Importance

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Abstract

A parking system is disclosed which includes a parking meter (10) which has a transceiver (12) and (14) for transmitting and receiving information and which in one embodiment may comprise an over the air telephone, fixed land line telephone or the like. The transmitter receiver (12, 14) communicates with a host central station (50) for receiving and transmitting information. In order to park at the meter a user telephones a telephone number associated with the parking meter and connects with the host station (50). Commands are input into the user's telephone to provide an indication of the amount of parking time required and payment for the parking time and information is downloaded from the station (50) to the parking meter (10) to indicate that parking has been paid for and the parking meter should activate to indicate that parking has been paid for. Parking bays associated with meters may include sensors (22) for indicating the presence of a vehicle and for providing a signal to the parking meter (10) in the event that parking time expires and car is still present in the parking place so that appropriate action can be taken. Other embodiment include communication to the central station via the parking meter (10) rather than direct to the central station (50) and also a system in which parking takes place in a garage or parking station in which communication takes place from a user's telephone to the central station (50) to enable payment and downloading of relevant data to the garage (100) to indicate that parking has been paid for.

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First Claim