Handicapped parking placard

1. A computer-implemented method of operating a handicapped parking system comprising:

a) wirelessly receiving, by a computing device, a unique identifier transmitted from an in-vehicle electronic handicapped parking plug-in computing device, wherein the in-vehicle electronic handicapped parking plug-in computing device connects with an electronic system of a vehicle via a connection at a port of the vehicle;

b) receiving, at the computing device, input from a parking user verifying their identity;

c) transmitting, by the computing device, the unique identifier and the input from the parking user to a central parking database;

d) receiving, by the computing device, handicapped parking configuration data from the central parking database in response to the transmission, the handicapped parking configuration data comprising one or more of: verification of the authenticity of the electronic handicapped parking plug-in computing device, validation of the electronic handicapped parking plug-in computing device, the identity of as authorized parking user, and restrictions on handicapped parking privileges; and

e) successfully verifying the identity of the parking user based on the handicapped parking configuration data received from the central parking database, and upon such successful verification, activating the electronic handicapped parking plug-in computing device for a parking period, allowing interrogation of a passive RFID tag for the purposes of validation of the electronic handicapped parking plug-in computing device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is a parking meter.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is a mobile computing device of the parking user.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the input from the parking user is a personal identification number (PIN).

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the input from the parking user is biometric data.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is configured to present an interface to renew or extend the validity of the electronic handicapped parking plug-in computing device.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: activating, by the computing device, a visual display on the electronic handicapped parking plug-in computing device, the display configured to provide a counter indicating the time remaining in a current parking period.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the port of the comprises an On-Board Diagnostics Type 2 (OBD-II) port.

9. A platform comprising:

a) an electronic handicapped parking plug-in device comprising: a processor, a memory, a power source, a biometric verification module, a passive RFID tag, and a wireless communications module communicating a unique identifier to an external application;

b) a parking user application comprising a software module receiving the unique identifier and using the identifier to query a central parking database to enter or edit handicapped parking plug-in device configuration data and renew or extend the validity of the plug-in device; and

c) a parking enforcement application comprising a software module receiving the unique identifier and using the identifier to query the central parking database for handicapped parking configuration data, the handicapped parking configuration data comprising the identity of an authorized parking user, and one or more of: verification of the authenticity of the electronic handicapped parking plug-in device, validation of the electronic handicapped parking plug-in device, and restrictions on handicapped parking privileges;

the biometric verification module receiving an input from a parking user, verifying the identity of the parking user as the authorized parking user based on the handicapped parking configuration data from the central parking database, and upon verification, activating the handicapped parking plug-in device for a parking period, and allowing interrogation of the passive RFID tag for the purposes of validation of the plug-in device.

10. The platform of claim 9 , wherein the parking enforcement application is executed on a parking meter.

11. The platform of claim 9 , wherein the parking enforcement application is executed on a mobile computing device of a parking enforcement officer.

12. The platform of claim 9 , wherein the parking user application is executed on a mobile computing device of the parking user.

13. The platform of claim 9 , wherein the electronic handicapped parking plug-in device further comprises: a visual display configured to provide a counter indicating the time remaining in the current parking period.

14. The platform of claim 9 , wherein the plug-in device further comprises a connection to an electronic system of a vehicle via a connection at a port of the vehicle.

15. The platform of claim 14 , wherein the port of the vehicle comprises an On-Board Diagnostics Type 2 (OBD-II) port.