Deliverable 2 IST 110 Section 1 Team America ParkEZ App...

Deliverable 2

IST 110 Section 1

Team America

ParkEZ App

http://parkez.weebly.com

1

Table of Contents Vision Statement ....................................................................................................................................... 4

Vision Statement Revised ........................................................................................................................ 5

Stakeholders .............................................................................................................................................. 6

Restaurant: Chili’s Grill & Bar ............................................................................................................. 6

Restaurant: Allen Street Grill .............................................................................................................. 8

Restaurant: Zeno’s .............................................................................................................................. 10

Student .................................................................................................................................................. 11

Borough of State College .................................................................................................................... 12

Stakeholders Revised ............................................................................................................................. 14

Student .................................................................................................................................................. 14

Borough of State College .................................................................................................................... 15

Penn State Auxiliary Police ............................................................................................................... 17

Interview Notes ....................................................................................................................................... 18

Student: Deborah Lee .......................................................................................................................... 18

Borough of State College: Charles J. DeBow ................................................................................... 20

Penn State Auxiliary Police: Matthew J. Kisenwether .................................................................. 22

Contextual Diagrams and Explanations .............................................................................................. 24

Flow Model: Student ........................................................................................................................... 24

Cultural Model: Student ..................................................................................................................... 25

Sequence Model: Student ................................................................................................................... 26

Physical Model: Student ..................................................................................................................... 27

Artifact Model: Student ...................................................................................................................... 28

Flow Model: Borough of State College ............................................................................................. 29

Cultural Model: Borough of State College ....................................................................................... 30

Sequence Model: Borough of State College .................................................................................... 31

Physical Model: Borough of State College ...................................................................................... 32

Artifact Model: Borough of State College ........................................................................................ 33

Flow Model: Penn State Auxiliary Police ........................................................................................ 34

Cultural Model: Penn State Auxiliary Police .................................................................................. 35

Sequence Model: Penn State Auxiliary Police ............................................................................... 36

Physical Model: Penn State Auxiliary Police .................................................................................. 37

2

Artifact Model: Penn State Auxiliary Police ................................................................................... 38

Explanation of Flow Models .............................................................................................................. 39

Student .............................................................................................................................................. 39

Borough of State College ................................................................................................................ 39

Penn State Auxiliary Police ........................................................................................................... 39

Explanation of Cultural Models ........................................................................................................ 40

Student .............................................................................................................................................. 40



Explanation of Sequence Models ...................................................................................................... 41

Student .............................................................................................................................................. 41



Explanation of Physical Models ........................................................................................................ 42

Student .............................................................................................................................................. 42



Explanation of Artifact Models ......................................................................................................... 43

Student .............................................................................................................................................. 43



Consolidated Contextual Diagrams and Explanations ..................................................................... 44

Consolidated Flow Model .................................................................................................................. 44

Consolidated Cultural Model ............................................................................................................ 45

Consolidated Physical Model ............................................................................................................ 46

Explanation of Consolidated Flow Model ....................................................................................... 47

Explanation of Consolidated Cultural Model ................................................................................. 47

Explanation of Consolidated Physical Model ................................................................................. 48

Mock-Up Selection................................................................................................................................... 50

Table 1 - Comparison of Each Mock-Up ...................................................................................... 50

Mock-Up 1 ................................................................................................................................................. 52

Mock-Up 2 ................................................................................................................................................. 62

3

Mock-Up 3 ................................................................................................................................................. 72

Revised Mock-Up 3 .................................................................................................................................. 81

IT Infrastructure Diagram ..................................................................................................................... 91

IT Infrastructure Explanation .............................................................................................................. 92

4

Vision Statement On a busy weekend in State College, PA, parking is almost always at a premium. A

visitor of the town can find themselves searching for an open parking garage upwards of 20 or

even 30 minutes. To solve this problem we have come up with a new smartphone application

that will make parking in the State College area much easier to find. ParkEZ is a free smartphone

application that can be downloaded on Apple and Android phones and on ParkEZ.com. Potential

users could be anyone from out of town Penn State football fans, to local residence and students.

Faculty and professors may also find this app extremely helpful in their search for parking to

ensure they will get to class on time. ParkEZ is an App that allows the user to quickly find and

reserve a parking spot in the downtown State College area. ParkEZ will work with the GPS on

your phone to locate vacant parking spots in the public parking lots and garages closest to the

user. When the user opens the application they will be able to pull up a list of all of the parking

lots in the State College area and they will be ordered according to distance from the user’s

current location. Once the user chooses a parking garage they want to attempt to park in, they

can select the lot or garage on the screen and continue to the next page of the application. This

page will provide the user will the number of spots left in the selected lot or garage and also

provide the user other options such as Reserve Your Spot and Get Directions. Not only will this

app provide users with an easier way to find parking but it will also have some environmental

wellness advantages. Usually when a person is trying to find parking in downtown State College,

they have to drive around from lot to lot trying to find an open parking spot. With this new app,

the time it will take to find a parking spot will substantially decrease which would lower the

emissions by driver in State College who are trying to find parking. Not only will this time saver

cut down the amount of car emissions but it will also save the user money on gas due to the

decreased amount of time in the car looking for parking. Because of this new, easy way to find

parking in the State College, the visitors of State College will have a stress free, more enjoyable

time during their visit. Find parking in State College is always a huge hassle, and if you have a

certain time to be somewhere, the stress of find a quick spot and not be late can be too much to

handle. This app will create an efficient, easy, and stress free way to find parking and will help

the State College community immensely.

5

Vision Statement Revised On a busy weekend in State College, PA, parking is almost always at a premium. A

visitor of the town can find themselves searching for an open parking garage in the upwards of

20 or even 30 minutes. To solve this problem we have come up with a new smartphone

application that will make parking in the State College area much easier to find. ParkEZ is a free

smartphone application that can be downloaded on Apple and Android phones and on our

website at ParkEZ.com. Potential users could be anyone from out of town Penn State football

fans, to local residence and even students. Faculty and professors may also find this app

extremely helpful in their search for parking to ensure they will get to class on time.

ParkEZ is an App that allows the user to quickly find and reserve a parking spot in the

downtown State College area. ParkEZ will work with the GPS in your phone to locate vacant

parking spots in the public parking lots and garages closest to the user. When the user opens the

application they will be able to pull up a list of all of the parking lots in the local State College

area and they will be ordered according to distance from the user’s current location. Once the

user choses a parking garage they want, they can select the lot or garage on the screen and

continue to the next page of the application. This page will provide the user will the number of

spots left in the selected lot or garage and also provide the user other options such as Reserve

Your Spot or Get Directions.

Not only will this app provide users with an easier way to find parking but it will also

have some environmental advantages. Usually when a person is trying to find parking in

downtown State College, they have to drive around from lot to lot trying to find an open parking

spot. With this new app, the time it will take to find a parking spot will substantially decrease

which would lower the vehicle emissions in State College. Not only will this time saver cut

down on the amount of car emissions but it will also save the user money on gas due to the

decreased amount of time looking for a parking spot.

Because of this new, easy way to find parking in the State College, the visitors of State

College will have a stress free, more enjoyable time during their visit. Finding parking in State

College is always a huge hassle, and if you have a certain time to be somewhere, the stress level

of finding a quick spot can escalate. This app will create an efficient, easy, and stress free way to

find parking and will help the State College community immensely.

6

Stakeholders

Restaurant: Chili’s Grill & Bar Chili’s Grill & Bar is family dining restaurant that is located throughout the United States

and Canada. Chili’s is owned and operated by Brinker International Incorporated. Chili’s Grill

& Bar serves a variety of American food that is influenced by the Tex-Mex cuisine. Most of the

menu consists of steaks, burgers, ribs, tacos, and fajitas. In the local State College area a Chili’s

is located on 139 South Allen Street near limited parking areas.

Chili’s is a franchised restaurant that is locally owned and operated. To be more a part

of the community, Chili’s Grill & Bar can offer discounted parking in the local state parking lots.

They can use this as a local advertising campaign to show how they appreciate and want to give

back to their local community. ParkEZ would offer their customers a stress free way of dealing

with downtown parking and limit their time of searching for a parking spot.

As a large chain restaurant located in downtown state college, parking becomes an issue.

Most patrons who come to Chili’s for lunch or dinner menu often have a hard time finding

parking or usually walk from another location. Since Chili’s does not offer parking at their

downtown location, ParkEZ would be a great opportunity for Chili’s to offer discounted parking

for patrons. ParkEZ would offer a discount on parking for customers who dined at Chili’s. One

discount could be a dollar off of parking for every 20 dollars spent at Chili’s Grill & Bar.

Since Chili’s has limited parking for their customers, this would be a great way to expand their

cliental to other neighboring towns. They could offer preferred parking for regular patrons

whom do not reside in the local area. This could ultimately benefit the restaurant involved by

increasing their revenue which is caused by the increase in business from neighboring patrons.

Not only could Chili’s Grill & Bar offer discounted parking with ParkEZ but they could

advertise for their local business. This advertising would be targeted for the State College

consumer who is in the nearby area. If this consumer is new to the area, this could be a great

way to find out about Chili’s and its location. ParkEZ would offer advertising and parking

discount to certain restaurants and business to encourage patrons to use their services.

I was unable to locate a picture or name for a Chili’s representative at the State College

location. We would need to contact not only Brinker International Incorporated (who is in

charge of the operation of Chili’s Grill & Bar) but also the local restaurant owner. This could

7

propose a problem if the local owner and the representative for Chili’s didn’t agree on the

business strategy.

Sources:

• http://www.chilis.com/EN/Pages/home.aspx

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chili's

8

Restaurant: Allen Street Grill For our new innovation, ParkEZ, we have defined many restaurants in the downtown area

of the Penn State campus that would benefit from and love the chance to partner with our design

group. One stake holder in particular, The Allen Street Grill, would take special interest in this

product application. The Allen Street Grill is located in the heart of downtown State College,

Pennsylvania. This establishment offers traditional and contemporary American cuisine, late

night specials and banquet facilities for weddings and events. These events can range from Penn

State alumni making an appearance for a Penn State football game to your best friend’s birthday

party. The location of the restaurant is located at the address 100 West College Avenue State

College, PA 16801 so their customers are always within distance of an incredible view of the

gates to Penn State and its famous Mall.it comes equipped with a porch to dine in downtown

State College.

Our product is trying to align itself with business who could afford our product and

would take special interest in the discount rates that we have to offer, such as if a person were to

park at the Allen Street grill they would get a dollar off for parking for every twenty dollars they

spend inside the restaurant, so if you do the math if the average person were to spend two hours

inside the Allen Street Grill they would most likely not have to pay for parking ( Especially since

on average, a meal at the Allen Street Grill is 11-12 dollars not including drinks or an appetizer) .

The Allen Street Grill’s value of, “personal service with every occasion from a small group of 2-

4 for lunch to a 30 person business meeting or rehearsal dinner”, combined with the great

expertise of their staff who strive to anticipate your needs and ensure a memorable moment in

time, along with their practices of “Your late nights will sizzle with our separate late-night menu

"tantalizers" and happy hour specials. A piano bar which far exceeds expectations and will set

you in the mood for anything from playing board games, to sharing a silent moment in the

moonlight”, appeals highly to this type of design product because, the restaurant itself appeals to

a higher degree of customer who would find it especially valuable to find a parking spot as

quickly as possible so they can enjoy a lovely evening meal with familiar or new faces that they

might have encountered.

The current general manager of this establishment, Rebecca Burger, would find this

application highly useful because as Marketing and Accounting graduate from Penn State

9

University, she will be very interested in new innovated techniques to persuade new and or

regular customers to come and buy more merchandise from her restaurant.

Contact information:

Rebecca Burger, General Manager

814.231. GRIL, FAX: 814.237.4129

[email protected]

Cited Sources:

• http://www.allenstreetgrill.com/banquets/index.html

• http://www.linkedin.com/pub/dir/Rebecca/Burger

10

Restaurant: Zeno’s As defined in other documents, our new parking application called ParkEZ would

revolutionize the practices and businesses that are located in the Penn State downtown campus

area. One business in particular called Zeno’s would benefit greatly from aligning with our

company. Zeno’s is a pub, and although it geared towards citizen’s that are twenty one years old

or older, it still manages to draw a hefty crowd every night, especially as it gets closer to the

weekend. The mix of students, locals and visitors make for an engaging that enter this

establishment makes for a lively atmosphere for every category of social groups to partake in the

festivities. The pub offers an incredible beer selection, happy hours, beer festivals, top notch

liquor and brilliant choices of food that will have their customers always coming back for more.

The bar also contains an attached game room with a pool table, two dart boards, and a foosball

table.

The restaurant is located 100 W College Ave, State College, PA 1680, which is located in

the center of downtown campus, (this area is accustomed to being bombarded with students,

university faculty and visitors during the week). The fact that this is one of the main bars in the

downtown who doesn’t allow smoking attracts a wider range of a customer base who would not

attend the bar otherwise. Although Zeno’s does not have any formal or written values or

practices, it is obvious to say that this company strives to make sure that its customers are

satisfied by the staff, their live musical entertainment and of course by their libations.

Zeno’s would offer a discount on parking through our app ParkEZ. They could offer a

one dollar discount for every 20 dollars spent at their restaurant. This would encourage the local

community to go to Zeno’s and spend money to validate their parking. Zeno’s would benefit

from this service by increasing their cliental to neighboring towns. Since Zeno’s has limited

parking at their location, this would invite out of town patrons an easy stress free way to park

their vehicle.

Not only can Zeno’s offer a discount on parking but they could also advertise locally to

customers. Clients that our not familiar with State College would be using our service to locate

parking which would be a prime time opportunity to advertise to a targeted customer. They

would be able to see the location of your restaurant, that you would validate their parking and

even a link to your local website for ordering and menu services. This would be a great way to

attract new customers to your business that is in your target area. GM: Dave Staab.

11

Student In State College PA, the most abundant stakeholders are going to be the students. There

are about 35,000 undergraduate students at the University Park campus in addition to their

graduate students and on a daily basis these students are in need for parking spaces around

campus. Although there are a variety CATA bus loops, many students prefer driving their own

cars for convenience. Be it driving to class during the weekdays, driving to a restaurant

downtown, or to a football game at Beaver Stadium, these students need an efficient and

accessible means of finding a parking spot. Right now the students must drive around different

lots in hopes of finding a parking space near their destination. There is no guarantee that they

will find a spot, and if they do it most likely won’t be in a timely manner. During this time they

are burning gas which is in turn costing them money and increasing CO2 emissions. More often

than not, students just miss an open spot and are forced to park far from where they want to be,

and they will be late to classes, meetings, and events. With the ParkEZ app, instant updates are

received for where the closest open parking space is. From there they can reserve it and have a

guaranteed place to park their car. Students value time, money, and convenience. By finding a

parking spot through the ParkEZ app, they save time from aimlessly driving around campus

looking for a parking spaces, they save money on the gas they do not use up, and it is extremely

convenient to be guaranteed a parking space before they even leave their apartment. Reactions to

the ParkEZ app could only be positive. No one wants to waste their time or money in a car,

stressed out while looking for a place to park their car. By simply downloading an app to their

smartphone, they can instantly see where the open spots are and reserve the spot before they

even get into their car. That way there is a guarantee for a parking spot without any hassle. Stress

is a major concern for students, and the ParkEZ will easily alleviate the unnecessary worry of

having to search for a parking spot in order to do things on campus.

12

Borough of State College The Borough of State College is another stakeholder for our parking application. The

State College parking authorities manage the logistics involved with more than 1600 parking

spaces in the borough. The following summary is available on the parking department’s website:

“The Borough of State College maintains over 1600 parking spaces in the downtown to serve a

wide variety of parking needs. We provide a valuable service to the shoppers, diners, visitors,

and employees of downtown businesses and the Penn State campus.”

The Borough parking department has two simple goals that benefit the local government,

as well as those that use their service. First, they strive to ensure ample parking for both locals

and visitors. Second, they aim to reduce unnecessary congestion and its associated problems,

such as traffic jams, accidents, and calls for emergency response services. The Borough also has

a vested interest in cutting costs while increasing revenue, both of which would be aided by the

implementation of a public parking program utilizing the instant coordination provided by the

Parking App.

The use of this parking app would enable the Borough to streamline every aspect of

parking logistics. It would reduce the need for constant parking enforcement, meter

maintenance, and revenue collection from parking meters. The parking app would also generate

extra revenue by reducing the average time that spots remain empty. Use of the app would also

enable the Borough to transition to a paperless ticketing/payment system, further reducing

overall operational costs.

The data collected by the parking app would be an invaluable resource for a big-picture

view and analysis of the local transportation situation. The rates of use, locations of heavy use,

and complete records for individual spots, would provide unprecedented situational awareness

and enable the Borough to anticipate periods of heavy use and arrange for additional

parking/transportation as necessary. The long-term data trends would also aid in planning for

expanded parking locations, as well as increasing the availability of public transportation based

on the situation.

The ability to anticipate short/long-term parking needs and identify general trends,

combined with the immediate financial benefits, would enable the Borough parking department

to achieve its goals more completely and consistently. Given the Borough’s goals, it is likely

13

that they would enthusiastically pursue the implementation of the parking app and its associated

changes.

14

Stakeholders Revised

Student In State College PA, the most abundant stakeholders are going to be the students. There

are about 35,000 undergraduate students at the University Park campus in addition to their

graduate students. Students are in need of parking spaces around campus for both short and

long-term activities. Although there are a variety CATA bus loops, many students prefer driving

their own cars for convenience. Be it driving to class during the weekdays, driving to a restaurant

downtown, or attending football game at Beaver Stadium, students need an efficient and

accessible means of finding a parking spot.

Right now the students must drive around different lots in hopes of finding a parking

space near their destination. There is no guarantee that they will find a spot, and if they do, it

may require searching several locations. During this time, they are using fuel, which in turn costs

them money and increases carbon dioxide emissions. More often than not, students just miss an

open spot and are forced to park far from where they want to be, which can cause them to be late

to classes, meetings, and events.

With the ParkEZ app, instant updates are received which provide information about the

nearest available parking spaces. From there, they can reserve spots and have a guaranteed place

to park their car. Students can save value time, and money, while avoiding frustration by using

our application. By finding a parking spot through the ParkEZ app, they save time that would

have been wasted driving aimlessly around campus searching for parking spaces. They save

money on the gas that would have been used, and it is extremely convenient to be guaranteed a

parking space before they even leave their apartment.

Reactions to the ParkEZ app could only be positive. No one wants to waste their time or

money stressing out while looking for a place to park their car. By simply downloading an app to

their smartphone, they can instantly see where the open spots are, and reserve the spot before

they even get into their car. That way there is a guarantee for a parking spot without any hassle.

Stress is a major concern for students, and the ParkEZ will easily alleviate the unnecessary worry

of having to search for a parking spot in order to do things on campus or around the State

College area.

15

Borough of State College Another stakeholder in our parking application is the Borough of State College. The

State College Parking Authority manages the logistics involved in maintaining more than 1600

parking spaces in the borough. The following summary is available on the parking department’s

website: “The Borough of State College maintains over 1600 parking spaces in the downtown to

serve a wide variety of parking needs. We provide a valuable to service to shoppers, diners,

visitors and employees of downtown businesses and the Penn State campus.”

The Borough parking department has two simple goals that benefit the local government,

as well as those that use their service. First, they strive to ensure ample parking for both locals

and visitors. Second, they aim to reduce unnecessary congestion and its associated problems,

such as traffic jams, accidents, and calls for emergency response services. The Borough also has

a vested interest in cutting costs while increasing revenue, both of which would be aided by the

implementation of a public parking program utilizing the instant coordination provided by the

Parking App.

The use of this parking app would enable the Borough to streamline every aspect of

parking logistics. It would reduce the need for constant parking enforcement, meter

maintenance, and revenue collection from parking meters. The parking app would also generate

extra revenue by reducing the average time that spots remain empty. Use of the app would also

enable the Borough to transition to a paperless ticketing/payment system, further reducing

overall operational costs.

The data collected by the parking app would be an invaluable resource for a big-picture

view and analysis of the local transportation situation. The rates of use, locations of heavy use,

and complete records for individual spots, would provide unprecedented situational awareness

and enable the Borough to anticipate periods of heavy use and arrange for additional

parking/transportation as necessary. The long-term data trends would also aid in planning for

expanded parking locations, as well as increasing the availability of public transportation based

on the situation.

The ability to anticipate short/long-term parking needs and identify general trends,

combined with the immediate financial benefits, would enable the Borough parking department

to achieve its goals more completely and consistently. Given the Borough’s goals, it is likely

16

that they would enthusiastically pursue the implementation of the parking app and its associated

changes.

17

Penn State Auxiliary Police A stakeholder in the ParkEZ app is the University Auxiliary Police. The Auxiliary Police

are responsible for a number of things on campus, but their most visible function is coordinating

traffic flow and parking for large events. The Auxiliary Police website

(http://www.police.psu.edu/auxpolice/) lists their responsibilities as follows:

• Traffic and crowd control at special events

• Property security

• Security patrols for summer conferences

• Parking enforcement

• Downtown foot patrol in conjunction with the State College Borough Police (restrictions

apply)

• Assisting University Police officers with various safety and security

tasks

For large events, they create plans for how traffic flow will be organized, as well as reserve

and designate appropriate parking locations based on the type of event being held. The

reasoning behind our selection of the Auxiliary Police as a stakeholder is simple. Both as an

organization and as individuals, they have a clear vested interest in parking arrangements being

made as smoothly as possible.

If the Auxiliary Police used our application, they could take advantage of its functionality for

a number of purposes. First, it could inform those attending the event where they will be

parking, such as a certain field, or the Bryce Jordan Center’s parking lot. The employment of

our app could also reduce unnecessary traffic congestion in town by providing users with a map

of roads that are limited access. It could tell them what roads are only open to those with certain

parking passes, what roads are one-way, and what roads are completely closed. This would

reduce the number of people driving around searching for their parking location.

It could also tell users that an event was occurring on campus. If the user had a different

destination and wanted to avoid heavy traffic, the app would provide them with the necessary

knowledge to avoid certain areas completely. This would help users to get to their intended

location, and avoid unnecessary delays.

If the Auxiliary Police adopted ParkEZ, the result would be a reduction in traffic congestion,

increased situational awareness for users, and a workload reduction for their officers.

18

Interview Notes

Student: Deborah Lee

Date of interview: 10/20/2012

Place of interview: Cedarbrook Apartments

Length of interview: Approximately twenty minutes

Q: Alright first off Deborah how long have you been driving in State College?

A: I have been driving in State College for a year and a half now. I am only a sophomore.

Q: Now in your time driving at State College, do you find it difficult to find parking during the

week and during student events?

A: In answering your second question first, I do believe that it is difficult finding parking during

student based events but that is to be expected when you have the family and friends of a

hundred- thousand people come to visit, especially for the football games. Yes, it is difficult for

me to find parking during the week. Since I am only a sophomore, I still don’t know where all

the parking garages and parking near my apartment are located, but thank god I have a student

parking pass. I am one of the lucky few.

Q: Do you find cost to be an issue with finding parking locations around state college; that

sometimes it gets very expensive? Do you also believe more people would use a certain parking

lot more if that lot were discounted from the regular rates?

A: Yes totally! I myself have paid two hundred and fifty six dollars for my parking pass, and that

is only for one semester. My friends sometimes call me to see if I can help them find a parking

spot because they don’t have a student pass. Thank goodness I don’t have to go through the

hassle also of trying to find a parking meter downtown to park next to because I live downtown.

I definitely believe that more people would use a certain parking lot more if that lot were

discounted from the regular rates.

Q: Are you displeased and dissatisfied about how the parking structure of State College is set up?

19

A: Very. As stated before, the parking rates are too high, and the Borough itself is

inconveniencing the student population by not having enough parking spots available in the

different lots around State College.

Q: Do you believe our product would be beneficial to the public of State College.

A: I do, because it would save time and hardship that the student population of this college

would otherwise waste by trying to find somewhere to park.

20

Borough of State College: Charles J. DeBow


Place of interview: State College Municipal Building

Length of interview: Approximately fifteen minutes

Q: Name and association?

A: Charles J. DeBow, Parking Manager for the Borough of State College

Q: What are your different parking facilities?

A: All the street-side parking in State College and three public parking garages on South Fraser

Street, South Pugh Street, and West Beaver Avenue.

Q: How do you currently handle parking?

A: For street-side parking, there are parking meters on the streets which people pay with. A

Parking Enforcement Officer checks for violations with a jeep which scans vehicle with a license

plate recognition camera. They will use a handheld ticket device to administer tickets in the

system. In the parking garages there is a pull ticket system which logs the amount of time you

are parked in the garage. It is paid via charge stations in the garage. For parades/street-side

events, Borough parking manager contacts the borough council to get approval. Then they

contact the police to coordinate road closings and the PEO’s bag the parking meters to stop

people from parking.

Q: Are there any issues associated with your parking system?

A: The parking tickets use a magnetic strip and can get erased if it is held too close to an

electrical device such as a cell phone. As for the parking meters, they work well and are not

having any problems.

Q: What type of devices do you use in your parking system?

A: The PEO’s use a jeep with a license plate recognition camera to track cars in relation to how

long they are kept parked in one spot. The data is transmitted to a central database where it is

21

cross referenced with other information. They also have a handheld ticketing device which the

officers use when they have to administer a ticket to a car violating their time limit.

In the parking garages, there are the initial pull ticket machines, and the ticket payment

machines. In the garages there is generally no human staff on duty.

Q: Additional comments?

A: They are making a parking app so that people would be able to pay from their smartphone

device instead of using coins if they choose. The app is still under development and would only

apply for the parking meters, not in the garages.

22

Penn State Auxiliary Police: Matthew J. Kisenwether


Place of interview: Private Residence

Length of interview: Approximately thirty minutes

Q: What is your involvement in the Auxiliary Police?

A: I am a Corporal in the Auxiliary Police. I supervise a group of newer officers, and I am

responsible for ensuring that parking and traffic flow go smoothly in my assigned area. I am also

responsible for handling any emergencies or unusual situations that occur in that area.

Q: How do the Auxiliary Police handle event parking?

A: They coordinate all of the parking for large events requiring a significant amount of parking

space. Individual auxiliary policemen are assigned to various parking locations to direct traffic

flow, show people where to park, and handle any other situations that may arise.

Q: How is traffic flow handled?

A: There are different passes that people have, denoting their ultimate parking location. There

are several different colors of passes, and the color is visible to the traffic controllers, enabling

them to direct traffic efficiently. The color of the pass determines where the pass-holder can

drive, and what parking locations they can access. There are certain roads that are only open to

certain passes, and most of the roads are one-way for large events.

Q: What are some unique challenges you encounter in parking coordination?

A: The cellular network collapses. The network is strained and as a result, inbound and

outbound calls are unreliable at best. This means that the Auxiliary Police need to use radios for

reliable communication. There is also an inevitable personnel shortage during large events.

Emergency response crews are also impeded by the overcrowding. Ambulances and Fire Crews

take longer to get to their patients, and hospital access is also severely limited by the traffic

congestion.

23

Q: Are there any special considerations accommodations that need to be made?

A: There is a tram service for handicapped spectators, but that stops running when the game

begins. Service is not resumed until the game is finished. VIPs also typically require special

considerations, and traffic patterns/parking arrangements are planned ahead of time and

implemented accordingly.

Q: Are there any cultural aspects of the Auxiliary Police organization that impede your work?

A: Nothing that is particularly unique to the Auxiliary Police. The cultural aspects are just the

same variety of drama found in any workplace.

24

Contextual Diagrams and Explanations

Flow Model: Student

Parking Meter -People insert money to pay for parking

Friends -ask student to help find parking

Parking Attendant

-tells drivers where to park - gives tickets to illegally parked cars

Family -Communicates with their student about parking arrangements

Student talks to parking attendant for parking options

Student puts money into meter to pay for parking

Student helps friend find parking

Student helps family find parking

Family asks parking attendant for parking directions

Friends asks parking attendant for parking directions

Friend pays meter for parking

Family pays meter for parking

Student -Individual who attends the university

-Drives in state college

-Pays for parking in state college

25

Cultural Model: Student

Parking Attendant Must help and assist student's in finding satisfactory parking

success. - Must be willing and able to

sacrifice time in case the student does not understand

parking procedure.

Student Culture Have a structured parking

system that allows for convient and open parking at

reasonable parking rates. - Must be able to achieve this goal without hindering family

finances. Also, must not pester the parking attendant if he does not measure up to your definition of job success.

Friends and Family Visit and support student in every aspect that the student

strives to achieve in exchange for student's attention and help

with University parking - Although the student is willing

to help in these endeavors, cannot overabuse student's

kindness.

26

Sequence Model: Student

Intent: Find parking in State College

Trigger: Parents are allowing the student to bring his/her car up for the semester

Leaves home for State College

Arrives in the State College area

Calls friend to see if he or she has found somewhere with open parking spots

Searches multiple parking lots downtown to find open spots only to find they are all full

Drives onto campus to look for parking there

Finds a parking attendant and asks if there are any lots on campus with open parking spots

Attendant points student in the direction of vacant parking spots

Student finds an empty spot and parks his/her car there to enjoy the rest of their day

27

Physical Model: Student

Drive to Stadium Arrive on Campus

Drive to Lot

Drive to Spot

Find Seats Find Seats

Walk to Ticket Booth

Negotiate Traffic

Home/Apartment

Receive Instructions from Aux. Police about where to drive based on parking pass

Receive parking instructions from Aux Police

Parking lot

Ticket Booth

Stadium / Event Location

28

Artifact Model: Student

Transportation

Car

Bus

Cab

Without Parking Pass

Garage tickets

Parking tickets

Bus pass

With Parking Pass

Parking pass

29

Flow Model: Borough of State College

Gives permissions

for street closings Gives parking

violation tickets

Communicates through parking

meters and parking garage machines

Asks for certain roads to be closed for street events

Asks permissions for having events

in town

Communicates violations to the Borough Parking

office

Parking Manager -coordinates events -handles issue with public

parking

Public Enforcement Officer

-polices public parking venues -administers parking tickets -prepares meters for events -scans cars

Police Department -blocks off roads for events

Borough Council -approves events in State

College

People Using Public Parking

-pays for parking

30

Cultural Model: Borough of State College

Public Enforcement Officer Must prepeare meters for

events and admister parking tickets to drivers.

-A car is not leaving, so the PO is obligated to call a tow truck company to remove the

car from the venue zone.

Parking Manager Must coordinate campus

events and handle issues with public parking.

- If the Parking manager has a suggestion about a certain

event, he must go through the Burough council to get it

approved.

Burough Council Has the responsiblity of

approving events in State college.

- Must act on behalf and in the best interests of the universty instead of the interests of the

council.

31

Sequence Model: Borough of State College

Intent: Find parking in State College

Trigger: A person who needs public parking goes downtown

Sees parking on the side of the road

Parks next to a parking meter

Pays for an hour with the meter

Stays parked for more than an hour

Parking Enforcement Officer gives a ticket on the car

The person comes back and re-parks the car in a parking garage

The person leaves to continue their day

The person comes back and pays for their garage ticket

The person goes home

32

K

Physical Model: Borough of State College

Street Parking

Driver needs a street-side parking spot

K

Street Parking

Parking Garage Driver needs to park in the garage for a long period of time

Driver goes home

Borough

Borough controls and inspects both

33

Artifact Model: Borough of State College

Street-side parking

Parking meters

Parking Garage

Pull ticket machine

Ticket payment machine

Parking Enforcement

Handheld ticketing device

License plate recognizing camera

Borough Parking Department

Car database

34

Flow Model: Penn State Auxiliary Police

Auxiliary Police -direct traffic during big events

-give drivers directions to their lots

-show people who need special accommodations where to go

Special Accommodations -people such as handicapped and VIP’s who need to find special parking

Emergency Crews

-present during large events for emergencies

Drivers -trying to park before an event -may not be knowledgeable of the area

Aux Police clear traffic to allow the emergency crew to move as fast as possible

Aux police point drivers to where they need to go for special parking that will fulfill their needs

Aux Police show drivers where their color’s lot is on their parking pass so they can get to their lot more efficiently and keep traffic moving smoothly

35

Cultural Model: Penn State Auxiliary Police

Drivers To find cheap and open

parking that meets satisfactory standards.

- cannot complain about the waiting time for traffic to

move due to auxillary police interference.

Aux. Poilice

To ensure that parking and traffic flow go smoothly in an

assigned area. - Must cooperate with the

emergency crew to help with the constriction of traffic.

Must also be willing to deal with unhappy and distraught

drivers.

Emergency Crew To help and assist in a serious,

unexpected, and dangerous situation.

- Cannot block the flow of traffic, but can cooperate with the auxillary police to find a

new route for drivers.

36

Sequence Model: Penn State Auxiliary Police

Intent: Direct traffic and give parking directions

Trigger: Large event on campus with many out of town visitors

Arrives on campus early in the morning for an assignments

Goes to assignment to set up traffic signs

Directs traffic throughout the day and gives directions to parking lots

37

Physical Model: Penn State Auxiliary Police

Parking Lot Orange

Parking Lot

Blue

Parking Lot

Red

Parking Lot

Green

Auxiliary

Police

Driver going to Parking Lot Orange

One Way Street

Street only for Parking Lot

Orange

38

Artifact Model: Penn State Auxiliary Police

Traffic Control

One way streets

Streets designated for certain pass holders

Whistle

Uniform

Emergencies

Radio

Cell phone

39

Explanation of Flow Models

Student Flow models are extremely useful when trying to show who a certain stakeholder works

and communicates with on a daily basis. By creating a flow model for our stakeholders, we are

able to see how our app would affect the people that the stake holder is working with. For our

student stake holder, we can see that the student interacts with both their family and their friends

when trying to find parking. If the student doesn’t have our app, it is much harder to give their

family and friends a definitive answer on where they can park. If the student had our app, they

could easily tell their friends and family where the closets open spot is and also reserve them a

spot so that it stays open until they arrive.

Borough of State College The flow model for the Borough shows the interactions that the parking manager

(working on behalf of the Borough Council) has with various people and organizations in the

execution of his responsibilities. He must interact with his Parking Enforcement Officers, the

State College and Penn State Police Departments, the Borough Council, and naturally the people

who use the services that his department provides.

Penn State Auxiliary Police The flow model for the Auxiliary Police shows how officers interact with the people

attending events. They need to direct traffic flow in order to reduce traffic congestion, and help

people make it to their events on time. It also describes their responsibilities to make

accommodations for handicapped spectators, and VIPs, each of which requires a different

approach. The flow model also shows the constant link between Auxiliary Police and

Emergency Response crews in order to maintain a safe, orderly environment.

40

Explanation of Cultural Models

Student The cultural model for the student show the relationship between the student, their

relatives and associates, and parking attendants (whether they are Parking Enforcement Officers

or Auxiliary Police Officers). The model places its focus on the economic aspects of these

relationships.

Borough of State College The cultural model describes the relationship between personnel who fall under the

Borough’s authority. The Borough has a responsibility to public safety, and as a result the

parking system is implemented, and enforcement is necessary. The parking manager needs to

coordinate between many people, and acts as a liaison between the Borough and Parking

Enforcement Officers. The model also shows that the parking manager must go to the Borough

Council to address some issues. The Parking Enforcement Officers act of behalf of the Parking

Manager, and ensure that the Parking facilities are not abused.

Penn State Auxiliary Police The Auxiliary Police cultural model describes the relationship between the Auxiliary

Police, the people attending various events, and emergency response services such as Emergency

Medical Technicians, firemen, and State College police. There is a working relationship

between each with the aim of public safety.

41

Explanation of Sequence Models

Student The Sequence Model for the student shows a general chronology of what might occur

when the student has a need to park in town or near a large event. For students attending events

or parking in town, they need to find a spot to leave their vehicle until they return. This

sometimes necessitates an interaction with some type of parking personnel, whether they are

Auxiliary Police, or State College Parking Enforcement Officers.

Borough of State College The Sequence Model for the Borough shows the chain of events that occur in the parking

process. The population density requires special parking arrangements, which caused the

Borough to create permanent parking accommodations. The model also shows the enforcement

aspect of the parking system, using the example of an individual who has let their meter expire

before leaving the parking space.

Penn State Auxiliary Police The Sequence Model shows the chronological order of events that occur when they are

required to conduct traffic management. The goal is to maintain a safe and orderly environment,

and large events create the need to manage traffic to maintain public safety. They plan the routes

and create personnel assignments based on the type of event, ensure that personnel arrive at their

assigned locations, set up any necessary changes to road access (one way, pass access etc.), and

finally direct traffic and handle any situations that arise throughout the day.

42

Explanation of Physical Models

Student The Physical Model for the student shows the locations, objects, and obstacles that a

student encounters on their trip to a football game or other large event. They must commute

from their residence, negotiate traffic, and interact with one or more people managing traffic and

parking. They also must park, gain entry to the event, and find their seat (hopefully before the

event begins).

Borough of State College The Physical Model for the Borough shows a possible route of a driver using the

Borough’s parking services. They commute from their residence to a destination in town. Given

the population density, the commuter has to deal with the challenge of finding a parking spot

within a reasonable distance of their destination. They will either use metered parking spot, or

get a ticket from the booth at the parking garage, which they pay at the time of their departure.

Penn State Auxiliary Police The Physical Model describes the general idea of their traffic management responsibility.

In order to maintain an orderly environment, and keep traffic congestion to a minimum, the

Officers have to set up special routes for incoming and outgoing traffic, and also for certain pass

holders. They do this by planning the routes ahead of time according to the event they are

manning. They then must direct traffic to the proper locations according to the type of pass that

each vehicle holds.

43

Explanation of Artifact Models

Student The student’s job is to get to campus regardless of the transportation method. That is why

the artifacts the student would use in order to get to campus would be any means of

transportation including: their car, the bus, or a cab. In the case that a student would have a

parking pass for on campus parking, she would have the additional artifact of a parking pass and

that is all. However, if the student did not have a parking pass, possible artifacts created in

parking on campus would be garage tickets which she must pay, parking tickets in case she

violates parking laws, or a bus pass if she must use the bus.

Borough of State College The Artifact Model for the State College Borough describes the equipment and facilities

used in order to provide parking accommodations for State College residents. Parking meters

and parking garages provide the physical locations to park. In order to prevent abuse of the

system, parking enforcement is necessary. To meet these needs, they employ handheld ticketing

devices. They also utilize a vehicle-mounted camera with license-plate recognition technology,

and the information is cross-references with a database containing vehicle information, including

the identification of vehicles that have outstanding tickets requiring payment.

Penn State Auxiliary Police The Auxiliary Police are limited in what artifacts appear in their job because of the

mobility required in their work. In order to conduct their main job of directing parking lot traffic,

they make traffic control artifacts such as one way streets and pass holder specific streets in order

to make the flow of cars move in an efficient manner as they see fit. Other traffic control artifacts

include their uniform and whistle which allow them to be noticed as the parking traffic

authorities. The Auxiliary police also have Emergency artifacts which are a radio and a cell

phone. The cell phone is to call in if there is something that occurs that cannot be immediately

handled by them, and the radio is in the case that the cell phone lines go down during games and

they still need to get in contact with someone else.

44

Consolidated Contextual Diagrams and Explanations

Consolidated Flow Model

Student -Individual who attends the university

-Drives in state college

-Pays for parking in state college

Parking Meter -People insert money to pay for parking

Friends -ask student to help find parking

Parking Attendant

-tells drivers where to park - gives tickets to illegally parked cars

Family -Communicates with their student about parking arrangements

Auxiliary Policemen -direct traffic during big events

-give drivers directions to their lots

-show people who need special accommodations where to go Special

Accommodations -people such as handicapped and VIP’s who need to find special parking

Emergency Crews

-present during large events for emergencies

Drivers -trying to park before an event -may not be knowledgeable of the area

Parking Manager -coordinates events -handles issue with public

parking

Public Enforcement Officer

-polices public parking venues -administers parking tickets -prepares meters for events -scans cars

Police Department -blocks off roads for events

Borough Council -approves events in State

College

People Using Public Parking

-pays for parking

45

Consolidated Cultural Model

Burough Council: Schedules student events. Restriction: Must act in the best

interest of the student populaiton

Parking Manager: Coordinates campus events and assits with parking situations. Restriction: Must go through the council

to get ideas approved.

Public Enforcement Officer: Checks meters for campus events and distributes

parking tickets. Resriction: Must call towing company if a car does not leave

the venue.

Student/Driver: Must obtain cheap and convient parking. Restriction: Has no authority and must also have a calm

attitude when dealing with higher the heirarchy scale.

Auxillary Police: Ensures that traffic flows smoothly in a assigned area. Restriction: Must cooperate with

emergency crew.

Emergency Crew: Helps assist Auxillary police in dire situations. Restriciton: Must cooperate with Auxillary police.

46

Consolidated Physical Model

Street Parking

Driver needs a street-side parking spot

Parking Garage

Driver needs to park in the garage for a long period of time

Borough controls and inspects both

Borough

Driver wants to go to the Penn State football game

Parking Lot Red

Auxiliary Police

One Way Street

Street only for Parking Lot

Orange

Auxiliary Police

Parking Lot Orange

Parking Lot Blue

Receive parking instructions from Auxiliary Police

Walk to Ticket Booth

Ticket Booth Stadium

Find Seats

47

Explanation of Consolidated Flow Model The consolidated flow model is a great way to take a look at how all of the different

stakeholders are connected to one another. All of the different aspects of each flow model are put

into one large flow model with lines connecting them to each other based on how they all relate.

Notice how the auxiliary police officer affects the student, the student’s family and the student’s

friends directly. This is because when they are all trying to get to their parking spot for a large

event and when they need help find their spot they will be able to talk to the auxiliary police to

get directions. Also notice how the parking manager for the borough indirectly affects these

groups as well because the parking manger is the one giving orders to the auxiliary police about

where to send people for parking. Also notice how the emergency crews affect a lot of people

from the students flow model. The emergency crews get help from the auxiliary police to move

as quickly as possible to get to the students, families, drivers, and other fans who need help with

an emergency. The consolidated flow model, as you can see, is a great way to take a look at all

aspects of the stakeholders and how the connect to each other.

Explanation of Consolidated Cultural Model The consolidated cultural model not only to shows the different values and restrictions

placed on each position concerning a scenario, but it also gives the viewer a chance to see how

the different positions are seen from a hierarchical viewpoint. You can see how even the highest

position with the most authority in this diagram, the Borough Council, are limited in their

decision making process by the other group’s values and therefore can never just act on their

own behalf for decisions that only help their own well-being. So, even though each group might

have their own values that guide the actions and decisions that they partake in, they are all

interconnected culturally because ultimately the actions that they make must benefit each group

equally. In this system, each group has roughly the same goal that they are trying to accomplish

which is to support the driver in his decisions on how he may find parking at certain intervals in

time.

48

Explanation of Consolidated Physical Model A consolidated physical model shows physically how each of the stakeholders comes into

contact with each other. This consolidated physical model shows a student stakeholder on her

way to the football game, and also how she comes in contact with the other two stakeholders, the

Borough and the Auxiliary Police. At first, the student needs a parking spot downtown so she

first parks at a street-side parking area. Then she realized she needed to stay downtown for a long

period of time so she decided to re-park in a parking garage. Both of these parking areas are

controlled and inspected by the Borough parking office. After she was finished downtown, she

started to go to the football game where she bought a parking spot in the orange parking lot. She

drove down a one way street and was directed to turn onto an orange parking pass only street by

an auxiliary police officer. When she arrived at the orange parking lot, another auxiliary police

officer pointed her to her parking spot. Both the one way street and the orange parking pass only

streets were made by the auxiliary police to make traffic flow as efficient as possible. After

parking, the student went to the ticket booth and then entered the football stadium.

49

Mock-Up Comparison

Mock-Up 1

Mock-up one is an app that is designed to run on an android based phone. The app is

fairly general with quick access to all of the features. While mock-up 2 and 3 has multiple

features for a wide range of abilities, mock-up 1 is simplistic in design. Also, unlike mock-up 2,

mock-up 1 gives the user the ability to choose different payment options such as whether the user

wants to use a Visa or a MasterCard. This mock-up also has a spot for local business owners to

put their ads on the app.

Mock-Up 2

Mock-up 2 is an app designed for the iPhone platform. With this version of ParkEZ, the

user has the ability to find information about local restaurants. This includes their contact

information, perks for using ParkEZ with their restaurant, and general information. For lot

information, mock-up 2 has diagrams made out for each of the parking spots, highlighting open

spaces. Also, unlike mock-up 1, mock-up 2 gives the user the ability to reserve parking spots for

future dates.

Mock-Up 3

Mock-up 3 is a website based parking application for computers. The difference between

mock-up 3 and the other two mock-ups is the in-depth payment system. The user can choose

between credit, debit, PayPal, or using their ParkEZ account. The ParkEZ account, which is only

on mock-up 3, works as a credit system, similar to EZ-pass. Another feature that Mock-up 3

offers is the ability to get text message notifications that let the user know that an upcoming

reservation is about to begin or if the time slot for a space they are currently using is about to

end. The user can also select how far ahead of time their notification will be sent. This mock-up

also has a preferences page where the user can customize the functionality to their needs. They

can select 5 favorite locations where they park on a regular basis. There is also a function that

allows the user to search for spots within a specified radius from their location.

50

Mock-Up Selection

Table 1 - Comparison of Each Mock-Up Mock-up 1 Mock-up 2 Mock-up 3

Display Features Overhead view of the

parking lots,

advertisements, search

bars

Parking lot diagrams,

advertisements, search

View map of spots

using Google maps,

Google earth, street

view,

Functionality Finds parking garages,

displays distance to

lots, uses GPS to

locate position of

person and lot, how

many lots are

available within the

vicinity

Uses GPS to find

available parking

lots/spaces,

reservation function,

add to calendar

function

Search all spots or

open spots within a

user-specified

distance, current and

future reservations,

use of different types

of maps

Design base Android iPhone Website

Special Options Payment options Restaurant info, future

reservations

Search spots within a

certain distance of

destination, three map

viewing options

Why we choose mock-up 3:

• Because a user can access this with anything that has internet connection

• Most features

• Can be easily navigated

• No need for installation

• The apps aren’t as efficient as the web-based one

• Can be accessed in many locations

• Easier to advertise local business

• Appeals to a larger audience

• Can link supporting advertisers websites to main homepage

51

• You can link all of the servers to one home-based server

• Can set up and easy questionnaire for consumer feedback

• Can use Google earth to show a 3D model of your parking spot

52

Mock-Up 1 1. Screen 1 shows the app menu for the android phone. This is where the user will enter the

ParkEZ app.

2. Screen 2 is the Title Screen for ParkEZ. This screen acts as the starting point for the

users’ search.

3. Screen 3 is the lot selection screen which gives the user the option to either select the lot

they want to park in or, if they don’t see a specific lot they are looking for, start a specific

lot search.

4. Screen 4 displays a map that gives both the users’ location and the location of the lot they

have chosen. On this screen the user will have the option to either get directions to the lot

or reserve a spot in the garage.

5. Screen 5 is the screen that allows the user to search for a specific lot or garage they are

looking for.

6. Screen 6 is the price confirmation screen which will display the cost to reserve a spot in

the garage. By clicking the pay now button on this screen the user will agree to the cost

and proceed to the payment screen.

7. Screen 7 is the payment screen which allows the user to choose to pay using either a Visa

or a MasterCard. Once the user has chosen the payment type, they will fill in their card

information and continue to the final page.

8. Screen 8 is the payment confirmation screen. This screen will confirm to the user that

their payment has been submitted and they are now free to park in that garage. Once the

user has read the confirmation page, they will use the “exit ParkEZ” button to exit the

app.

9. Screen 9 is the home screen of the Android phone which is where the exit button will

take the user when they have completed their transaction.

53

1. App Selection Screen

54

2. Title Screen

55

3. Lot Selection

56

4. Map Screen

57

5. Lot Search Screen

58

6. Price Confirmation Screen

59

7. Payment Screen

60

8. Payment Confirmation Screen

61

9. Android Home Screen

62

Mock-Up 2 1. Start-up/loading screen while the app load up

2. Menu Screen with links to:

1. Closest spot

2. Search for a spot

3. Reserve a spot

4. Restaurants

5. The ParkEZ web site

3. After clicking Closest spot, the GPS alert pop up opens up

4. After clicking continue, the GPS opens around the user and highlights all the close

Parking lots

5. The lot info screen shows all the information on the lot including: number of open spots

and distance from current location. It has a diagram for the lot, highlighting the open

spots

6. The Search screen has a search function to manually type in a particular parking lot name

7. Reserve a spot in the future by using the drop down menus for the different date and

location fields

8. The Restaurants screen shows the restaurants that are connected with ParkEZ

9. The Restaurant info screen shows the contact info of the restaurant, the perks for ParkEZ,

and some general information about the restaurant.

63

1. Startup/Loading Screen

64

2. Menu Screen

65

3. GPS Alert Screen

66

4. GPS Screen

67

5. Parking Lot Information Screen

68

6. Search Screen

69

7. Reserve a Spot Screen

70

8. Restaurant Screen

71

9. Restaurant Information

72

Mock-Up 3 1. When Do You Need to Park?

2. Later Date

3. Find a Spot

4. Map

5. Street View

6. Verification

7. Confirmation

8. Preferences

73

1. When Do You Need to Park?

74

2. Later Date

75

3. Find a Spot

76

4. Map

77

5. Street View

78

6. Verification

79

7. Confirmation

80

8. Preferences

81

Revised Mock-Up 3 Screen 1: When Do You Need to Park?

• User selects option based on when they need to park • Here, our user wants to make a reservation at a future date

Screen 2: Reservation Date & Time

• User indicates when they need to make their reservation • Please note that the dates for the calendar boxes are fixed for the editor we used and

could not be edited to reflect a time frame other than “March 2009”

Screen 3: Parking Spot Search

• User enters their destination address • User indicates a desired maximum distance between their parking spot and destination • Viewing options available • User can also opt to search for parking near bus routes if desired parking is unavailable

Screen 4: Search Results

• Indicates available parking based on user requirements • User can click the map or enter the spot ID to bring up more information about that spot

Screen 5: Parking Spot Information

• Displays detailed spot information including a physical image of the spot • Parking rate and spot availability included • User can reserve the spot or search for another

Screen 6: Verification

• Re-displays the spot information for the user to review before confirming their reservation

• Displayed information includes all parking information, parking rate, and total cost for the reservation

Screen 7: Confirmation

• Displays a confirmation number for the user, as well as a contact number for customer service

Screen 8: Preferences

• This screen is accessible to the user at any point through the toolbar at the top of the page

82

• The screen provides frequent users with the option of streamlining their experience by having user-defined inputs automatically inserted into the appropriate fields

• Allows user the choice to receive text-message notification of reservation start and ending times

• Text notification feature helps to prevent spots from being occupied beyond their reserved time slots

83

Screen 1: When Do You Need to Park?

84

Screen 2: Reservation Date & Time

85

Screen 3: Parking Spot Search

86

Screen 4: Search Results

87

Screen 5: Parking Spot Information

88

Screen 6: Verification

89

Screen 7: Confirmation

90

Screen 8: Preferences

91

IT Infrastructure Diagram

PC

-starting point for the user

User uses an internet browser which runs on their pc and is connected to the internet through either Ethernet cables of Wi-Fi.

Park EZ Website

-where user can get access to the data base of parking garages and metered parking spots

-uses payment software to allow customers to pay for reserved spots ahead of time

-allows the user access to maps for navigation directions from their current location to the parking garage of their choice

Parking Garage Internet Routers

-used to communicate information from the internet website to the parking garage ticketing machines and occupancy counter.

Parking Meter Internet Routers

-used to communicate information from the internet website to the parking meters and meter timers.

Information is carried from the website to routers through internet cables

Information is carried from the website to routers through internet cables

Timed Parking Meter

-allows the user to either pay for parking at the meter or pay online

-shows how much time the user has left to park there before they must pay more money

Garage Ticketing Machine

-contains the occupancy counter for the garage and relays the information back to the router

-this is where the user picks up their ticket for the parking garage so that they can pay for the parking or pick up their already paid for

reserved ticket

The information from web to ticketing machine and back is communicated through Wi-Fi

The information from web to meter and back is communicated through Wi-Fi

92

IT Infrastructure Explanation The IT Infrastructure Model is a very useful tool to get an overall look at how our app

will work. It explains how the information will move throughout the program and includes the

different types of hardware, software, databases, and information. The PC is the main starting

point for a user who is using the app. The app will be website based and will contain databases

that show the different garages in the area and how many spots are left in them. Once the user

decides to reserve a spot, the information will flow through internet cables to the routers at either

the parking garage or in the parking meters on the street. The router will then transfer the

information via Wi-Fi to either the ticketing machine or the parking meter. The information not

only flows to the parking garages and parking meters but it also goes in the opposite direction.

When a person doesn’t use the app and goes straight to the parking garage or open parking

meter, the information has to be sent to the website database so that it can update and show that

the spot has been taken. The information flows the same way as it does when it goes to the

garage or meter but in reverse. It starts in the ticketing machine or meter, uses Wi-Fi to connect

to the router which sends the information through the internet cables to the website which shows

the user that the spot has already been filled.

Date post:	23-Sep-2020
Category:	Documents
Upload:	others
View:	2 times
Download:	0 times

Deliverable 2 IST 110 Section 1 Team America ParkEZ App...

Documents