Mobilized laundry service system

• US 20140052660A1
• Filed: 08/18/2012
• Published: 02/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Chang Shin Lee, Sung Lee
• Original Assignee: Chang Shin Lee, Sung Lee
• Inventors: Lee, Sung, Lee, Chang Shin
• Application Number:
  US13/573,068
• Publication Number:
  US 20140052660A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/338
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem

Abstract

A distributed laundry system having mobilized laundry vehicles, including true laundry conveyors in the vehicles, and including a specialized distributed computer network in the vehicles to handle the circumstances of mobile laundry operations, such as special laundry instructions. In addition, procedures and operations which allow the vehicles to cooperate to provide efficient pickup and drop off services at locations of the customers'"'"' choices (such as at home or work), including flexible territories for the trucks, customer user interfaces on mobile devices such as cell phones, mobile computing devices and the like, and precise time estimates of pick-up and drop-off times.

Claims

1. An electronic laundry vehicle network for carrying out normal laundry operations such as dry-cleaning, laundry, housekeeping, alteration, leather, the electronic laundry vehicle network comprising:

a plurality of laundry vehicles;

each of said laundry vehicles having a location tracking device, a central processing device and a non-volatile digital memory device;

each of said non-volatile digital memory devices having a plurality of modules for use by said central processing devices;

a customer access service operative to receive a specific first customer location, said modules including;

an in-vehicle network interface module operative to maintain data exchange between each of said laundry vehicles and said network;

an in-vehicle address and laundry instruction module operative to receive said specific first customer location;

an in-vehicle precise time estimate module operative to immediately provide a precise time for one of said laundry vehicles to reach said specific first customer location;

an in-vehicle pickup/scheduling/routing module operative to efficiently route one of said laundry vehicles among a plurality of customer locations;

an in-vehicle master laundry module operative to control functionality of said modules;

said in-vehicle address and laundry instructions module further operative to receive specific laundry instructions and associate them with said specific first customer location;

said pickup/scheduling/routing module further operative to monitor locations of each of said laundry vehicles and efficiently route one of said laundry vehicles to said specific first customer location.

2. The electronic laundry vehicle network of claim 1, further comprising:

a hanging conveyor having thereon a plurality of laundry hanger apertures;

a conveyor control module operant to automatically control said hanging conveyor.

3. The electronic laundry vehicle network of claim 1, wherein:

said customer access service further comprises a mobile app and an in-vehicle interface to mobile app module operant to receive said specific first customer location.

4. The electronic laundry vehicle network of claim 1, wherein said non-volatile digital memory device further comprises:

a cost/receipt module operative to communicate with a printing device and print out special instructions indicators suitable for garment attachment.

5. A mobilized laundry service vehicle comprising:

a cargo vehicle;

said cargo vehicle equipped with a hanging conveyor having a movable rail, said rail having at least one individual hanger aperture dimensioned and configured to receive at least one laundry hanger;

said cargo vehicle further having a location tracking device, a central processing device and a non-volatile digital memory device;

said cargo vehicle further having a conveyor control module operant to automatically control said hanging conveyor;

said cargo vehicle further having an in-vehicle network interface module operative to maintain data exchange between said laundry vehicles and a computer network;

said cargo vehicle further having an in-vehicle address and laundry instruction module operative to receive a specific first customer location;

said cargo vehicle further having a precise time estimate module operative to immediately provide a precise time for said laundry vehicle to reach said specific first customer location;

said cargo vehicle further having a pickup/scheduling/routing module operative to efficiently route said laundry vehicle among a plurality of customer locations and, further operative to monitor locations of each of said laundry vehicles and efficiently route one of said laundry vehicles to said specific first customer location;

said cargo vehicle further having an in-vehicle master laundry module operative to control functionality of said modules;

said in-vehicle address and laundry instructions module further operative to receive specific laundry instructions and associate them with said specific first customer location.

6. The mobilized laundry service vehicle of claim 5, further comprising:

at least one hanger carrier upon such rail, said hanger carrier having said individual hanger aperture thereon.

7. The mobilized laundry service vehicle of claim 6, wherein the hanger aperture comprises:

a hanger slot defined by two hanger blocks.

8. The mobilized laundry service vehicle of claim 6, wherein the hanger carrier comprises:

a hanging compartment depending from the hanger carrier, the hanging compartment having therewithin a bar dimensioned and configured to hold laundry hangers, the hanging compartment dimensioned and configured to accept such laundry therewithin;

whereby such laundry hangs protected within the compartment.

9. The mobilized laundry service vehicle of claim 5, wherein:

said hanging conveyor depends from the ceiling of said cargo vehicle.

10. The mobilized laundry service vehicle of claim 5, wherein said non-volatile digital memory device further comprises:

a cost/receipt module operative to communicate with a printing device and print out special instructions indicators suitable for garment attachment.

11. A method of providing laundry service comprising the steps of:

providing a a customer access service operative to receive a specific first customer location;

calculating and providing a precise time until pickup of such laundry at said specific first customer location;

driving a mobilized laundry system vehicle to said specific first customer location, such mobilized laundry system vehicle having a location tracking device and a hanging conveyor and a module operant to automatically control said hanging conveyor;

picking up such laundry at said specific first customer location;

receiving specific laundry instructions and associating such specific laundry instructions with such specific first customer location;

handling such laundry by means of said automatically controlled hanging conveyor;

receiving payment and providing a receipt for such laundry;

scheduling a drop-off of such laundry;

laundering at a laundry facility such laundry according to such specific laundry instructions associated with such specific first customer location; and

returning to said specific first customer location such laundry.

12. The method of providing laundry service of claim 11, wherein:

said mobilized laundry system vehicle further comprises a cargo vehicle;

said hanging conveyor having a movable rail, said rail having at least one individual hanger aperture dimensioned and configured to receive at least one laundry hanger;

said cargo vehicle further having a central processing device and a non-volatile digital memory device;

said cargo vehicle further having an in-vehicle network interface module operative to maintain data exchange between said laundry vehicles and a computer network;

said cargo vehicle further having an in-vehicle address and laundry instruction module operative to receive a specific first customer location;

said cargo vehicle further having a precise time estimate module operative to immediately provide a precise time for said laundry vehicle to reach said specific first customer location;

said cargo vehicle further having a pickup/scheduling/routing module operative to efficiently route said laundry vehicle among a plurality of customer locations and further operative to monitor locations of each of said laundry vehicles and efficiently route one of said laundry vehicles to said specific first customer location;

said cargo vehicle further having an in-vehicle master laundry module operative to control functionality of said modules;

said in-vehicle address and laundry instructions module further operative to receive specific laundry instructions and associate them with said specific first customer location.

13. The method of providing laundry service of claim 11, wherein:

said customer access service further comprises a mobile app and an in-vehicle interface to mobile app module operant to receive said specific first customer location.