System for the monitor and control of rest rooms
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A rest room control system, comprising:
- one or more sensors configured to monitor or control a function associated with the rest room; and
a controller operably coupled to the one or more sensors, and configured to receive data therefrom associated with the function, and communicate a status condition associated with the function in response thereto;
wherein the one or more sensors comprises a flow meter, and wherein the function comprises a water flow through a water supply line of the rest room, and wherein the data comprises an indication whether a flow of water exists in the water supply line, or an amount of water used in the rest room over a period of time.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is directed to a rest room control system including one or more sensors configured to monitor or control a function associated with the rest room. The system also includes a controller operably coupled to the one or more sensors, and configured to receive data therefrom associated with the function, and communicate a status condition associated with the function in response thereto.
103 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A rest room control system, comprising:
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one or more sensors configured to monitor or control a function associated with the rest room; and a controller operably coupled to the one or more sensors, and configured to receive data therefrom associated with the function, and communicate a status condition associated with the function in response thereto; wherein the one or more sensors comprises a flow meter, and wherein the function comprises a water flow through a water supply line of the rest room, and wherein the data comprises an indication whether a flow of water exists in the water supply line, or an amount of water used in the rest room over a period of time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A rest room control system, comprising:
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one or more sensors configured to monitor or control a function associated with the rest room; and a controller operably coupled to the one or more sensors, and configured to receive data therefrom associated with the function, and communicate a status condition associated with the function in response thereto; wherein one sensor comprises a motion detector, and the function comprises indicating whether the rest room is occupied, and wherein the controller is further configured to maintain a count associated with a use of the facility based thereon, and wherein the status condition comprises an alarm when the count exceeds a predetermined threshold, wherein the alarm communicates a cleaning request, a rest room supply replenishment request, or a preventive maintenance request. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. A rest room control system, comprising:
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one or more sensors configured to monitor or control a function associated with the rest room; and a controller operably coupled to the one or more sensors, and configured to receive data therefrom associated with the function, and communicate a status condition associated with the function in response thereto; wherein the one or more sensors comprise a plurality of activation sensors, each associated with one of a plurality of toilets or urinals, or both, in the rest room, and wherein the controller or a global command unit associated therewith is configured to prevent more than a predetermined number of toilets or urinals, or both, to be flushed substantially simultaneously.
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14. A rest room control system, comprising:
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a plurality of controllers, wherein each of the controllers is operably associated with one of a plurality of rest rooms; a plurality of sensor groups, wherein each sensor group is associated with one of the rest rooms and operably associated with the controller associated with one of the rest rooms and operably associated with the controller associated therewith, wherein each sensor group comprises one or more sensors configured to monitor or control a function associated with the respective facility; and a global command unit operably coupled to each of the controllers, wherein each of the controllers is operably coupled to the one or more sensors in the respective facility, and is configured to receive data associated with the function and communicate a status condition associated with the function in response thereto, and wherein the global command unit is configured to receive the status conditions from each of the controllers, analyze the status conditions and provide global status indications or alarm indications based thereon. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of monitoring a rest room, comprising:
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operably associating a sensor or a fixture controller, or both, with a fixture in the rest room; operably associating the sensor or fixture controller, or both, to a rest room controller; sensing or controlling a function associated with the fixture with the sensor or fixture controller, respectively; transmitting data indicative of the function from the sensor or fixture controller, or both, to the rest room controller; and analyzing the transmitted data with the rest room controller and communicating a status condition associated with the function; wherein the function associated with the fixture comprises a water flow associated with a water supply line, and wherein analyzing the transmitted data comprises; determining whether water is flowing in a water supply line during an out-of-use time period; closing a valve associated with the water supply line in the affirmative; and generating an alarm notification associated therewith;
or wherein analyzing the transmitted data comprises;determining an amount of water flowing in a water supply line over a predetermined period of time; determining whether the amount of water in the predetermined time period falls within an expected range; and generating an alarm notification if the amount of water is not within the expected range.
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19. A method of monitoring a rest room, comprising:
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operably associating a sensor or a fixture controller, or both, with a fixture in the rest room; operably associating the sensor or fixture controller, or both, to a rest room controller; sensing or controlling a function associated with the fixture with the sensor or fixture controller, respectively; transmitting data indicative of the function from the sensor or fixture controller, or both, to the rest room controller; and analyzing the transmitted data with the rest room controller and communicating a status condition associated with the function; wherein the sensor comprises a patron call device configured to be manually activated upon a need for service associated with the rest room, wherein communicating a status condition comprises transmitting an alarm indication to one or more devices. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method of monitoring a rest room, comprising:
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operably associating a sensor or a fixture controller, or both, with a fixture in the rest room; operably associating the sensor or fixture controller, or both, to a rest room controller; sensing or controlling a function associated with the fixture with the sensor or fixture controller, respectively; transmitting data indicative of the function from the sensor or fixture controller, or both, to the rest room controller; and analyzing the transmitted data with the rest room controller and communicating a status condition associated with the function; wherein the sensor comprises one or more activation sensors associated with one or more like fixtures, respectively, and wherein sensing a function comprises monitoring usage of the one or more fixtures at a given time or over a period of time, or a plurality of sensors comprising a plurality of activation sensors, each associated with one of a plurality of toilets or urinals in the rest room, and further comprising; evaluating an activation of the plurality of toilets or urinals, or both; and preventing more than a predetermined number of toilets or urinals, or both, to be flushed substantially simultaneously. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26)
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Specification