An information processing apparatus includes an entry and leaving management unit configured to analyze a captured image and detect vehicle information included in the captured image, and in a case where there is reservation information of parking corresponding to the detected vehicle information, open a gate of a parking lot corresponding to the reservation information.

The present invention provides a virtualized parking meter system using the GPS location information of a user's mobile phone, cloud-based servers, databases and software application programs. A user application program is installed in the user's mobile phone. In response to receiving the GPS location data of the mobile phone from the application program the server generates and sends a virtualized map of one or more blocks in the neighborhood of the user. The virtualized map is created by superimposing space numbers assigned to the parking spaces on a commercially available map. The user selects a parking space and indicates a parking duration via the application program. The system collects payment using an online payment method for the duration and starts a timer. The system sends parking status of one or more block in response to a query from the parking system operator.

An intelligent stereo garage system based on Internet+ and a vehicle parking and pick-up method. The system includes a mobile APP (10), a cloud server (20), a computer system (30), a programmable logic controller (PLC) system (40), a stereo garage (50), and an all-in-one touch machine (60), where the all-in-one touch machine (60) is deployed next to the stereo garage (50), and the computer system (30) is deployed outside or inside the stereo garage (50). A fully-automatic parking method uses different parking and pick-up modes, which technically ensures that users can get their vehicles in time without hindering other users, and allows users to truly experience the system intelligence. This deeply embodies the smart city's idea of interconnecting everything with a mobile phone. The method largely solves problems such as parking difficulty, illegal parking, unauthorized charges, traffic jams, traffic noise, traffic accidents, and vehicle pollution.

Apparatus and methods related providing city services, such as parking, are described. Methods and apparatus for providing parking rewards programs are described. The methods and apparatus can include maintaining accounts for participants in the rewards program, tracking purchases of parking and other participant activities and determining parking awards based upon the activities. The parking rewards programs can be used to incentivize behaviors that balance the use of the parking space commodity according to the needs of different stakeholders, such as the city, residents, merchants and visitors. For example, parking awards and the criteria used for earning awards can be used to encourage particular behaviors while a parking space is being utilized, such as shopping, the use of public transportation or efficient trip planning.

A parking management system and a parking space management method are provided. In this system, intelligent parking locks are capable of performing two-way data communication with a cloud platform and executing an action instruction issued by the cloud platform, which realizes parking space sharing, open and intelligent management and monitoring. One-key navigation parking and one-key car searching can be realized since the intelligent parking locks include Bluetooth positioning and/or multiple GPS combined with mobile internet applications. The problems in searching for a parking space and searching for one's own car are hence well solved. The induction type parking locks control system ensures automatic locking and unlocking operations according to the distance between the mobile terminal and the parking locks, which significantly improves user's experiences.

A parking space monitoring system, with multiple microprocessors for handling various parking space management conditions, including at least one of the following conditions: (1) Space Occupancy (vehicle detection); (2) Parking Meter Status; (3) Display of Parking Policy to Motorists; (3) Motorist User Interactions; (4) Maintenance User Interactions; (5) Radio Communications with a Central management system and Network; and (6) Coordination of the operation between various ones of the microprocessors.

A computer-implemented system and method for providing information through a display of parking devices is provided. A multiplicity of motor vehicle parking spaces is managed through a server. Smart parking devices, vehicle occupancy sensors, and parking availability indicators are associated with at least one of the parking spaces. Use of the parking spaces is managed through the server. The parking availability indicators associated with the parking spaces are activated. Occupancy of at least one of the parking spaces by a motor vehicle is sensed through the nearest vehicle occupancy sensor and the location of the parking space is provided to the server. An identity of the driver of the motor vehicle is determined through the nearest smart parking device and the identity of the driver is provided to the server. Information associated with the identity of the driver is displayed on the smart parking device.

A parking meter detects an object in proximity, based on a change in a proximity measurement at the meter, activates a directional sensor in response to detecting the object, receives sensor data at a meter processor from the directional sensor, wherein the received sensor data indicates a predetermined direction to the detected object relative to the meter. The parking meter determines a presence of the object, or lack thereof, in the predetermined direction based on the sensor data, and upon a positive determination of the presence of the object, stores an indication of the presence of the object along with a time of the positive determination.

A parking monitoring and managing method can include capturing image data of a vehicle entering a parking lot or space and transmitting the image data to a remote networked computer system. A time of entry for the vehicle is recorded. Identification of the vehicle is determined upon entry. Image data is also captured for the vehicle when it exits the parking lot or space, and the image data is transmitted to the remote networked computer system. A time of exit is also recorded. The vehicle's identification is again determined upon exit. A violation is determined when a time period expires without the vehicle exiting the lot prior the time period expiring. A parking violation notice is issued to the owner of the vehicle determined to have been in violation. The time period can be, for example, a grace period, a parking time period or a maximum parking time.

An artificial neural network trained to predict the availability of an unused duration of a parking space based on input features is executed. Input features may include at least a contextual situation associated with the second entity, a behavior factor associated with a first entity that has been using the parking space, geographical location and time, events occurring within a threshold distance from the parking space. The artificial neural network may be further trained to output a transfer affinity based on the predicted availability of an unused duration, the contextual situation associated with the second entity and the behavior factor associated with the first entity. Based at least on the transfer affinity, the second entity can be selected. The unused duration can be transferred to the second entity from the first entity. The transferring can also include storing a payment and associated computation as a blockchain node in a blockchain.