Method and Apparatus for Parking Lot Metering

Abstract

A method and apparatus for parking lot metering. The present invention allows multi-space meters to separately manage and control premium parking spaces, such as those for charging electric vehicles or those which supply electric power for engine block heaters in both pay-by-space and pay-an-display systems. Such premium spaces can be managed together over large areas (e.g., a city or region), or may be managed over smaller areas (e.g., the domain of an individual kiosk), or individually per parking space. Management includes pricing, time limits, hours, seasons of operation, and restrictions by vehicle type, and alternative pricing and restrictions for non-premium hours.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for managing parking, the method comprising the steps of:
 a) automatically receiving, by a controller, a first parking request from a first motorist, said controller programmed to manage a plurality of parking spaces having a plurality of parking space kinds, said plurality of parking space kinds comprising a first parking space kind having a charging device for electric vehicles and a second parking space kind having no charging device for electric vehicles, wherein at least a first parking space has the first parking space kind having a charging device and a second parking space has a second parking space kind having no charging device, said first parking request having a first parameter comprising a first identifier of one or more of the following: the first parking space and the first parking space kind;   b) automatically providing, by the controller, to the first motorist one or more of the following: a first receipt and a first parking pass, each for parking in at least one of said plurality of parking spaces complying with said first parameter;   c) automatically receiving, by the controller, a second parking request from a second motorist, the second parking request having a second parameter comprising a second identifier of one or more of the following: the second parking space and the second parking space kind; and   d) automatically providing, by the controller, to the second motorist, one or more of the following: a second receipt and a second parking pass, each for parking in at least one of said plurality of parking spaces complying with the second parameter,   wherein for each of the first parking request and the second parking request, parking duration analysis is performed, comprising:
 receiving a desired parking time duration as input; 
 determining that more than one parking space kind applies over the desired parking time duration; 
 determining which applicable parking space kind has the longest parking time limit; and 
 determining that the desired parking time duration is less than the determined longest parking time limit.