Nedap AVI

Vehicle Identification as basis of parking by cellular phone

Groningen is a Dutch city with over 174 thousand people. This coupled with a higher number of people living and working in the city-centre, means that the need for an efficient parking system is essential. On-street parking control issues are a major concern to the city due to the high level of urban crime involving parking meters. Furthermore car ownership is rising and causing an increased demand for parking space. At the same time modern technology is offering us the ability to revolutionise current parking management. All these factors have contributed to the introduction of mobile parking based on Nedap vehicle identification in the city Groningen.

Parking keeps the car moving

Today’s requirements for customer services are getting higher to meet the customers needs. Parking operators are continuously improving their customer service. In current on-street parking systems, time is lost in finding and inserting coins. The concept, developed by Park-line offers motorists a fast, friendly and flexible way of paying for parking fees, by doing away with counting a mountain of metal money. Drivers, using mobile parking, previously register themselves once by Internet. The registration details are registered in the central database. The registered person will automatically receive a Nedap transponder card, linked to the customer in the central database. To start the parking transaction, the driver parks the car, dials a special number (0900-1464) and types in the district where his car is parked.

Subsequently the driver places the transponder card behind the cars windshield to outline to enforcement officers that he is registered for the mobile parking service/ paying by mobile phone. The transaction is independently sent to the central database operated by or for the municipality. As the customer returns to the car, again he calls the 0900-1464 number to end the transaction. The actual time parked will be calculated and periodically parking expenses will be specified and invoiced.

Based on nedap vehicle identification

Important element in the system is Nedap’s transponder card, placed behind the windshield of the car to illustrate the driver has a parking license for the specified area or is using mobile parking. All licenses and mobile parkers have received the Nedap transponder card after registration. The transponder cards are available in three different colours, representing different licenses. The colours also make the cards from a distance clearly perceptible, and thus enabling enforcement officers to perform a brought/rough surveillance.
The card was especially developed, by Nedap for the identification of the vehicle of the registered user. The card is characterised by long reading range and high temperature resistance. The Nedap card is linked to the central database of the parking licenses and mobile parking.

Enforcement

By the use of different transponder card, enforcement officers can recognise the license for a specific zone. Moreover the Nedap identification technology enables reading of the card from a distance, and therefore does not require an enforcement officer to break his stride when walking by the car. Cars can be randomly selected for detailed electronic inspection. Using a ProXS Blue handheld scanner, the warden electronically reads the transponder card, verifying parking information online in the central database. In his way the parking warden can verify whether the mobile customer has paid for parking or if the licensee is parked in the right zone. The transponder card, coupled with an enforcement unit carried by the officer enables electronic ticketing. As a result, municipalities can improve their collection rate and reduce the enforcement workload.

Dual band technology

In the near future the mobile parking systems can also be used to pay for parking by mobile phone in car parks by means of the Nedap transponder card. This functionality will be tested in a number of car parks. The Nedap card will be able to communicate with barriers on entering and leaving the car park and transmit details for later billing. The Nedap vehicle identification program comprises a unique solution as the transponder card is read up to 10 meters using the patented Booster.