UniParking

The merchants support the customers in different ways. In this system the customers get loyalty points. The customers can collect, store, and exchange the collected points to gifts or money. As customer, you can get detailed informations at the merchants.

1. The functioning of the parking system
Paying for parking with money from a top-up card.
1.1 The company/organization responsible for parking will make available parking cards to be used at all location in the city. The card can carry any amount from € 10 to €500.
1.2 To park one has to buy a parking card.
1.3 Using the downloaded software one has to scan the QRCode located on the card. To be able to scan the QRCode one has to scratch off the protective cover, just as it happens in the case of scratch-off lottery tickets. The QRCode can be scanned only after the protective cover has been removed. At the time of purchase the protective cover the QRCode is also the guarantee that the card has not been used. Once the QRCode has been scanned the amount registered on the card will be stored in the smartphone of the user and is available to be used for paying the parking.
How does one pay for the parking with the phone?
1.4 After one has parked the car, he/she will start the parking application on the smartphone. The application will automatically determine the GPS coordinated of the parking spot and will display the price/hour of that location. If the car is parked in a free parking zone the application will display an € 0, - amount. The application will also display how long could be parked in that spot according to the balance of the parking account on the telephone. One cannot ask for longer parking than what the money stored on the phone is enough for. Next, the user has to enter the license plate number of the car. The software can store several license plate numbers from which one can choose the appropriate one. The actual parking starts when the user pushes the green button on the display. When the button is pushed the system deducts the amount assigned for this parking session and it also starts the time count down.
1.5 If a user would like to extend the parking time he/she can do that by opening the application and entering another expiration time. To do this, the user does not have to be present at the parked car but can do it from any location where the smartphone can access to internet, even if the user is overseas.
1.6 If the user wishes to leave the parking spot before the purchased parking time expires, he/she can push the STOP button of the application. When the STOP button is activated the software stops the parking counter and will charge the user only for the elapsed time.
1.7 The users smartphone will be charged for parking in two situations:
1.7.1 The purchased parking time has expired.
1.7.2 If the user has pushed the STOP button.
1.8 How does the parking attendant use the software?
The parking attendant either takes a picture of the parked car's license plate or writes the license plate number into the appropriate field of the software. Within a second the system will respond informing the parking attendant if the parked car has or has not paid for the parking.

This electronic parking system can be used with smartphones which are connected to the internet either through a provider or by WIFI.