Parking Allocation System

A parking allocation system is a software or hardware solution designed to

manage and allocate parking spaces efficiently. Such systems are commonly
used in parking lots, garages, and other parking facilities to optimize space
utilization, enhance security, and improve the overall parking experience for
users.
Here are some key features and functionalities typically found in parking
allocation systems:
 Automated Entry and Exit Control: The system automates the entry and
exit process for vehicles using various technologies such as RFID tags,
license plate recognition, or barcode scanning.
 Space Monitoring: Sensors or cameras are used to monitor the
availability of parking spaces in real-time. This information is then
displayed to drivers to help them locate vacant spots quickly.
 Reservation System: Users can reserve parking spaces in advance
through an online portal or mobile app. This feature is particularly useful
for high-demand areas or for ensuring parking availability for specific
events or occasions.
 Payment Processing: The system facilitates payment for parking either
through traditional methods like cash or credit cards, or through digital
payment options such as mobile wallets or prepaid cards.
 Security and Surveillance: Video cameras and other security measures
are integrated into the system to enhance safety and deter theft or
vandalism in parking areas.
 Analytics and Reporting: The system collects data on parking usage,
revenue, and other relevant metrics. This data can be analyzed to gain
insights into parking patterns, optimize space allocation, and make
informed decisions about pricing and resource allocation.
 Integration with Other Systems: Parking allocation systems may integrate
with other systems such as access control systems, building management
systems, or transportation management systems to streamline
operations and enhance overall efficiency.
 Objective:
The primary objective of a parking allocation system is to efficiently
manage parking resources, optimize space utilization, enhance security,
and improve the overall user experience in parking facilities.
Key Features:
 Automated Entry and Exit Control: The system should automate the
process of allowing vehicles to enter and exit the parking facility using
technologies like RFID, license plate recognition, or barcode scanning.
 Real-time Space Monitoring: Sensors or cameras monitor parking space
availability in real-time, providing users with up-to-date information on
vacant spots to minimize search time.
 Reservation System: Users can reserve parking spaces in advance
through online portals or mobile apps, ensuring availability during peak
hours or for special events.
 Payment Processing: The system facilitates various payment methods,
including cash, credit cards, mobile payments, or prepaid cards,
streamlining the payment process for users.
 Security and Surveillance: Integrated security measures such as video
cameras and alarms enhance safety and deter theft or vandalism in
parking areas.
 Analytics and Reporting: The system collects data on parking usage,
revenue, and other relevant metrics, allowing operators to analyze
patterns, optimize resource allocation, and make informed decisions.
 Integration with Other Systems: Integration with access control systems,
building management systems, or transportation management systems
enables seamless operation and coordination with other facilities or
services.
Purpose:
The purpose of a parking allocation system is multifaceted:
 Efficient Space Utilization: By providing real-time information on parking
availability and optimizing space allocation, the system ensures efficient
use of parking resources.
  Improved User Experience: Users benefit from reduced search time for
parking spots, seamless entry and exit processes, and the option to
reserve parking in advance, enhancing their overall experience.
 Enhanced Security: Integrated security features help prevent
unauthorized access, theft, or vandalism, creating a safer environment
for both vehicles and users.
 Revenue Optimization: By analysing parking usage data and
implementing dynamic pricing strategies, operators can maximize
revenue generation from parking facilities.
Uses:
Parking allocation systems are utilized in various settings, including:
 Commercial Parking Lots: Shopping malls, airports, office buildings, and
other commercial establishments use parking allocation systems to
manage large volumes of vehicles efficiently.
 Residential Complexes: Apartment buildings, condominiums, and gated
communities employ parking allocation systems to allocate parking
spaces among residents and guests fairly.
 Public Parking Facilities: Municipalities and transportation authorities
implement parking allocation systems in public parking lots and garages
to improve accessibility and revenue collection.
 Event Parking: Venues hosting concerts, sports events, conferences, or
festivals utilize parking allocation systems to manage high volumes of
vehicles during peak periods.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, a parking allocation system serves as a comprehensive solution
for efficiently managing parking resources, enhancing user experience, and
optimizing revenue generation in parking facilities of various types and sizes. By
automating entry and exit processes, providing real-time space availability
information, enabling reservations, facilitating secure payment transactions,
and integrating with other systems, these systems fulfil their objectives
effectively.
 Use Case Diagram
A use case diagram visually represents the interactions between users (actors)
and the system to achieve specific goals or tasks. In the context of a parking
allocation system, here's an example of a use case diagram:
Actors:
 Driver: Represents users who interact with the parking allocation system.
 Administrator: Represents system administrators who manage and
maintain the parking allocation system.
Use Cases:
 Check Parking Availability: The driver can check the availability of parking
spaces in real-time.
 Reserve Parking Space: The driver can reserve a parking space in
advance.
 Enter Parking Lot: The driver can enter the parking lot by passing through
the entry gate.
 Exit Parking Lot: The driver can exit the parking lot through the exit gate.
 Make Payment: The driver can make a payment for parking either upon
entry or exit.
 View Parking History: The driver can view their parking history, including
past transactions and reservations.
 Manage Parking System: The administrator can manage and configure
the parking allocation system, including adding/removing parking
spaces, setting pricing rules, and generating reports.
Relationships:
 Include: Indicates that one use case includes another. For example, the
"Enter Parking Lot" and "Exit Parking Lot" use cases include the "Make
Payment" use case.
 Extend: Indicates optional or alternative behaviour that can extend a
base use case. For example, the "Reserve Parking Space" use case can be
extended to include a notification feature.
 Class Diagram

A class diagram illustrates the structure of a system by showing the classes,

their attributes, methods, and the relationships between them. Here's an
example of a class diagram for a parking allocation system:

Classes:
 Parking System: Represents the main controller or interface for the
parking allocation system. It contains methods for checking availability,
reserving a space, making a payment, entering and exiting the parking
lot.
 Parking: Represents a parking space within the parking facility. It has
attributes such as an ID, location, and availability status.
 Vehicle: Represents a vehicle that enters the parking facility. It contains
attributes like the plate number, vehicle type, and owner information.
 Reservation: Represents a reservation made by a user to reserve a
parking space in advance. It includes attributes such as a reservation ID,
parking ID, vehicle plate number, start and end times for the reservation.

Relationships:
 Parking System interacts with Parking, Vehicle, and Reservation classes
to perform various actions such as checking availability, reserving a
space, making a payment, etc.
 Reservation is associated with Parking and Vehicle classes, indicating
that it involves reserving a parking space for a specific vehicle.
 Parking class is associated with Reservation class to indicate that a
parking space can be reserved by users.

This class diagram provides a visual representation of the key classes and their
relationships within the parking allocation system, helping to understand the
system's structure and organization.
 Sequence Diagram
A sequence diagram illustrates how objects interact with each other in a
particular scenario or process. Here's an example of a sequence diagram
for a driver entering and exiting a parking lot in a parking allocation
system:

Sequence Description:

 The driver initiates the process by calling the enterParkingLot()

method.
 The Parking System checks the availability of parking spaces by calling
the checkAvailability() method on the Parking object.
 The Parking object returns the availability status to the Parking System.
 If parking is available, the Parking System reserves a space by calling the
reserveSpace() method.
 If the reservation is successful, the Parking System proceeds to make a
payment by calling the makePayment() method.
 The driver stays in the parking lot until ready to exit.
 The driver initiates the exit process by calling the exitParkingLot()
method.
 The Parking System checks availability again to ensure the driver has
made a payment.
 If the payment is successful, the driver exits the parking lot.

This sequence diagram illustrates the flow of interactions between the driver,
the parking system, and the parking space during the process of entering and
exiting the parking lot in the parking allocation system.
 State Diagram

A state diagram, also known as a state machine diagram, illustrates the

transitions of an object through different states in response to events.
Here's an example of a state diagram for a parking space in a parking
allocation system:

States:

 Available: Represents an available parking space where no vehicle is

parked. This is the initial state.
 Reserved: Represents a parking space that has been reserved by a driver.
 Occupied: Represents a parking space that is currently occupied by a
vehicle.

Transitions:

 Reserve space event: Transitions the state from Available to Reserved

when a driver reserves the space.
 Enter event: Transitions the state from Reserved to Occupied when a
vehicle enters the parking space.
 Exit event: Transitions the state from Occupied to Available when a
vehicle exits the parking space.

Events:

 Reserve space event: Occurs when a driver reserves the parking space.
 Enter event: Occurs when a vehicle enters the parking space.
 Exit event: Occurs when a vehicle exits the parking space.

This state diagram illustrates the different states of a parking space in a parking
allocation system and the transitions between these states in response to events
such as reservation, entry, and exit.
 Activity Diagram

Activities:

 Start: Represents the starting point of the activity diagram.

 Available: Represents an available parking space where no vehicle is
parked. This is the initial state.
 Reserved: Represents a parking space that has been reserved by a driver.
 Occupied: Represents a parking space that is currently occupied by a
vehicle.
 End: Represents the end point of the activity diagram.

Actions:

 Reserve space: Action taken by a driver to reserve the parking space.

 Enter event: Action triggered when a vehicle enters the parking space.
 Exit event: Action triggered when a vehicle exits the parking space.

Flow:

 The process starts at the "Start" point.

 The parking space is initially in the "Available" state.
 If a driver reserves the space, the parking space transitions to the
"Reserved" state.
 When a vehicle enters the space, it moves to the "Occupied" state.
 When the vehicle exits the space, it transitions back to the "Available"
state.
 The process ends at the "End" point.

This activity diagram illustrates the sequence of actions and states involved in
the lifecycle of a parking space within a parking allocation system.
 Component Diagram

Components:
1. User Interface:
 Handles user interaction, reservation requests, payment
processing, and displays parking space availability.
2. Parking Management:
 Controls the overall parking management system, including
space allocation, reservation management, and payment
handling.
3. Database:
 Store’s parking-related data such as parking spaces,
reservations, and user information.
4. External Systems:
 Represents external systems or services that the parking
allocation system interacts with, such as payment gateways
or external APIs.
Subcomponents:
 Controller:
 Handles request routing, business logic implementation, and
interfaces with the database and external systems.
 Parking Database:
 Manages data retrieval, storage, and CRUD (Create, Read,
Update, Delete) operations related to parking data.
 External Interface:
 Handles communication with external systems such as
payment gateways or third-party APIs for data integration.
Relationships:
 The User Interface interacts with the Controller component to
handle user requests and display relevant information.
 The Controller interfaces with both the Parking Management and
Parking Database components to process user requests and
manage data.
 The Parking Management component interacts with the Parking
Database to retrieve parking-related data and perform space
allocation, reservation management, and payment handling.
 The External Systems component interacts with the Controller to
handle external services such as payment processing or
integration with other systems via APIs.
This component diagram provides a high-level overview of the main
components and their interactions within a parking allocation system,
helping to understand the system architecture and component
responsibilities.
 Deployment Diagram

A deployment diagram illustrates the physical deployment of software

components across different nodes or hardware devices in a system.
Here's an example of a deployment diagram for a parking allocation
system:
Nodes:
1. User Devices:
 Represents various devices used by users to interact with the
system, such as mobile phones, computers, and tablets.
2. Web Server:
 Hosts the web application of the parking allocation system, serving
as the interface between users and the system.
 Executes the application logic and handles user requests.
 Communicates with the database server to retrieve and update
parking-related data.
3. Database:
 Stores parking-related data such as parking spaces, reservations,
and user information.
 Communicates with the web server to provide data access and
storage functionality.
Connections:
 HTTP/HTTPS: Represents the communication protocol used between
user devices and the web server for accessing the web application.
 JDBC/ODBC: Represents the communication protocol used between the
web server and the database server for accessing and manipulating
parking-related data.
Deployment:
 User devices connect to the web server over HTTP or HTTPS protocols to
access the web application.