality of vehicles accessing said restricted access area, processing at said vehicle responder said received signals to identify said message transmitted from said base transceiver, storing at said vehicle responder at least one of said received or processed signals in a memory in said vehicle, tracking at said vehicle responder the elapsed time that said vehicle is within said restricted access area, said elapsed time being determined in relation to said received current date and time, calculating from said received fee rate schedule and said elapsed time a usage fee, periodically debiting said parking credits signal to reflect said calculated usage fee.

Claim 17

A method for monitoring and managing vehicle access to a restricted access area comprising the steps of, prior to said vehicle accessing said restricted access area storing in said vehicle transponder a parking credits signal representative of a monetary quantity available for paying any fees associated with entering into and remaining within said restricted access area, repeatedly transmitting radio frequency signals toward vehicles accessing said restricted access area from a base transceiver, said radio frequency signals including information signals indicating a current date and time, and a fee rate schedule, receiving said transmitted radio frequency signal at a vehicle receiver carried by a vehicle responder in at least one of a plurality of vehicles accessing said restricted access area, processing at said vehicle responder said received signals to identify said message transmitted from said base transceiver, storing at said vehicle responder at least one of said received or processed signals in a memory in said vehicle, tracking at said vehicle responder the elapsed time that said vehicle is within said restricted access area, said elapsed time being determined in relation to said received current date and time, calculating from said received fee rate schedule and said elapsed time a usage fee, periodically debiting said parking credits signal to reflect said calculated usage fee.