Carwash With Smartphone Payment and Activation

• US 20120253973A1
• Filed: 06/09/2012
• Published: 10/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innovative Control Systems, Inc. (Newyork) (Dover Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Robert J. Harter
• Inventors: Harter, Robert J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,117,233 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.9
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/04 Cleaning involving contact with liquid
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 3/04 for exteriors of land vehicles B60S3/002, B60S3/004 take precedence; specially adapted for railway vehicles B60S3/006
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3274 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being displayed on the M-device
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/20 for washing or drying articles, e.g. clothes, motor cars
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

An example carwash method involves a customer using a smartphone with an app for finding participating carwash locations, making online payments for select carwash options, and then using the smartphone app to start the washing process when the customer arrives at the carwash. Various means can be used for determining when the vehicle is at the carwash entrance. Examples of such means include, but are not limited to, reading the GPS coordinates of the smartphone in the vehicle; establishing Bluetooth, WiFi or some other limited-range wireless communication link between the smartphone and the local carwash controller; displaying and manually entering a code or password at the carwash; and scanning a QR code displayed on the smartphone. During the carwash operation, in some examples, the smartphone app provides the customer with an emergency stop option.

Claims

1. A carwash method for washing a vehicle for a customer at a carwash, wherein the customer has a portable digital device in the vehicle, the carwash method comprising:

submitting a request for a carwash operation at the carwash;

determining whether the carwash is available for the carwash operation;

determining whether the portable digital device in the vehicle is within a predetermined distance of the carwash;

if the portable digital device is within the predetermined distance and the carwash is available for the carwash operation, allowing the request and subsequently performing the carwash operation on the vehicle; and

if the portable digital device is beyond the predetermine distance, disallowing the request and inhibiting the carwash operation for the vehicle.

2. The carwash method of claim 1, wherein submitting the request for the carwash operation at the carwash is performed by the customer entering an input to the portable digital device that the customer has in the vehicle, and the portable digital device is Internet accessible.

3. The carwash method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the portable digital device is within a predetermined distance of the carwash involves considering at least one GPS coordinate.

4. The carwash method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning an identity to the portable digital device;

making an online Internet payment that covers a cost of the carwash operation; and

associating the identity of the portable digital device to the online Internet payment.

5. The carwash method of claim 4, further comprising confirming the identity of the portable digital device at the carwash.

6. The carwash method of claim 1, further comprising selecting via the portable digital device a carwash bay from a plurality of carwash bays at the carwash.

7. A carwash method for washing a vehicle for a customer at a carwash, the carwash includes a carwash bay, the carwash method comprising:

displaying a carwash location of the carwash on a customer digital system, the carwash includes a carwash controller, the customer digital system includes a portable digital device that the customer has in the vehicle;

driving the vehicle to the carwash location;

displaying a plurality of carwash options on the customer digital system;

selecting a desired carwash option from the plurality of carwash options, wherein selecting the desired carwash option involves the customer digital system;

communicating the desired carwash option from the customer digital system to the carwash controller;

communicating the desired carwash option from the customer digital system to a vendor computer system;

making an online Internet payment for the desired carwash option, wherein the online Internet payment involves the customer digital system and the vendor computer system;

the portable digital device in the vehicle informing the carwash controller that the vehicle is in position to enter the carwash bay;

the carwash controller determining whether the carwash bay is available to receive the vehicle;

if the carwash controller determines the carwash bay is available to receive the vehicle, then subsequent to the portable digital device in the vehicle informing the carwash controller that the vehicle is in position to enter the carwash bay, at least one of the vendor computer system and the carwash controller inviting the vehicle to enter the carwash bay;

the vehicle entering the carwash bay; and

performing the carwash operation according to the desired carwash option, wherein the carwash operation includes washing the vehicle.

8. The carwash method of claim 7, wherein the portable digital device is a cell phone with Internet access.

9. The carwash method of claim 7, further comprising at least one of the vendor computer system, the carwash controller and the customer digital system determining whether the portable digital device is proximate the carwash.

10. The carwash method of claim 9, wherein determining whether the portable digital device is proximate the carwash involves considering at least one GPS coordinate.

11. The carwash method of claim 7, wherein the vendor computer system participates in communicating the desired carwash option from the customer digital system to the carwash controller.

12. The carwash method of claim 7, wherein the vendor computer system participates in the portable digital device in the vehicle informing the carwash controller that the vehicle is in position to enter the carwash bay.

13. The carwash method of claim 7, further comprising selecting via the portable digital device the carwash bay from a plurality of carwash bays at the carwash.

14. The carwash method of claim 7, further comprising:

while washing the vehicle, the customer inputting a stop signal to the portable digital device; and

discontinuing washing the vehicle in response to the customer inputting the stop signal to the portable digital device.

15. A carwash method for washing a vehicle for a customer at a carwash, wherein the customer has a portable digital device, the carwash method comprising:

carrying the customer and the portable digital device within the vehicle;

washing the vehicle at the carwash;

the customer inputting a stop signal to the portable digital device; and

discontinuing washing the vehicle in response to the customer inputting the stop signal to the portable digital device.

16. The carwash method of claim 15, wherein the portable digital device has Internet access.

17. The carwash method of claim 15, wherein the customer inputting the stop signal to the portable digital device involves the customer selecting an icon displayed on the portable digital device.

18. The carwash method of claim 15, further comprising:

the customer inputting a resume-operation signal to the portable digital device; and

resuming washing the vehicle in response to the customer inputting the resume-operation signal to the portable digital device.

19. The carwash method of claim 15, further comprising selecting via the portable digital device a carwash bay from a plurality of carwash bays at the carwash.

20. A carwash method for washing a vehicle for a customer at a carwash at a carwash location, the carwash includes a carwash bay and a carwash controller, the carwash being associated with a vendor computer system, the carwash method comprising:

displaying on a customer digital system a representation of the carwash location, wherein the customer digital system includes a portable digital device that the customer has in the vehicle;

driving the vehicle to the carwash location;

displaying a plurality of carwash options on the customer digital system;

selecting a desired carwash option from the plurality of carwash options, wherein selecting the desired carwash option involves the customer digital system;

establishing a remote communication link between the customer digital system and the vendor computer system;

establishing a local communication link between the customer and the carwash controller, wherein the local communication link is shorter than the remote communication link;

communicating the desired carwash option from the customer digital system to the carwash controller using at least one of the remote communication link and the local communication link;

communicating the desired carwash option from the customer digital system to the vendor computer system using at least one of the remote communication link and the local communication link;

making an online Internet payment for the desired carwash option, wherein the online Internet payment involves the customer digital system, the vendor computer system and the remote communication link;

via the local communication link, informing the carwash controller that the vehicle is in position to enter the carwash bay;

the carwash controller determining whether the carwash bay is available to receive the vehicle;

if the carwash controller determines the carwash bay is available to receive the vehicle, then subsequent to informing the carwash controller that the vehicle is in position to enter the carwash bay, at least one of the vendor computer system and the carwash controller inviting the vehicle to enter the carwash bay;

the vehicle entering the carwash bay; and

performing the carwash operation according to the desired carwash option, wherein the carwash operation includes washing the vehicle.

21. The carwash method of claim 20, wherein the local communication link involves manually entering a code at the carwash location.

22. The carwash method of claim 20, wherein the local communication link involves scanning a QR code at the carwash location.

23. The carwash method of claim 20, wherein the local communication link involves Bluetooth wireless communication at the carwash location.

24. The carwash method of claim 20, wherein the local communication link involves WiFi communication at the carwash location.

25. The carwash method of claim 20, wherein the local communication link involves the carwash controller displaying a password visible at the carwash location, and the carwash method further comprising the customer entering the password into at least one of the portable digital device and the carwash controller.