Carwash Emergency Stop
First Claim
1. A carwash method for a vehicle with a horn, the carwash method comprising:
- washing the vehicle by way of a carwash apparatus;
a controller controlling operation of the carwash apparatus;
hearing the horn while the carwash apparatus is washing the vehicle, the hearing being performed by a microphone communicating with the controller; and
discontinuing washing the vehicle in response to the microphone hearing the horn.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A carwash includes an emergency stop triggered by a car horn. A controller with a microphone listens to various sounds generated during the carwash process and performs a simple spectrum analyses to identify sounds characteristic of car horns. Rather than knowing beforehand a plethora of different car horns, the controller recognizes any number of unknown car horns because virtually all car horn tones are each comprised of multiple prominent frequencies, as opposed to a single frequency note such as the electronic “beeeeep” of a microwave oven. Steady, multiple prominent frequency tones of car horns are readily distinguishable from the noise of carwash spray, which might explain why humans can readily distinguish a car horn from carwash noises, regardless of whether the horn is louder or quieter than the surrounding carwash sounds. In some examples, the horn-activated emergency stop automatically sends a text/video message to a remote carwash owner or manager.
7 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A carwash method for a vehicle with a horn, the carwash method comprising:
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washing the vehicle by way of a carwash apparatus; a controller controlling operation of the carwash apparatus; hearing the horn while the carwash apparatus is washing the vehicle, the hearing being performed by a microphone communicating with the controller; and discontinuing washing the vehicle in response to the microphone hearing the horn. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A carwash method for a vehicle with a horn, the carwash method, comprising:
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washing the vehicle by way of a carwash apparatus; the horn emitting a horn sound; the carwash apparatus having a sprayer emitting a spray during a first period; the carwash apparatus emitting a spray noise; a controller controlling operation of the carwash apparatus; hearing the horn while the carwash apparatus is washing the vehicle during the first period, the hearing being performed by a microphone communicating with the controller; the controller distinguishing the horn sound from the spray noise; and discontinuing washing the vehicle upon the microphone hearing the car horn and the controller distinguishing the horn sound from the spray noise, wherein discontinuing washing the vehicle upon the microphone hearing the car horn and the controller distinguishing the horn sound from the spray noise involves opening a carwash door and stopping the sprayer from emitting the spray. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A carwash system responsive to a horn sound emitted from a car horn, the carwash system comprising:
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a carwash bay; a carwash apparatus in the carwash bay, the carwash apparatus having a cleaning mode and an emergency mode, the carwash apparatus emitting a spray and a spray noise during the cleaning mode, the carwash apparatus being substantially void of the spray during the emergency mode; a microphone within sensing range of the horn sound and the spray noise; an audio signal outputted from the microphone, the audio signal during a first period includes a spray component reflective of the spray noise, the audio signal during a second period includes a horn component reflective of the horn sound, the audio signal during the second period includes both the spray component and the horn component; and a controller connected to receive the audio signal from the microphone, the controller being further connected in control communication with the carwash apparatus, the controller shifting operation of the carwash apparatus from the cleaning mode to the emergency mode in response to the controller receiving during the second period the audio signal including the spray component and the horn component.
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Specification