Controlling of a lock unit for hygiene equipment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024233463-A9
Application number	US-202118548361-A
Country	US
Kind code	A9
Filing date	Mar 2, 2021
Priority date	Mar 2, 2021
Publication date	Jul 11, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention relates to data collection comprising the receiving of inbound data from a hygiene equipment, the inbound data indicating a filling status of the hygiene equipment acquired by a data acquisition unit of the hygiene equipment, and comprising the transmitting of outbound data to the hygiene equipment, the outbound data changing a behaviour with regard to a lock unit of the hygiene equipment based on the filling status of the hygiene equipment.

First claim

1 . A data collection method, comprising the steps of:
receiving inbound data from a hygiene equipment, the inbound data indicating a filling status of the hygiene equipment acquired by a data acquisition unit of the hygiene equipment; and transmitting outbound data to the hygiene equipment, the outbound data changing a behaviour with regard to a lock unit of the hygiene equipment based on the filling status of the hygiene equipment.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the behaviour with regard to the lock unit of the hygiene equipment is changed when the filling status of the hygiene equipment indicates that the hygiene equipment needs to be refilled or emptied.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the behaviour with regard to the lock unit of the hygiene equipment is directed to a communication mode of the hygiene equipment.

4 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein the behaviour comprises a receiving and/or transmitting characteristic, the receiving and/or transmitting characteristic indicating a radio scheme to be used by the hygiene equipment for communication and/or an occurrence rate with which the hygiene equipment enters a receiving mode to receive incoming data.

5 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein the occurrence rate with which the hygiene equipment enters the receiving mode to receive the incoming data is increased when the filling status of the hygiene equipment indicates that the hygiene equipment needs to be refilled or emptied.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the behaviour with regard to the lock unit of the hygiene equipment comprises a locking state and unlocking state of the lock unit.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said outbound data carries a command and the method further comprises initiating of the command, including any one of evaluating the filling status, comparing the filling status to a threshold, taking a decision whether or not the command shall be transmitted toward the hygiene equipment, compiling the command, fetching the command or parts thereof, and generating the command or parts thereof.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said outbound data carries a command and the method further comprises initiating of the command, including comparing the filling status to a threshold.

9 . A network-based service comprising the functionalities of:
receiving inbound data from a hygiene equipment, the inbound data indicating a filling status of the hygiene equipment acquired by a data acquisition unit of the hygiene equipment; and transmitting outbound data to the hygiene equipment, the outbound data changing a behaviour with regard to a lock unit of the hygiene equipment based on the filling status of the hygiene equipment.

10 . The network-based service of claim 9 , wherein the functionalities are adapted to implement a method comprising the steps of:
receiving inbound data from a hygiene equipment, the inbound data indicating a filling status of the hygiene equipment acquired by a data acquisition unit of the hygiene equipment; and transmitting outbound data to the hygiene equipment, the outbound data changing a behaviour with regard to a lock unit of the hygiene equipment based on the filling status of the hygiene equipment, wherein the behaviour with regard to the lock unit of the hygiene equipment is changed when the filling status of the hygiene equipment indicates that the hygiene equipment needs to be refilled or emptied.

11 . A piece of hygiene equipment, comprising:
a housing having an interior volume for holding a hygiene equipment product, the hygiene equipment housing having a fixed part and an openable part which is movable or removable with respect to the fixed part to provide access to the interior volume; a lock unit configured to lock, in a locking state, the openable part to the fixed part of the hygiene equipment or unlock, in an unlocking state, the openable part from the fixed part of the hygiene equipment; at least one transmitting unit configured to transmit inbound data indicating a filling status of the hygiene equipment to a data collection unit; and at least one receiving unit configured to receive outbound data from the data collection unit, the outbound data changing a behaviour with regard to the lock unit of the hygiene equipment based on the filling status of the hygiene equipment.

12 . The piece of hygiene equipment according to claim 11 , further comprising a data acquisition unit configured to acquire the filling status of the hygiene equipment.

13 . The piece of hygiene equipment according to claim 11 or 12 , wherein the behaviour with regard to the lock unit of the hygiene equipment is changed when the filling status of the hygiene equipment indicates that the hygiene equipment needs to be refilled or emptied.

14 . The piece of hygiene equipment according to claim 11 one of claims 11 to 13 , wherein the behaviour with regard to the lock unit of the hygiene equipment is directed to a communication mode of the hygiene equipment.

15 . The piece of hygiene equipment according to claim 14 , wherein the behaviour comprises a receiving and/or transmitting characteristic, the receiving and/or transmitting characteristic indicating a radio scheme to be used by the hygiene equipment for communication and/or an occurrence rate with which the hygiene equipment enters a receiving mode to receive incoming data.

16 . The piece of hygiene equipment according to claim 15 , wherein the occurrence rate with which the hygiene equipment enters the receiving mode to receive the incoming data is increased when the filling status of the hygiene equipment indicates that the hygiene equipment needs to be refilled or emptied.

17 . The piece of hygiene equipment according to claim 11 , wherein the behaviour with regard to the lock unit of the hygiene equipment comprises the locking state and the unlocking state of the lock unit.

18 . The piece of hygiene equipment according to claim 11 , wherein the incoming data is a signal from the data collection unit, the signal instructing the lock unit to be in the locking state or in the unlocking state.

19 . The piece of hygiene equipment according to claim 11 , wherein the transmitting unit is configured to transmit the inbound data to the data collection unit according to a specific time interval.

20 . The piece of hygiene equipment according to claim 11 , wherein the transmitting unit is further configured to transmit lock data from the lock unit, the lock data comprising status information of the lock unit and/or status information of one or more batteries powering the hygiene equipment.

21 . A method for a piece of hygiene equipment, wherein the piece of hygiene equipment comprises a hygiene equipment housing having an interior volume for holding a hygiene equipment product, the hygiene equipment housing having a fixed part and an openable part which is movable or removable with respect to the fixed part to provide access to the interior volume, and a lock unit to lock the openable part to the fixed part of the hygiene equipment or unlock the openable part from the fixed part of the hygiene equipment, the method comprising the steps of:
transmitting inbound data indicating the filling status of the hygiene equipment to a data collection unit; and receiving outbound data from the data collection unit, the outbound data changing a behaviour with regard to the lock unit of the hygiene equipment based on the filling status of th

Assignees

• Essity Hygiene & Health Ab

Inventors

• Kling Robert
• Möller Per

Classifications

• G07F11/004

  Restocking arrangements therefor · CPC title

• G07F9/001

  Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices · CPC title

• G07F9/002

  Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines · CPC title

• G07F9/10

  Casings {or parts thereof}, e.g. with means for heating or cooling · CPC title

• A47K5/1217

  Electrical control means for the dispensing mechanism · CPC title