Patent ID: 11910291
Assignee: MERO TECHNOLOGIES INC.
Field: Digital communication (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC G  H  A | IPC G  H

Claim 7:
8. A system, comprising:
at least one material sensor comprising an electronic circuit including a sensing device that directly senses a level of a material in a container at a selected period of time according to a sleep and wake schedule;
a communications device that transmits data to a base station at the selected period of time according to the sleep and wake schedule; and
a microcontroller that executes an algorithm that implements the sleep and wake schedule and that controls operation of the sensing device and the communications device;
wherein the material sensor is adapted to be retrofitted to the container using a material sensor calibration procedure implemented by an algorithm executed by the microcontroller, including:
obtaining a first sensed level of the material in the container from the sensing device;
storing the first sensed level of the material;
obtaining a second sensed level of the material in the container from the sensing device;
storing the second sensed level of the material;

wherein the communications device transmits the stored first and second sensed levels of the material in the container to the base station;
wherein the microcontroller calculates an actual amount of the material in the container by comparing the directly sensed level of material in the container with the stored first and second sensed levels of the material in the container;
wherein the communications device transmits the calculated actual amount of material in the container to the base station according to the sleep and wake schedule;
the system further comprising:
a base station that communicates with the at least one material sensor; and
a processor that receives data from the base station and performs one or more operations based on the data;
wherein one said operation comprises sending a notification advising of the calculated actual amount of material in a material dispenser or a material receptacle to a user.