Abstract: A parking system uses a three-dimensional magnetic field sensor as part of a vehicle detector to monitor plural parking spaces. The detector is calibrated to detect the presence or absence of a vehicle in each of the monitored spaces. The status of each space is communicated to a central controller. A pay station communicates with a central controller when a parking interval has been purchased. The controller may warn customers when the interval is about to expire and law enforcement when it has expired.

Abstract: Parking spaces are managed by providing: a parking space monitor with a vehicle detector responsive to the presence of a vehicle in a parking space and a power supply to recharge vehicle batteries, an alarm, a code entry device for entry of an authorization code, and a computer system programmed to receive requests to reserve a selected parking space for a selected time slot; to accept the request if the selected space is available for the selected time slot; to provide an authorization code to the requester if the request is accepted; to respond to a signal from the vehicle detector indicating the presence of a vehicle in the selected space during the selected time slot; and to activate the alarm if a vehicle is detected in the selected parking space during the selected time slot until the authorization code is entered in the code entry device by the requester.