Mobile floor cleaner data communication

• US 20060103523A1
• Filed: 11/10/2005
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tennant Company
• Original Assignee: Tennant Company
• Inventors: Field, Bruce F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,199,711 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/540
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4011 Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor

Abstract

In a method of communicating data from a mobile floor cleaner to a remote receiver a data communication is initiated from a communicator of the mobile floor cleaner to the remote receiver and data is communicated to the remote receiver with the communicator.

Claims

1. A method of communicating data from a mobile floor cleaner to a remote receiver, the mobile floor cleaner including a mobile body, a motorized cleaning tool supported by the mobile body, a controller and a communicator, the method comprising:

initiating a data communication from the communicator to the remote receiver; and

communicating data to the remote receiver with the communicator.

2. The method of claim 1 including sensing a condition of a component of the mobile floor cleaner, wherein the data includes information relating to the condition of the component.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the component includes a consumable supply and the condition includes a remaining amount of the consumable supply.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data includes information stored in a memory of the mobile floor cleaner.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the data includes cleaner information including information selected from the group consisting of an identification of the mobile floor cleaner and usage of the mobile floor cleaner.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the data includes service information selected from the group consisting of an order for a service to be performed on the mobile floor cleaner and an order for a consumable supply used by the mobile floor cleaner.

7. The method of claim 1, including communicating a service request to a service agent in response to the communicating data to the remote receiver.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the service request includes service information including information selected from the group consisting of an order for a service to be performed on the mobile floor cleaner and an order for a consumable supply used by the mobile floor cleaner.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the communicating the service request includes sending an email message to the service agent.

10. The method of claim 1 including detecting a trigger event, wherein the initiating a data communication is performed in response to the detecting a trigger event.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the detecting a trigger event includes detecting an output signal from a sensor.

12. A method of communicating data from a mobile floor cleaner to a remote receiver, the mobile floor cleaner including a mobile body, a motorized cleaning tool supported by the mobile body, a controller and a communicator, the method comprising:

sensing a condition of a component of the mobile floor cleaner;

initiating a data communication from the communicator to the remote receiver; and

communicating data to the remote receiver with the communicator, wherein the data includes information relating to the condition of the component.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the component includes a consumable supply and the condition includes a remaining amount of the consumable supply.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the data includes information stored in a memory of the mobile floor cleaner.

15. The method of claim 12, including communicating a service request to a service agent in response to the communicating data to the remote receiver, wherein the service request includes information selected from the group consisting of an order for a service to be performed on the mobile floor cleaner and an order for a consumable supply used by the mobile floor cleaner.

16. A mobile floor cleaner comprising:

a mobile body;

a motorized cleaning tool supported by the mobile body;

a communicator; and

a controller configured to initiate a data communication from the communicator to the remote receiver and to communicate data to the remote receiver.

17. The mobile floor cleaner of claim 16 including a sensor having an output signal that is indicative of a condition of a component of the mobile floor cleaner, wherein the data includes information relating to the condition of the component indicated by the output signal.

18. The mobile floor cleaner of claim 17 including a consumable supply, wherein the output signal is indicative of a remaining amount of the consumable supply.

19. The mobile floor cleaner of claim 16 including a memory and information stored in the memory, wherein the data includes the information.

20. The mobile floor cleaner of claim 19, wherein the information includes information selected from the group consisting of an identification of the mobile floor cleaner and usage of the mobile floor cleaner.