LOW-COST AND LOW-POWER SMART PARKING SYSTEM UTILIZING A WIRELESS MESH NETWORK

摘要

The disclosure generally relates to a low-cost and low-power smart parking system, and in particular, to forming a multi-hop wireless mesh network that can be used to estimate an occupancy map at a parking facility. The mesh network may be formed according to messages that are broadcasted from wireless identity transceivers corresponding to vehicles parked at the parking facility and include unique identifiers assigned to the broadcasting wireless identity transceivers and unique identifiers in any messages that the broadcasting wireless identity transceivers receive, whereby an occupancy map at the parking facility can be estimated according to the formed mesh network and a known physical layout associated with the parking facility. Furthermore, the broadcasted messages can be used to provide various other parking functions (e.g., contacting vehicle owners, directing drivers to available spaces, assisting with locating parked vehicles, etc.).

主权项

1. A method to provide a smart parking system, comprising:
receiving a parking map from a parking facility, wherein the received parking map comprises a physical layout associated with the parking facility; receiving occupancy notifications over a multi-hop wireless mesh network associated with the parking facility, wherein each occupancy notification comprises a unique identifier assigned to a wireless identity transceiver that corresponds to a vehicle and unique identifiers assigned to wireless identity transceivers that correspond to one or more neighbor vehicles from which an occupancy notification was received; and estimating an occupancy map associated with the parking facility based on the occupancy notifications received over multi-hop wireless mesh network and the physical layout associated with the parking facility.