Telemetry system for floor maintenance machines

• US 4,766,432 A
• Filed: 03/14/1986
• Issued: 08/23/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tennant Company
• Original Assignee: Tennant Company
• Inventors: Field, Bruce F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Caldwell, Sr., John W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Holloway, III, Edwin C.
• Application Number:
  US06/839,879
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.07, 340/825.1, 340/825.16, 340/825.17, 340/825.36, 340/825.72, 340/825.73, 340/825.75, 340/825.76, 340/518, 340/525, 340/679 , 340/685, 340/870.07, 340/870.28, 15/319, 15/320, 15/340, 15/339, 15/98, 15/49 R, 15/50 R, 15/385
• US Class Current: 340/870.07
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4011 Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4036 Parts or details of the surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/00 Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 15/10 the signals being represented by frequencies or phase of current or voltage in transmission link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link

Abstract

A telemetry system for a surface maintenance machine such as a scrubber or a sweeper has a plurality of sensors which monitor machine operating conditions. The sensors are periodically scanned and repetitive outputs indicative of sensor condition are used to provide tone coded telemetry signals. The tone coded signals are modulated on a suitable carrier frequency and are sent to a receiver which is remote from the sensors. The receiver decodes the tone coded signals to provide a display of the conditions being monitored by the sensors. The tone coded outputs from the transmitter also include an identification of the particular machine which is providing information for the display at the receiver.

Claims

1. In a mobile unattended surface maintenance machine having rotating surface maintenance tools, a telemetry system including:

a plurality of sensors to monitor certain operating conditions relating to use of the rotating surface maintenance tools,

scanning means connected thereto for repetitively providing condition signals therefrom,

code generating means connected to provide code outputs in accordance with the sensor condition signals as scanned by said scanning means,

code decoding means located remotely from the unattended surface maintenance machine,

a communications link between said code generating means and said code decoding means, said decoding means providing output signals indicative of the conditions of said sensors, and

a display connected to said code decoding means to display the conditions of said sensors.

2. The surface maintenance machine of claim 1 further characterized in that said communications link includes a transmitter connected to said code generating means and a receiver connected to said code decoding means.

3. The surface maintenance machine system of claim 2 further characterized in that said transmitter modulates the code outputs onto a carrier having power suitable for transmission over a relatively short distance, and said receiver demodulates said code output.

4. The surface maintenance machine of claim 1 further characterized in that said code generating means provides a machine identifying code which is repetitively communicated to said code decoding means.

5. A method for remotely monitoring the operating conditions of one or more unmanned mobile floor maintenance machines, including the steps of sensing predetermined operating conditions of each floor maintenance machine and periodically transmitting signals relating to its identity and said sensed operating conditions to a location remote from the machine and displaying the identity and sensed conditions of a particular machine at the remote location.