Electronic parking meter

Claim 2

An electronic parking meter and lot check register in combination providing unattended supervision and sale of space usage for a plurality of parking spaces and efficient lot inventory comprising: (a) an electronic parking meter comprising: computer means including a memory; identification means for customer entry of identification data; cash acceptance means receiving and storing money entered therein by the customer; display means visually displaying the amount of money and identification data entered by the customer through said identification means; and (b) an electronic lot check register for providing a lot status log and having identification means, memory and display, and a data link for connection to said electronic parking meter for transfer of information from said parking meter to said lot check register such that during lot inventory said display of said lot check register provides a visual indication of a violation, said identification means of said lot check register providing entry of parked vehicle identification information for each parking space for storage in said memory of said lot check register for transfer thereof to said parking meter through said data link for updating a subsequent lot status log to contain current parked vehicle identification information for each parking space.

Claim 3

The invention according to claim 1 wherein said lot status log has a blank area for each parking space number for entry of identification information therein and wherein said electronic parking meter includes a printer that provides a printout of said identification information in said blank area and further prints a violation mark in said blank area for each parking space in which there has been no activity for a predetermined time or in which the purchased time has expired.

Claim 4

The invention according to claim 1 further including: transaction complete means activated by the customer after purchasing the length of parking time desired and storing in said computer means the identification data and amount of money entered; and printer means printing a customer receipt for each transaction, and printing a lot status log listing each identification data and expiration time, upon entry through said identification means of a predetermined code by a lot checker.

Claim 5

An electronic parking meter providing unattended supervision and sale of space usage for a plurality of parking spaces comprising in combination: a housing; identification means in said housing for customer entry of space and customer personal identification data; display means in said housing for visually displaying the identification data entered by the customer through said identification means for verification thereof; coin acceptance means in said housing; paper currency acceptance means in said housing; transaction complete means in said housing for activation by the customer after purchasing the length of parking time desired; printer means in said housing for printing a customer receipt for each transaction; and central computer means in said housing interconnected with said identification means, said display means, said coin acceptance means, said paper currency acceptance means, said transaction complete means, and said printer means, and wherein said computer responds to a predetermined code entered into the central computer means through said identification means to actuate said printer to print a lot status log listing each parking space, and for each space the starting and expiration time for the sale of such space.

Claim 6

An electronic parking meter providing unattended supervision and sale of space usage for a plurality of parking spaces comprising in combination: a housing; identification means in said housing for customer entry of space and customer personal identification data; display means in said housing for visually displaying the identification data entered by the customer through said identification means for verification thereof; coin acceptance means in said housing; paper currency acceptance means in said housing; transaction complete means in said housing for activation by the customer after purchasing the length of parking time desired; printer means in said housing for printing a customer receipt for each transaction; and central computer means in said housing interconnected with said identification means, said display means, said coin acceptance means, said paper currency acceptance means, said transaction complete means, and said printer means, and wherein said computer responds to a predetermined code entered into the central computer means through said identification means to actuate said printer to print a lot status log listing each parking space, and for each space the starting and expiration time for the sale of such space.

Claim 7

The invention according to claim 4 further comprising a hand held electronic log check register having a memory, and a removable date link for interconnection of said lot check register with said central computer means for data transfer therebetween.

Claim 8

The invention according to claim 4 wherein said housing includes a lockable storage compartment for storing said lot status log.

Claim 9

An electronic parking meter providing unattended supervision and sale of space usage for a plurality of parking spaces comprising in combination: a housing having a front panel; readiness indication means providing a visual indication of a state of readiness for the sale of space usage to a customer; identification means on said front panel for customer entry of space and customer personal identification data; display means on said front panel for visually displaying the identification data entered by the customer through said identification means for verification thereof; sequential instruction means on said front panel instructing the customer to initially enter the identification data through said identification means; coin acceptance means on said front panel; paper currency acceptance means on said front panel; said sequential instruction means secondly instructing the customer to enter coins and/or paper currency to purchase space usage; transaction complete means on said front panel for activation by the customer after purchasing the space usage desired; said sequential instruction means thirdly instructing the customer to activate said transaction complete means; printer means on said front panel for printing a customer receipt for each transaction; said sequential instruction means fourthly instructing the customer to take said receipt; and central computer means interconnected with said readiness indication means, said identification means, said display means, said coin acceptance means, said paper currency acceptance means, said transaction complete means and said printer means, and wherein said computer responds to a predetermined code entered into the central computer means through said identification means to actuate said printer to print a lot status log listing each parking space, and for each space the starting and expiration time for the sale of such space.

Claim 10

An electronic parking meter providing unattended supervision and sale of space usage for a plurality of parking spaces comprising in combination: a housing having a front panel; readiness indication means providing a visual indication of a state of readiness for the sale of space usage to a customer; identification means on said front panel for customer entry of space and customer personal identification data; display means on said front panel for visually displaying the identification data entered by the customer through said identification means for verification thereof; sequential instruction means on said front panel instructing the customer to initially enter the identification data through said identification means; coin acceptance means on said front panel; paper currency acceptance means on said front panel; said sequential instruction means secondly instructing the customer to enter coins and/or paper currency to purchase space usage; transaction complete means on said front panel for activation by the customer after purchasing the space usage desired; said sequential instruction means thirdly instructing the customer to activate said transaction complete means; printer means on said front panel for printing a customer receipt for each transaction; said sequential instruction means fourthly instructing the customer to take said receipt; and central computer means interconnected with said readiness indication means, said identification means, said display means, said coin acceptance means, said paper currency acceptance means, said transaction complete means and said printer means, and wherein said computer responds to a predetermined code entered into the central computer means through said identification means to actuate said printer to print a lot status log listing each parking space, and for each space the starting and expiration time for the sale of such space.

Claim 11

An electronic parking meter providing unattended supervision and sale of space usage for a plurality of parking spaces comprising in combination: a housing; identification means in said housing for customer entry of identification data; display means in said housing for visually displaying identification data entered by the customer through said identification means for verification thereof; coin acceptance means in said housing; paper currency accepting means in said housing; transaction complete means in said housing for activation by the customer after purchasing the length of parking time desired; printer means in said housing for printing a customer receipt for each transaction; central computer means in said housing interconnected with said identification means, said display means, said coin acceptance means, said paper currency means, said transaction complete means, and said printer means; and a hand-held electronic lot check register having a memory and a removable data link for interconnection of said lot check register with said central computing means for data transfer therebetween, and wherein said printer means prints a lot status log listing each entry of identification data and expiration time, upon entry through said identification means of a predetermined code by a lot checker, said expiration time information being transferred to said electronic lot check register upon connection thereof through said data link to said central computer means, said electronic lot check register having display means for indicating violation information to the lot checker during inventory after disconnection of said data link, said lot check register further having identification means for entry of parked vehicle identification information by said lot checker during said lot inventory for transfer to said central computer means upon reconnection of said data link for updated printing of vehicle identification information by said printer means on subsequent printouts on subsequent lot status logs.

Claim 12

An electronic parking meter providing unattended supervision and sale of space usage for a plurality of parking spaces comprising in combination: a housing; identification means in said housing for customer entry of identification data; display means in said housing for visually displaying identification data entered by the customer through said identification means for verification thereof; coin acceptance means in said housing; paper currency accepting means in said housing; transaction complete means in said housing for activation by the customer after purchasing the length of parking time desired; printer means in said housing for printing a customer receipt for each transaction; central computer means in said housing interconnected with said identification means, said display means, said coin acceptance means, said paper currency means, said transaction complete means, and said printer means; and a hand-held electronic lot check register having a memory and a removable data link for interconnection of said lot check register with said central computing means for data transfer therebetween, and wherein said printer means prints a lot status log listing each entry of identification data and expiration time, upon entry through said identification means of a predetermined code by a lot checker, said expiration time information being transferred to said electronic lot check register upon connection thereof through said data link to said central computer means, said electronic lot check register having display means for indicating violation information to the lot checker during inventory after disconnection of said data link, said lot check register further having identification means for entry of parked vehicle identification information by said lot checker during said lot inventory for transfer to said central computer means upon reconnection of said data link for updated printing of vehicle identification information by said printer means on subsequent printouts on subsequent lot status logs.

Claim 13

A lot check register for interconnection to and use with an electronic parking meter for supervision of the sale of space usage for a plurality of parking spaces, comprising: computer means including a memory; a key pad for entry of parked vehicle identification information for each parking space for storage in the memory of said computer means; display means visually displaying data from said computer means and data entered through said key pad and a visual indication of a violation; and interface means for establishing a communication link between said computer means and the electronic parking meter to transfer into the memory of said computer means information concerning numbered parking spaces from said electronic parking meter and upon completion of a lot inventory transferring identification data to the electronic parking meter for updating a subsequent lot status log to contain current parked vehicle identification information for each parking space.

Claim 14

A lot check register for interconnection to and use with an electronic parking meter for supervision of the sale of space usage for a plurality of parking spaces, comprising: computer means including a memory; a key pad for entry of parked vehicle identification information for each parking space for storage in the memory of said computer means; display means visually displaying data from said computer means and data entered through said key pad and a visual indication of a violation; and interface means for establishing a communication link between said computer means and the electronic parking meter to transfer into the memory of said computer means information concerning numbered parking spaces from said electronic parking meter and upon completion of a lot inventory transferring identification data to the electronic parking meter for updating a subsequent lot status log to contain current parked vehicle identification information for each parking space.

Claim 15

A lot check register as set forth in claim 9 wherein said key pad means includes a store-in-advance button for transferring entered identification data from the key pad to the memory of said computer.

Claim 16

A lot check register as set forth in claim 10 wherein said key pad means includes a rapid advance button for advancing the memory field forward or backward to reach a particular parking space number.