HK1254898B - Parking billing system and operation system thereof - Google Patents

Description

Parking metering system and its operation method

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a parking meter-based parking meter system and an operating method thereof.

Background Art

In a limited urban space, how to plan effective roadside parking spaces and inform the public of the usage status of these roadside parking spaces has become a topic that the industry has been actively researching and developing.

Taiwan Patent No. I333177, a typical example of a long- and short-range radio communication card-based parking fee payment system, utilizes a combination of long- and short-range radio communication networks to connect regional parking management stations with a parking management information center.

However, while integrating GPRS/GSM or other wireless communication systems into meter systems, which can update transaction data or transmit messages, is limited by the size of the meter housing and the roadside environment where the meter must be installed, it is impossible to install or bury a mains power network to provide the power required for the meter and wireless communication. This results in frequent battery replacement and charging maintenance. When there are many meters, the labor and material costs required to replace batteries or charge batteries can be considerable.

Traditional off-street parking lots typically employ induction coils embedded in the road surface and monitored 24/7 by digital cameras to confirm vehicle arrival and departure times. Because off-street parking lots are typically enclosed, with fixed vehicle entry and exit points and access to a mains power grid and ample electricity supply, they achieve better detection results.

However, in open on-street parking environments, power supply limitations and environmental and human interference significantly impact the accuracy of existing devices. For example, using induction coils or ground sensors can introduce errors depending on the location of the vehicle being parked. Passing metal objects can also cause interference, making it difficult to achieve a high-accuracy detection system for parking. Other detection methods, such as infrared, can also introduce errors due to weather fluctuations and consume excessive power due to continuous detection operations.

Furthermore, typical off-street parking metering methods use a timer that starts upon entry and is settled upon exit. However, street parking meters, due to their open environment, cannot adopt the same off-street parking metering system. Instead, they rely on pre-selected payment times or manual ticketing by patrol officers. If a user fails to leave within the selected timeframe, they will be ticketed for overstaying, causing inconvenience and requiring more manpower to issue tickets.

Therefore, how to design a better parking metering system and operating method that can effectively detect whether a vehicle is parked in a parking space and whether the fee has been paid, while saving the electricity used by the meter and the manpower required for manual patrol and billing, is indeed a topic that the industry urgently hopes to improve.

Summary of the Invention

To address the problems of the prior art, the present invention provides a parking metering system applicable to multiple on-street parking spaces. The parking metering system comprises: a management center; multiple parking meters, each of which is located adjacent to a corresponding on-street parking space and configured to detect the characteristics, status, and payment status of an object in the parking space, and transmit parking information of the detected parking space to the management center via a network; and at least one mobile device having an executable application, the execution results of which are connected to the management center via the network. When a user parks a vehicle in a parking space, operates the parking meter, and completes payment, the parking meter displays an identification barcode corresponding to the parking information. The user reads the identification barcode using the mobile device to obtain the parking information. When the parking time limit is about to expire, the management center sends a payment notification to the user's mobile device via the network. After payment, the management center updates the parking information on the parking meter via the network. Alternatively, if the parking space expires or payment is not made, the management center notifies a ticket issuer to issue a ticket or automatically issues a ticket based on the parking meter's detection and automatic license plate recognition.

The parking metering system as described above preferably also includes a billing device that can be connected to the management center via a network signal. When the parking time limit of the parking meter has expired, the management center connects to the billing device via the network and notifies the biller to go to the parking meter to issue a bill for the overdue vehicle using the billing device.

In the parking metering system as described above, preferably, after the billing device completes billing, it transmits billing information to the management center, and the management center updates the parking information of the parking meter through the network.

In the parking metering system as described above, preferably, the billing device can also be connected to the parking meter, and after the billing is completed, the parking information of the parking meter is directly updated.

In the parking metering system as described above, preferably, the management center further includes an image processing unit that can perform vehicle and license plate recognition based on the image uploaded by the parking meter.

In the parking metering system as described above, preferably, the management center also includes an automatic billing operation unit for executing the automatic billing operation.

In the parking metering system as described above, preferably, the management center further includes a guidance unit that can record the location and status of the roadside parking space according to the status of the corresponding roadside parking space transmitted by each parking meter.

In the parking metering system as described above, preferably, the mobile device can use an application to connect to the management center via the network, and display the location and status of each roadside parking space on a map based on the records of the guidance unit.

In the parking metering system as described above, preferably, the parking meter further includes: a housing; a control circuit disposed inside the housing; a display panel disposed on the front of the housing and electrically connected to the control circuit; an operation panel disposed on the front of the housing and having a plurality of operation buttons, each operation button being electrically connected to the control circuit for operating the parking meter; a chip card access device disposed inside the housing and electrically connected to the control circuit for accessing a chip card for payment; a detector disposed on the front or back of the housing or at one or two default positions, the detector being electrically connected to the control circuit for detecting the status of a roadside parking space; a camera disposed on the front of the housing or at one or two default positions and electrically connected to the control circuit for acquiring images of one or two roadside parking spaces; a communication module disposed inside the housing and electrically connected to the control circuit for communicating with an external device; and a battery module disposed inside the housing for supplying power required by the parking meter.

In the parking metering system as described above, preferably, the communication module of the parking meter further includes a security access module.

In the parking metering system as described above, preferably, the parking meter further includes an artificial intelligence module for performing object image and license plate recognition.

The parking metering system as described above preferably further includes an auxiliary meter installed at the edge of the parking space at the opposite end of the parking meter, and the auxiliary meter includes at least one camera and a transmission module.

In the parking metering system as described above, preferably, the auxiliary meter and the parking meter jointly capture images of vehicles in the parking space.

The present invention further provides an operating method of a parking meter system, which uses at least one parking meter to perform parking metering for at least one roadside parking space. The operating method comprises:

Determine whether a street parking space has been paid for and, if not, activate the parking meter's detector;

Determining whether there is an object in the roadside parking space and whether the object is a vehicle based on the detection result, and if so, activating the parking meter's camera to obtain an image of the roadside parking space;

Perform image and license plate recognition to determine whether a vehicle is parked in a roadside parking space. If so, a ticket issuer is notified to issue a ticket on site or a management center automatically issues a ticket.

Update parking meters after billing is completed; and

Reduce the number of detections, and return to the step of determining whether the roadside parking space has been paid for to form a loop.

In the above-described operating method of the parking meter system, preferably, if the result of the step of determining whether the curbside parking space has been paid is yes; if the result of the step of determining whether there is an object in the curbside parking space or whether the object is a vehicle is no; if the result of the step of determining whether the curbside parking space is a vehicle by image and license plate recognition is no, the step of reducing the number of detections and its subsequent steps are all executed.

The parking metering system operation method as described above preferably determines whether the object in the roadside parking space is a vehicle by detecting the distance, width and material of the object to determine whether the characteristics are similar to those of the vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG1 is a circuit diagram of an embodiment of a parking meter according to the present invention.

FIG2 is a schematic front view of the embodiment shown in FIG1 .

FIG3 is a schematic diagram of the configuration of the embodiment shown in FIG1 .

FIG4 is a flow chart of an operation method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG5 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a parking metering system according to the present invention.

Reference numerals

10...parking meter

10a...Auxiliary meter

100...Housing

101...Time selection button

103...Confirm button

105...parking space selection button

107...sensing area

12...Control circuit

121...Battery module

141...Display panel

143...Operation panel

145...Chip card access device

161...Detector

163...Camera

165...Artificial Intelligence Module

18...Communication module

181...Secure Access Module

321...street parking spaces

323...street parking spaces

34...Vehicles

401～417...Steps

50...Parking metering system

500...Network

52...Management Center

521...processing unit

523...Liquidation Unit

525...Guidance unit

527...Database

528...Image processing unit

529...Automatic order opening unit

54...Bill opening device

56...mobile devices

561...Application

58...Payment Center

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Please refer to Figures 1 to 3 and 5, which are respectively a circuit diagram, a front view diagram, a setting diagram, and a diagram of an embodiment of a parking meter of the present invention.

Please refer to Figures 1 and 2. The parking meter 10 includes a housing 100, a display panel 141 and an operation panel 143 disposed on the front of the housing 100, a chip card access device 145 disposed inside the housing 100, a detector 161 disposed on the front or back of the housing 100, one or two cameras 163 set at one or two default positions of the housing 100, a communication module 18 disposed inside the housing 100, and a battery module 121 disposed inside the housing 100 to supply power required by the parking meter. The control circuit 12 is electrically connected to the display panel 141, the operation panel 143, the chip card access device 145, the detector 161, the camera 163, the communication module 18, and the battery module 121. In other possible embodiments, the positions of the detectors 161 and cameras 163 may be interchanged, that is, one camera 163 may be located on the front of the housing 100 , and one or two detectors 161 may be located at one or two default positions of the housing 100 .

The operation panel 143 has multiple operating buttons electrically connected to the control circuit 12 for operating the parking meter 10. These operating buttons may include a time selection button 101 or a parking space selection button 105, and a confirmation button 103, allowing the user to select the appropriate parking time and parking space, and confirm the selected time to calculate the parking fee. The time selection button 101 can be a single selection button, where the parking time interval is added based on the number of times it is pressed or touched, or a dual selection button with an increase or decrease function, where the appropriate parking time is set by operating the time selection button 101. The parking space selection button 105 can also be a single selection button, where the number of times it is pressed selects the corresponding parking space, or a dual selection button, where a parking space is designated by selecting the corresponding selection button. Please refer to FIG. 3 for details regarding the parking space selection button 105. When the parking meter 10 is installed in a connected curbside parking space 321 or 323, the parking space selection button 105 can be used to select the corresponding curbside parking space 321 or 323 for operation. Preferably, the aforementioned operating buttons may be touch buttons. By using the touch buttons, the openings and gaps of the housing 100 are reduced, thereby enhancing the strength and waterproof effect of the housing.

The chip card accessor 145 is disposed within the housing 100, preferably in the lower middle portion of the housing 100. A chip card access area, such as the sensing area 107 shown in FIG2 , may be provided at a corresponding location on the operation panel 143. This area allows for accessing a chip card (not shown) to facilitate payment. Preferably, the chip card accessor 145 is an inductive chip card accessor for accessing inductive chip cards. Inductive chip cards can be inductive prepaid cards, inductive credit cards, inductive bank cards, inductive electronic wallets, or mobile phones with NFC payment functionality.

Detector 161 is electrically connected to control circuit 12 to detect the status of curbside parking spaces. When detector 161 is located on the front of housing 100, it can simultaneously detect two adjacent curbside parking spaces 321 and 323. When detectors 161 are located on the left and right sides of housing 100, each detector 161 can independently detect a curbside parking space. Therefore, by placing detector 161 at appropriate locations on housing 100, the status of curbside parking spaces 321 and 323 can be detected. Preferably, detector 161 can be an ultrasonic detector, a laser detector, or a millimeter-wave ultra-high frequency detector. These detectors emit ultrasonic signals, laser beam signals, or high-frequency signals for detection to determine whether an object is present in curbside parking spaces 321 and 323, as shown in FIG3 . When an object is detected, the distance, size, and surface material of the object are checked with high precision. If it is confirmed that the object is close to the characteristics of the vehicle 34, the camera 163 is activated to obtain images of the roadside parking spaces 321 and 323. In the subsequent operation method, it can be determined whether the object is the vehicle 34, and the license plate recognition is performed to carry out subsequent operations.

Camera 163 can also be installed on the front of housing 100 or at one or two default locations and connected to control circuit 12. Camera 163 is used to capture images of curbside parking spaces 321 and 323, and can further confirm the status of each curbside parking space 321 and 323 through image recognition. When parking meter 10 is installed in a cell-shaped curbside parking space, simply setting an appropriate camera angle can capture the optimal curbside parking space image. The parking space image can be processed by artificial intelligence module 165 within meter 10 (Figure 2) or image processing unit 528 of management center 52 (Figure 5) for license plate recognition. Further information is transmitted to automatic billing unit 529 or downloaded to a billing operator's portable device for billing operations. As described above, detector 161 or camera 163 preferably has the ability to adjust the detection or camera angle to more accurately capture information and images of curbside parking spaces 321 and 323.

Preferably, the detector can use an extremely low-power ToF (Time of Flight) or ultrasonic sensor to monitor the parking space status at all times. When a vehicle 34 enters a parking space, it begins capturing the vehicle 34 and can more accurately capture the image of the parking space to obtain license plate information for license plate recognition.

Furthermore, to account for the fact that the position of the vehicle 34 in the parking space is not fixed, which may affect the angle and range of image capture, resulting in the inability to recognize the license plate or affecting the recognition accuracy, another embodiment of the present invention further includes an auxiliary meter 10a that can be installed on the edge of the parking space 321, 323 at the opposite end of the parking meter 10 (as shown in FIG3 ). The auxiliary meter 10a includes at least one camera and a transmission module. When the parking meter 10 captures the image, the auxiliary meter 10a also operates simultaneously to capture the front and rear license plate images of the vehicle 34 in the parking space, perform license plate recognition, and compare the images, thereby obtaining accurate and consistent license plate recognition results.

The communication module 18 is electrically connected to the control circuit 12 to communicate with external devices. Preferably, the communication module 18 can be a mobile communication module, a sub-1 GHz communication module, a narrowband internet of things (NB-IoT) communication module, or a combination thereof. The mobile communication module can be a 3G, long-term evolution (LTE), 4G, or other mobile communication technology communication module. Preferably, the communication module 18 also includes a security access module (SAM) 181 for encrypting and decrypting communication data. By encrypting communication data, data transmission security and confidentiality can be achieved.

Preferably, the display panel 141 can be an electronic paper display. Due to its simple structure, resistance to damage, clear display information, and low power consumption, electronic paper displays can be clearly read even in extreme environments, such as strong sunlight or dim environments, and can achieve power conservation.

Next, a parking metering system 50 in combination with the above-mentioned parking meter 10 is described. Please refer to Figure 5. Specifically, the parking metering system 50 may include a management center 52, multiple parking meters 10 as shown in Figures 1 and 2, and at least one mobile device 56. The management center 52, the parking meter 10, and the mobile device 56 are connected to each other by signals via a network 500. The management center 52 may have a processing unit 521, a clearing unit 523, a guiding unit 525, a database 527, an image processing unit 528 and an automatic billing operation unit 529 that are signal-connected to each other, wherein the processing unit 521 controls the operation of the management center 52, performs various calculations and executes various applications; the clearing unit 523 calculates, counts and manages the parking fees of each roadside parking space, and processes remote payments; the database 527 stores parking information of each roadside parking space; the image processing unit 528 detects the vehicle 34 and recognizes the license plate of the parking image uploaded by the meter 10; the automatic billing operation unit 529 issues a relevant payment notice to the vehicle 34 that has not paid the fee through the detected license plate or sends a billing clerk to issue the bill.

Specifically, each parking meter 10 is installed next to a corresponding curbside parking space. It detects the status of each curbside parking space and, when a vehicle 34 is parked in the curbside parking space, calculates the parking fee and time for the parked vehicle 34. Each parking meter 10 is connected to a management center 52 via a network 500 to transmit information about the status of each curbside parking space and parking information to the management center 52. Each mobile device 56 has an application 561 installed on it, which can execute the application 561 and connect to the management center 52 via the network 500.

When a user parks their vehicle 34 in a street parking space, operates the parking meter 10, and pays according to the estimated parking time, the display panel 141 of the parking meter 10 displays an identification barcode corresponding to the parking information. The user reads the identification barcode with their mobile device 56 and accesses the parking information through an application 561. When the parking time limit is about to expire, the management center 52 notifies the user electronically via application 561 on their mobile device 56, such as an email or text message. The user can then use application 561 on their mobile device 56 to connect to the management center 52 via the network 500 to pay, or pay using another system-accepted payment method, without having to return to the parking lot to pay. Furthermore, if a user leaves their vehicle 34 without paying, the system uses the images captured by the parking meter 10, including the time the vehicle 34 enters and exits the parking space, to perform license plate recognition on the images and issue a notice to the user requesting payment. If vehicle 34 has registered as a member of the dedicated mobile phone, the system will send a payment message to the member's mobile phone. The mobile phone can be integrated with various electronic payment apps to facilitate parking fee payment. Preferably, the identification barcode can be generated as a two-dimensional barcode or QR code. Management center 52 then connects to the corresponding parking meter 10 via network 500 to update parking information in parking meter 10. This parking information may include information such as the number and location of the on-street parking space, the parking meter number, parking time, parking limit, and parking fee.

Preferably, the parking meter system 50 further includes a billing device 54 connected to a management center 52 via a network 500. When the parking time limit for a parking meter 10 expires, the management center connects to the billing device 54 via the network 500 and can notify a billing operator to go to the parking meter 10 and use the billing device 54 to issue a bill for the overdue vehicle 34. Alternatively, under a certain mechanism, for example, if the billing operator has not completed the on-site billing after a certain time limit, the management center 52 will automatically issue the bill. In one embodiment of the present invention, after the billing device 54 completes the billing operation, it transmits the billing information to the management center 52. The management center 52 connects to the corresponding parking meter 10 via the network 500 and updates the parking information of the parking meter 10. Alternatively, in another embodiment of the present invention, the billing device 54 can also be directly connected to the parking meter 10 to directly update the parking information of the parking meter 10 after the billing operation is completed.

Preferably, the management center 52 further includes a guidance unit 525 that records the location and status of each on-street parking space based on the status of each on-street parking space transmitted by each parking meter 10. In one embodiment of the present invention, each mobile device 56 can connect to the management center 52 via the network 500 using an application 561 and display the location and status of each on-street parking space on a map based on the records of the guidance unit 525. This allows users to understand the location and status of each on-street parking space through their mobile device 56, allowing them to quickly locate the nearest available on-street parking space.

Preferably, the mobile device 56 can be selected from a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer or a personal digital assistant.

Preferably, the user can utilize the application 561 in the mobile device 56 to make remote payment for parking fees through other payment centers 58 (such as banks or third-party payment centers).

Finally, the operation method of the parking fee collection system 50 of the present invention will be described. Please refer to FIG. 4 in conjunction with FIG. 1 and FIG. 5 . FIG. 4 is a flow chart of the operation method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The operating method of the present invention first determines whether the corresponding curbside parking space has been paid for (step 401). If the parking space is unpaid or the parking time has expired and no parking ticket has been issued, the parking meter 10 activates the detector 161 (step 403). Based on the detection results of the detector 161, it is determined whether there is an object in the curbside parking space and whether the object is a vehicle 34 (step 405). To determine whether the object is a vehicle 34, the distance, width, and material of the object can be tested to determine whether the characteristics are similar to those of the vehicle 34.

Specifically, if it is determined in step 405 that there is no object in the curbside parking space or that the object is not a vehicle 34, step 417 is executed to reduce the number or frequency of detections to save power to the meter, and step 401 is then executed again, forming a loop. Conversely, if it is determined that there is an object in the curbside parking space or that the object is a vehicle 34, camera 163 is activated in step 407 to capture an image of the curbside parking space. Then, in step 409, image and license plate recognition is performed on the image of the curbside parking space to determine whether the object in the curbside parking space is a vehicle 34. If not, step 417 is executed. If it is determined that there is a vehicle 34 in the curbside parking space, step 413 is executed to notify a billing clerk to go to the curbside parking space and issue a bill for the unpaid or overstayed vehicle 34. Alternatively, the automatic billing unit 529 of the management center 52 may issue a bill and notify the user via the network to pay the fee. After any of the above billing operations are completed, parking information is updated, as in step 415. Finally, step 417 is executed to reduce the number of detection times or the detection frequency to save power loss, and the process returns to step 401 to form a loop.

The parking meter billing system and operating method of the present invention can verify the presence of a vehicle 34 in a parking space, and if the vehicle 34 has not paid or has exceeded its parking time, notify the billing clerk to issue the bill, or have the system issue the bill directly. This ensures operational accuracy and reduces the burden on billing clerks. It also reduces unnecessary detection and communication module communications, significantly reducing meter power consumption and extending the life of rechargeable or battery-powered meters.

The above description is merely an embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. In other words, all equivalent changes and modifications based on the shape, structure, characteristics, method and spirit described in the claims of the present invention should be included in the claims of the present invention.

Claims (18)

1. A parking fee calculation system applicable to multiple roadside parking spaces, the parking fee calculation system comprising: One management center; Multiple parking meters, each installed next to a corresponding roadside parking space, are used to detect the characteristics, status, and payment status of an object in the parking space. The detected parking information is transmitted to a management center via a network. If the parking space has been paid for, the number or frequency of detections is reduced; if the object is not a vehicle, the number or frequency of detections is also reduced. At least one mobile device is equipped with an executable application, and the execution result can be connected to the management center via a network; When a user parks a vehicle in a parking space, operates the parking meter, and completes payment, the parking meter displays an identification barcode corresponding to the parking information. The user uses a mobile device to read the identification barcode to obtain the parking information. When the parking time limit is about to expire, the management center sends a payment notification to the user's mobile device via the network. Alternatively, when the parking space expires or payment is not made, the management center notifies the ticket clerk to issue a ticket or complete the automatic ticketing operation based on the detection of the parking meter. After payment, the management center or the ticket clerk updates the parking information on the parking meter. 2. The parking fee calculation system according to claim 1 further comprises: One ticketing device can be connected to the management center via network signal. When the parking time limit of the parking meter has expired, the management center can connect to the ticketing device via the network and notify the ticketing staff to go to the parking meter and issue a ticket for the overdue vehicle using the ticketing device. 3. The parking billing system according to claim 2, wherein after the billing device completes the billing, it transmits billing information to the management center, and the management center updates the parking information of the parking billing meter through the network. 4. The parking billing system according to claim 2, wherein the order-issuing device can also be connected to the parking meter, and after the order is issued, the parking information of the parking meter is directly updated. 5. The parking billing system according to claim 1, wherein the management center further includes an image processing unit, which can identify vehicles and license plates based on the images uploaded by the parking billing meter. 6. The parking fee calculation system according to claim 1, wherein the management center further includes an automatic ticketing unit for performing automatic ticketing operations. 7. The parking billing system according to claim 1, wherein the management center further includes a guidance unit that can record the location and status of the roadside parking space according to the status of the corresponding roadside parking space transmitted by each parking billing meter. 8. The parking billing system according to claim 7, wherein the mobile device can use an application to connect to the management center via a network and display the location and status of each roadside parking space on a map based on the records of the guidance unit. 9. The parking metering system according to claim 1, wherein the parking meter further comprises: A shell; A control circuit is located inside the casing; A display panel is located on the front of the housing, and the display panel is electrically connected to the control circuit. An operation panel is located on the front of the housing. The operation panel has multiple operation buttons, each of which is electrically connected to the control circuit to operate the parking meter. A chip card reader is located inside the housing and electrically connected to the control circuit for accessing a chip card to perform payment actions. At least one detector is located in a default position on the housing, and the detector is electrically connected to the control circuit to detect the status of the roadside parking space; At least one camera is set in a default position on the housing, the camera being electrically connected to control circuitry to acquire images of one or two roadside parking spaces; A communication module, located inside the housing and electrically connected to the control circuit, is used to communicate with an external device; and A battery module, located inside the housing, is used to supply the power required by the parking meter. 10. The parking metering system according to claim 9, wherein at least one detector is located at a default position on the front or back of the housing, or one or two of them. 11. The parking metering system according to claim 9, wherein at least one camera is located on the front of the housing or in one or two default positions. 12. The parking billing system according to claim 9, wherein the communication module further includes a secure access module. 13. The parking metering system according to claim 9, wherein the parking meter further includes an artificial intelligence module for performing object image and license plate recognition. 14. The parking billing system according to claim 1 further includes an auxiliary billing device installed on the edge of the parking space opposite to the parking meter, the auxiliary billing device including at least one camera and a transmission module. 15. The parking billing system according to claim 14, wherein the auxiliary billing device and the parking billing meter jointly capture images of vehicles in the parking space. 16. A method for operating a parking fee metering system, which uses at least one parking fee meter to charge for parking in at least one roadside parking space, the method comprising: Determine whether payment has been made for the roadside parking space; if not, activate the detector of the parking meter. Based on the detection results, determine whether there is an object in the roadside parking space and whether the object is a vehicle. If so, activate the camera of the parking meter to obtain the image of the roadside parking space. Image and license plate recognition are used to determine whether a roadside parking space belongs to a vehicle. If so, a ticket clerk is notified to come and issue a ticket, or a management center issues a ticket automatically. Update the parking meter after the order is placed; and Reduce the number of detections, and then execute the step of determining whether the roadside parking space has been paid for, forming a loop; If the result of the step of determining whether the roadside parking space has been paid is yes, and the result of the step of determining whether there is an object in the roadside parking space or whether the object is a vehicle is no, the step of reducing the number of detections and subsequent steps are executed. 17. The method of operating the parking billing system according to claim 16, wherein if the result of the step of determining whether a roadside parking space is occupied by a vehicle by image and license plate recognition is negative, the step of reducing the number of detections and subsequent steps are executed. 18. The method of operating the parking billing system according to claim 16, wherein determining whether an object in a roadside parking space is a vehicle can be achieved by detecting the distance, width, and material of the object to determine whether its characteristics are similar to those of a vehicle.