System and method for managing parking areas by way of preauthorization and forecasting

1 . A system for preauthorizing a vehicle for a parking area comprising:

a computing device having a user interface,

wherein said user interface of said computing device is configured to receive input data in a way such that accommodation data is retrieved,

wherein said accommodation data pertains to an accommodation at a rental complex having a plurality of individual units,

wherein said accommodation is for an individual unit of said plurality of individual units of said rental complex,

wherein said individual unit is associated with a parking space of a parking area of said rental complex,

wherein a flexible threshold limit defines a maximum number of parking spaces associated with said individual unit,

wherein a rigid threshold limit defines a minimum number of parking spaces associated with said individual unit,

a database operably connected to said computing device via a network,

wherein said accommodation data is stored on said database,

wherein a plurality of rules and regulations is stored on said database,

wherein said plurality of rules and regulations relate to said parking area of said rental complex,

a processor operably connected to said computing device and said database,

a non-transitory computer-readable medium coupled to said processor,

wherein said non-transitory computer-readable medium contains instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by said processor, cause said processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving said input data from said computing device,

retrieving said accommodation data for said rental complex from said database based on said input data,

wherein each said accommodation of a plurality of accommodations represented by said accommodation data of said rental complex has at least one reserved parking space associated therewith,

determining a flexible threshold limit using said at least one reserved parking space of each said accommodation and said plurality of rules and regulations,

presenting said flexible threshold limit via said user interface,

receiving said input data from said computing device pertaining to a desired number of parking spaces for at least one vehicle,

wherein said input data pertaining to said desired number of parking spaces for said at least one vehicle cannot exceed said flexible threshold limit,

receiving said input data for at least one specific vehicle for said desired number of parking spaces,

reserving said desired number of parking spaces based on said input data, and

generating a parking pass having at least one unique pattern for each said desired number of parking spaces,

wherein said at least one unique pattern of said parking pass is readable by a scanning device of said parking area,

wherein said at least one unique pattern is associated with said at least one specific vehicle,

wherein said at least one unique pattern is configured to convey said accommodation data and vehicle attributes of said at least one specific vehicle,

wherein said accommodation data and said vehicle attributes are used to determine that a vehicle to which said parking pass is secured is authorized to park in said parking area of said rental complex.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein said parking pass is one of a guest pass, visitor pass, vendor pass, and employee pass.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein said flexible threshold limit represents a maximum number of rentable parking spaces for said individual unit, wherein said maximum number of rentable parking spaces is at most a difference between a total parking capacity minus a total number of guest passes, total number of visitor passes, total number of vendor passes, and total number of employee passes, wherein said maximum number of rentable parking spaces is no less than said rigid threshold limit.

4 . The system of claim 1 ,

further comprising additional instruction comprising:

determining a parking demand for a date of said accommodation using said accommodation data,

wherein said date of said accommodation data used to determine said parking demand differs by an accommodation year, and

adjusting said flexible threshold limit using said parking demand.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein said parking demand estimates a percentage of available parking spots for said parking area on said date, wherein said flexible threshold limit is equal to said rigid threshold limit when parking demand reaches a maximum percentage of available parking.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one unique pattern comprises at least one of a barcode, QR code, license plate number, or pass ID number.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein a released space of an accommodation causes said flexible threshold limit to change, wherein said parking space is considered said released space when said desired number of parking spaces is less than said rigid threshold limit.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein said parking space is automatically considered a released space when said desired number of parking spaces for said accommodation is less than said rigid threshold limit for said accommodation, wherein said parking space is considered said released space after a beginning date of said accommodation.

9 . The system of claim 7 , wherein an additional space of an accommodation causes said flexible threshold limit to change, wherein said additional space is said parking space added to said accommodation.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein a second user has permissions that allow for said second user to override said flexible threshold limit.

11 . A system for preauthorizing a vehicle for a parking area of a rental complex comprising:

a user interface of a computing device configured to present one or more fields to receive input data identifying an accommodation for an individual unit of a plurality of individual units of a rental complex;

a database operably connected to said computing device via a network and configured to store accommodation data for said accommodation,

wherein said accommodation data associates said individual unit with at least one parking space of a parking area of said rental complex,

wherein said accommodation data indicates, for each of a plurality of accommodations, at least one reserved parking space of said parking area,

wherein said database is further configured to store rules and regulations relating to use of said parking area;

a processor operably connected to said computing device and said database and configured to determine, for said individual unit, a rigid threshold limit that defines a minimum number of parking spaces and a flexible threshold limit that defines a maximum number of parking spaces,

wherein said processor is configured to determine said flexible threshold limit using (i) said at least one reserved parking spaces of said plurality of accommodations indicated in said accommodation data and (ii) said rules and regulations,

wherein said user interface is configured to present an indication of said flexible threshold limit;

wherein said user interface is configured to receive a request to reserve a desired number of parking spaces for a specific vehicle associated with said accommodation,

wherein said user interface is configured to receive said input data for at least one specific vehicle for said desired number of parking spaces,

wherein said processor is configured to, in response to said desired number of parking spaces not exceeding said maximum number of parking spaces, reserve said desired number of parking spaces for said specific vehicle,

wherein said processor is configured to cause generation of a parking pass including at least one unique pattern associated with said specific vehicle and said desired number of parking spaces,

wherein said at least one unique pattern of said parking pass is readable by a scanning device of said parking area,

wherein said at least one unique pattern is configured to convey said accommodation data and vehicle attributes of said at least one specific vehicle, and

wherein said accommodation data and said vehicle attributes are used to determine that a vehicle to which said parking pass is secured is authorized to park in said parking area of said rental complex.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein said parking pass comprises one of a guest pass, visitor pass, owner pass, vendor pass, or employee pass, wherein said rigid threshold limits is different for at least two of said guest pass, visitor pass, owner pass, vendor pass, or employee pass.

13 . The system of claim 11 , wherein said flexible threshold limit represents a maximum number of rentable parking spaces for said individual unit, wherein said maximum number of rentable parking spaces is constrained to be at most a difference between (i) a total number of parking spaces available in said parking area and (ii) a sum of a total number of guest passes, visitor passes, vendor passes, and employee passes represented in said accommodation data, and wherein said flexible threshold limit is no less than said rigid threshold limit.

14 . The system of claim 11 , wherein said processor is configured to retrieve accommodation data pertaining to at least one prior accommodation for said individual unit having a same date on a different accommodation year than said accommodation, wherein said processor is configured to determine, from said accommodation data for said at least one prior accommodation, a parking demand for said same date on said different accommodation year, wherein said processor is configured to adjust said flexible threshold limit based at least in part on said parking demand.

15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein said processor is configured to determine said parking demand by estimating a percentage of available parking spaces for said parking area on said same date on said different accommodation year, and wherein said processor is configured to set said flexible threshold limit equal to said rigid threshold limit when said percentage of available parking spaces exceeds a maximum percentage of available parking.

16 . The system of claim 11 , wherein said at least one unique pattern comprises at least one of a barcode, QR code, license plate number, or pass identification number.

17 . The system of claim 11 , wherein said processor is configured to identify a parking space associated with said accommodation as a released space when, after a beginning date of said accommodation, accommodation data associated with said accommodation specifies fewer parking spaces than said rigid threshold limit, wherein said processor is configured to, in response to identifying said released space, increase a flexible threshold limit for at least one other user by an amount corresponding to said released space, wherein said processor is configured to, in response to receiving, via said user interface, input data requesting an additional parking space for said accommodation, decrease an available number of parking spaces for at least one other user such that a total number of reserved parking spaces for said parking area does not exceed a maximum number of parking spaces for said parking area.

18 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor operably connected to a database and a user interface of a computing device, cause said at least one processor to perform steps comprising:

storing, in said database, accommodation data for a plurality of accommodations,

wherein said accommodation data associates individual units of a rental complex with parking spaces of a parking area,

wherein said accommodation data indicates, for each of said plurality of accommodations, at least one reserved parking space;

storing, in said database, projection data estimating a parking load for said parking area on a plurality of dates based at least in part on said accommodation data;

storing, in said database, threshold limit data defining, for at least one individual unit, a rigid threshold limit and a flexible threshold limit for reservable parking spaces associated with said at least one individual unit;

receiving, via said user interface, input data associated with a selected accommodation for a selected date;

retrieving, from said database based on said input data, said accommodation data, projection data, and threshold limit data relevant to said selected accommodation and said selected date;

determining whether to authorize use of said flexible threshold limit or said rigid threshold limit for a requested reservation of parking spaces associated with said selected accommodation based on said projection data and said threshold limit data;

receiving, via said user interface, a requested number of parking spaces associated with at least one specific vehicle;

comparing said requested number of parking spaces to whichever of said flexible threshold limit or said rigid threshold limit is authorized;

reserving, in said database, said requested number of parking spaces for said at least one specific vehicle associated with said selected accommodation when said requested number of parking spaces does not exceed said flexible threshold limit or said rigid threshold limit that was authorized; and

generating a parking pass having at least one unique pattern for said requested number of parking spaces that were reserved,

wherein said at least one unique pattern of said parking pass is readable by a scanning device,

wherein said at least one unique pattern is associated with a said at least one specific vehicle,

wherein said at least one unique pattern is configured to convey said accommodation data and vehicle attributes of said at least one specific vehicle,

wherein said accommodation data and said vehicle attributes are used to determine that a vehicle to which said parking pass is secured is authorized to park in said parking area of said rental complex.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein determining whether to authorize use of said flexible threshold limit or said rigid threshold limit comprises steps of:

performing at least one analysis of said projection data and upcoming accommodations represented by said accommodation data to determine a p-value;

identifying a defined percentage of a maximum parking capacity of said parking area;

authorizing use of said rigid threshold limit when said at least one analysis yields said p-value less than a predetermined value and indicates that said parking load on said selected date will exceed said defined percentage; and

authorizing use of said flexible threshold limit when said at least one analysis yields said p-value less than said predetermined value and indicates that said parking load on said selected date will be less than said defined percentage,

wherein said flexible threshold limit is constrained to be no more than twice said rigid threshold limit for said at least one individual unit.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein said instructions further comprise:

determining, from said accommodation data, an amount of residential turnover for said selected date based at least in part on guest passes and owner passes scheduled to expire on said selected date;

estimating, based on said amount of residential turnover, a number of employees required to service said rental complex on said selected date;

calculating, from said number of employees, a total number of employee passes; and

reducing a maximum number of reservable parking spaces for users other than employees by said total number of employee passes before determining said flexible threshold limit for said selected accommodation.