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.
