A smart street parking management system includes a smart street parking meter a smart cloud parking management server connected to the smart street parking meter through a wireless networking technology and configured to regularly receive parking information of a vehicle parked on a smart street parking grid and status information of the smart street parking meter uploaded by the smart street parking meter. The status information of the smart street parking meter includes an empty-space status of the street parking grid detected by the smart street parking meter and a battery status of a rechargeable battery of the smart street parking meter. The parking information of the vehicle includes the plate number of the vehicle, the parking fee of the vehicle, and a payment status of the parking fee of the vehicle.

Disclosed herein are multispace parking pay stations comprising: at least one processor, a memory, a communications element, a printer, and a computer program including instructions executable by the at least one processor to create an application comprising: a software module receiving a unique identifier associated with a parking customer, the parking customer having executed a mobile payment for parking in a space associated with the pay station; a software module transmitting the unique identifier to a central parking management server and querying the central parking management server with the unique identifier to identify the parking customer and verify the mobile payment; and a software module generating and sending instructions to the printer to print a payment verification for the parking customer.

A parking meter is described that comprises components for providing parking meter functionality and a display for displaying parking information and a metal housing for protecting the parking meter components from an environment that has a display aperture through which the display is visible. The parking meter also comprises an antenna for a contactless payment reader arranged in or on the parking meter in close proximity to the display.

A method for auctioning a wait time of a user of a vehicle parked in an available parking space includes: posting details regarding the available parking space; posting, by a user of at least one unparked vehicle, a requirement for a parking space in a designated area; matching the designated area with the location of the available parking space, the matching determining a list of unparked vehicles having a requirement for the available parking space; presenting information regarding the available parking space to the user of each unparked vehicle on the list of unparked vehicles; bidding, by the user of at least one unparked vehicle on the list of unparked vehicles, on the wait time of the user of vehicle parked in the available parking space; determining a winning bid; and notifying the user of the unparked vehicle who placed the winning bid.

A parking management system identifies vehicles in entrance lanes, exit lanes, or both, of a parking facility and provides a real-time vehicle inventory count. One or more beacons locate point of sale (POS) devices assigned to parking attendants to determine which of them are performing vehicle transactions. Vehicles can be associated with specific transactions, as well as the transaction-authorizing attendant and the barrier gate and vehicle travel lane to which the attendant is assigned. To reduce fraud, this transaction information can be monitored in real time by a web or mobile dashboard and analyzed in real time or upon attendant end-of-shift checkout. The parking management system also implements permit parking invitation techniques that provide registration, payment in advance or on demand, or both, for parking of an invitee's vehicle. These tasks are accomplished without an inviter's knowledge about the invitee, the invitee's vehicle, or both.

A meter apparatus and method of operating a removable meter apparatus are described. The meter apparatus includes a tag associated with unique tag identification information and configured to be permanently affixed to a location housing at a unique physical location, and includes a removable meter unit configured to mate with the location housing and receive the tag identification from the tag and report the tag identification to a data manager configured to associate an identifier of the removable meter unit with the tag identification and unique physical location, and associate configuration information for the physical location with the removable meter unit and the tag identification. The unique physical location can comprise a single-space parking location.

A meter apparatus and method of operating a removable meter apparatus are described. The meter apparatus includes a tag associated with unique tag identification information and configured to be permanently affixed to a location housing at a unique physical location, and includes a removable meter unit configured to mate with the location housing and receive the tag identification from the tag and report the tag identification to a data manager configured to associate an identifier of the removable meter unit with the tag identification and unique physical location, and associate configuration information for the physical location with the removable meter unit and the tag identification. The unique physical location can comprise a single-space parking location.

A parking guidance system of a parking lot includes: a first license plate number recognizing device recognizing a license plate number of a vehicle entering or exiting from a parking lot; and a server classifying a priority of the vehicle and distinguishing whether the vehicle is a parking or charging use vehicle based on the license plate number, assigning a parking or charging spot based on at least one of the classified priority, information on whether the vehicle is the parking use vehicle or the charging use vehicle, or information on remaining parking spots and remaining charging spots, providing a guidance on a position of the assigned parking spot or charging spot to the vehicle until the vehicle arrives at the position, and determining a parking fee or a charging fee of the vehicle and providing a guidance on the fee when the vehicle exits the parking lot.

Systems, methods, and apparatus are described that enable a serial bus to be operated in one or more modes that employ additional wires for communicating data. A method includes a method includes providing a first interrogating signal configured to cause a controller in a vehicle that is entering the parking facility to monitor status of the vehicle while the vehicle is present within the parking facility, and measure a duration of time in which the vehicle is parked within the parking facility. The method further incudes providing a second interrogating signal when the vehicle is exiting the parking facility, the second interrogating signal being configured to cause the controller to transmit information that includes the duration of time in which the vehicle was parked within the parking facility.

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-and-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.