System for Automated Floor Cleaning

Abstract

A method of managing a plurality of washrooms in a facility for servicing by service personnel and, more particularly, for establishing servicing operations which provide for service of at least selected of the dispensers before their consumable product supply falls below a pre-selected refill value.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A system for automated floor cleaning comprising:
 a floor cleaning robot; and   at least one sensor that monitors a washroom;   wherein the at least one sensor monitors a property of the washroom that is indicative of a use of the washroom by washroom users; and   wherein the system is configured to direct the floor cleaning robot to perform robotic floor cleaning once a threshold of washroom users is exceeded.   
     
     
         2 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor monitors a supply of a consumable product in a dispenser. 
     
     
         3 . The system according to  claim 2 , wherein the dispenser comprises a paper towel dispenser, and the consumable product comprises paper towel. 
     
     
         4 . The system according to  claim 2 , wherein the dispenser comprises a hand cleaning fluid dispenser, and the consumable product comprises a hand cleaning fluid. 
     
     
         5 . The system according to  claim 2 , wherein the dispenser comprises a toilet paper dispenser, and the consumable product comprises toilet paper. 
     
     
         6 . The system according to  claim 2 , wherein the dispenser comprises a waste bin, and the consumable product comprises empty waste bin space. 
     
     
         7 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to direct the floor cleaning robot to perform robotic floor cleaning according to a schedule. 
     
     
         8 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the system splits the washroom into a first area and a second area;
 wherein, when robotic floor cleaning is triggered, the system directs the floor cleaning robot to clean the first area while the second area remains available to the washroom users; and   wherein, once the first area is clean and ready to be used, the system directs the floor cleaning robot to clean the second area.   
     
     
         9 . The system according to  claim 8 , wherein, once the second area is clean, the system directs the floor cleaning robot to return to a storage position. 
     
     
         10 . The system according to  claim 2 , wherein the system is configured to direct the floor cleaning robot to perform robotic floor cleaning according to a schedule. 
     
     
         11 . The system according to  claim 2 , wherein the system splits the washroom into a first area and a second area;
 wherein, when robotic floor cleaning is triggered, the system directs the floor cleaning robot to clean the first area while the second area remains available to the washroom users; and   wherein, once the first area is clean and ready to be used, the system directs the floor cleaning robot to clean the second area.   
     
     
         12 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein, once the second area is clean, the system directs the floor cleaning robot to return to a storage position. 
     
     
         13 . The system according to  claim 3 , wherein the system is configured to direct the floor cleaning robot to perform robotic floor cleaning according to a schedule. 
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 3 , wherein the system splits the washroom into a first area and a second area;
 wherein, when robotic floor cleaning is triggered, the system directs the floor cleaning robot to clean the first area while the second area remains available to the washroom users; and   wherein, once the first area is clean and ready to be used, the system directs the floor cleaning robot to clean the second area.   
     
     
         15 . The system according to  claim 14 , wherein, once the second area is clean, the system directs the floor cleaning robot to return to a storage position. 
     
     
         16 . The system according to  claim 4 , wherein the system is configured to direct the floor cleaning robot to perform robotic floor cleaning according to a schedule. 
     
     
         17 . The system according to  claim 4 , wherein the system splits the washroom into a first area and a second area;
 wherein, when robotic floor cleaning is triggered, the system directs the floor cleaning robot to clean the first area while the second area remains available to the washroom users; and   wherein, once the first area is clean and ready to be used, the system directs the floor cleaning robot to clean the second area.   
     
     
         18 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein, once the second area is clean, the system directs the floor cleaning robot to return to a storage position. 
     
     
         19 . The system according to  claim 5 , wherein the system is configured to direct the floor cleaning robot to perform robotic floor cleaning according to a schedule. 
     
     
         20 . The system according to  claim 19 , wherein the system splits the washroom into a first area and a second area;
 wherein, when robotic floor cleaning is triggered, the system directs the floor cleaning robot to clean the first area while the second area remains available to the washroom users; and   wherein, once the first area is clean and ready to be used, the system directs the floor cleaning robot to clean the second area.