Method and system for determining usage and authentication of a paper product in a dispenser

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10631691-B2
Application number	US-201515544561-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2015
Priority date	Jan 30, 2015
Publication date	Apr 28, 2020
Grant date	Apr 28, 2020

Abstract

A system and control method for determining an amount of paper product dispensed from a dispenser or remaining in the dispenser is provided. The paper product is initially loaded in the dispenser as a paper product formation, such as a roll or stack of the product. At defined intervals, a digital image of an aspect of the paper product formation in the dispenser is taken and transmitted to a digital imager processor. A feature of the digital image that changes as the paper product formation decreases in size as the paper product is dispensed is analyzed and compared with a predetermined value of the feature at a predefined size of the paper product formation to determine an amount of the paper product dispensed or remaining in the dispenser.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for determining an amount of paper product dispensed from a dispenser or remaining in the dispenser, wherein the paper product is initially loaded in the dispenser as a paper product formation, the method comprising:
at defined intervals, taking a digital image of an aspect of the paper product formation in the dispenser, and transmitting the digital image to a digital imager processor;
with the digital image processor, analyzing a feature of the digital image that changes as the paper product formation decreases in size as the paper product is dispensed;
comparing the analyzed feature with a predetermined value of the feature at a predefined size of the paper product formation to determine an amount of the paper product dispensed or remaining in the dispenser;
wherein the analyzed feature is a dimension or count of pixels in the digital image of the feature that changes as the paper product formation decreases in size, wherein a decreasing pixel count or dimension is a measure of the amount of product dispensed;
wherein the digital image is taken of a side of the paper product formation to determine the dimension or pixel count of the analyzed feature; and
further comprising forming a mark on the side of the paper product formation, the mark having a color that contrasts with the paper product and a pattern or design that decreases in size as the paper product is dispensed, wherein the mark is analyzed for the dimension or pixel count and the digital image processor compares the dimension or pixel count of the mark with a known dimension or total count of the pixels corresponding to the mark at a predefined size of the paper product formation.

2. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the mark has a darker color than the paper product formation sufficient to produce readily definable darker pixels that are readily detected by the digital image processor as compared to lighter pixels corresponding to the paper product.

3. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the paper product formation is a stack of folded paper products, the mark extending from a lower bottom portion of the stack towards an upper edge of the stack.

4. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the paper product formation is a roll of continuous paper product, the mark extending radially from a center portion of the side towards a circumferential edge of the roll.

5. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the mark is a design or image that indicates origin of the paper product formation, and further comprising analyzing the digital image with the digital image processor to determine if the mark is present and valid before allowing dispensing of the paper product from the dispenser.

6. The method as in claim 5 , wherein the dispenser includes a lock-out feature that prevents dispensing of the paper product unless an authorized paper product formation is loaded in the dispenser, the digital image processor interfaced with the lock-out feature and determining whether the paper product formation is authentic based on presence of a valid detected mark.

7. A method for determining an amount of paper product dispensed from a dispenser or remaining in the dispenser, wherein the paper product is initially loaded in the dispenser as a paper product formation, the method comprising:
at defined intervals, taking a digital image of an aspect of the paper product formation in the dispenser, and transmitting the digital image to a digital imager processor;
with the digital image processor, analyzing a feature of the digital image that changes as the paper product formation decreases in size as the paper product is dispensed; and
comparing the analyzed feature with a predetermined value of the feature at a predefined size of the paper product formation to determine an amount of the paper product dispensed or remaining in the dispenser;
wherein the analyzed feature is a dimension or count of pixels in the digital image of the feature that changes as the paper product formation decreases in size, wherein a decreasing pixel count or dimension is a measure of the amount of product dispensed;
wherein the digital image is taken of a side of the paper product formation to determine the dimension or pixel count of the analyzed feature; and
wherein the feature that changes as the paper product formation decreases in size is surface area of the side of the paper product formation, wherein a color of the paper product formation sufficiently contrasts with a background color in the digital image to produce definable pixels that are detectable by the digital image processor for determining a pixel count or dimension corresponding to surface area of all or a portion of the side of the paper product depicted in the digital image.

8. A method for determining an amount of paper product dispensed from a dispenser or remaining in the dispenser, wherein the paper product is initially loaded in the dispenser as a paper product formation, the method comprising:
at defined intervals, taking a digital image of an aspect of the paper product formation in the dispenser, and transmitting the digital image to a digital imager processor;
with the digital image processor, analyzing a feature of the digital image that changes as the paper product formation decreases in size as the paper product is dispensed; and
comparing the analyzed feature with a predetermined value of the feature at a predefined size of the paper product formation to determine an amount of the paper product dispensed or remaining in the dispenser;
wherein the analyzed feature is a dimension or count of pixels in the digital image of the feature that changes as the paper product formation decreases in size, wherein a decreasing pixel count or dimension is a measure of the amount of product dispensed;
wherein the digital image is taken of a side of the paper product formation to determine the dimension or pixel count of the analyzed feature; and
wherein the feature that changes as the paper product formation decreases in size is a dimension of the side of the paper product formation, the digital image processor determining a value for the dimension from the digital image and comparing the determined value to a known value of the dimension at predefined size of the paper product formation to determine an amount of the paper product dispensed or remaining in the dispenser.

9. The method as in claim 8 , wherein the paper product formation is a stack of folded paper products, the dimension corresponding to a height of the stack as the stack is dispensed.

10. The method as in claim 8 , wherein the paper product formation is a roll of continuous paper product, the dimension corresponding to a radius, circumference, or diameter of the roll as the roll is dispensed.

Assignees

• Kimberly Clark Co
• Kimberly Clark Worldside Inc

Inventors

• Becker Stephen
• Dunbar Charlene
• Kirkland Jason
• Moede Warren
• Schulz Tom
• Sheehan Chrissy
• Shipp Jr Peter W
• Zielinski Matt
• Tramontina Paul F

Classifications

• B65H2557/23

  Recording or storing data · CPC title

• A47K2010/3226

  collecting data of usage · CPC title

• B65H16/005

  Dispensers, i.e. machines for unwinding only parts of web roll · CPC title

• G06T7/62

  of area, perimeter, diameter or volume · CPC title

• G06T7/90

  Determination of colour characteristics · CPC title