GPS Parking SystemTeam 29 (Campus)

Shinyi Chen

Chih-Ching Huang

Pei-Hua Lu

Topic Description Purpose

The GPS parking system aims at solving the problem of finding a parking space in a crowded parking structure/lot. It is an extension to the current GPS navigation system in the cars to support parking structure maps and parking space finding.

Why it is new The current GPS navigation system in the cars does not have the

functionality to see the detailed map inside a parking lot/structure or the parking availability. The GPS Parking System provides these functionalities.

Assumptions: Technology that are needed to supported our system are available.

These includes the wireless communication between the car and parking lot. The parking lot has its own system to determine its parking availability and to broadcast necessary information. The car is able to receive that information.

System Requirements

The system shall Interface through touch screen and other hardware

currently used by the GPS Navigation System. Display map of the parking lot. Provide three different zoom levels and allow users to

zoom in and zoom out. Indicate available parking spaces, either all of them or

three of the nearest. Provide the option to view maps of different levels of the

parking structure. While the display is showing all available parking spaces,

the system shall update available spaces every 5 seconds.

Navigation Map

Find parking spaces

Zoom in

Zoom out

See different parking structure levels

Clear

Exit

Show all

Show Nearest 3

Route to 1

Route to 2

Route to 3

Level 1

Level 2

………

User Analysis DiscussionUser Profile

Psychological Characteristics

Cognitive style Spatial / Intuitive

Attitude Negative

Motivation High

Knowledge and Experience

Reading level Above 12th grade

Typing skill Medium

Education College degree

System experience Moderate

Task experience Novice/Moderate

Application experience 1 similar systems

Native language English

Use of other systems Little or None

Computer literacy Moderate

Job and Task Characteristics

Frequency of use Medium

Primary training Manual Only

System use Discretionary

Job categories All

Turnover rate Moderate

Task importance Low

Task structure Moderate

Physical Characteristics

Color-blind No

Handedness Right

Gender Both

User Analysis DiscussionDialogue Styles

Function Key has the highest hit rate. It is what the current GPS Navigation uses. Our users will need easy access keys to get what they want to see directly.

Menu is another dialog we decided to use in combination with function keys. It is used when a functionality requires more than one step to get to. This will save space on the screen and allow drivers to see the maps while using the menu.

Other options with high hit rates are not appropriate for our system. The user of the system is either operating the car or a passenger in the car. They must have quick and easy access to functionalities.

The efficient use of space was also important in determining the appropriate dialog style for our system.

Dialog Style

User Profile

Menu Fill-in forms Q & A Command language

Function key

Direct manipulation

Natural language

11 16 13 13 17 13 9

User Analysis DiscussionTask Analysis

finding parking space

changing parking floor level

zooming

clear

displaying processing

requesting processing

Navigation Display (users)

available parking space

parking structure information

available space

new display info

new display property

New display info

update info

locationfloor level

map

refresh

User request and current display info

User AnalysisEnvironment

This application bundles on user’s current GPS navigation system.

This is a platform-independent application. It avoids tying this application to any particular OS, as far as possible.

User AnalysisI/O Devices

Touch Screen Used by the current GPS Navigation Systems in cars. Allows both output and input Saves space and still allows input equivalent to a

keyboard.

Hardware Input Buttons Used by the current GPS Navigation Systems in cars. Provides an alternate way to navigate and make

selections.

Visual DesignSummery Style Guide

Map Screen Background shown in beige Lines and text shown in black Indication of car position shown in red arrow,

always in the center of map Routes shown in blue North indicator always be placed at the left top of

the screen, with an red arrow pointing north

Visual DesignSummery Style Guide

Buttons / Menu Buttons Background is gray Text always capitalized using black If scrolling buttons used, the up and down

triangles should be in black Black border Focused selection has yellow border

Visual DesignIcons / Symbols

North Indicator Red arrow pointing in the direction of north on button

(describe above) Up/Down buttons

Black triangles pointing up/down on buttons (described above)

Current position indicator Red arrow pointing in the direction the car is heading

Available parking spaces Indicated using solid blue circles If nearest 3 are being displayed, the numbers next to each

is shown in red

Visual DesignColors, fonts … etc

The color scheme (describe above), fonts and most other aspects of the visual are consistent with the current GPS Navigation Systems.

This consistency makes the transitions into and out of the GPS Parking System invisible to the users.

The users who currently own the GPS Navigation will not have to adjust to or learn to use a new style of navigation.

Use colors red and/or blue for items on the map. These colors are obvious when placed on the map background and yet not distracting.

Main Screen

Screen PrototypesFind Parking

Screen PrototypesExplanation

Pop-up Menu Selected button (ie. Find

parking) is indented and the menu is popped up.

Pressing the indented button closes (cancel) the pop-up menu.

Popped-up menu is automatically closed if nothing is selected from the pop-up menu in 5 seconds.

Screen PrototypesShow All

Screen PrototypesShow Nearest

Screen PrototypesShow Route

Screen PrototypesShow Route

Screen PrototypesView Another Level

Screen PrototypesExplanation

Structure level selection Change to view another level

in the parking structure Up and down buttons to

navigate within the menu. The orange border indicates

the button that is being focused on. It is focused on the current level the car is on initially.

Viewing and driving level indicator Press to return viewing level to

the same level the car is on

Comments Tools

Adobe Photoshop Adobe Illustrator Macromedia Director

Lessons learned Trade off between originality and usability To resolve conflicts in design issues, certain things have to be

sacrificed Plans

Continue to improve the current design for better usability Add functionality details that we might have missed in the

requirements Complete the prototype

Link

This presentation can be downloaded fromhttp://www-scf.usc.edu/~shinyich/cs588/presentation1.ppt