Monitoring and controlling processes at a vehicle wash facility
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method for managing a process operating at a vehicle wash facility, wherein a chemical is applied to one or more vehicles being washed in the wash facility during the process, the method comprising:
- monitoring an environmental parameter that influences application of the chemical to the one or more vehicles during the process; and
automatically controlling application of the chemical to the one or more vehicles based on the environmental parameter.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Remote monitoring of vehicle washing facilities allows a facility operator to more efficiently manage each site, particularly when combined with environmental conditions that influence the rate at which individual chemicals are used. Accurate chemical exhaustion times can therefore be predicted and communicated to the operator, and wash sequences and parameters may be altered in accordance with such environmental parameters. For example, information related to the composition of soil on a car may be monitored and used to alter the chemicals used in the wash cycle for that car. Other environmental conditions may include without limitation weather conditions, road conditions, types of vehicles, mechanical system status, vehicle temperature, etc.
43 Citations
56 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method for managing a process operating at a vehicle wash facility, wherein a chemical is applied to one or more vehicles being washed in the wash facility during the process, the method comprising:
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monitoring an environmental parameter that influences application of the chemical to the one or more vehicles during the process; and
automatically controlling application of the chemical to the one or more vehicles based on the environmental parameter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A system for managing a process operating at a vehicle wash facility that is communicatively coupled to a remote management facility, the process using at least one chemical, the system comprising:
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a environmental detector monitoring an environmental parameter that influences a usage rate of the at least one chemical in the process;
a chemical quantity detector monitoring a current quantity of the at least one chemical available for use at the vehicle wash facility in the process;
a controller predicting a time point indicating expected exhaustion of the at least one chemical based on the environmental parameter and the current quantity of the at least one chemical; and
a communications device providing a notification of the time point through the remote management facility. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A computer program product encoding a computer program for executing on a computer system a computer process for managing application of a chemical to one or more vehicles at a vehicle wash facility, the computer process comprising:
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monitoring an environmental parameter that influences application of the chemical to the one or more vehicles at the vehicle wash facility; and
automatically controlling application of the chemical to the one or more vehicles based on the environmental parameter. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A system for managing a process at a vehicle wash facility that is communicatively coupled to a remote management facility, the process using at least one chemical, the system comprising:
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a first monitoring device monitoring the process and reporting process data to a controller;
a control device controlling the process in response to commands received from the controller;
the controller, communicatively coupled to the monitoring device and the control device, analyzing the process data received from the monitoring device to produce controller data relating to the analysis and sending commands based on the controller data to the control device;
a communications device, communicatively coupled to the controller and an external communications network, transmitting the controller data to the remote management facility over the external communications network; and
a data store, communicatively coupled to the controller, storing the process data. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A method for managing a process at a vehicle wash facility that is communicatively coupled to a remote management facility, the process using at least one chemical, the method comprising:
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monitoring the process to produce process data;
monitoring at least one environmental parameter;
reporting the process data and the environmental parameter to a controller;
analyzing, via the controller, the process data and the environmental parameter to produce controller data relating to the analysis;
controlling the process in response to the controller data;
transmitting the controller data to the remote management facility; and
storing, in a data store, at least one of the process data, the environmental parameter and the controller data. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A computer program product encoding a computer program for executing on a computer system a computer process for managing a process at a vehicle wash facility that is communicatively coupled to a remote management facility, the process using at least one chemical, the computer process comprising:
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monitoring the process to produce process data;
monitoring at least one environmental parameter;
reporting the process data and the environmental parameter to a controller;
analyzing, via the controller, the process data and the environmental parameter to produce controller data relating to the analysis;
controlling the process in response to the controller data;
transmitting the controller data to the remote management facility; and
storing, in a data store, at least one of the process data, the environmental parameter and the controller data. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A method for managing a process at a remote vehicle wash facility, wherein a chemical is applied to one or more vehicles in the remote vehicle wash facility during the process, the method comprising:
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receiving process data from the remote vehicle wash facility;
receiving an environmental parameter that influences application of the chemical to the vehicle during process;
analyzing the process data and environmental parameter; and
transmitting, based on results of the analysis, a message to a client computer monitoring the process at the vehicle wash facility. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
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Specification