Bathroom servicing request communication devices and method

• US 7,990,267 B1
• Filed: 10/20/2008
• Issued: 08/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: WHB Consulting Services, Inc.
• Original Assignee: WHB Consulting Services, Inc.
• Inventors: Bodenhamer, William Jr., Hertz, Allen D
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg; George A
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAU, HOI CHING
• Application Number:
  US12/254,830
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• Field of Search: 340/540, 340/286.07, 340/286.09, 340/286.02, 340/286.06
• US Class Current: 340/540
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

The present invention describes a restroom attendant system. The restroom attendant system utilizes a notification device placed in a restroom. A patron would select a request for service button when the patron recognizes that the restroom needs servicing. The notification device can include a cancel feature as well as indicators to indicate when a request for service is in process and if the restroom is considered cleaned. The notification device would communicate with either a main terminal or a service person. The main terminal can further monitor the time between cleanings and request that a restroom be serviced should the time since the previous servicing exceeds an acceptable time-span. The information can be stored, printed, and uploaded to a central receiving station.

Claims

1. A restroom service requesting system, said system comprising:

a restroom attending apparatus located in a restroom, said restroom attending apparatus comprising;

a user request servicing input device providing a user a device to request servicing, and

a communications transmitting circuit to communicate to a service person that a request for servicing has been made,

a bathroom attendant main terminal comprising;

a communications receiving circuit in signal communication with the restroom attending apparatus,

terminal operational software and circuitry, said terminal operational software comprising a software portion which identifies when the service complete input has been cycled and records a respective time of service complete input cycling, a software portion which monitors a time since the most recent time of service, and a software portion which notifies a service person that the time since the most recent time of service has exceeded a predetermined time span,

a clock,

a user interface informing a service person the restroom needs attending; and

a service complete input, the service complete input being provided on at least one of the bathroom attendant main terminal and the restroom attending apparatus.

2. A restroom service requesting system as recited in claim 1, wherein the communications transmitting circuit utilises a wireless transmission.

3. A restroom service requesting system as recited in claim 1, the system further comprising a plurality of restroom attending apparatus located in a plurality of restrooms;

and

the bathroom attendant main terminal further comprising a user interface referencing each restroom having a restroom attending apparatus.

4. A restroom service requesting system as recited in claim 1,

the bathroom attendant main terminal additionally incorporating a touch screen interface.

5. A restroom service requesting system, said system comprising:

at least one restroom attending apparatus located in at least one restroom, each restroom attending apparatus comprising;

a user request servicing input device providing a user a device to request servicing,

an identifier for each restroom attending apparatus, and

a communications transmitting circuit to communicate to a service person that a request for servicing has been made,

a bathroom attendant main terminal comprising;

a communications receiving circuit in signal communication with the restroom attending apparatus,

terminal operational software and circuitry, said terminal operational software comprising a software portion which identifies when the service complete input has been cycled and records a respective time of service complete input cycling, a software portion which monitors a time since the most recent time of service, and a software portion which notifies a service person that the time since the most recent time of service has exceeded a predetermined time span,

a clock circuit; and

a user interface informing a service person the restroom needs attending; and

a service complete input, the service complete input being provided on at least one of the bathroom attendant main terminal and the restroom attending apparatus.

6. A restroom service requesting system as recited in claim 5, wherein the communications transmitting circuit utilizes a wireless transmission.

7. A restroom service requesting system as recited in claim 5, the bathroom attendant main terminal additionally incorporating a touch screen interface.

8. A restroom service requesting system, said system comprising:

a restroom attending apparatus located in a restroom, said restroom attending apparatus comprising;

a user request servicing input device providing a user a device to request servicing, and

a communications transmitting circuit to communicate to a service person that a request for servicing has been made,

a bathroom attendant main terminal comprising;

a communications receiving circuit in signal communication with the restroom attending apparatus,

terminal operational software and circuitry, said terminal operational software comprising a software portion which identifies when the service complete input has been cycled and records a respective time of service complete input cycling, a software portion which monitors a time since the most recent time of service, and a software portion which notifies a service person that the time since the most recent time of service has exceeded a predetermined time span,

a clock circuit,

an electronic data storage device, wherein said terminal operational software stores and maintains a historical record of restroom service requests and restroom service events, wherein the historical records include a time, date and status of each restroom service request and each restroom service event,

a user interface informing a service person the restroom needs attending; and

a service complete input, the service complete input being provided on at least one of the bathroom attendant main terminal and the restroom attending apparatus.

9. A restroom service requesting system as recited in claim 8, wherein the historical records include a time, date and status of each restroom service request and each restroom service event.