Monitoring and controlling processes at a vehicle wash facility
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- monitoring at least one environmental parameter that influences operation of a vehicle wash facility managed by a remote management facility;
monitoring process data concerning operation of the vehicle wash facility with a controller which includes monitoring a current quantity remaining of at least one chemical product at the vehicle wash facility;
transmitting the at least one environmental parameter and the process data to a server computer at the remote management facility;
analyzing, with the at least one computer at the remote management facility, the received environmental parameter and the received process data;
predicting, with the computer at the remote management facility, a time point indicating an expected time at which a supply of the at least one chemical is expected to run out based on the current quantity remaining of the at least one chemical and on the at least one environmental parameter;
providing, from the computer at the remote management facility, a notification based on the time point; and
transmitting a command concerning operation of the vehicle wash facility from the at least one computer at the remote management facility to the vehicle wash facility based on the analysis.
9 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.
86 Citations
29 Claims
-
1. A method comprising:
-
monitoring at least one environmental parameter that influences operation of a vehicle wash facility managed by a remote management facility; monitoring process data concerning operation of the vehicle wash facility with a controller which includes monitoring a current quantity remaining of at least one chemical product at the vehicle wash facility; transmitting the at least one environmental parameter and the process data to a server computer at the remote management facility; analyzing, with the at least one computer at the remote management facility, the received environmental parameter and the received process data; predicting, with the computer at the remote management facility, a time point indicating an expected time at which a supply of the at least one chemical is expected to run out based on the current quantity remaining of the at least one chemical and on the at least one environmental parameter; providing, from the computer at the remote management facility, a notification based on the time point; and transmitting a command concerning operation of the vehicle wash facility from the at least one computer at the remote management facility to the vehicle wash facility based on the analysis. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A computer-readable medium comprising instruction to cause a programmable processor to:
-
monitor at least one environmental parameter that influences operation of at least one of a plurality of vehicle wash facilities managed by a remote management facility; monitor process data concerning operation of the vehicle wash facility with a controller which includes monitoring a current quantity remaining of at least one chemical product at the vehicle wash facility; transmit the at least one environmental parameter and the process data to at least one computer at the remote management facility; analyze, with the at least one server computer at the remote management facility, the received environmental parameter and the received process data at the remote management facility; predict a time point indicating an expected time at which a supply of the at least one chemical is expected to run out based on the current quantity remaining of the at least one chemical and on the at least one environmental parameter; provide notification based on the time point; and transmit a command concerning operation of the at least one vehicle wash facility from the at least one server computer to the vehicle wash facility based on the analysis. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A method for remotely managing a vehicle wash process at a vehicle wash facility, wherein at least one chemical is applied to one or more vehicles during the vehicle wash process, the method comprising:
-
receiving, at a client computer remotely located from the vehicle wash facility, vehicle wash process data from the vehicle wash facility, including receiving a current quantity remaining of at least one chemical product at the vehicle wash facility; receiving, at the client computer, an environmental parameter that influences application of the chemical to the vehicle during the vehicle wash process; analyzing, at the client computer, the vehicle wash process data and the environmental parameter; predicting, with the computer at the remote management facility, a time point indicating an expected time at which a supply of the at least one chemical is expected to run out based on the current quantity remaining of the at least one chemical and on the at least one environmental parameter; providing, from the computer at the remote management facility, a notification based on the time point; and transmitting a message from the client computer to the vehicle wash facility based on the analysis. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
-
Specification