Wireless management of portable toilet facilities

• US 20030210140A1
• Filed: 12/05/2002
• Published: 11/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Royal Thoughts LLC
• Original Assignee: Royal Thoughts LLC
• Inventors: Menard, Raymond J., Quady, Curtis E.
• Application Number:
  US10/310,713
• Publication Number:
  US 20030210140A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/531
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 7/00 Wheeled lavatories wheeled closets without flushing A47K11/00; construction of land vehicles B62

Abstract

A portable sanitation unit includes one or more sensors and a wireless transmitter. The sensor provides a signal to the wireless transmitter based on a fluid level, the unit location, a temperature, or other detected condition. The transmitter communicates with a remote monitoring facility. The monitoring facility receives a coded signal from the sanitation unit which includes unit identification information, condition information and location. In one embodiment, a secure website, accessible from the internet, displays data corresponding to each of a number of monitored sanitation units. A receiver coupled to the sanitation unit receives wireless control signals and data from the monitoring facility.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a portable toilet unit;

a sensor coupled to the unit and adapted to provide a signal based on a sensed condition of the unit; and

a wireless transmitter coupled to the sensor and adapted to transmit a wireless signal.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensor includes a fluid level detector.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensor includes a paper quantity detector.

4. The system of claim 1 further including a location detection unit coupled to the transmitter.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the location detection unit includes a global position system (GPS) receiver.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensor includes a tip-over detector.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensor includes a temperature detector.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensor includes a light monitor.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensor includes a battery level sensor.

10. A system comprising:

a portable toilet means;

a location sensing means coupled to the toilet means to determine a geographical location of the toilet means; and

a wireless communication means coupled to the location sensing means, the wireless communication means adapted to wirelessly transmit the geographical position to a remote facility.

11. The system of claim 10 further including a fluid level sensor means coupled to the wireless communication means and coupled to the toilet means, the fluid level sensor means adapted to provide a signal to the wireless communication means based on a fluid level.

12. The system of claim 10 further including an accelerometer means coupled to the wireless communication means and coupled to the toilet mean, the accelerometer means adapted to provide a signal to the wireless communication means based on a detected acceleration.

13. The system of claim 10 further including a user operable control means coupled to the wireless communication means and coupled to the toilet mean, the user operable control means adapted to provide a signal to the wireless communication means based on a detected acceleration.