SMART RESTROOM SYSTEMS AND DEVICES FOR THE SAME

Description

PRIORITY

This application claims the priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/677,888, filed on Jul. 31, 2024, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

The present invention relates generally to portable restrooms, restroom trailers, portable vacuum toilets and service vehicles for the same and consumables for the same, and more particularly to smart features and devices for portable restrooms, service vehicles and consumables.

BACKGROUND

Portable restrooms come in a variety of sizes and configurations. Portable restrooms are normally serviced by the company that rents them out to event organizers. Often the servicing requires the use of a vehicle such as a truck that removes or vacuums the waste from the waste tank of the portable restroom. Any consumables, such as deodorants, toilet paper, hand sanitizer and/or soap, etc. are also replenished during a servicing. The portable restroom is also typically cleaned during a servicing and inspected for any damage.

The services are performed periodically based upon the passage of time, or sometimes if a special service request is called in to the servicing company by the customer. The frequency is selected based upon an estimated volume of users that are expected to use the restroom in a given day or during an event. It can be very difficult to correctly estimate the number of uses a given restroom might see during an event or time period. Just the physical placement of a restroom in relation to any neighboring restrooms can make a big difference in the number of uses it sees. One restroom may get used 50 times per day, while another restroom at the same event may only get used 5 times per day, but the rental contract states that they all must be serviced with the same frequency. This often causes some restrooms to get dirty or full sooner than others. A dirty, foul smelling and/or full portable restroom creates an extremely unsanitary condition for the user, and an undesirable image towards the event, event host, rental company and portable restrooms in general. Thus, there is a need for improved portable restrooms that address one or more of the above-mentioned drawbacks.

SUMMARY

The present invention provides an improved restroom that addresses some or all of the deficiencies noted above. In one aspect, the invention is a portable restroom that helps to prevent the occurrence of a dirty portable restroom, greatly increases the comfort of the user, promotes good hygiene, and provides critical real-time data gathering capabilities for the portable restroom service operator.

In one example, a portable restroom is provided with a suite of sensors and control electronics to monitor and report real time conditions and usage data for the portable restroom. Similar technology can be applied to service trucks, restroom trailers, and portable vacuum toilets. A central control computer (also referred to as a central computer system) can maintain databases of data and alerts for each restroom and truck. The central control computer can also track and manage inventory of consumable products for the portable restrooms. A user app can interface with the central control computer to monitor restroom status and consumable consumption, route service technicians and manage inventory of consumables, among other functions and features that will be described in more detail below.

In another example, a portable toilet system comprises a plurality of portable toilets, a central computer system, a portable computing device (for example a smart phone or tablet) and a smart appliance disposed in each of the plurality of toilets. The smart appliance comprises a housing, a processor and memory disposed inside of the housing, a battery electrically coupled to the processor, a wireless transceiver disposed in the housing, a global positioning system (GPS) decoder chipset disposed in the housing, a humidity sensor disposed in the housing, an accelerometer disposed in the housing, a temperature sensor disposed in the housing, and a waste level sensor disposed in the housing. Each of the plurality of portable toilets is networked with the central computer system via the wireless transceiver. The processor of each smart appliance is configured to transmit wirelessly to the central computer system a plurality of sensor data collected by the humidity sensor, the accelerometer, the temperature sensor and the waste level sensor. The processor of each smart appliance is configured to transmit wirelessly to the central computer system a GPS location data. The portable computing device is configured to obtain from the central computer system the plurality of sensor data and the GPS data for at least one of the plurality of portable toilets and generate a display screen on the portable computing device depicting a location on a map for the at least one of the plurality of portable toilets, a temperature of the at least one of the plurality of portable toilets, a humidity of the at least one of the plurality of portable toilets and a waste level of the at least one of the plurality of portable toilets.

A solar cell panel can be disposed on at least one of the plurality of portable toilets, wherein the solar cell panel is electrically coupled to the battery.

The central computer system can be configured to determine automatically that a servicing procedure has been performed on at least one of the plurality of portable toilets by recognizing from a data from the waste level sensor that the waste tank of the least one of the plurality of portable toilets has been emptied followed by being refilled to a pre-charge level.

The central computer system can be configured to determine a number of uses of each of the plurality of portable toilets, and wherein the portable computing device is configured to obtain from the central computer system the number of uses for at least one of the plurality of portable toilets and generate on the display screen on the portable computing device an indication of the number of uses for the at least one of the plurality of portable toilets.

The portable computing device can be configured via a software application executing on the portable computing device to generate a route screen that lists a plurality of routes for portable toilets assigned to a service technician. The portable computing device can be configured to generate for each of the plurality of routes a screen that lists each of the plurality of portable toilets assigned a respective route.

The central computer system can be configured to push an alert notification to the portable computing device regarding at least one of the plurality of portable toilets. The alert notification can be an indication that a maximum number of uses has been reached, an indication that a tip over has been sensed, an indication that an interior temperature has dropped below a preset low threshold value or risen above a preset high threshold value, an indication that a voltage of the battery is below a preset threshold value, an indication that a cleaning is needed, and/or an indication that a consumable is in need of refilling. The portable computing device can be configured via the software application to generate a display screen listing the alert notification and an identification of the one of the plurality of portable toilets corresponding to the alert notification.

In a further example, a portable toilet system comprises a central computer system, a portable computing device, and a plurality of portable toilets. Each of the plurality of portable toilets comprises an enclosure, a processor and memory disposed inside of the enclosure, a battery electrically coupled to the processor, a wireless transceiver disposed in the enclosure, a global positioning system (GPS) decoder chipset disposed in the enclosure, a humidity sensor disposed in the enclosure, an accelerometer disposed in the enclosure, a temperature sensor disposed in the enclosure, and a waste level sensor disposed in the enclosure. Each of the plurality of portable toilets is networked with the central computer system via the wireless transceiver. The processor of each of the plurality of portable toilets is configured to transmit wirelessly to the central computer system a plurality of sensor data collected by the humidity sensor, the accelerometer, the temperature sensor and the waste level sensor. The processor of each of the plurality of portable toilets is configured to transmit wirelessly to the central computer system a GPS location data. The portable computing device is configured to obtain from the central computer system the plurality of sensor data and the GPS data for at least one of the plurality of portable toilets and generate a display screen on the portable computing device depicting a location on a map for the at least one of the plurality of portable toilets, a temperature of the at least one of the plurality of portable toilets, a humidity of the at least one of the plurality of portable toilets and a waste level of the at least one of the plurality of portable toilets.

The central computer system can be configured to determine a number of uses of each of the plurality of portable toilets, and wherein the portable computing device is configured to obtain from the central computer system the number of uses for at least one of the plurality of portable toilets and generate on the display screen on the portable computing device an indication of the number of uses for the at least one of the plurality of portable toilets.

Also provided is a method of monitoring a plurality of portable toilets. The method comprises networking a plurality of portable toilets with a central computing system and at least one portable computing device, sensing by each of the plurality of portable toilets a temperature inside of the portable toilet, a humidity inside of the portable toilet and a waste tank level inside of the portable toilet, determining by each of the plurality of portable toilets a GPS location for the toilet, transmitting wirelessly by each of the plurality of portable toilets to the central computing system the temperature inside of the portable toilet, the humidity inside of the portable toilet, the waste tank level inside of the portable toilet and the GPS location for the toilet and issuing by the central computing system an alert notice to the at least one portable computing device when at least one of the temperature inside of the portable toilet, the humidity inside of the portable toilet and the waste tank level inside of the portable toilet exceeds and/or falls below a preset threshold value.

A route list can be generated automatically on the at least one portable computing device, the route list identifying each route assigned to a particular service technician, wherein each route comprises one or more of the plurality of portable toilets networked with the central computing system.

A report screen can be generated on the portable computing device depicting for a particular one of the plurality of portable toilets, a location on a map for the particular one of the plurality of portable toilets, a temperature of the particular one of the plurality of portable toilets, a humidity of the particular one of the plurality of portable toilets, a waste level of the particular one of the plurality of portable toilets and a number of uses of the particular one of the plurality of portable toilets.

The report screen generated on the portable computing device of the particular one of the plurality of portable toilets can further include a depiction of a battery level for the particular one of the plurality of portable toilets, whether an emergency assistance button has been activated for the particular one of the plurality of portable toilets, a condition of a pump of the particular one of the plurality of portable toilets, and whether cleaning of the particular one of the plurality of portable toilets is needed.

At least one preset threshold value for temperature, waste tank level or maximum uses can be set via a computer interface screen of a computing device networked with the central computing system.

The performance of a servicing procedure on a particular toilet can be automatically determined by the central computing system recognizing from the waste tank sensor data from the particular toilet that the waste tank has been emptied followed by being refilled to a pre-charge level.

The above summary is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, or describe each embodiment, aspect, implementation, feature or advantage of the invention. The detailed technology and preferred embodiments for the subject invention are described in the following paragraphs accompanying the appended drawings for people skilled in this field to well appreciate the features of the claimed invention. It is understood that the features mentioned hereinbefore and those to be commented on hereinafter may be used not only in the specified combinations, but also in other combinations or in isolation, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a smart restroom system according to certain example embodiments.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of a smart service vehicle that is part of an integrated smart restroom system according to certain example embodiments.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of an integrated portable restroom management system according to certain example embodiments.

FIG. 4 is a graphical user interface for an integrated smart restroom system according to certain example embodiments.

FIG. 5 is a graphical user interface for an integrated smart restroom system according to certain example embodiments.

FIG. 6 is a graphical user interface for an integrated smart restroom system according to certain example embodiments.

FIG. 7 is a graphical user interface for an integrated smart restroom system according to certain example embodiments.

FIG. 8 is a graphical user interface for an integrated smart restroom system according to certain example embodiments.

FIG. 9 is a graphical user interface for an integrated smart restroom system according to certain example embodiments.

FIG. 10 is a graphical user interface for an integrated smart restroom system according to certain example embodiments.

FIG. 11 is a graphical user interface for an integrated smart restroom system according to certain example embodiments.

FIG. 12 is a graphical user interface for an integrated smart restroom system according to certain example embodiments.

FIG. 13 is a graphical user interface for an integrated smart restroom system according to certain example embodiments.

FIG. 14 is a graphical user interface for an integrated smart restroom system according to certain example embodiments.

FIG. 15 is a graphical user interface for an integrated smart restroom system according to certain example embodiments.

FIG. 16 is a graphical user interface for an integrated smart restroom system according to certain example embodiments.

FIG. 17 is a graphical user interface for an integrated smart restroom system according to certain example embodiments.

FIG. 18 is a graphical user interface for an integrated smart restroom system according to certain example embodiments.

While the invention is amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the intention is not to limit the invention to the particular example embodiments described. On the contrary, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following descriptions, the present invention will be explained with reference to various exemplary embodiments. Nevertheless, these embodiments are not intended to limit the present invention to any specific example, environment, application, or particular implementation described herein. Therefore, descriptions of these example embodiments are only provided for purpose of illustration rather than to limit the present invention.

The features and aspects of the present invention can be adapted to a wide variety of portable restroom configurations, including for example, the portable restrooms disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,975,325, entitled PORTABLE TOILET and the portable restroom disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 10,822,823, entitled PORTABLE RESTROOM. U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,975,325 and 10,822,823 are both hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. Other portable restroom configurations and proportions, including restroom trailers, multi-urinal modules, portable vacuum toilets, multi-toilet modules, etc. can be provided without departing from the scope of the invention, unless explicitly indicated in a particular claim. The terms “restroom” and “toilet” are used interchangeably throughout this application and broadly encompass a wide variety of portable restroom configurations and proportions, including single portable restrooms, restroom trailers, multi-urinal modules, portable vacuum toilets and multi-toilet modules.

Referring to FIG. 1, a diagram of a smart appliance 100 for portable toilets 102, 103 and 104 is shown. The portable toilet (also referred to herein as a restroom or toilet) can be of any configuration, such as, for example, a conventional portable restroom 102, a restroom trailer 103 and a multi-urinal module 104. Each of the portable toilets 102, 103 and 104 comprises an enclosure 105. The smart appliance 100 is disposed inside of the enclosure or on the enclosure 105.

The smart appliance 100 communicates wirelessly 106, such as via a cellular network and/or the Internet, with a central control computer system 108. The central control computer system 108 can be a cloud computing system or one or more servers located remotely from the portable toilet 102, 103, 104.

The smart appliance 100 comprises a housing 110 that encloses some or all of the electronic components that are necessary to perform the functions of the smart appliance 100. For example, the smart appliance 100 can include a processor and memory 112 to control the functions of the smart appliance 100. The processor can comprise a microcontroller, or microprocessor, with associated physical memory. The software code controlling the operation and function of the smart appliance 100 is stored in the memory and executed by the microcontroller. The memory may include one or more non-volatile storage devices and/or one or more volatile storage devices (e.g., random access memory (RAM)).

A power source 114, such as a lithium battery, can be provided to the housing 112 to power the processor and various electronic components. The battery can include a battery management system (BMS) onboard, or the BMS can be integrated into the processor's electronics board or controlled by the processor 112.

A wireless transceiver 116 is also provided and communicates with the processor 112. The wireless transceiver 116 can be a cellular chipset, Wi-Fi transceiver, Bluetooth transceiver, satellite communications transmitter/receiver or other wireless communication means (or any combination thereof).

A plurality of sensors can also be provided to the smart appliance 100, including a global positioning system (GPS) decoder chipset 118, a humidity sensor 120, an accelerometer 122 or shock or tilt sensor, a gas sensor 124, a temperature sensor 126 and a waste level sensor 128. Each of these sensors is in communication with the processor 112 so that the processor can periodically record the sensor's data and report results to the central control computer system 108. These sensors can be disposed inside of the housing 110 or any of them can be located remote from the housing and linked via wired conduit or wirelessly to the processor 112. For example, the waste level sensor 128 can be located inside of, or adjacent to, the waste tank of the restroom.

Additional sensors can also be provided, including, for example, an occupancy sensor, a fresh water level sensor, toilet paper level sensor, hand sanitizer level sensor, door open/close sensor, door lock sensor and a light sensor. Also, the processor can control actuators or relays for turning lights on/off, locking/unlocking doors, etc. upon commands sent from the central computer 108 and/or a user mobile computing device 109 or remote computing device 111.

The housing 110 can be disposed on an inside wall or outside wall of the restroom. The housing 110 can also be disposed in another compartment of the restroom, inside of one of the tanks of the restroom, or integrated into the roof of the restroom. In further embodiments, the electronic components described and/or depicted herein as being in the housing can alternatively be integrated into the structure of the portable toilet itself without need for a separate housing.

The sensor data gathered by the processor and stored in its memory is periodically relayed to the central control computer system 108. A user computing device, such as a personal computer or a smartphone 109 or a personal computer 111, can be provided with an app or application that can interface with the central control computer system 108 to receive any of the data described herein. Thus, a user can optionally manage or service their fleet of portable toilets since they have real time or almost real time status of various parameters of each of their portable toilet units.

The data transmitted from the portable toilet 102, 103, 104 to the central control computer system 108 includes a unique restroom identification (e.g., serial number, asset number or toilet ID) so that only the data for a given user's portable toilets can be accessed and/or reported to that given user.

The sensors described and/or depicted herein enable the smart appliance 100 (or the smart restroom) to perform various functions as described below. The GPS decoder chipset 118 allows the location of the portable restroom to be precisely tracked. The restroom location can be geofenced so that an alert can be sent to the central control computer system 108 if the restroom moves outside of the fenced location.

The humidity sensor 120 and temperature sensor 126 provide an indication of the interior comfort of the restroom at various times of day. This data can indicate, for example, that the restroom should be moved to a different location, or heated, or sun shading should be provided, or that a fan feature should be operated (and can be processor controlled) or that a different type of restroom would be better suited for that particular location. Temperature and/or humidity changes of a certain delta in a short time frame can indicate that the door to the restroom has been opened and closed, which approximates the stop/start of a usage event.

The accelerometer 122 or shock or tilt sensor also can be used to detect the entry/exit of a user of the restroom. Additionally, a measured value exceeding a certain magnitude value can be indicative of a damaging blow to the restroom or a possible tip over.

The gas sensor 124 can sense the concentration of certain gases inside of the restroom. For example, gases such as H₂S (hydrogen sulfide) and NH₄ (ammonium) rise in concentration as cleanliness of a portable toilet decreases. Thus, such gases can be indicative of cleanliness of the restroom. As the concentrations of these gases rise, the toilet may be correspondingly increasingly dirty. The gas concentration can be divided into different ranges to correspond to a cleanliness level or alert status. Additional gases can be monitored as well. If the gas sensor data is outside of pre-set parameters, then a notification can be sent to an operator or technician so that action can be taken if necessary.

The waste level sensor 128 reports the level of waste in the waste tank of the portable restroom. This can be reported as a percentage filled or percentage remaining or actual volume in gallons or liters. A service call alert can be set for a threshold percentage of fullness (or remaining capacity).

An occupancy sensor and counter 130 can be provided. The occupancy sensor determines when a person occupies the restroom, which then increments the counter. This allows the number of uses of the restroom to be tracked. Exceeding a preset number of uses can be used as an indicator that a given toilet is in need of servicing. The counter data also can be used to determine whether more or fewer numbers of portable toilets are needed in a particular location.

Some portable toilets include a fresh water tank. A fresh water level sensor 132 can be provided to monitor the remaining level or capacity of fresh water in the fresh water tank.

The processor 112 can also monitor and report the battery capacity remaining and other battery capacity parameters. A notification can be pushed to a technician if the restroom loses power. A solar panel 113 can be provided atop the restroom to recharge the battery 114. A solar charge controller can be provided in the housing for this purpose or can be integrated into the processor's electronic board or can be provided in the battery's housing.

The central control computer system 108 can wirelessly upload software updates to processor 112.

A user, such as a restroom servicing company or technician, can view and monitor each restroom's current and historical status via a user interface on their smartphone (user mobile computing device 109) or on a remote computing device 111 that is networked with the central computer system 108.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a restroom service truck 200 with smart features is shown. A smart appliance 202 similar to the smart restroom device 100 is provided to the restroom service truck 200. The smart appliance 202 comprises a housing 204 with a processor 206, a GPS decoder 208, a wireless transceiver 210, power source 212 and several sensors. The GPS decoder 208, wireless transceiver 210, power source 212 are similar to those already discussed above and provide similar functionality with respect to the service truck 200 as controlled by the processor 206. The smart appliance 202 for the truck may be powered by an internal battery and/or by the truck's power supply (battery or alternator).

The sensors described below can be provided in corresponding locations on or in the service truck 200 and coupled to the processor 206, or in the housing 204. An engine monitor 214 senses whether the truck's engine is running. This can also be determined via the output of the truck's OBDII data port coupled to the processor and an OBDII dongle coupled to the processor vs. a sensor interfaced with the engine. Any of the possible OBDII outputs can be reported by the processor to the central control computing system 224 so that any engine fault can be monitored.

A PTO sensor 216 is also provided to sense whether the vehicle's power take-off system is being operated.

A fresh water tank sensor 218 and a waste tank sensor 220 are also provided to the respective truck's tanks to sense how full the tanks are. The data from these tank sensors 218, 220 can be used to dynamically update the gross vehicle weight of the truck 200 to ensure that it does not exceed a preset limit. The tank level data can also be used to automatically determine (either by the processor 206 or by the central control computing system 224) whether there is sufficient capacity remaining to complete a route or portion of a route before emptying the waste tank and/or refilling the fresh water tank since the volume of waste in each toilet on the route is known due the waste level sensor 128 in each toilet.

Additional sensors 219 can also be added to the truck to monitor the pump function, the pressure in the pumping system and the vacuum of the waste vacuuming system. The data from these sensors can be relayed to the central computer system 224.

The technician operating the service truck 200 can use a smartphone 222 or portable computing device 222 to view certain data related to their truck and for the restrooms that they are assigned to manage or service. A service route can also be transferred from the smartphone 222 to the vehicle's navigation system, or can be used directly as a map routing program. The technician can use the app on the smartphone to log into a unique technician account so that their service tasks can be monitored by the central control computing system.

Various data can be logged via the system described above, including: truck service history; odometer data; engine run time; PTO run time; VIN and DOT info; and a driver score based upon measuring hard acceleration, braking, fast turns and other events. Data from the predictive maintenance sensor on vacuum pump and other items can be captured. Service reminders also can be captured and logged.

More involved engine diagnostics data from the truck's OBDII system can be captured and relayed to the central computer system 224, including: fuel level, fuel mileage, oil level, other fluid levels: DEF, wiper, coolant, hydraulic, trans, vehicle weight, tire pressures, temperatures of various fluids and of the ambient air, and humidity.

Real time surround view cameras can be provided to the truck 200 and the image data relayed to the control computing system 224 where it can be stored for future reference. The camera image data can be used to analyze whether the driver is operating their truck safely and for accident reconstruction/activation.

Certain features of the truck can also be remotely operated, including the freshwater pump and waste tank pump, etc.

API's can be provided to allow third party systems to interact with the central control computing system 224 and the technician's smart phone app.

A service truck 200 can be added or removed from assignment in the database of the central computer system 224 via the app, a web interface, scanning of the vehicle VIN and/or scanning of a unique QR code provided to the vehicle.

Referring to FIG. 3, a diagram of an integrated restroom management system is shown. Each of the restrooms 300A, 300B, 300C, the service truck 302 and inventory of consumables 304 are integrated together via the central computer system 306 by being networked with the central computer system 306, remotely-located personal computing devices 308, 311, a service truck 302 and a consumables inventory management system 304. The restrooms 300A, 300B, 300C can be any type of portable or mobile restroom. One, two or many portable restrooms of the same and/or different types can be networked as part of the integrated restroom management system.

Various types of users can interact with the integrated restroom management system via a portable computing device 308 such as a smartphone or tablet computer, or via a personal computer 311. The portable computing device and/or personal computer 311 are located remote from the central computer system 306 but are all networked with one another. The data and management of the restrooms 300A, 300B, 300C and service truck 302 are monitored and stored in one or more databases by the central computer system 306. In addition, an inventory of consumables is also monitored and logged via the central computing system 306.

Consumables refer to any of the various products used to service the restrooms and the products used by users of the restrooms. Non-limiting examples of consumables include salt, methanol, deodorizer, toilet paper, hand sanitizer, hand soap, fragrance, etc. The total inventory of these consumables is maintained in a database of the central computer system 306. The app can provide management of customers, quotes, jobs, invoices, timesheets, ordering consumables, etc.

Sensors can be provided in the restrooms to monitor usage of various consumables, including toilet paper, soap/hand sanitizer, paper towels/hand towels, and deodorizer (via color in the waste tank or via odor detection). Thus, the central computer system 306 can calculate upcoming needs for various consumables and proactively ensure that adequate inventory is on hand or is automatically ordered. This data can also be used to generate pick lists and for other management functions and analytics.

Referring now to FIGS. 4-5, embodiments of the graphical user interface for the service technician application for a portable computer are shown. In FIG. 4, the GPS location of a specific portable toilet assigned to a technician is shown on a map 400. Additional data is also shown, including the number of uses since last service 402, the current interior temperature 404, current interior humidity 406, remaining battery power level 408, battery voltage 410, status of the emergency assistance call button 412, water pump function status 414 and an indicator of cleaning service being needed 416. Tapping on the numerical readings can bring the technician to additional data such as historical data reports and min/max values for the selected data since the last servicing. Additional data of every sensor indicated in block 100 of FIG. 1 can be depicted in FIG. 4 in other embodiments.

Selecting the “Details” tab on the screen shows the account data for the particular portable toilet. The “controls” option on the screen presents the technician with options to operate remotely certain functions such as activating lights, fans, the water pump, flushing pump, etc. The remote control functions can be helpful to remotely diagnose a problem with the portable toilet or to perform a diagnostic check of the portable toilet.

FIG. 5 is an alerts screen for the technician that shows all of the portable toilets assigned to that technician that are currently reporting to the central computing system 108 that an alert condition has been triggered. For example, the first entry 500 shows that the interior temperature of the unit had dropped below a preset threshold. The second entry 502 shows that the voltage of the toilet's power source has dropped below a preset threshold. The third entry 504 shows a toilet that has reached its preset maximum number of uses before a service needed alert is issued. The fourth entry 506 indicates a toilet whose tip over sensor has been triggered. The last entry 508 indicates a toilet unit report that a cleaning service is needed. When the user taps on any of the entries to select that entry they are brought to the toilet details screen such as shown in FIG. 4.

Also, it can be seen that the user is presented with additional options on the bottom of the alerts screen, such as the ability to view their route 510, data on their service truck 512 and to view their service technician (or user) profile 514. Also provided is an option to scan a QR code, barcode or other machine readable code 516 applied to the toilet unit. This is particularly useful to track servicing of a toilet that is not enabled with the sensors described herein. The machine readable code provides a means for identification of the toilet asset, tied to the asset database for the company. Coupled with the GPS locating feature in the technician's smart phone, this data provides a locating feature for toilets that do not have onboard GPS and sensors installed.

FIG. 6 depicts an embodiment of the top-level routes screen. Each portable toilet is assigned to a particular route, and each route is assigned to a particular service technician. For example the first route 600 is labeled “College Park A.M.” This route includes 17 portable toilets or “assets.” When the user selects this route, they are taken to a detailed report for the selected route as shown in FIG. 7. Each toilet or asset on that route is shown in list format. The first toilet 700 on the list is selected in this figure, which then generates a map of that toilet's location 702 based upon its GPS data reported to the central computing system 108. The user is then presented with the options to navigate to that toilet 704, add a note 706 and to update a service status for the toilet as being completed 708. Upon completion of the servicing the statistics for that toilet are reset automatically.

FIG. 8 depicts a screen listing the user or technician's assigned vehicles 800 and 802. Selecting one of the listed vehicles will take the user to a details screen where details of their vehicle are listed, such as status of the sensors and systems indicated in block 204 of FIG. 2.

The same or similar screen can be generated on the remote computing device 111, 211, 311. Additional administrative screens can be provided as well, such as screens for setting up service technician accounts. Additional management screens can also be provided that generate data across entire service provider accounts and the user's (service provider's) entire fleet of assets (including portable toilets and service vehicles).

FIG. 9 shows a dashboard screen generated on the remote computing device 111, 211, 311. The dashboard depicts a map 900 showing all of the portable toilet assets of this particular service provider. Graphical depictions are provided to show the percent of each type of portable toilet in the customer's asset inventory that are currently deployed 902. A further region of the dashboard shows the number of portable toilets with active alerts 904 and how many active quotes are pending with potential customers requesting portable toilet provision 906.

FIG. 10 is a generated list of all rental jobs for a particular service provider. The top section shows how many total rental jobs 1000 there are for this service provider, how many of those total jobs are active 1002 and how many are inactive 1004. Each individual job is listed in row format with pertinent information such as the assigned job number, job name, address information, start date, end date and status indication. Selecting one of the jobs from this list generates a screen showing details of that particular job such as shown in FIG. 11.

FIG. 11 is a screen generation of details for the first job listed in FIG. 10. Each portable toilet asset is listed and a map 1100 is provided to show the locations for each asset. The same job number, address and date info is repeated on this screen as well. The different types or classes of portable toilet assets are color coded. The user can use toggles 1102 to turn on and off the different asset classes shown on the map and listed on the screen.

FIG. 12 illustrates a screen generated when the user selects one of the listed toilet assets from FIG. 11. The map 1200 now shows a detailed view of the specific location for that selected portable toilet using the GPS information transmitted by that toilet to the central computing system 108, 224, 306.

FIG. 13 illustrates a screen generated to show a list of all job routes that belong to a particular service provider company. Each job listing shows in its row the corresponding job number, route name, job name, customer receiving the portable toilet services, the assigned service technician, the day of the week that service is expected to be performed on that route and the estimated duration that a service of the assets on that route will take to complete. The estimated duration figure is automatically calculated based upon the number and type of portable toilets on the route and the current status of those assets as reported by each asset to the central control computer. For example, a larger portable toilet or a toilet with a full tank that has seen heavy usage will typically take longer to service than a smaller, less full and cleaner toilet.

FIG. 14 illustrates a screen generated when the user selects a particular job route on FIG. 1. A plurality of editable fields 1400 are provided to allow the user to input the route name, customer, job name, assigned technician, service day of week and an estimated time to complete service. Note that the estimated service time 1402 can be omitted when this time is automatically calculated by the central computing system as explained above. Or, the manually entered time can be used as a base line time that is automatically amended to be longer or shorter based upon the condition of the portable toilet assets on that route. A field for the type of service 1404 is also provided on this screen. The type of service here is a delivery of portable toilets to the customer location. There is also a selectable option 1406 to enable assigning a type of service for each toilet asset such as pick up, replace, repair, etc.

FIG. 15 illustrates a generated list of all routes to be run daily for a particular toilet service providing company. Again, items on this list can be selected to bring up a detailed screen such as shown in FIG. 16. The detailed screen shows a list of assets 1600 on the particular route and a map 1602 of the assets. The route 1604 to be followed by the technician is also highlighted on the map. Daily routes can be made up of multiple pre-defined job routes, defining a full day's work for a particular service technician.

FIG. 17 is an illustration of a screen that is generated if the user wishes to view all of their portable toilet assets associated with their user account. The user account is set up in the central computing system. The screen in FIG. 17 shows a dashboard of the total number of toilets along with how many are active and inactive. A list is then provided for each toilet asset.

Selecting one of those toilet assets in FIG. 17 takes the user to a details screen such as shown in FIG. 18. Data fields 1800 are provided for the user to input the asset details, such as the activity status, asset ID, purchase date, assigned job route, color of the toilet and water tank capacity. A notes field 1802 is also provided along with a small image 1804 of the actual toilet or a representative image of the type of toilet corresponding to the asset. The user is also provided with a series of sensor configuration toggles 1806 that allow the user to turn on and off various sensing capabilities of that particular portable toilet. In addition, data fields 1808 are provided to allow the user to set the preset thresholds or values used by the toilet to issue alerts or changes of state. Some options may be grayed out to indicate that the user is not authorized to change the sensor setting. For example, the user in this example cannot turn off the GPS reporting feature of this toilet asset.

As can be appreciated from the foregoing discussions, alerts can be provided or pushed automatically to the user once preset thresholds are reached. For example, preset level alerts for the waste tank, fresh water tank and consumables can be pushed automatically to the servicing company and selected technicians. These alerts can be in the form of text messages via cell phone, emails, pop-ups in the software application, or a combination of these. The alert settings are set by each individual user in their account setup.

All of the sensor data discussed herein can be time-stamped so that it can be determined when a particular reading or sensed activity occurred.

The data sensed and collected by each toilet and reported to the central computing system 108, 224, 306 can also be used to automatically plan service routes and frequencies. The data can be used to create and update routing data for service trucks as well.

The software application stored on the service technician's portable computing device 109, 222, 308 can further be used to track whether the restroom was actually serviced. For example, a unique scannable code (e.g., a QR code) can be provided as a sticker or plate applied to each restroom and linked in a central computer system database to each restroom's unique restroom identification. When a technician services a restroom, they scan the scannable code with their smartphone and that scanning act reports to the central control computer system 108, 224, 306 that the toilet was allegedly serviced.

The central computer system 108, 224, 306 can additionally or alternatively automatically determine whether a particular toilet has been serviced by analyzing the collected sensor data. For example, the waste tank level sensor 128 (which may be an ultrasonic sensor or other type of sensor) will see a rapid drop of the waste tank level to zero or nearly zero. This indicates that the waste tank has been emptied. The technician then typically fills the waste tank with a pre-charge of liquid as part of the servicing routine. The waste tank sensor can sense that action as well. Thus, the servicing routine produces a characteristic pattern or signature in the waste tank level data-a rapid emptying followed by a refill to a preset level. By way of example, the waste tank could be at 8 gallons prior to servicing, which is vacuumed out to zero during servicing and then refilled to 5 gallons with the pre-charge liquid. When the central computing system 108 sees this characteristic pattern or signature in the data, it can then be automatically determined that the restroom has been serviced. The central computer system can then automatically update the status of the restroom in its database and on any generated computing device screens as discussed herein.

Other sensor data can be used in addition or instead of the methodology described above. For example, the data from the gas sensor can be used to determine whether there is foul odor inside of the toilet that would indicate that a servicing was not performed or was inadequately performed.

The central computing system can also automatically compare the GPS location data from the technician's portable computing device to the location for a given toilet's GPS location to determine whether the technician was physically present at a particular time at that toilet. Additional sensor data can be used in the automated analysis of whether the given toilet has been services as well.

Data from the accelerometer indicates that physical activity was occurring in the particular toilet. Comparing a time stamp of such accelerometer data to the physical location of the technician and toilet, coupled with an emptying of the waste tank of the toilet can provide a clear indication that the particular toilet has been serviced. Automatically determining that the toilet has been serviced without the technician needing to enter anything on their smart phone or tablet or scan anything saves the technician time in their daily routine and provides the service providing company confirmation that the service work was performed.

If the servicing technician provides a manual indication that a given toilet has been serviced then the automatic determination described above can function as a double-check that the servicing was actually performed and/or adequately performed. Discrepancies between reported versus automatically determined servicings can be reported to the technician and/or other personnel with the service providing company.

A customer of the toilet service providing company can also be provided with a software app, or user account to view via an internet web interface, to be able to monitor status of the restrooms that they own or are renting from the servicing company. They can also manually place a service call to the servicing company for a given restroom (identified via scanning the scannable code on the restroom or selecting the appropriate option in the computer user interface).

The technician can also use the service app on their portable computing device 109, 222, 308 to access build schematics for each toilet type, to order replacement parts, and to order additional consumables, such as paper, deodorizers, hand sanitizer, etc. from the corresponding manufacturers. This is all facilitated by the user app.

Additional features enabled by the smart appliance 100, 204, or the integrated smart portable toilet, can include, but are not limited to, any one or more of the following: automatic lights can be activated when a user enters the restroom and turns off when the user exits the restroom; automatic fan(s) can be activated when a user enters the restroom and turns off when the user exits (or set period thereafter); an in-use lighted indicator can be provided to alert other potential users that the restroom is occupied; payment acceptance means (e.g. card reader) can be provided to the restroom or payment via a smartphone app can be provided to enable pay-per-use of the toilet; preventative maintenance reminders can be sent to the servicing company; and occupancy time limit alerts can be provided.

When the restroom senses that an occupant has exceeded a preset time within the restroom without exiting, an alert can be sent out to initiate a status check on the occupant; an emergency button can be provided to the restroom to allow a user to request emergency assistance.

The present invention allows for communication and data sharing between different product lines. For example, service trucks can communicate with the portable restrooms to obtain information regarding any monitored parameter such as water and waste volumes, etc.

Remote locking/unlocking of doors of each restroom can be performed via selectable options presented to the user of a smartphone app or computer interface. The doors can also be locked/unlocked automatically according to a preset time of day schedule configured through a graphical user interface of a computer networked with the central computing system.

The usage of each portable toilet can be monitored or tracked. Usage tracking such as the number of guests, flushes for each toilet, flushes for each urinal, quantity of flush water used, etc. can be enabled by each toilet reporting such activities to the central control computer 108, 224, 306.

The processor 112 can decide to automatically flush the toilet 102, 103, 104 based upon usage and/or time passage. Heating and cooling features of the restroom also can be activated automatically by the processor 112 to maintain a set temperature or stay within a preset range of temperatures. The temperature settings can be adjusted remotely by a user via a portable or personal computer networked with the central control computer and pushed to the restroom. Temperature settings can be automatically adjusted for different times of day as well. The exterior temperature of the restroom can also be monitored with a sensor and reported to the central control computer.

Exterior and interior lighting for a given toilet can be controlled by the processor 112. An on/off and timer function can be provided so that the lights are automatic. Exterior and/or interior light sensors can be provided to automatically dim or brighten the light(s) inside of the restroom corresponding to ambient or interior light setting. Scene lighting can be provided to the restroom. Exterior scene lighting mounted on top of the trailer or restroom can be controlled remotely and/or automatically.

The restroom can be protected against waste tank overflow. Flush water flow can be stopped when waste tank is nearly full and/or the door can also be locked so that the restroom cannot be used until serviced. Notifications of such conditions can be pushed to service technicians via the central computing system.

A calculator function can be provided to the service technician's software app on their smartphone 109 to assess how much consumable products (salt, methanol, deodorizer, toilet paper, etc.) are needed based on the expected quantity of toilets deployed, or people or room occupancy, etc.

A “service needed” light provided to the restroom can be activated by a user or automatically by the processor 112. A corresponding notification can be pushed to a service technician via the central computer system 108, 224, 306.

Customers and servicing companies can designate where they want the push notifications to go—cell number for texts, email addresses, app-based notifications, etc.

One or more cameras can be provided to the exterior of the restroom (e.g. mounted on the trailers). The camera(s) can be used to image crowd activity in the area surrounding the restroom. A microphone can also be provided to capture ambient sounds.

An air quality monitor can be provided to a restroom to monitor ambient air quality.

A water flow sensor can be provided to the restroom. This sensor can indicate an extended water use condition that would indicate a leak or a malfunctioning or damaged faucet/toilet.

A service needed alert can be pushed to a technician based upon exceeding a preset quantity of users since a previous servicing.

Since the historical usage data is known for the restroom in its current location, an abnormal change in usage volume can trigger a service call notification to be sent out.

Reminders for preventative maintenance actions for a service truck can be sent out to a technician. For example, reminders to change air filters, lube hubs, change brakes, etc. can be sent out to technicians and/or their managers.

The processor 112 can use data from the various sensors coupled thereto to determine whether various components of the restroom 102, 103, 104 have failed. For example, a water pump can be monitored for activity. If a call for the pump to activate does not result in a water flow being sensed, then a failure flag can be set, and a notification pushed to a service technician. Similarly, the electrical draw of the water pump can be monitored for exceeding a set amp drawing threshold. Exceeding that threshold can also set a failure flag and call for service. The temperature of the pump can also be monitored via a temp sensor coupled to the pump. The temperature sensor on the pump will indicate if the pump is overheating (temperature over a threshold value), which may indicate a failure. Moreover, a pump that runs continuously for more than a preset amount of time may indicate a pump malfunction or failure.

Status indicator lights can be provided to the restroom. For example, an exterior panel can contain lights such as red/yellow/green or other colors as chosen by a user. A red light would indicate a restroom in need of service or out of service. A yellow light would indicate that service will need to be performed soon. Green would indicate that the restroom is good to be used. Red/green lights could also be provided to indicate occupied (red) or unoccupied (green) status.

Some portable toilets utilize vacuum flush systems instead of gravity-based flushing. This can include a macerator. In such instances, the processor can be operatively coupled to the vacuum waste pump/macerator and the water pump(s) to automatically actuate those components and monitor their functionality. Sensors on each of these components can be provided so that usage and status data can be reported back to the central control computer system. The toilets/urinals can also be commanded remotely to flush.

As explained above with reference to FIGS. 4-18, software applications can be provided for operation by service technician portable computing devices as well as software applications can be provided for operation by service providing company users on their personal or portable computing devices. A non-downloadable web app can also be provided to enable the same functionality as the downloadable software applications discussed herein.

The service providing company software app can generate an admin page so that authorized service persons or technicians can be set up and provided with access credentials and assigned territories and/or sets of restroom units. Restrooms can be associated with a given company by scanning a QR Code on the restroom. Service technicians can automatically be assigned service notifications if within the geofence of a given restroom needing service.

The software app can also be used to access build specs, and accessories. (PIM information) for each restroom, to list the serial number/VIN number as UID, list the service history for each restroom, provide a log of notifications/flags, provide alerts for restocking of consumables in restrooms with low or no quantity of a given consumable remaining, review usage data and any of the other sensor data for a restroom, provide for manual initiation of serial/remote flush command capabilities for decommissioning of a restroom, graphically display data for each restroom or a group of restrooms, designate restroom groups, and remotely control features of the restroom, such as lights, flushing, heating/cooling systems, fans and door locks.

Geofences (which can be done by the event and/or rental company) can be established. A joint event can tag data for all units within a geofenced area but asset owners (service providing companies) can only see their own data. Ownership or control of a toilet can be reassigned temporarily or permanently by authorized users. Data can be exported via the app in formats suitable for importing into third party applications such as Microsoft Excel.

GPS location data for each restroom can be provided to third party mapping providers, such as Google maps or Apple maps so that members of the public at an event can locate available restrooms. A stand-alone app can also be provided for use by the public that displays available restrooms overlayed on a map. An API can also be provided to a site customer so that they can provide the availability information via the customer's own app—for example patrons attending a festival can see available restrooms on an app provided by the festival holder. The available restrooms can be just those unoccupied restrooms, or can be all restrooms in service that are in a given territory regardless of occupancy status. The restrooms can also be color-coded on the map based upon availability or occupancy status.

An exterior camera can be mounted on the restroom and the image data relayed to the central control computer system. The central control computer system can analyze the image using machine vision data to determine the number of people waiting in line to use the restroom.

Referring again to FIG. 3, the software app provided for each technician on their portable computing device 308 allows the technician to log in and enter each consumable product 304 that they are taking from inventory and also to identify which job or site where each consumable product will be used. The portable computing device 308 can scan a barcode, QR code or other scannable identifier on the consumable product. The central computer system 306 can then deduct that product from inventory. The central computer system 306 can automatically order more of any consumable product 304 once inventory quantities drop below a preset number. Low stock alerts can be pushed to designated persons by the central computer system 306.

The software application for the remote computing systems 109, 111, 211, 222 and 308, 311 can provide management of customers, quotes, jobs, invoices, timesheets, the ordering of consumables, etc. Data for the software application can be kept in a database on the central computer system and linked to an account so that only that user's data can be accessed via password or other secure login means.

Machine vision and/or sensors (e.g. weight sensors) or GPS trackers can be utilized to recognize when a given product is removed from inventory. The removal sensing can then be compared to the logging performed by the technician to ensure accuracy of logging.

The consumables in inventory also can be restricted or locked in cabinets or other means so that a technician must use their credentials or scan a code with their smartphone (via their app) so that the central computer system can log which technician picked which product and quantity from inventory.

Reports can be generated and data displayed based upon consumable usage for individual technicians, for restroom sites, for specific jobs, for customers or for any other metric maintained in the database by the central computer system 306. The data can also be exported to third party software such as Microsoft Excel.

The central computer system 306 can also have designated in its database various consumable products 304 that are frequently used with a given product logged by a technician. Thus, the technician's app can make suggestions of particular consumable products that might additionally be considered.

Within the app, the technician user can be presented with drop down lists of possible consumables to choose from. If a particular consumable is not listed, there may be an option for the technician to add a product to the used database for tracking purposes. Repair and wear parts for the restrooms can also be maintained and ordered similar to the consumables.

The app also can calculate how much consumable product is likely to be needed for a particular site based upon the number of restrooms on site and the historical usage data maintained in the database of the central computer system. The central computer system 306 can also calculate a pick list of consumables for a technician based upon usage data for the restrooms that the technician is scheduled to service on a given day (or days).

All data collected by the systems described herein can be stored on a data server and retrieved for future reference. For example, the data can be stored by the central computing system. The data can be “mined” for industry statistics, usage statistics, predicting usage of consumables for future events, aid in quoting new jobs or events using data from previous years, used to determine a more efficient or optimal toilet asset placement for a next event, and gain efficiencies in planning and servicing toilets at events. Artificial intelligence can be used to perform one or all of these features.

In-app advertising and marketing can be deployed on the software applications on the user computer devices 109, 111, 211, 222 and 308, 311. Marketing for other companies can be a source of income for the application provider. Subscriptions can be charged for the software applications, cell phone contracts, and data transmission and storage.

Any additional methods, apparatus, devices and functionality of the systems disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,975,325 B2 and U.S. Pat. No. 10,822,784 B2 can be provided to the present system in additional embodiments hereof. Each of U.S. Pat. No. 7,975,325 B2 and U.S. Pat. No. 10,822,784 B2 are hereby incorporated herein in their entirety and appended hereto as part of this application.

For purposes of interpreting the claims for the present invention, it is expressly intended that the provisions of Section 112, sixth paragraph of 35 U.S.C. are not to be invoked unless the specific terms “means for” or “step for” are recited in a claim.

While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments. It will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications and equivalent arrangements can be made thereof without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, such scope to be accorded the broadest interpretation of the appended claims so as to encompass all equivalent structures and products. Moreover, features or aspects of various example embodiments may be mixed and matched (even if such combination is not explicitly described herein) without departing from the scope of the invention.