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.

This disclosure relates to methods and systems for touchless parking facility entry, wherein the parking facility entry system uses a detector to unlock a motion sensor on a kiosk responsive to a determination or signal that is located next to the kiosk. The driver of the vehicle may then make some motion which, when detected by the motion sensor, will trigger the kiosk to dispense a parking ticket for the vehicle. The system may then open a gate to provide the vehicle with access to the parking facility.

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.

A parking meter may incorporate a touchscreen display assembly that uses a low-power wake trigger, which may be a proximity sensor overlaid on the display, that can power on the display and touch sensor when a user's proximity is detected. The parking meter may incorporate a replaceable panel insert that allows user interface components to be easily retrofitted or upgraded by simply replacing the panel insert. Additionally, the parking meter may incorporate multiple solar panels on the exterior of the parking meter.

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.

Systems and methods communicate parking access information between a host application associated with an operator of a parking area and a web application associated with a parking fee management provider for facilitating access, by a user carrying a smartphone, to the parking area secured by an external smart object. The external smart object is controllable through operation of the web application and actuatable through wireless personal area network (WPAN) communications exchanged between the smartphone and the external smart object in response to the operation of the web application causing the host application to generate the WPAN communications.

Disclosed is a dynamic parking regulation method, from a set of payment terminals arranged on the roadway for the sale and issuing of at least rights to park, wherein each is associated with a right to park in a parking space, wherein the method includes the following steps implemented by each payment terminal provided with a data capture device that is designed to capture data that is representative of the occupation of the parking space close by: capturing data that is representative of the occupation of the parking space close to the given terminal with the aid of the capture device; and obtaining an updated right to park based on the occupation of a parking place determined as a function of at least the captured data, and issuing at least one right to park as a function of updated right to park.

Systems and methods communicate parking access information between a host application associated with an operator of a parking area and a web application associated with a parking fee management provider for facilitating access, by a user carrying a smartphone, to the parking area secured by an external smart object. The external smart object is controllable through operation of the web application and actuatable through wireless personal area network (WPAN) communications exchanged between the smartphone and the external smart object in response to the operation of the web application causing the host application to generate the WPAN communications.

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.

Systems and methods communicate parking access information between a host application associated with an operator of a parking area and a web application associated with a parking fee management provider for facilitating access, by a user carrying a smartphone, to the parking area secured by an external smart object. The external smart object is controllable through operation of the web application and actuatable through wireless personal area network (WPAN) communications exchanged between the smartphone and the external smart object in response to the operation of the web application causing the host application to generate the WPAN communications.