Monitoring modules for hand hygiene dispensers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11903537-B2
Application number	US-202217648389-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 19, 2022
Priority date	Mar 7, 2017
Publication date	Feb 20, 2024
Grant date	Feb 20, 2024

Abstract

A wireless dispenser beacon module for a product dispenser comprises a bottle presence trigger configured to detect one of presence or absence of a product bottle in the product dispenser; an actuation sensor configured to detect actuation of the product dispenser; and a module controller configured to wirelessly transmit dispenser data indicative of the detected one of presence or absence of the product bottle in the product dispenser associated with each detected actuation of the product dispenser.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a computing device; and
a dispenser beacon module configured to monitor actuations of a product dispenser, the dispenser beacon module including:
a bottle presence trigger configured to detect product bottle presence or absence in the product dispenser;
a module controller configured to generate dispenser data for each of a plurality of detected actuations of the product dispenser, the dispenser data including one of a product bottle presence indication or a product bottle absence indication based on the detected product bottle presence or absence in the product dispenser; and
a wireless transceiver configured to wirelessly transmit the dispenser data, wherein the computing device is configured to:
identify, based on the dispenser data for each of the plurality of detected actuations of the product dispenser, one or more of the detected actuations of the product dispenser for which the dispenser data includes the product bottle absence indication; and
detect installation of a product bottle in the product dispenser based on a first product bottle absence indication included in first dispenser data associated with a first detected actuation of the product dispenser and a second product bottle presence indication included in second dispenser data associated with a second detected actuation of the product dispenser.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device generates an alert including the product bottle absence indication from the product dispenser based on the identified one or more detected actuations of the product dispenser.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is configured to generate a product bottle replacement indication upon detection of installation of the product bottle in the product dispenser.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is configured to detect removal of the product bottle from the product dispenser based on second dispenser data associated with the second detected actuation of the product dispenser and including the second bottle presence indication and third dispenser data associated with a third detected actuation of the product dispenser and including the product bottle absence indication.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the computing device is configured to generate a product bottle removal indication upon detection of removal of the product bottle from the product dispenser.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the module controller is configured to receive identification information from one of a plurality of badges associated with one or more of the plurality of detected actuations of the product dispenser.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the dispenser data for each of the plurality of detected actuations of the product dispenser includes the identification information.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the module controller is configured to receive a dispenser actuation signal from a switch that detects actuation of the product dispenser.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the product dispenser is one of a manual product dispenser or a touch free product dispenser.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the product dispenser is one of a manually actuated hand hygiene product dispenser or a touch free hand hygiene product dispenser.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the module controller is further configured to store a dispense event count upon receipt of a dispenser actuation signal.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the bottle presence trigger comprises a switch that moves from an open position to a closed position when the product bottle is installed into the product dispenser; and wherein the module controller is further configured to reset a dispense event count when the switch moves from the open position to a closed position.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the dispenser data includes the dispense event count.

14. The system of claim 1 further including an indicator that is illuminated by the module controller upon receipt of a dispenser actuation signal.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the bottle presence trigger includes one of a plunger switch, a pin switch, or a rocker switch.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the dispenser beacon module further includes:
a module housing sized to fit within a housing of the product dispenser, the module housing having a module base and a module cover;
wherein the bottle presence trigger is configured on an outer surface of the module housing such that presence of the product bottle in the housing of the product dispenser closes the bottle presence trigger to provide a bottle presence signal indicative of presence of the product bottle in the housing of the product dispenser.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the module housing is sized to be received into a receptacle within the housing of the product dispenser.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the module controller is internal to the module housing.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein the module controller further determines status information corresponding to each of the detected actuations of the product dispenser, the status information including at least one of a battery level associated with the dispenser beacon module or a battery level associated with the product dispenser.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein the dispenser data for each of the plurality of the detected actuations of the product dispenser further includes at least one of a battery level associated with the dispenser beacon module, a battery level associated with the product dispenser, and a dispense event count.

21. The system of claim 1 wherein the dispenser beacon module further includes a power source that provides power to the module controller.

22. The system of claim 1 wherein the module controller receives power from the product dispenser.

23. The system of claim 1 wherein the module controller receives power from one or more batteries that also provide power to the product dispenser.

24. A computing system comprising:
one or more processors; and
one or more storage devices comprising instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:
for each of a plurality of product dispensers, analyze dispenser data received for each of a plurality of detected actuations of the product dispenser and identify one or more of the detected actuations of the product dispenser for which the dispenser data includes a product bottle absence indication;
generate an alert including the detected product bottle absence indication; and
for each of the plurality of product dispensers, detect installation of a product bottle in the product dispenser based on a first product bottle absence indication included in first dispenser data associated with a first detected actuation of the product dispenser and a second product bottle presence indication included in second dispenser data associated with a second detected actuation of the product dispenser.

25. The computing system of claim 24 , wherein the one or more processors further comprise instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:
detect removal of the product bottle from the product dispenser based on second dispenser data associated with the second detected actuation of the product dispenser and including the second product bottle presence indication and third

Assignees

• Ecolab Usa Inc

Inventors

• Rospierski Jeffrey
• Snodgrass David L
• Schultz Andrew M
• Slobodyan Viktor
• Littau Cheryl A
• Dobizl Kenneth T

Classifications

• A47K5/1217 Primary

  Electrical control means for the dispensing mechanism · CPC title

• G08B21/245

  Reminder of hygiene compliance policies, e.g. of washing hands · CPC title

• G16H40/20

  for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms · CPC title