parking-network

The purpose of the network is to perform parking transactions between parking spaces, people, and their vehicles.

A hyperledger fabric network for Extremely Constrained Device Infrastructure (XCDI) parking transactions. A primary purpose for the approach is to avoid as much device rigging at the parking space level as possible as well as to avoid vehicle mounted transponder units. The intent is to rely on software and data to the maximum extent possible only using GPS locations and Geofencing. GPS locations for the vehicle would come from the GPS navigation system or GPS tracker. Geofencing would be performed on the parking spaces. To bootstrap a parking area, e.g. a city, the intent is to automate the initial construction of all parking spaces via machine learning within a GIS. This would include both outdoor parking and parking garages using BIM data.

The 'parking network' refers to the 'block chain' - a combination of peer computers and chaincode - that performs the business transactional logic between the various participants. In addition to the network, there is assumed to be a mobile/web application that consists of a front-end UI with access to several scalable, containerized, back-end servers that: 1) interact with a GIS system for route finding, 2) Perform geofencing in real-time, 3) interact with the parking network blockchain for business policy/transaction services.

                          |GIS route finder   <--->|              |DB Server

UI <-------> Service Backend |Geofencing monitor <--->| Server Layer |GIS Server |Parking Network <--->| |HLF and Chaincode

Below is another level of detail on the classes of network objects and expected use cases.

Participants:
Person wallet email phone Vehicle ID/VIN License Plate Permits Location Parking Enforcement Parking Authority City Treasurer Assets: Parking Space type: free, paid, permit status: available, occupied fee: default 0 GPS location Geofence description Parking period: default 0 min Permit issuer: city, private location: address Use Cases: 0. CRUD parking space 1. Set parking space fee --default 0 2. Find nearest 'available' free parking --for those looking for free parking only, find the nearest open space. --show alternatives 3. Find nearest 'available' paid or free parking --for those willing to pay for parking, find the cheapest, nearest open space. --show alternatives 4. Find nearest 'available' permit parking --given the permit associated with your vehicle, find the nearest open space. --show alternatives 5. Contract to park (initiated by person) --while vehicle within geofence of any parking space --initiates parking smart contract --moves maximum payment to contract --changes parking space state to 'occupied' --establishes a 'keep alive' location status for the vehicle --moves maximum payment for parking space into contract wallet --timestamps the transaction --starts a time counter 6. Leave parking space --if vehicle location not in parking space geofence --compares contract transaction timestamp to current time, compares elapsed time to time counter --sets parking period to greater of elapsed time and time counter --if paid parking spot, executes payment transaction to parking authority --if funds received --changes parking space status 7. Vehicle exceeds maximum park time (auto-generated) --If car is parked past maximum time --another smart contract is instantiated --the maximum amount already in the current smart contract is transferred to the parking authority --a notification is sent to the person's phone, e.g. email or text --public parking violation is sent to parking enforcement 8. Car violates permit parking schedule (auto-generated) --If car is parked in permitted parking and violates parking schedule --parking violation is sent to parking enforcement

Various other requirements
    --Vehicles have GPS locations available to phone app
    --Smart Contract wallets with $ transfers
    --People wallets for charging parking fees, e.g. stellar, phone wallets
    --Access control
        --CRUD parking space (parking authority)
        --Set parking space fee (parking authority)
        --Find nearest 'available' (public)
        --Contract to park/Leave parking space (public)
        --Browse parking data (parking enforcement)
        --Browse contract details (public -own, city treasurer -all)
        --Modify contract details (city treasurer)
        --Remit funds (city treasurer)