Systems and methods for tracking a cleaning device in a shopping space

1. A system for tracking a cleaning device in a shopping space comprising:

a sound sensor array comprising a plurality of stationary sound sensors positioned throughout the shopping space;

a cleaning device database storing location information and sound profiles associated with a plurality of cleaning device identifiers; and

a control circuit coupled to the sound sensor array and the cleaning device database, the control circuit being configured to:

identify, in sounds captured by the sound sensor array, a cleaning device sound made by a movement of a cleaning device traveling in the shopping space based on one or more of a frequency, tone, modulation, amplitude, and duration of the sounds captured by the sound sensor array;

determine a current location of the cleaning device based on triangulation of the cleaning device sound and amplitudes of the cleaning device sound captured by two or more of the stationary sound sensors spaced apart from one another in the shopping space;

match the cleaning device to a cleaning device identifier in the cleaning device database based on at least comparing the current location of the cleaning device to the location information of the plurality of cleaning device identifiers and comparing the cleaning device sound with the sound profiles of the plurality of cleaning device identifiers;

update the location information associated the cleaning device identifier in the cleaning device database based on the current location of the cleaning device;

update the sound profile of the cleaning device identifier based on the cleaning device sound captured by the sound sensor array; and

determine that a component of the cleaning device needs to be replaced based on at least one of a distance traveled by the cleaning device, a duration of operation of the cleaning device, and a detected change in one or more cleaning device sounds over time.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning device is matched to the cleaning device identifier further based on comparing the current location of the cleaning device with a direction of travel associated with the plurality of cleaning device identifiers.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning device sound corresponds to at least one of a sound produced by a cleaning surface of the cleaning device contacting a floor surface being cleaned by the cleaning device, a sound produced by a fuel container coupled to the cleaning device, a sound produced by a pump coupled to the cleaning device, and a sound produced by a motor coupled to the cleaning device.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sound sensor array comprises a plurality of directional microphones.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to determine a route traveled by the cleaning device based on a history of tracked locations of the cleaning device over time.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to generate an alert that the component of the cleaning device needs to be replaced.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a cleaning schedule database storing floor cleaning schedules for the shopping space, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

determine an optimum schedule and/or route for the cleaning device in one or more zones in the shopping space based on known customer traffic patterns in the one or more zones of the shopping space; and

update the cleaning schedule database to reflect the optimum schedule and/or route for the cleaning device in the one or more zones of the shopping space.

8. A method for tracking a cleaning device in a shopping space comprising:

identifying, in sounds captured by a sound sensor array comprising a plurality of stationary sound sensors positioned throughout the shopping space, a cleaning device sound made by a movement of a cleaning device traveling in the shopping space based on one or more of a frequency, tone, modulation, amplitude, and duration of the sounds captured by the sound sensor array;

determining, by a control circuit coupled to the sound sensor array, a current location of the cleaning device based on triangulation of the cleaning device sound and amplitudes of the cleaning device sound captured by two or more of the stationary sound sensors spaced apart from one another in the shopping space;

matching, by the control circuit, the cleaning device to a cleaning device identifier in a cleaning device database storing location information and sound profiles associated with a plurality of cleaning device identifiers, based at least on comparing the current location of the cleaning device to the location information of the plurality of cleaning device identifiers and comparing the cleaning device sound with the sound profiles of the plurality of cleaning device identifiers;

updating, by the control circuit, the location information associated the cleaning device identifier in the cleaning device database based on the current location of the cleaning device;

updating, by the control circuit, the sound profile of the cleaning device identifier based on the cleaning device sound captured by the sound sensor array; and

determining that a component of the cleaning device needs to be replaced based on at least one of a distance traveled by the cleaning device, a duration of operation of the cleaning device, and a detected change in one or more cleaning device sounds over time.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein matching the cleaning device to the cleaning device identifier further comprises: comparing the current location of the cleaning device with a direction of travel associated with the plurality of cleaning device identifiers.

10. The method of claim 8 , where the cleaning device sound corresponds to at least one of a sound produced by a cleaning surface of the cleaning device contacting a floor surface being cleaned by the cleaning device, a sound produced by a fuel container coupled to the cleaning device, a sound produced by a pump coupled to the cleaning device, and a sound produced by a motor coupled to the cleaning device.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the sound sensor array comprises a plurality of directional microphones.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising determining a route traveled by the cleaning device based on a history of tracked locations of the cleaning device over time.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising generating an alert that the component of the cleaning device needs to be replaced.

14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

determining an optimum schedule and/or route for the cleaning device in one or more zones in the shopping space based on known customer traffic patterns in the one or more zones of the shopping space; and

updating a cleaning schedule database to reflect the optimum schedule and/or route for the cleaning device in the one or more zones of the shopping space.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the plurality of stationary sound sensors are installed in at least one of a celling, pillar, beam, module, or display shelf in the shopping space.

16. The method of claim 8 , wherein one or more of the plurality of stationary sound sensors are installed in at least one of a celling, pillar, beam, module, or display shelf in the shopping space.