Mobile floor cleaner data communication
View Patent ↗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.
1. A mobile floor cleaner comprising:
a mobile body;
a motorized cleaning tool supported by the mobile body;
a sensor configured to produce an output signal based on usage of the mobile floor cleaner;
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, wherein the data includes usage information including a period of time that the mobile floor cleaner has been operated, which is based on the output signal.
2. The mobile floor cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the communicator is a radio frequency communicator.
3. 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 steps of:
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 usage information including a period of time that the mobile floor cleaner has been operated.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the period of time corresponds to the amount of time that the motorized cleaning tool has been operated.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the period of time corresponds to the amount of time that the mobile floor cleaner has been operated since a preceding data communication with the remote receiver.
6. The method of claim 3 , further comprising a step of sensing usage of the mobile floor cleaner, wherein the period of time is based on the sensing step.
7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising a step of triggering the initiating step at predetermined intervals.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the sensing step comprises sensing when the mobile floor cleaner is being operated.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the sensing step comprises sensing when a cleaning operation is taking place.
10. The method of claim 3 , further comprising steps of:
sensing usage of a consumable component of the mobile floor cleaner;
estimating a period of usage of the consumable component based on the sensing step; and
triggering the initiating step when the period of usage reaches a predetermined relationship to a threshold value.
11. The method of claim 3 , wherein the communicating step further comprises communicating the data using a radio frequency transmitter.
12. The method of claim 3 , further comprising sensing a remaining amount of a cleaning liquid component supported on the mobile body, wherein the data includes a measure of the remaining amount of the consumable supply.
13. The method of claim 3 , wherein the data includes an identification of the mobile floor cleaner.
14. 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 steps of:
sensing usage of the mobile floor cleaner;
initiating a radio frequency data communication from the communicator to the remote receiver; and
communicating data to the remote receiver with the communicator, wherein the data includes an identification of the mobile floor cleaner and usage information including a period of time that the mobile floor cleaner has been operated, which is based on the sensing step.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising a step of triggering the initiating step at predetermined intervals.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the predetermined intervals are based on the sensing step.
17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the sensing step comprises sensing when the mobile floor cleaner is being operated.
18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the sensing step comprises sensing when a cleaning operation is taking place.
19. The method of claim 14 , wherein:
the sensing step includes sensing usage of a consumable component of the mobile floor cleaner; and
the method further comprises:
estimating a period of usage of the consumable component based on the sensing step; and
triggering the initiating step when the period of usage reaches a predetermined relationship to a threshold value.
20. The method of claim 14 , further comprising sensing a remaining amount of a cleaning liquid component supported on the mobile body, wherein the data includes a measure of the remaining amount of the consumable supply.