Methods, systems, and apparatus for monitoring a dispensing state of a dispensing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9943195-B2
Application number	US-201514750333-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2015
Priority date	Jun 25, 2015
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, and systems are described that provide an improved way to monitor the state of a dispensing system and apparatus. The method begins when an activation sensor generates a signal indicating a desired dispense cycle operation in response to detecting user input, such as user hand motion in front of the sensor. The dispenser motor is energized in response to the generated signal, and a battery sensor monitors a status of the battery during a startup phase of the dispenser motor. The monitored status of the battery during the startup phase is indicative of a state (e.g., power state or operational state) of the dispensing system, and a dispenser controller determines if the system can complete the desired dispense cycle operation based upon the monitored status and reacts to control the system accordingly, e.g., aborting a dispense cycle or allowing the dispense cycle to initiate.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. An improved method for monitoring a dispensing state of a dispensing system, the dispensing system having at least an activation sensor, a controller, a dispenser motor, a battery, and a battery sensor, the improved method comprising the steps of:
generating a signal by the activation sensor of the dispensing system, the signal indicative of a desired dispense cycle operation of the dispensing system;
energizing the dispenser motor in response to the generated signal;
monitoring, by the battery sensor, a status of the battery during at least a startup phase of the dispenser motor;
determining, by the controller, if the system can complete the desired dispense cycle operation based upon the monitored status of the battery indicative of the dispensing state of the dispensing system, wherein the dispensing state comprises a power state;
aborting, by the controller, the desired dispense cycle operation and transitioning the power state to a battery shutdown state of the dispensing system if a level of the monitored status differs from a first motor startup boundary; and
completing the desired dispense cycle operation by the dispenser motor and transitioning the power state to a battery low power state of the dispensing system if the level of the monitored status differs from a second motor startup boundary.

2. The improved method of claim 1 , wherein the dispensing state comprises an operational state.

3. The improved method of claim 2 , wherein the operational state comprises at least one from the group consisting of a jammed state, a stalled state, an inoperable state, and a normal operational state.

4. The improved method of claim 1 further comprising completing, by the controller, the desired dispense cycle operation if the power state is sufficient to complete a dispense operation cycle.

5. The improved method of claim 1 further comprising completing, by the controller, the desired dispense cycle operation if the power state is at least a normal power state or a battery low power state.

6. The improved method of claim 1 further comprising aborting, by the controller, the desired dispense cycle operation if the power state of the dispensing system is a shutdown power state.

7. The improved method of claim 1 further comprising aborting, by the controller, the desired dispense cycle operation based upon at least one level of the monitored status.

8. The improved method of claim 1 further comprising selectively allowing, by the controller, the desired dispense cycle operation to continue based upon one or more characteristics of the monitored status before the dispensing system enters an inoperable state.

9. The improved method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring step further comprises measuring a battery characteristic before the dispenser motor substantially moves in response to the energizing step.

10. The improved method of claim 9 , wherein the measuring step further comprises measuring the battery characteristic to detect a peak load level of the battery characteristic before the dispenser motor substantially moves in response to the energizing step.

11. The improved method of claim 10 , wherein the detecting step further comprises measuring a plurality of samples of the battery characteristic with the battery sensor during the startup phase to detect the peak load level of the battery characteristic.

12. The improved method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring step further comprises:
measuring a plurality of samples of the battery characteristic with the battery sensor during the startup phase of the dispenser motor; and
averaging the plurality of samples of the battery characteristic to determine the monitored status of the battery during the startup phase.

13. The improved method of claim 12 , wherein the averaging step further comprises determining the average of the measured plurality of samples based on a first weighted portion based on a rolling historic average of past measurements of the battery characteristic and a second weighted portion based on a present measurement of the battery characteristic.

14. The improved method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring step further comprises:
periodically sampling, by the battery sensor, during the startup phase and a running phase of the dispenser motor, wherein each of the startup phase and the running phase of the dispenser motor has the motor providing a load against the battery and drawing energy from the battery; and
further comprising averaging, by the dispenser controller, the periodic samples to determine the power state of the dispensing system based upon the average of the periodic samples.

15. The improved method of claim 1 further comprising:
measuring, with the battery sensor, an initial level of a battery characteristic for the battery currently used in the dispensing system;
wherein the determining step further comprises
comparing, by the dispenser controller, (a) the monitored status of the battery measured by the battery sensor with (b) a relative battery status threshold value, the relative battery status threshold value being based upon the initial level of the battery characteristic; and
determining, by the dispenser controller, if the system can complete the desired dispense cycle operation of the dispensing system based upon the comparison of the monitored status of the battery and the relative battery status threshold value.

16. An improved method for monitoring a dispensing state of a dispensing system, the dispensing system having at least an activation sensor, a controller, a dispenser motor, a battery, and a battery sensor, the improved method comprising the steps of:
generating a signal by the activation sensor of the dispensing system, the signal indicative of a desired dispense cycle operation of the dispensing system;
energizing the dispenser motor in response to the generated signal;
monitoring, by the battery sensor, a status of the battery during at least a startup phase of the dispenser motor;
determining, by the controller, if the system can complete the desired dispense cycle operation based upon the monitored status of the battery indicative of the dispensing state of the dispensing system;
completing, by the controller, the desired dispense cycle operation if the power state is sufficient to complete a dispense operation cycle;
monitoring, by the battery sensor, a further status of the battery during a running phase of the dispenser motor;
if a level of the further status differs from a first motor running boundary, then completing the desired dispense cycle operation by the dispenser motor and transitioning the power state to a battery shutdown state of the dispensing system; and
transitioning the power state to a battery low power state of the dispensing system if the level of the further status differs from a second motor running boundary.

17. An improved dispensing system, comprising:
a battery having an output for providing power for the system;
a dispenser motor selectively coupled to the battery, the dispenser motor being responsive when energized to facilitate dispensing a consumable product in a desired dispense cycle operation;
a battery sensor having an input coupled to the output of the battery, the battery sensor operating to monitor a status of the battery during a startup phase of the energized dispenser motor and provide the monitored status as a battery sensor output signal;
control circuitry comprising at least a controller that is operative to
selectively couple the dispenser motor and the battery to energize the di

Assignees

• Gpcp Ip Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Murphy David Warren

Classifications

• A47K10/42

  dispensing from a store of single sheets, e.g. stacked · CPC title

• G01R31/3693

  Physics · mapped topic

• A47K5/1217 Primary

  Electrical control means for the dispensing mechanism · CPC title

• A47K10/424 Primary

  dispensing from the bottom part of the dispenser (A47K10/44 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A47K10/3625

  with electronic control means · CPC title