Remote configuration of mobile surface maintenance machine settings

Abstract

A mobile surface maintenance machine includes a mobile body configured to travel over a surface, a motorized tool, a communicator, a memory, and a controller. The motorized tool is supported by the mobile body and configured to engage the surface. The communicator is configured to communicate over a network. The memory contains settings for the machine. The controller is configured to modify the settings of the machine in response to setting information received by the communicator over the network and to control operations of the machine based on the settings.

1 . A mobile surface maintenance machine comprising: 
 a mobile body configured to travel over a surface;    a motorized tool supported by the mobile body and configured to engage the surface;    a communicator configured to communicate over a network;    a memory containing settings for the machine; and    a controller configured to modify the settings of the machine in response to setting information received by the communicator over the network and control operations of the machine based on the settings.    
     
     
         2 . The machine of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the motorized tool is configured to apply a pressure to the surface based on a pressure setting stored in the memory; and    the controller is configured to adjust the pressure setting in response to the setting information.    
     
     
         3 . The machine of  claim 2 , wherein: 
 the motorized tool comprises a scrub brush; and    the machine further comprises a vacuum squeegee.    
     
     
         4 . The machine of  claim 2 , wherein the motorized tool comprises a sweeper brush.  
     
     
         5 . The machine of  claim 2 , wherein the motorized tool is selected from the group consisting of a combination sweep and scrub brush, a burnishing pad and a polishing pad.  
     
     
         6 . The machine of  claim 1 , further comprising a cleaning liquid dispenser configured to discharge a cleaning liquid to one of the surface and the motorized tool at a flow rate that is based on a cleaning liquid flow rate setting stored in the memory, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the cleaning liquid flow rate setting based on the setting information.  
     
     
         7 . The machine of  claim 1 , further comprising a cleaning agent dispenser configured to discharge a cleaning agent at a flow rate that is based on cleaning agent flow rate setting stored in the memory, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the cleaning agent flow rate setting based on the setting information.  
     
     
         8 . The machine of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to disable operation of a feature of the machine based on the setting information.  
     
     
         9 . The machine of  claim 1 , wherein the communicator comprises a wireless communications device.  
     
     
         10 . The machine of  claim 9 , wherein the communicator comprises a cellular communications device.  
     
     
         11 . The machine of  claim 9 , wherein the communicator comprises a radio frequency communications device.  
     
     
         12 . A method of configuring a mobile surface maintenance machine having a mobile body configured to travel over a surface, a motorized tool supported by the mobile body and configured to engage the surface, a communicator and a controller, the method comprising steps of: 
 receiving setting information over a network using the communicator;    modifying settings for the machine using the controller based on the setting information; and    operating the machine based on the settings.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein: 
 the method further comprises storing the settings for the machine in a memory; and    the modifying step comprises modifying the settings in the memory based on the setting information.    
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein: 
 the motorized tool is configured to apply a pressure to the surface in accordance with a pressure setting stored in the memory;    the modifying step comprises modifying the pressure setting based on the setting information; and    the operating step comprises applying a pressure to the surface using the motorized tool in accordance with the pressure setting stored in the memory.    
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein: 
 the motorized tool comprises a scrub brush; and    the operating step comprises scrubbing the surface with the scrub brush.    
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , where: 
 the machine includes a vacuum squeegee; and    the operating step comprises removing liquid waste from the surface using the vacuum squeegee.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , where: 
 the motorized tool comprises a sweeper brush; and    the operating step comprises sweeping the surface with the sweeper brush.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein: 
 the machine further comprises a cleaning liquid dispenser configured to discharge a cleaning liquid to one of the surface and the motorized tool at a flow rate that is based on a cleaning liquid flow rate setting stored in the memory;    the modifying step comprises modifying the cleaning liquid flow rate setting based on the setting information; and    the operating step comprises operating the cleaning liquid dispenser based on the cleaning liquid flow rate setting.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein: 
 the machine further comprises a cleaning agent dispenser configured to discharge a cleaning agent into a flow of water at a flow rate that is based on a cleaning agent flow rate setting stored in the memory;    the modifying step comprises modifying the cleaning agent flow rate setting based on the setting information; and    the operating step comprises operating the cleaning agent dispenser based on the cleaning agent flow rate setting stored in the memory.    
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising disabling operation of the machine based on the setting information.