What the filing covers
Assigns every printed parking and EV-charger QR code its own identifier and checks its payments against independent proof that vehicles are present, such as plate reads and charger states. Silent codes are flagged as counterfeit, and enforcement spares drivers who paid a scammer. I filed this because a driver can pay in good faith while the operator receives nothing. Each printed code gets its own identifier. Payments associated with that code are compared with independent evidence of vehicles at the site, including plate reads and charger states. I connect counterfeit detection with enforcement that spares drivers who paid a scammer.
Why it matters now
A fake sticker can look like part of a real parking or charging sign. The driver follows it and believes the payment is complete. The operator sees a vehicle but no corresponding payment. Detecting the altered payment path and treating the driver fairly are parts of the same problem.
A real-world example
Imagine a scammer placing a sticker over the real QR code on a parking sign. A driver scans it and pays the scammer. The vehicle remains in the lot, but the genuine code receives no payment. If the operator looks only at its payment list, the driver can receive a ticket despite having tried to pay.
I compare the payment activity with independent evidence of presence. A plate read can show a vehicle at the lot. A charger state can supply evidence at a charging location. Those observations come from a different path than the printed payment code, so the comparison connects activity at the site with activity associated with the sign.
The code's own identifier matters in that comparison. It ties payment activity to a particular printed code rather than treating every sign as an indistinguishable entrance to payment. A silent code at an occupied location brings the physical sign into the investigation. The enforcement side then addresses the driver who paid through the counterfeit path.
Where it applies
This work applies to printed payment codes at parking and EV charging locations. Park Graph and ChargingNear.me are the associated platforms. I focus on the relationship between the sign, the vehicle's presence and the payment record.
For an operator, the practical question extends beyond whether money reached the account. What did the driver scan? What activity was associated with the genuine code? What independent evidence shows vehicles at that location? Keeping those questions together helps address both the counterfeit code and the driver's payment attempt.
Used in: Park Graph · ChargingNear.me
Status
U.S. provisional patent application, filed October 20, 2026; Status: Patent Pending; Sole inventor: Ross D. Blankenship.
Provisional applications establish a priority date; they are not examined.