Apparatuses and method for transmitting payload data between hygiene equipments with radio transmission capabilities

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11729595-B2
Application number	US-202217888863-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 16, 2022
Priority date	Dec 7, 2016
Publication date	Aug 15, 2023
Grant date	Aug 15, 2023

Abstract

A piece of hygiene equipment includes a transmitting section configured to transmit an outbound radio signal carrying transmission payload data; a receiving section configured to receive an inbound radio signal carrying reception payload data; a processing section configured to transmit an outbound radio signal carrying specific transmission payload data and/or to receive an inbound radio signal carrying specific reception payload data for determining a communication partner to which outbound radio signals are to be transmitted and from which inbound radio signals are to be received; and a memory section. The processing section is configured to determine said communication partner and to store information on the determined communication partner in said memory section.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A piece of hygiene equipment, comprising:
a transmitting section configured to transmit an outbound radio signal carrying transmission payload data;
a receiving section configured to receive an inbound radio signal carrying reception payload data;
a processing section configured to perform one or both of transmit an outbound radio signal carrying specific transmission payload data, and receive an inbound radio signal carrying specific reception payload data for determining a communication partner to which outbound radio signals are to be transmitted and from which inbound radio signals are to be received; and
a memory section,
wherein the processing section is configured to determine said communication partner and to store information representing the determined communication partner in said memory section,
and wherein the processing section is further arranged to determine whether a radio signal is presently being transmitted toward the receiving section and to delay the transmitting of a signal by the processing section as long as a radio signal is being transmitted toward the receiving section,
wherein the processing section is configured to buffer received payload data carried by an inbound radio signal and to transmit said buffered received payload data as relay payload data carried by an outbound radio signal to the communication partner, and
wherein the processing section is further arranged to delay the transmitting of the relayed payload data according to a predetermined value, and to change said predetermined value in response to determining an occurrence of interference.

2. The piece of hygiene equipment according to claim 1 , further being configured to dispense a consumable to a user or to dispose a consumable from a user, and further comprising a sensor section configured to determine a value relating to a reservoir of said consumable, wherein the processing section is arranged to compile the transmission payload data in relation to the determined value.

3. The piece of hygiene equipment according to claim 1 , wherein said processing section is configured to operate in a first mode and in a second mode, wherein during said first mode the processing section is configured to determine the communication partner, and wherein during said second mode the processing section is configured to compile and transmit said transmission payload data.

4. The piece of hygiene equipment according to claim 3 , wherein said processing section is configured during said second mode to compile and transmit said transmission payload data in relation to the determined value relating to the reservoir of said consumable.

5. The piece of hygiene equipment according to claim 3 , wherein the first mode is activated for a predetermined time after power-up of the piece of hygiene equipment.

6. The piece of hygiene equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the piece of hygiene equipment further comprises an electric power source.

7. The piece of hygiene equipment according to claim 6 , wherein an insulating slip inhibits an electrical connection to the electric power source, and the piece of hygiene equipment is powered up by removing said slip.

8. The piece of hygiene equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the processing section is configured to determine a preferred communication partner or a preferred direction for transmitting data toward a specific communication data.

9. The piece of hygiene equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined value is specific to the piece of hygiene equipment.

10. The piece of hygiene equipment according to claim 9 , wherein the piece of hygiene equipment has assigned an identifier, and wherein the predetermined value is set in relation to said identifier.

11. The piece of hygiene equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the processing section is further arranged to monitor a radio signal being transmitted toward the receiving section during the transmitting of a signal for determining an occurrence of interference.

12. The piece of hygiene equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the processing section is further arranged to change said predetermined value.

13. The piece of hygiene equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the change of said predetermined value is dependent on an identifier of the piece of hygiene equipment.

14. The piece of hygiene equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the processing section is further arranged to accumulate data to be relayed before transmitting.

15. The piece of hygiene equipment according to claim 14 , wherein the processing section is further arranged to add data to the data to be relayed before transmitting.

16. The piece of hygiene equipment according to claim 1 , comprising any one of a soap dispenser, towel dispenser, disinfectant dispenser, alcogel dispenser, tissue dispenser, hygiene article dispenser, waste bin, used towel bin, and a toilet paper dispenser.

17. A system comprising a plurality of pieces of hygiene equipment according to claim 16 and a target device being coupled to a communication network.

18. A method of operating a piece of hygiene equipment, said method comprising the steps of:
transmitting an outbound radio signal carrying transmission payload data;
receiving an inbound radio signal carrying reception payload data;
performing one or both of transmitting an outbound radio signal carrying specific transmission payload data, and receiving an inbound radio signal carrying specific reception payload data for determining a communication partner to which outbound radio signals are to be transmitted and from which inbound radio signals are to be received;
determining said communication partner;
storing information representing the determined communication partner in a memory section;
determining whether a radio signal is presently being transmitted toward the piece of hygiene equipment; and
delaying the transmitting of a signal by the piece of hygiene equipment as long as a radio signal is being transmitted toward the piece of hygiene equipment;
buffering, by the processing section, received payload data carried by an inbound radio signal;
transmitting, by the processing section, said buffered received payload data as relay payload data carried by an outbound radio signal to the communication partner;
delaying, by the processing section, the transmitting of the relayed payload data according to a predetermined value; and
changing, by the processing section, said predetermined value in response to determining an occurrence of interference.

Assignees

• Essity Hygiene & Health Ab

Inventors

• Lindström Håkan

Classifications

• H04W4/80 Primary

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title

• H04W4/38

  for collecting sensor information · CPC title

• H04W8/005

  Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals · CPC title

• H04W84/18

  Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks · CPC title

• A47K5/06

  Dispensers for soap · CPC title