Patent Publication Number: US-2023144134-A1

Title: Dye dispensing system

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application for patent is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/277,425, filed Feb. 15, 2019, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/956,490, filed Apr. 18, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,206,478, and entitled “DYE DISPENSING SYSTEM”, which is assigned to the assignee hereof and which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety for all purposes. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Hair coloring compositions are used for coloring human hair. Color service is a profitable area in the salon industry and can be a significant part of the cost structure of operating a salon. The components that are used to create hair coloring compositions are generally distributed separately in containers such as tubes or bottles and allow the stylist to create custom blends per client. Additionally, the components of the hair coloring composition are provided separately to prolong their useful life and avoid adverse chemical reactions that may occur if combined together. 
     There is a lot of waste in the salon industry with respect to color service. To create a custom hair coloring composition, the stylist utilizes small amounts of several different components such as colorant, coloring compound, dye or coloring chemicals from one or more containers. When a small amount of the component is used, the remainder of the component in the container may become waste because once the component is exposed to oxygen, such as when the container is opened, it may degrade in as little as a few days. 
     Not only is the remainder of the component in the container waste, but also the container itself along with its packaging. Moreover, some stylists lack the knowledge and skills required to select and mix the components to obtain the proper color formulation ratios for the custom hair color composition. These mistakes, mixture inaccuracies such as mixing too much product, inconsistencies and “do-overs” contribute to more waste. 
     SUMMARY 
     A system is disclosed herein including at least one scanner identifying an identification associated with a receptacle. At least one dispenser is configured to dispense the first desired amount of the formulation into the receptacle. At least one dispensing area has a measuring instrument. The instrument measures a dispensed amount of the formulation in the receptacle and an unused amount of the formulation in the receptacle, and associates the measured dispensed amount and the unused amount with the identification. At least one storage device stores a program, and at least one controller which, when executing the program, is configured to receive information and associate the information with the identification. The information comprises at least one of stylist information, client information of a client, attributes of hair of the client, a formulation, a type of application for the formulation, a location on a head of the client for the formulation, and a first desired amount of the formulation. Collected data associated with the identification is recorded. The collected data is comprised of the information, the dispensed amount of the formulation, and the unused amount of the formulation, to a file in a database. A second desired amount of the formulation based on at least some of the collected data in at least one file in the database is recommended. The at least one scanner, the at least one dispenser, the at least one instrument and the at least one storage device are in communication with the at least one controller. The at least one dispenser is controlled by the at least one controller based on the first desired amount of the formulation or the second desired amount of the formulation. The at least one dispenser is configured to dispense the second desired amount of the formulation. 
     A method is disclosed herein including a dye dispensing system receiving a receptacle having an identification in a dispensing area. A scanner of the dye dispensing system identifies the identification associated with the receptacle. A controller of the dye dispensing system receives information and associates the information with the identification. The information comprises at least one of stylist information, client information of a client, attributes of hair of the client, a formulation, a type of application for the formulation, a location on a head of the client for the formulation, and a first desired amount of the formulation. A first dispenser of the dye dispensing system dispenses the first desired amount of the formulation into the receptacle. A measuring instrument in the dispensing area measures a dispensed amount of the formulation in the receptacle and the measured dispensed amount is associated with the identification. After the receptacle has been removed from the dispensing area, the receptacle is received in the dispensing area. The scanner reads the identification associated with the receptacle and the information associated with the identification. The instrument measures an amount of unused formulation in the receptacle and the measured unused amount is associated with the identification. The controller records collected data comprising the information, the measured dispensed amount, and the measured unused amount, to a file in a database. The controller recommends a second desired amount of the formulation based on at least some of the collected data from at least one file in the database. A second dispenser dispenses the second desired amount of the formulation. The second dispenser is controlled by the controller based on the second desired amount of the formulation. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view of a dye dispensing apparatus in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIGS.  2 A and  2 B  are simplified schematic diagram of a dye dispensing system environment incorporating the apparatus in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG.  3    is a perspective view of a portion of an interior of the dye dispensing apparatus shown in  FIG.  1    in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG.  4 A  shows a top view of a portion of the apparatus shown in  FIG.  1    in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG.  4 B  shows a perspective view of the portion of the apparatus shown in  FIG.  4 A  in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG.  5 A  is a perspective view of a canister for use in the dye dispensing apparatus shown in  FIG.  1    in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG.  5 B  is a simplified schematic view of a canister for use in the dye dispensing apparatus shown in  FIG.  1    in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIGS.  6 A and  6 B  show a perspective view and a side view of the coupler for use in the apparatus shown in  FIG.  1    in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG.  6 C  is a perspective view of a nozzle for use in the dye dispensing apparatus shown in  FIG.  1    in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIGS.  7 A and  7 B  show cross sectional views of the canister for use in the dye dispensing apparatus shown in  FIG.  1    in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG.  8 A  shows the interior of the dye dispensing apparatus in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIGS.  8 B and  8 C  illustrate the dispenser in the dye dispensing apparatus in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIGS.  9 A and  9 B  depict embodiments with a first dispenser and a second dispenser in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG.  10    depicts a receptacle with an identification, in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG.  11    shows the receptacle in the dispensing area of the apparatus, in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG.  12    depicts the receptacle with the identification as various colors, in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG.  13    depicts the receptacle in the dispensing area, in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG.  14    illustrates a simplified schematic of components used in a method for preparing a dye formulation in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG.  15    is a flowchart for a method for preparing a dye formulation in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG.  16    is a simplified flowchart of a method for recommending a desired amount of the formulation in a color service, in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG.  17    illustrates a portion of a file of a client, in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG.  18    is a simplified schematic diagram showing an example server for use in the dye dispensing system, in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG.  19 A- 19 B  illustrate perspective views of a portion of a dye dispensing apparatus in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG.  20 A  illustrates a perspective view of a portion of a dye dispensing apparatus in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG.  20 B  illustrates a perspective view of a portion of a dye dispensing apparatus in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG.  21 A  illustrates a side interior view of a portion of a dye dispensing apparatus in accordance with some embodiments; and 
         FIG.  21 B  is a front view of the dye dispensing apparatus in  FIG.  21 A  in accordance with some embodiments. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference now will be made in detail to embodiments of the disclosed invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the present technology, not as a limitation of the present technology. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and variations can be made in the present technology without departing from the scope thereof. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment may be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present subject matter covers all such modifications and variations within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. 
     There is a lot of waste in the salon industry with respect to color service. When performing a color service, the stylist may mix too much product to be used on the client. The unused, leftover product cannot be reused and is discarded. The unused product is typically not measured, so from a business side, the salon cannot quantify the losses in inventory, costs and profits due to unused, discarded product. Moreover, the stylist continues the same process time after time, continuing the same mistakes. 
     The system and method disclosed herein measures, records and tracks the unused product so that based on at least some collected data, a recommendation for a desired amount of the formulation is generated. The dispenser of the dye dispenser apparatus may be controlled by the controller of the dye dispenser apparatus based on the recommended desired amount of the formulation. In this way, the amount unused product is minimized or eliminated, which saves the salon money in inventory, reduces costs and increases profits. The waste created from the used containers of the product and the associated packaging is decreased, which helps the environment. By using the system and method, the stylist has minimal input on the amount of product mixed, thereby, eliminating the mistake of mixing too much product. 
     The dye dispensing apparatus, system and method described herein dispenses dye for hair coloring with the ability to produce a relatively large number (e.g., approximately 4,000) unique color formulations, and a suite of optional treatments with computer controlled, precision dispensing. The unique color formulations may be created by master chemists and produced in large batches remotely, such as at a factory, then packaged in recyclable, refillable and reusable canisters. The dye dispensing apparatus, system and method may dispense the dye from the canister such as “base tones” or “base levels” which may comprise a large portion of the dispensed color formulation; “pure tones” or “tonal values” which are highly concentrated dyes of particular colors; and “developer” which may be different strengths of peroxide and bleach. Combining these ingredients produce unique color formulas. The dye in the canisters may consist of permanents, semi-permanents, demi-permanents, bleaches/lighteners, color refreshers, temporaries, toners or developers. In another embodiment, the developer is not provided in canisters or dispensed by the dye dispensing apparatus, but is supplied in a conventional container. The canisters are configured with an internal valve that enables approximately all of the dye in the canister to be dispensed without contamination. The system also includes the functionality of inventory management and communications. 
     The dye dispensing apparatus, system and method may monitor the individual canisters and transmit actual dispensed amounts to the network or central server (e.g., a cloud-based application, a standalone server device, etc.) which, in turn, may automate inventory management by initiating automated direct replenishment shipments of the canisters. The dye dispensing system may be operated by stylists using control panels or Apps on mobile devices such as a laptop, tablet, smartphone or Web browser. Commands may be transmitted to the system from software operating on an online server or from the central server. 
       FIG.  1    is a perspective view of a dye dispensing apparatus in accordance with some embodiments. A dye dispensing apparatus  100  has a housing  102  made from metal, plastic, composites or a combination thereof. The housing  102  may be equipped with mounting holes to allow the apparatus to be mounted on a wall, secured to a countertop, mounted on a cart or for multiple apparatuses  100  to be coupled together. A door  104  may be located in the upper area of the housing  102  or in the side wall of the housing  102  for access to the inside of the housing  102  such as for loading and unloading canisters or resolving any concerns that may arise. The door  104  may have a lock option. A panel  106  with a screen or display may be used to enter inputs for communication with the apparatus  100  or overall dispensing system, or to serve as an information center. For example, the panel  106  may display a power mode, a login function, a queue for dispensing, and system messages. The hair color or dye may be dispensed in a dispensing area  108 , such as a nook, located in a lower area of the housing  102 . 
       FIGS.  2 A and  2 B  are simplified schematic diagrams of a dye dispensing system  110  environment incorporating the apparatus  100  in accordance with some embodiments. For example, at least one apparatus  100  may be in communication with one or more mobile devices  112  through a network  114 . The apparatuses  100  may be located at the same salon, multiple salons or locations, or a combination thereof. The apparatus  100  includes a controller  116 . The controller  116  may be contained within the housing  102  or located remotely from the apparatus  100 , and in communication with the system  110  through the network  114 , such as the Internet, a wide area network (WAN), a local area network (LAN), etc. Thus, the controller  116  may be a micro-control unit embedded in the apparatus  100 , a separate standalone remote controller or computer, a cloud-based application, or other appropriate device or combination of devices. The controller  116  may include one or more CPU or processor boards, computer displays, touch screens and interface hardware. The communication or transmitting may be wired or wireless (or a hybrid combination thereof) and may be achieved through a WiFi system, Bluetooth® wireless technology, Ethernet, router, cellular communications, satellite communications or the like. The system may also be capable of performing as a WiFi hub. In various embodiments, the controller  116  is a laptop, computer or mobile device such as a tablet or mobile phone. In another embodiment, a user interface may be part of the controller  116  such as when the controller  116  is configured as a laptop, computer, tablet or mobile device  112 , and may be used to enter inputs for communication with the apparatus  100  or system  110 , or as an information center. 
     A dye formulation identifies at least one dye and an amount of the dye. This may be the recipe to create the hair coloring compositions for the coloring service to be performed on a client. The dye formulation may be comprised of data  117  from an internal database, an external database or input from a user. 
     Through the network  114 , requests, commands, responses and data may be transmitted. The apparatus  100  and system  110  may support the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) assignment of internal IP addresses and may initiate communications over the network  114  in response to inputs. The network  114  may utilize Ethernet and Internet protocols such as TCP/IP, UDP, HTTP or HTTPS and data formats such as HTML, JSON or XML for these transactions. In various embodiments, these communications may include user interface interactions, periodic apparatus  100  timeouts, a system  110  event such as the canister being inserted or removed, or the completion of the dispensing sequence. Communications between the apparatus  100  and the controller  116  may be via a direct or independent access channel through the network  114 . In the event that the primary network connectivity becomes unavailable, a backup system may be used, that is capable of reporting GPS coordinates and supporting operating communications. 
     In another embodiment, referring to  FIG.  2 B , multiple apparatuses  100  are located at one site, such as a salon, or at multiple sites, and may be linked together through the network  114 , creating the dye dispensing system  110 . As shown in  FIG.  2 A , there may be one central controller  115  or server connecting each dispensing apparatus  100 , and acting as a hub to collect data and distribute commands to the multiple dye dispensing systems  110 . The central controller  115  may receive and transmit data, information or commands. Providing a network  114  in this manner enables high quality customer service and color formulation analytics. 
       FIG.  3    is a perspective view of a portion of an interior of the dye dispensing apparatus  100  shown in  FIG.  1    in accordance with some embodiments.  FIG.  4 A  shows a top view of a portion of the apparatus  100  shown in  FIG.  1    in accordance with some embodiments, and  FIG.  4 B  shows a perspective view of the portion of the apparatus  100  shown in  FIG.  4 A  in accordance with some embodiments. A tray  118  within the housing  102  may be coupled to the housing  102  and is configured to hold at least one canister  120 . A bearing  170  may be coupled to the tray  118 , enabling the tray  118  to rotate. The tray  118  may have any shape such as a round, carousel configuration and may be operated by a drive mechanism  124  such as a motor. The tray  118  communicates with the controller  116 . In other embodiments, the tray  118  is fixed. The tray  118  is configured with at least one opening  126 . 
     In some embodiments, there may be multiple rows of openings  126 , such as two concentric rows shown in  FIGS.  4 A- 4 B . For example, the tray  118  may contain up to 50 openings  126  arranged in two rows, having an inner row with 20 openings  126  and an outer row with 30 openings  126 . In other embodiments, the tray  118  may be square-shaped with 40 openings  126  arranged in four rows. In yet another embodiment, the tray  118  may be octagonal-shaped with 40 openings  126  arranged in clusters. The shape of the tray  118  and the arrangement of the openings  126  is customizable depending on the application. The ability to change the size, shape and number of openings enables the apparatus  100  to be reduced in overall size to accommodate space constraints in the salon. Moreover, the overall size of the apparatus  100  can be reduced if the particular application requires a small number of canisters  120 . For example, the salon may offer a limited amount of color formulations thus only needing 10 canisters  120  instead of up to 50 canisters  120 . 
       FIG.  5 A  is a perspective view of a canister  120  for use in the dye dispensing apparatus  100  shown in  FIG.  1    in accordance with some embodiments and  FIG.  5 B  is a simplified schematic view of a canister  120  for use in the dye dispensing apparatus  100  shown in  FIG.  1    in accordance with some embodiments. At least one canister  120  is coupled to the at least one opening  126  of the tray  118 . Each canister  120  is configured with an identifier  128 , an internal valve  130 , a nozzle  132 , a sleeve  133  and dye  134 . The sleeve  133  is configured to contain the dye  134 . In one embodiment, the canister  120  is modular and interchangeable with one another. The storage capability may be, for example, up to 8.6 ounces but may also vary depending on the size of the sleeve. In practice, the dye  134  cannot be exposed to air until just before the color treatment. Therefore, the canisters  120  are airtight and may be composed of a metal such as aluminum, composite or a combination thereof. 
     Each canister  120  is labeled with a unique identifier  128  such as a barcode, QR code, catalog number or icon code. Identifier  128  may be scanned, read and recognized by a device such as a reader  136 . The reader  136  may be a standalone unit or part of the controller  116  and located within the housing. The reader  136  may be coupled to the side wall or top wall of the housing, on the dispenser or any location with a direct view of the canisters  120 . Other technologies may be used for uniquely identifying the canisters  120  such as by RFID (radio-frequency identification) technology, NFC (near-field communication) technology or the like. In some embodiments, the identifier  128  verifies the presence of the canister  120  in the apparatus  100  and identifies the particular contents in the canister  120  such as the color of the dye  134 . Other information may be included in the identifier  128  such as the product name, date the canister  120  was filled with the particular dye  134 , the amount of the dye remaining in the canister  120 , a lot or batch number and any other notes the manufacturer may wish to include. 
     The reader  136  communicates with the controller  116 . The reader  136  is configured to scan, read and recognize the identifier  128  labeled on the canister  120  and communicates the information to the controller  116 . The controller  116  may recognize the information embedded in the identifier  128  such as product name, quantity remaining in the canister  120  and lot or batch number. In another embodiment, there may be two or more readers  136  designed to identify the canister  120  located in particular areas of the tray  118 . For example, one reader  136  may identify the canisters  120  in an inner row of the tray  118  while another reader  136  identifies the canisters  120  in the outer row of the tray  118 . 
     The canister  120  may be recyclable, refillable and reusable in the system  110  and is configured to be pressurized by a gas. The canister  120  may include a port  138  for injecting the gas. For example, the canister  120  may be a nitrogen pressurized canister  120 . The gas and dye  134  are separated within the canister by an internal sleeve that enables the dye  134  to move uniformly downward towards an internal valve  130  when external force or pressure is exerted on the canister  120 .  FIGS.  6 A and  6 B  show a perspective view and a side view of a coupler  140  for use in the apparatus shown in  FIG.  1    in accordance with some embodiments. The canister  120  couples to the coupler  140  at the bottom end of the canister  120  where the dye  134  is dispensed. In some embodiments, the coupler  140  may be integral to openings  126  in the tray  118 , integral to the canister  120  or a separate component. The coupler  140  supports the canister  120  in the opening  126 . For example, the valve  130  is located on the bottom end of the canister  120 . When a force is applied on the top of the canister  120 , the valve  130  is pushed against a protrusion  141  on the coupler  140 , thus opening the valve  130  and allowing and dye  134  to be dispensed through the nozzle  132 . The internal valve  130  enables the canister  120  to dispense approximately all of the contents within, such as the dye  134 , through the nozzle  132  via the apparatus  100 . In another embodiment, the canister  120  utilizes a gravity-feed system in which gravity is used to move the dye  134  downward through the canister  120 . 
       FIG.  6 C  is a perspective view of a nozzle  132  for use in the dye dispensing apparatus  100  shown in  FIG.  1    in accordance with some embodiments. The nozzle  132  may be made from plastic, metal, composite or the like and coupled to the coupler  140  or the sleeve  133 . In this way, contamination is prevented because each canister  120  has its own nozzle  132 . Thus, only the dye  134  from the particular canister  120  flows through the nozzle  132  as opposed to many different dyes  134  flowing through the same nozzle  132 . 
       FIGS.  7 A and  7 B  show cross sectional views of the canister  140  for use in the dye dispensing apparatus  100  shown in  FIG.  1    in accordance with some embodiments. In some embodiments, the sleeve  133  is located external from the canister  120  and is integral with the coupler  140  thus the sleeve and coupler may be one component. The nozzle  132  fits inside of the coupler  140  and has angled walls. The dye  134  is held in the pressurized canister  120 . The valve  130  protrudes from the bottom end of the canister  120 . When the valve  130  is pushed, it allows the dye  134  inside of the canister  120  to flow out of the canister  120 . 
     The nozzle  132  rests on the inside surface of the sleeve  133 . The internal pressure inside of the canister  120  enables the valve  130  to be in a closed position, (e.g., no dye  134  will flow out of the canister  120 ). When force is applied to the top end of the canister  120  by the actuator  144 , the valve  130  is depressed in a vertically upward direction (e.g., inside of the canister  120 ), creating an opposing force on the nozzle  132  which opens the valve  130  and releases the dye  134 . As more force is applied by the actuator  144 , the flow volume of the dye  134  increases. 
       FIG.  8 A  shows the interior of the dye dispensing apparatus  100  in accordance with some embodiments, and  FIGS.  8 B and  8 C  illustrate a dispenser  142  in the dye dispensing apparatus  100  in accordance with some embodiments. The dispenser  142  includes at least one actuator  144 . The actuator  144  can include mechanical and electrical components such as a solenoid, motor and/or piston and rod assembly; a lever arm  146 ; and a projection  148 . The actuator  144  communicates with the controller  116 . The actuator  144  is coupled to a first end of the lever arm  146 , and the projection  148  is coupled to a second end of the lever arm  146 . A mounting bracket  143  couples the dispenser  142  to a surface such as the housing  102 . For example, in the embodiment of  FIGS.  8 A- 8 C  the mounting bracket  143  is L-shaped, with one end coupled to the second end  147  of the actuator  144  and the other end coupled to the lever arm  146 . The mounting bracket  143  is coupled to the lever arm  146  at a junction  149 . The junction  149  serves as a support and a pivot point for the lever arm  146 . When the actuator  144  is activated, an internal rod  151  of the actuator  144  is moved in an upward direction causing the lever arm  146  coupled to the first end of the actuator  144  to also move in an upward direction. At the junction  149 , the lever arm moves in a downward direction, as in a teeter-totter effect, thus enabling the projection  148  to move in a downward direction and contact the surface of the canister  120  (not shown). This action applies pressure on the canister  120  and the dispensing of the dye  134  begins.  FIG.  8 B  depicts the rod  151  of the actuator  144  non-activated and retracted.  FIG.  8 C  shows the rod  151  of the actuator  144  during dispensing, where the rod  151  is activated and extended vertically upward. 
     In the embodiment of  FIGS.  8 B- 8 C , the projection  148  is configured to pivot and rotate enabling full contact with the top of the canister  120 . The projection  148  is a component that extends from the end of the lever arm  146  and in some embodiments, the projection  148  may be part of the lever arm  146 . The projection  148  is designed to optimally mate with the top surface of the canister  120 . In some embodiments, projection  148  may have a flat or curved surface with a spring-like material such as plastic or rubber to provide flexibility and suction. In other embodiments, the projection  148  is composed of a rigid material providing resistance to the top surface of the canister  120 . 
     When the canister  120  is aligned with a dispensing area  108 , the dispenser  142  applies a downward force on the canister  120  and dispenses the dye  134 . For example, the controller  116  communicates with the reader  136 . The reader  136 , based on the identifier  128 , identifies a selected dye  134  in a selected canister  120  associated with the dye formulation. The selected canister  120  is aligned with the dispensing area  108 . The controller  116  communicates with the actuator  144  which activates and positions the lever arm  146  with the projection  148  directly above the selected canister  120 . The dispenser  142  applies a downward force on the selected canister  120  while the projection  148  is in direct contact with top surface of the canister  120 . This opens the valve  130  of the canister  120  and causes dye  134  to escape through the nozzle  132  of the canister  120 . The dye  134  is dispensed in quantities such as 0.01 grams to 140.00 grams and in any programmed ranges. 
     The controller  116 , via the dispenser  142 , starts and stops the dispensing of the dye  134  allowing for variable dispensing rates. For example, the dispensing may start slow, increase, level off and then decrease as it approaches dispensing the required amount of dye  134 . The rate of dispensing may be customized depending on the amount of dye to be dispensed and the time the apparatus  100  needs to complete the dye formulation. 
     In another embodiment, there may be a second dispenser in the apparatus  100 .  FIGS.  9 A and  9 B   9 A and  9 B depict embodiments with a first dispenser and a second dispenser in accordance with some embodiments. The first dispenser  142   a  has a first actuator  144   a , a first end of the first actuator  145   a , a second end of the first actuator  147   a , first lever arm  146   a , a first projection  148   a  and a first junction  149   a . The second dispenser  142   b  has similar components as the first dispenser  142   a  but for clarity, are not labelled. Mounting brackets  143   a  and  143   b  respectively, couple the dispensers  142   a  and  142   b  to the surface. In  FIG.  9 A , the first dispenser  142   a  and the second dispenser  142   b  each have an actuator  144   a  and  144   b  respectively but in other embodiments, may share the actuator  144 . In  FIG.  9 B , the first dispenser  142   a  and the second dispenser  142   b  share the actuator  144 . 
     The embodiment shown in  FIG.  9 A , depicts independent dispensers  142   a  and  142   b . This may be used when the canisters  120  on the tray  118  are in a round, carousel configuration with an inner row and outer row of canisters  120 . The dispensers  142   a  and  142   b  may operate one at a time, alternately or simultaneously. The operation of the first dispenser  142   a  and a second dispenser  142   b  is the same as described with reference to  FIGS.  8 A,  8 B and  8 C . 
     In the embodiment shown in  FIG.  9 B , the single actuator  144  such as a motor, activates one dispenser  142   a  or  142   b  at a time. A cam  162  with rollers  164   a  and  164   b  is coupled to the actuator  144 . The rollers are 180° from one another in this embodiment. Springs  165   a  or  165   b  located on the lever arm  146   a  or  146   b  aid in holding the projection  148   a  or  148   b  off of the canisters  120 . When the cam  162  rotates in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, the roller  164   a  or  164   b  contacts the lever arm  146   a  or  146   b  and overcomes the tension of the springs  165   a  or  165   b  forcing the roller  164   a  or  164   b  to contact the lever arm  146   a  or  146   b  causing it to move in a downward direction. For example, when the rollers  164   a  or  164   b  contact the lever arm  146   a  or  146   b , it creates a force that overcomes the spring tension, causing the lever arm  146   a  or  146   b  to move downward. Thus, the projection  148   a  or  148   b  contacts the canister  120  (not shown) and dispensing begins. To stop the dispensing, the actuator  144  causes the cam  162  to rotate, such as further in the same direction or in the reverse direction, and the pressure from the roller  164   a  or  164   b  on the lever arm  146   a  or  146   b  is released and the dispensing stops. As the cam  162  rotates, the roller  164   a  or  164   b  applies more or less pressure on the lever arm  146   a  or  146   b  and in turn, on the canister  120 . This starts and stops the dispensing of the dye  134  allowing for variable dispensing rates as described herein. 
     The apparatus  100  further includes a measuring instrument  152  ( FIG.  8 A ) communicating with the controller  116 . The instrument  152  measures a dispensed amount of the selected dye, and the dispenser stops dispensing when the dispensed amount of the selected dye equals the amount of the dye in the dye formulation for the at least one dye. A plate  150  is located in the dispensing area  108  and vertically below the at least one opening  126  with the selected canister  120 . Plate  150  may be configured with the instrument  152  to measure the contents on the plate  150 . The instrument  152  may be a transducer, a scale, a gauge such as a strain gauge, or a combination thereof. A receptacle  154  is located on top of the plate  150 . The receptacle  154 , such as a cup or a bowl, collects the dye  134  as it is dispensed from the canister  120 . The receptacle  154  may lock or snap into the plate  150  to ensure stability. The instrument  152  measures the amount of dye  134  dispensed then communicates this data to the controller  116 . In one embodiment, the dispensing will not occur unless the receptacle is in the proper position. This may be indicated visually with an indicator light. The measuring and stopping steps for each of the at least one dye  134  may be repeated until the dye formulation is complete. 
     The receptacle  154  may be uniquely identified by having an identification  202 . In some embodiments, the identification  202  is configured to store information and may be selected from a group consisting of a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag, barcode, or quick response (QR) code.  FIG.  10    depicts the receptacle  154  with the identification  202 , in accordance with some embodiments. The identification  202  may be permanently affixed to or embedded in the receptacle  154 , e.g., in a bottom portion of the receptacle as shown. 
     Information may be received by the controller  116  and the information is associated with the identification  202  so that the information is tracked with the identification  202 . Thus, the identification  202  and the information are stored in a computer memory connected to the controller  116 . The information comprises at least one of stylist information, client information of a client, attributes of hair of the client, a formulation, a type of application for the formulation, a location on a head of the client for the formulation, and a first desired amount of the formulation. A scanner  204 , in communication with the controller  116 , is coupled to the plate  150  in the dispensing area  108  and configured to read the identification  202  and the information associated with the identification  202 .  FIG.  11    shows the receptacle  154  in the dispensing area  108  of the apparatus  100 , in accordance with some embodiments. The receptacle  154  with the identification  202  is identified by the scanner  204  on the plate  150 . 
     The receptacle  154  may be comprised of a plastic, composite or resin in various colors and may be reusable after thoroughly cleaning after use. In some embodiments, the identification  202  is a particular color of the receptacle  154 , for example, red, green, blue, purple, black, light blue, white or yellow.  FIG.  12    depicts the receptacle  154  with the identification  202  as various colors, in accordance with some embodiments. In this example embodiment, the scanner  204  is one or more optical color sensors  206  to detect color, specifically, the color of the receptacle  154 . For example, one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs)  208  may illuminate the dispensing area  108 , and hence the receptacle  154 , when the receptacle  154  is on the plate  150 .  FIG.  13    depicts the receptacle  154  in the dispensing area  108 , in accordance with some embodiments. 
     In some embodiments, the receptacle  154  is a particular color and the optical color sensors  206  sense RGB color codes of the receptacle  154  and transmit these to the controller  116 . The controller  116  defines the color from the RGB color codes and uses the color as the identification  202 . In this scenario, the information received from the controller  116  is associated with the identification  202 , e.g., color, and stored in the computer memory. In some embodiments, camera technology may be used to identify the color. When the receptacle  154  is in the dispensing area  108 , the scanner  204  automatically reads the identification  202  and the controller  116  automatically reads the information associated with the identification  202 . 
     Typically, the salon industry relies on the knowledge and ability of the stylist to create the dye formulation, distributing the correct amount of the dye comprising the dye formulation and hand mixing. This may lead to inaccuracies and non-repeatable results. The present dye dispensing system and method offers unique hair coloring compositions in recyclable, refillable and reusable canisters reduces waste and improves hair color services with dye formulations and dispensing control, thus retaining customers while providing new client opportunities.  FIG.  14    illustrates a simplified schematic of components used in a method for preparing a dye formulation in accordance with some embodiments. In this embodiment, the components may be base levels  156  of various colors and tonal values  158  of different pigments contained in the canisters  120 . These components are dispensed by the apparatus  100  according to the dye formulation and collected in the receptacle  154 . A developer  160  of, for example, 5-40% may be added to or be part of the dye formulation to produce the final hair coloring composition to use on the hair of a client. 
       FIG.  15    is a flowchart for a method for preparing a dye formulation in accordance with some embodiments. The dye dispensing method  1100  includes at step  1110 , providing a dye dispensing apparatus. The apparatus includes a controller and a tray. The tray communicates with the controller and is configured with at least one opening. At least one canister is configured with an identifier and a dye. The dye is associated with the identifier. A reader communicates with the controller. A dispenser comprises an actuator communicating with the controller and a lever arm. The lever arm is coupled to the actuator and configured with a projection. 
     At step  1120 , the reader, based on the identifier, identifies a selected dye in a selected canister associated with a dye formulation. At step  1130 , the selected canister is aligned with the dispensing area. At step  1140 , the dispenser applies a downward force on the selected canister. At step  1150 , the selected dye is dispensed. 
     In a non-limiting example, a client would like to change the color of her hair. To use the dye dispensing apparatus  100  and method  1100 , the stylist uses a user interface such as a device  112 , such as a laptop, computer, tablet or mobile phone. This may be through an App or software package or program. The stylist inputs information about the client on which the dye formulation will be applied, such as color desired, length of hair, thickness of hair and texture of hair. The controller  116  generates a request for the dye formulation based on the information. The dye formulation is comprised of data  117  from an internal database, an external database or input from a user. For example, in some embodiments, the dye formulation may be created by the controller  116  accessing a database stored in the controller  116  or stored remotely from the apparatus  100  or the user may input the dye formulation. 
     The dye formulation includes an identifier  128  and a specified amount of dye  134  for each of at least one dye  134 . The dye formulation, like a recipe, may be comprised of at least one dye  134 , including the identifier  128  and quantity of each dye  134  needed to complete the dye formulation. In this example, three different dyes  134  are required for the dye formulation. For example, 0.1 grams of dye F1, 5.05 grams of dye F2 and 4.03 grams of dye F3 comprise the dye formulation. 
     In one embodiment, a formulation code is generated and inputted into the panel  106  of the apparatus  100  or through the user interface, the device  112 , such as a computer, laptop, tablet or mobile phone which may be the same as the controller  116 . The formulation code may also be associated with the particular stylist and be used to track different information or aspects by stylist. For example, the stylist enters the formulation code on the touch screen, or panel  106 , located on the apparatus  100 . In another embodiment, the stylist enters the information on a personal mobile device  112 . The controller  116  then transmits a signal to the reader  136  and the reader  136  reads the identifier  128  on the canisters  120  and identifies a selected dye  134  in a selected canister  120  associated with a dye formulation such as dye F1 based on the identifier  128 . The controller  116  transmits a signal to a drive mechanism  124  such as a motor, and in this embodiment, the drive mechanism  124  rotates the tray  118  until the selected canister  120 , dye F1, is aligned with the dispensing area  108 . The actuator  144 , such as the actuator, receives a signal from the controller  116 , and the lever arm  146  is moved or translated until the projection  148  is directly above the selected canister  120  of dye F1. A downward force is applied on the selected canister  120  of dye F1 by the actuator  144  and through the lever arm  146  and projection  148  applying pressure on the selected canister  120  of dye F1. In one embodiment, 10-15 psi of pressure is applied for approximately 0.01 seconds to 3.0 seconds so that 0.01 grams of dye F1 is dispensed. The dye  134  is dispensed through the nozzle  132  and collected in the receptacle  154  which is positioned on the plate  150  of the dispensing area  108 . 
     The instrument  152 , such as the transducer, coupled to the plate  150  measures the dispensed amount of the selected dye  134  associated with the dye formulation and provides feedback to the controller  116 , so that the controller  116  can stop the dispenser  142  from dispensing. The dispenser  142  stops the dispensing when the dispensed amount of the selected dye  134  equals the amount of the dye in the dye formulation for the at least one dye  134 . This ensures the precise quantity of dye dispensed. In this example, the instrument  152  measures the dispensed dye F1 and transmits a signal to the controller  116  reporting that 0.01 grams of dye F1 was received. The controller  116  then sends a signal to the reader  136  to find the next identifier  128 , dye F2, in the dye formulation. The steps in the method are repeated, as well as repeating the measuring and stopping steps for each of the at least one dye  134  until the dye formulation is completed. This includes identifying the canister  120  for dye F2, rotating the tray  118 , dispensing the selected dye  134  and measuring the amount of dye dispensed. The method  1100  is then repeated to dispense the contents of dye F3. Once the contents of dye F1, dye F2 and dye F3 are dispensed, the dye formulation is complete. In some embodiments, F1, F2, F3 to F(x) may also be a developer instead of a dye. When the dye formulation is complete, the stylist is notified by an indicator light and/or a message on the user interface or panel  106 . 
     In some embodiments, the dispenser  142  may initially dispense too much of the first dye  134  in the dye formulation, such as of F1 in the dye formulation. If this occurs, the controller  116  will perform adjustments in the values of the other dyes  134  in the dye formulation such that the proper ratios of F1, F2 and F3 are dispersed to obtain the target color. 
     The canisters  120  may be recyclable, refillable and reusable so that when all of the dye  134  is dispensed from the canister  120  and the canister  120  is empty, the canisters  120  may be refilled and reloaded into the dye dispensing apparatus  100 . In one embodiment, the canister  120  is refilled remotely by the manufacture and then shipped to the salon. The refilled canister  120  may be loaded in the apparatus  100  through the door  104  in the housing  102 . 
     The apparatus, system or method may send notifications in the form of an indicator light, messages on the user interface or the like, during operation. For example, the stylist may be provided with instructions on the user interface to load a particular canister  120 . This may occur if the required dye  134  within the canister  120  is not available in the apparatus  100 , or if a particular canister runs out of dye during dispensing, or if the dye dispensing apparatus, system or method malfunctions. 
     To reduce the waste in the salon industry with respect to color service, its useful to accurately recommend, or predict, and accurately measure the amount of dye formulation needed per application on the client. To accurately recommend the amount of dye formulation needed, many factors need to be considered. For example, each stylist has their own way or style of applying the dye formulation which may require more or less of the dye formulation for the same client and service than for a different stylist. Other factors that influence the amount of dye formulation needed are different attributes of the hair of the client, such as type of hair, thickness of hair, and length of hair, the type of application for the formulation, such as highlights, root-boost or all over color, and the location on a head of the client where the formulation is applied such as roots only, all over, or only a portion of the ends of the hair. 
     The dye dispensing system  110 , as shown in  FIGS.  2 A and  2 B , may be used in non-limiting example such as the method  1600  for recommending a desired amount of the formulation in a color service.  FIG.  16    is a simplified flowchart of the method  1600 , in accordance with some embodiments. The specific steps, order of steps, and combination of steps are shown for illustrative and explanatory purposes only. Other embodiments may use other specific steps, orders of steps, and/or combinations of steps to perform generally the same or similar overall function. 
     In the non-limiting example, a client requests a color service. The assigned stylist may use the device  112 , such as a mobile phone, a tablet, a computer, a kiosk, a smartwatch or the like, to enter information about herself (e.g., the stylist), the client and the service. The information may comprise at least one of stylist information, client information of a client, attributes of hair of the client, a formulation, a type of application for the formulation, a location on a head of the client for the formulation, and a first desired amount of the formulation. This information is transmitted by the network  114  and received by the controller  116 . In this example, the controller  116  is located in the apparatus  100  but may also be located remotely from the apparatus  100 . The information may be stored in a computer memory or the database. 
     At step  1610 , the dye dispensing system  110  may receive a receptacle  154  having an identification  202  in the dispensing area  108 , such as when the stylist places the receptacle  154  in the dispensing area  108 . As described herein, the identification  202  may be a RFID tag, barcode, quick response (QR) code, or color of the receptacle  154 . In this embodiment, the identification  202  is an RFID tag. 
     At step  1612 , the scanner  204  of the dye dispensing system  110  identifies or reads the identification  202  associated with the receptacle  154 . At step  1614 , the controller  116  of the dye dispensing system  110  receives the information from the device  112  and associates the information with the identification  202 . The information, as defined in this example, may comprise at least one of stylist information such as an ID number unique to the stylist; client information of a client such as name, address and phone number; attributes of the hair of the client such as length of hair, thickness of hair, degree of natural curliness; a formulation to be applied on the client such as the custom color composition, formula or recipe; a type of application for the formulation such as root-boost, highlights, color all-over or a portion of the ends of the hair; a location on a head of the client for the formulation such as on the roots only, all of the hair, or only the ends of the hair; and a first desired amount of the formulation. The first desired amount of the dye formulation may be comprised of the data  117  from an internal database, an external database or input from a user. At step  1616 , a first dispenser  142   a  of the dye dispensing system  110  dispenses the first desired amount of the formulation into the receptacle  154 . 
     At step  1618 , the measuring instrument  152  in the dispensing area  108  measures a dispensed amount of the formulation in the receptacle  154  and the measured dispensed amount is associated with the identification  202 . This may occur automatically, without user input. The stylist may remove the receptacle  154  and start the service on the client. 
     Once the stylist completes the service, the receptacle  154  may be returned to the dispensing area  108  so that the unused formulation may be measured. For example, at step  1620 , after the receptacle  154  has been removed from the dispensing area  108 , the receptacle  154  is received back in the dispensing area  108 . At step  1622 , the scanner  204  reads the identification  202  associated with the receptacle  154  and the controller  116  automatically reads the information associated with the identification  202 . At step  1624 , the instrument  152  measures an amount of unused formulation in the receptacle  154 , and the measured unused amount is associated with the identification  202 . At step  1626 , the controller  116  records collected data comprising the information, the measured dispensed amount, and the measured unused amount, to a file in a database. The database may be internal to the controller  116  or may be located at the central controller  115 . Optionally, a used amount of the formulation may be calculated from the dispensed amount of the formulation and the amount of unused formulation. This may be associated with the identification  202  and recorded to the file in the database. 
     At step  1628 , the controller  116  recommends a second desired amount of the formulation based on at least some of the collected data from at least one file in the database. Step  1628  may occur now or after a large time gap such as on a subsequent visit by the client to the salon when requesting the same color service as the previous visit. At step  1630 , a second dispenser  142   b  dispenses the second desired amount of the formulation. In some embodiments, the first dispenser  142   a  and the second dispenser  142   b  are the same such as when the same apparatus  100  is used for both dispensings. This may be the case when the client is at the same salon with only one apparatus  100 . In some embodiments, the first dispenser  142   a  and the second dispenser  142   b  are different, such as when two different apparatuses  100  are used in the dispensings. This may be the case when the client is at two different salons or the stylist uses different apparatuses  100  located at the same salon. 
     In some embodiments, the first dispenser  142   a  is controlled by the controller  116  based on the first desired amount of the formulation. In some embodiments, the second dispenser  142   b  is controlled by the controller  116  based on the second desired amount of the formulation. The first dispenser  142   a  and the second dispenser  142   b  may be the same dispenser. 
     In some embodiments, the method  1600 , measures, records and tracks the collected data comprising of i) the information (e.g., at least one of stylist information, client information of a client, attributes of hair of the client, a formulation to be applied on the client, a type of application for the formulation, a location on a head of the client for the formulation, and a first desired amount of the formulation), ii) the measured dispensed amount, and iii) the measured unused amount. The collected data may also be used to recommend the second desired amount of the formulation in files in the database for all clients. The files serve as a historical account of services performed on the client, and from this, reports and statistics may be generated by the controller  116  or central controller  115  for any subset of data correlated to different characteristics. For example, statistics may be generated by the controller  116  for used amounts of formulations correlated with stylists, clients, attributes of hair, types of applications, or locations on the head of the client. These statistics may be based on one file in the database—one client—or an aggregate of the files in the database—various clients. 
       FIG.  17    illustrates a portion of a file of a client, in accordance with some embodiments. The file for client #24601 shows accounts from the last three color services in which the same formulation was applied as highlights. The following data was recorded: the first desired amount of the formulation (which becomes the second desired amount of formulation recommended in subsequent services), the dispensed amount of the formulation, the amount of unused formulation, and the additional amount needed to complete the service. From these, the amount of used formulation is calculated. In service #1, 114.6 grams of the formulation was used, in service #2, 115.4 grams of the formulation was used, and in service #3, 117.7 grams of the formulation was used. The hair growth over time of the client may account for the upward trend in the dye formulation used. 
     For the current service for client #24601, or service #4, the second desired amount of the formulation recommended may be based on the dispensed amount of the formulation and the amount of unused formulation from at least one file in the database, or from an aggregate of the files in the database. In the first example embodiment based on one file such as the current client, 118.3 grams of the formulation may be recommended. In the second example embodiment, the second desired amount of the formulation may be based on at least some of the collected data from an aggregate of the files in the database. For example, the second desired amount of the formulation may be based on all the clients in the database with medium length hair when the current client also has medium hair. In this case, 116.0 grams may be recommended as the second desired amount of the formulation. 
     The collected data from an aggregate of the files in the database to recommend the second desired amount of the formulation may be useful for a new client requesting a color service. For example, if the new client requests a root-boost color service, the average amount of formulation used for all clients in the database for the root-boost color service could be used. By following the steps in method  1600 , a file is created for the new client with the collected data so that for the next color service, the file of the client can be consulted. 
     A calculation of the second desired amount of the formulation reduces waste of the formulation relative to the first desired amount of the formulation. By using the method  1600 , the recommendation of the second desired amount of formulation may be the same as the amount of the used formulation thereby reducing or eliminating the unused amount of formulation leftover in a color service that is typically discarded. This has significant impacts on the salon by reducing overall inventory. This in turn reduces the containers and packaging associated with the inventory thus lessening the burden on the environment. It aids the stylist, especially those lacking the knowledge and skills required to select and mix the components to obtain the proper amount of formulation for the color service to avoid errors in mixing too much product, inconsistencies and “do-overs” which contribute to more waste. 
     Incentives for stylists may be implemented based on various aspects. Data may be tracked by stylist, so the stylist with the least amount of unused formulation may be rewarded. In some embodiments, data aggregated from multiple files in the database may be used for training purposes. Moreover, an assistant to the stylist may be utilized by performing some of the tasks such as the measuring of the receptacle  154  to free up time and workload of the stylist. 
     In some embodiments, the stylist may run out of the formulation during the color service. In this case, the receptacle  154  may be returned to the dispensing area  108 . The scanner  204  reads the identification  202  associated with the receptacle  154  and the controller  116  automatically reads the information associated with the identification  202 . In this way, the apparatus  100  determines all of the information without user input. The controller  116  may transmit inquires to the device  112  or the panel  106  of the apparatus  100  to determine the status of the color service such as percentage completed. The controller  116  may calculate an additional amount of formulation needed to complete the color service for the stylist. After the scanner  204  identifies the identification  202  associated with the receptacle  154  and the information associated with the identification  202 , a portion of the first desired amount of the formulation is dispensed to be used to finish the color service. This amount may be associated with the identification  202  and recorded to the file in the database. This process occurs quickly, such as within seconds, because the apparatus has all the necessary information due to recognizing the identification  202  on the receptacle  154  and the associated information. 
       FIG.  18    is a simplified schematic diagram showing an example server  1800  (representing any combination of one or more of the servers, e.g., the central controller  115 ) for use in the dye dispensing system  110 , in accordance with some embodiments. Other embodiments may use other components and combinations of components. For example, the server  1800  may represent one or more physical computer devices or servers, such as web servers, rack-mounted computers, network storage devices, desktop computers, laptop/notebook computers, etc., depending on the complexity of the dye dispensing system  110 . In some embodiments implemented at least partially in a cloud network potentially with data synchronized across multiple geolocations, the server  1800  may be referred to as one or more cloud servers. In some embodiments, the functions of the server  1800  are enabled in a single computer device. In more complex implementations, some of the functions of the computing system are distributed across multiple computer devices, whether within a single server farm facility or multiple physical locations. In some embodiments, the server  1800  functions as a single virtual machine. 
     In some embodiments, wherein the server  1800  represents multiple computer devices, some of the functions of the server  1800  are implemented in some of the computer devices, while other functions are implemented in other computer devices. For example, various portions of the dye dispensing system  110  can be implemented on the same computer device or separate computer devices. In the illustrated embodiment, the server  1800  generally includes at least one processor  1802 , a main electronic memory  1804 , a data storage  1806 , a user I/O  1809 , and a network I/O  1810 , among other components not shown for simplicity, connected or coupled together by a data communication subsystem  1812 , within the dye dispensing system  110 . 
     The processor  1802  represents one or more central processing units on one or more PCBs (printed circuit boards) in one or more housings or enclosures. In some embodiments, the processor  1802  represents multiple microprocessor units in multiple computer devices at multiple physical locations interconnected by one or more data channels. When executing computer-executable instructions for performing the above described functions of the server  1800  in cooperation with the main electronic memory  1804 , the processor  1802  becomes a special purpose computer for performing the functions of the instructions. 
     The main electronic memory  1804  represents one or more RAM modules on one or more PCBs in one or more housings or enclosures. In some embodiments, the main electronic memory  1804  represents multiple memory module units in multiple computer devices at multiple physical locations. In operation with the processor  1802 , the main electronic memory  1804  stores the computer-executable instructions executed by, and data processed or generated by, the processor  1802  to perform the above described functions of the server  1800 . 
     The data storage  1806  represents or comprises any appropriate number or combination of internal or external physical mass storage devices, such as hard drives, optical drives, network-attached storage (NAS) devices, flash drives, etc. In some embodiments, the data storage  1806  represents multiple mass storage devices in multiple computer devices at multiple physical locations. The data storage  1806  generally provides persistent storage (e.g., in a non-transitory computer-readable or machine-readable medium  1808 ) for the programs (e.g., computer-executable instructions) and data used in operation of the processor  1802  and the main electronic memory  1804 . 
     In some embodiments, the programs and data in the data storage  1806  include, but are not limited to, a receiver  1820  for receiving an identification; a receiver  1822  for receiving information; an associate  1824  for associating the information with the identification; a recorder  1826  for recording collected data comprising the information, the measured dispensed amount, and the measured unused amount, to a file in the database; a recommender  1828  to calculate and recommend a second desired amount of the formulation based on at least some of the collected data from at least one file in the database; an event scheduler  1830  for coordinating the scheduling of dispensing; a calculator  1832  for preforming calculations; one or more parsing routines  1834  for parsing data; a searching routine  1836  for searching through the various types of information stored in the main electronic memory  1804  or the data storage  1806 ; a reading routine  1838  for reading information from the data storage  1806  into the main electronic memory  1804 ; a storing routine  1840  for storing files and information into the main electronic memory  1804  or the data storage  1806 ; a network communication services program  1842  for sending and receiving network communication through the network  114 ; a gateway services program  1844  for serving as a gateway to communicate information between servers and users; among other programs and data. Under control of these programs and using this data, the processor  1802 , in cooperation with the main electronic memory  1804 , performs the above described functions for the server  1800 . 
     The user I/O  1809  represents one or more appropriate user interface devices, such as keyboards, pointing devices, displays, etc. In some embodiments, the user I/O  1809  represents multiple user interface devices for multiple computer devices at multiple physical locations. A system administrator, for example, may use these devices to access, setup and control the server  1800 . 
     The network I/O  1810  represents any appropriate networking devices, such as network adapters, etc. for communicating through the dye dispensing system  110 . In some embodiments, the network I/O  1810  represents multiple such networking devices for multiple computer devices at multiple physical locations for communicating through multiple data channels. 
     The data communication subsystem  1812  represents any appropriate communication hardware for connecting the other components in a single unit or in a distributed manner on one or more PCBs, within one or more housings or enclosures, within one or more rack assemblies, within one or more geographical locations, etc. 
     The dye dispensing system  110  includes a memory  1804  storing executable instructions (loaded from the data storage  1806 ) and a processor  1802 . The processor  1802  is coupled to the memory  1804  and performs the method  1600  by executing the instructions stored in the memory  1804 . The non-transitory computer readable medium  1808  includes instructions that, when executed by the processor  1802 , cause the processor  1802  to perform operations including the method  1600  as described herein. 
     One or more aspects or features of the subject matter described herein can be realized in digital electronic circuitry, integrated circuitry, specially designed application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), computer hardware, firmware, software, and/or combinations thereof. These various aspects or features can include implementation in one or more computer programs that are executable and/or interpretable on a programmable system including at least one programmable processor, which can be special or general purpose, coupled to receive data and instructions from, and to transmit data and instructions to, a storage system, at least one input device, and at least one output device. The programmable system or computing system may include clients and servers. A client and server are generally remote from each other and typically interact through a communication network. The relationship of client and server arises by virtue of computer programs running on the respective computers and having a client-server relationship to each other. 
     These computer programs, which can also be referred to as programs, software, software applications, applications, components, or code, include machine instructions for a programmable processor, and can be implemented in a high-level procedural language, an object-oriented programming language, a functional programming language, a logical programming language, and/or an assembly/machine language. As used herein, the term “machine-readable medium” (i.e., non-transitory computer-readable media) refers to any computer program product, apparatus and/or device, such as for example magnetic discs, optical disks, memory, and Programmable Logic Devices (PLDs), used to provide machine instructions and/or data to a programmable processor, including a machine-readable medium that receives machine instructions as a machine-readable signal. The term “machine-readable signal” refers to any signal used to provide machine instructions and/or data to a machine-readable medium. The machine-readable medium can store such machine instructions non-transitorily, such as for example as would a non-transient solid-state memory or a magnetic hard drive or any similar storage medium. The machine-readable medium can alternatively or additionally store such machine instructions in a transient manner, such as for example as would a processor cache or other random access memory associated with one or more physical processor cores. 
     To provide for interaction with a user, one or more aspects or features of the subject matter described herein can be implemented on a computer having a display device, such as for example a cathode ray tube (CRT) or a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a light emitting diode (LED) monitor, for displaying information to the user and a keyboard and a pointing device, such as for example a mouse, a touchpad or a trackball, by which the user may provide input to the computer. Other kinds of devices can be used to provide for interaction with a user as well. For example, feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback, such as for example visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback; and input from the user may be received in any form, including, but not limited to, acoustic, speech, or tactile input. Other possible input devices include, but are not limited to, touch screens or other touch-sensitive devices such as single or multi-point resistive or capacitive trackpads, voice recognition hardware and software, optical scanners, optical pointers, digital image capture devices and associated interpretation software, and the like. 
       FIGS.  19 A and  19 B  illustrate perspective views of a portion of the dye dispensing apparatus  100  in accordance with some embodiments. In this configuration, a shaft  166  has an extension  168 . The shaft  166  may be coupled to the tray  118  such at the center of the tray  118 . The dispenser  142  is coupled to the extension, and the plate  150  with the instrument  152  is coupled to the shaft  166 . The instrument  152  may be a strain gauge. The receptacle  154  is coupled to the plate  150  in the dispensing area  108 . The aligning of the selected canister  120  with the dispensing area  108  is by the drive mechanism  124 . The drive mechanism  124  is configured to rotate the shaft  166  thus also rotating the extension  168 , dispenser  142  and plate  150 , while the tray  118  is stationary. The drive mechanism  124  may be a motor coupled to gears, and a bearing  170  may be coupled to the shaft  166  or tray  118  to enable the rotation of the shaft  166 . 
     For example, the reader  136  may be coupled to the shaft  166 , the extension  168  or the plate  150 . In this way, when the shaft  166  is rotated by the drive mechanism  124 , the reader  136  can identify the selected canister  120 . Once the selected canister  120  is identified, the selected canister  120  is aligned with the dispensing area  108 . The dispenser  142  may be a dual dispenser  142   a ,  142   b  as shown in  FIG.  9 B . As described previously, the controller  116  communicates with the drive mechanism  124  to align the selected canister  120  with the dispensing area  108 . The controller  116  also communicates with the actuator  144  which activates and positions the lever arm  146   a ,  146   b  with the projection  148   a ,  148   b  directly above the selected canister  120 . The dispenser  142   a ,  142   b  applies a downward force on the selected canister  120  while the projection  148   a ,  148   b  is in direct contact with top surface of the canister  120 . This opens the valve  130  of the canister  120  and causes dye  134  to escape through the nozzle  132  of the canister  120 . This may be collected in the receptacle  154 . This may be repeated until all of the contents of the dye formulation have been dispensed. The nozzle  132  on the canister  120  may be cleaned of residue by a brush coupled to the shaft  166 . As the shaft  166  rotates, the brush contacts the nozzle  132  removing residue. 
       FIG.  20 A  illustrates a perspective view of a portion of the dye dispensing apparatus  100  in yet another configuration for moving the canisters. In this embodiment, a track  172  is coupled to the tray  118  and has at least one cart  174 . There may be one or more carts  174  forming a train  176 . The track  172  may have a two-rail configuration or other suitable configurations. The cart  174  is configured to hold at least one canister  120 . The drive mechanism  124  may be placed in a cart  174  and configured to translate the cart  174  or train  176  riding on the track  172  by a motor. The dispenser  142  may be a single design such as shown in  FIG.  8 B  or a dual design such as shown in  FIG.  9 A or  9 B . The tray  118  is configured with at least one opening  126 . This may serve as the dispensing area  108  with the plate  150  and receptacle  154  configured directly below opening  126 . 
     The dispenser  142  may be coupled to the housing  102 . The aligning of the selected canister  120  with the dispensing area  108  is by the drive mechanism  124  through the controller  116 . For example, the reader  136  may be coupled to the housing  102 , the tray  118  or the dispenser  142 . In this way, when the cart  174  or train  176  is translated along the track  172  by the drive mechanism  124 , the reader  136  can identify the selected canister  120 . Once the selected canister  120  is identified, the selected canister  120  via the cart  174  on the track  172  is translated until it is aligned with the dispensing area  108 . The dispenser  142  then contacts the selected canister  120  with the projection  148  and dispenses the selected dye  134 . This may be repeated until all of the contents of the dye formulation have been dispensed. The nozzle  132  on the canister  120  may be cleaned of residue by a brush coupled to the underside of the tray  118 . As the cart  174  translates along the track  172 , the brush contacts the nozzle  132  removing residue. 
     In other embodiments, the dispenser  142  of  FIG.  20 A  may instead be coupled to the mounting bracket  143  (as shown in  FIG.  8 B ) and operate as described in  FIG.  8 B  with reference to the dispenser  142 . Alternatively, the dispenser  142  may be coupled to the shaft  166  as shown in  FIGS.  19 A and  19 B  and operate in the same manner as described. 
       FIG.  20 B  illustrates a perspective view of a portion of the dye dispensing apparatus  100  in yet another configuration, similar to  FIG.  20 A . In this embodiment, the track  172  may have a two-rail configuration with the drive mechanism  124  which includes a motor, chain  178  and pulley system. The chain  178  is located between the two-rail track  172  and coupled to the cart  174 . The cart  174  or train  176  is translated along the track  172  by the chain  178  driven system. The motor of the drive mechanism  124  may be located on the tray  118  or another suitable location. 
     In some embodiments, the apparatus  100  includes an optical sensor  184  to detect the position and/or presence of the at least one canister  120 . The sensor  184  may be coupled to the apparatus  100  at, for example, the shaft  166  (refer to  FIG.  19 A ), the tray  118 , the housing  102  (refer to  FIG.  20 A ), or any location with a direct view of the canisters  120 , and be in communication with the reader  136  via the controller  116 . In this way, as the canister  120  and sensor  184  pass one another, the sensor  184  detects the presence and position of the canister  120  creating a map for which openings  126  have canisters  120 . Then, communicating with the controller  116  and/or reader  136 , the reader  136  then identifies the canister  120  via the identifier  128 . 
       FIG.  21 A  illustrates a side interior view of a portion of the dye dispensing apparatus  100  in an embodiment in which the apparatus  100  is configured with only one canister  120 . The canister  120  may be loaded via the door  104  which may be located on the side of the housing  102  or on top of the housing  102 . A lock  180  for the door  104  may be provided for security. The canister is coupled to the nozzle  132  and fits into the coupler  140  in the opening  126  of the tray  118 . The actuator  144 , for example, a solenoid, is mounted to the tray  118  or the housing  102  by a strut  182 . The dispenser  142  depresses the canister  120  to dispense the dye  134  within the canister  120  into the dispensing area  108  and into the receptacle  154  on the plate  150  with the instrument  152 . 
       FIG.  21 B  is a front view of the dye dispensing apparatus  100  in  FIG.  21 A  in accordance with some embodiments. The apparatus may be operated by the panel  106  or by the mobile device  112 . In one embodiment, a plurality of apparatuses  100  are mounted together, each having one canister  120 , communicating and controlled by the controller  116 . The dye formulation is comprised of different dyes  134 , for example, F1, F2, F3 to F(x) and may be communicated to the user on the panel  106  or by the mobile device  112 . After F1 is dispensed, the receptacle  154  may be moved to the next apparatus  100  where F2 is dispensed. After F2 is dispensed, the receptacle  154  may be moved to the next apparatus  100  where F3 is dispensed, and so on, until the dye formulation is complete. Alternatively, there may be only one apparatus  100  and the selected canister  120  may be loaded after each dye  134  is dispensed until the dye formulation is complete. The user may be directed via the user interface to accomplish the loading and unloading of the canisters  120  and/or moving the receptacle  154  to collect the dispensed dye  134 . 
     The dye dispensing system or method is a comprehensive solution providing precision repeatability for custom dye formulas, packaging innovation, aid for the open stock inventory, and reordering capabilities. In some embodiments, virtually all of the dye within the canister is utilized. The salon industry generally struggles with waste during color services, inventory management expense and carrying costs, customer retention issues associated with the quality of hair color formulations and high customer acquisition costs. For hair dye, the industry generally relies on a small container such as a tube filled with dye. When performing a color service on a client, the stylist mixes the color hair by using a portion of the dye from the tube and multiple tubes are typically required. This stresses the environment with excessive packaging and waste because leftover hair color and packaging are distributed into water systems and landfills. Additionally, the unused portion of the dye in the container often goes to waste because it may not be needed for another client or is ruined due to oxygen exposure. By utilizing the canisters as opposed to the typical tubes of dye, tube, dye waste and packaging are eliminated. The typical tube of dye is approximately 1.7 ounces to 3.2 ounces. By using the canisters which in one embodiment, is configured to contain 8.6 ounces, many tubes are replaced with one recyclable, refillable and reusable canister. 
     The dye dispensing system  110  may be configured to track inventory and generate reports. For example, the identifier  128  of each canister  120  may be read during installation, and thereby the dye dispensing system  110  may monitor, track and reorder inventory. A self-diagnostic scan may be performed by the controller  116  or reader  136 , or a combination of the two, to monitor the current operation status, location errors, warnings or failures. 
     The dye dispensing system  110  may automate the reordering process of the canisters  120  and salon payment processes. For example, an inventory management system may initiate replacement orders. The orders may be with an exclusive vendor that provides automatic shipping thus saving the salon owner inventory carrying costs and management labor. The inventory may be vetted against shipping data to track the information from order to delivery. The canisters  120  with the dyes  134  may be automatically invoiced and purchased electronically and automatically thus minimizing the payment effort and streamlining the processing of accounts receivable of the salon. In some embodiments, the method has a tiered marketing strategy offering direct sales to top tier salons and manufacturer representatives for lower tiers. In other embodiments, factory direct shipping of the canister reduces shipping costs and outer packaging. 
     Conventionally, the stylist hand-mixes the dye combinations of hair colors that are manually dispensed from tubes, containers or bottles. The industry relies on rudimentary hand-mixing tools. A poorly mixed hair color formula may result in hot spots on the scalp and inconsistent color results on the hair. In one embodiment, a cap for the receptacle  154  is provided. The cap is configured with an opening which the dispensed dye  134  may flow through when the cap is coupled to the receptacle. The cap may also be configured with a whisk driven by a motor. When the cap is coupled to the receptacle  154 , the dispensed dye  134  in the receptacle  154  may be mixed by the whisk to the correct consistency, thereby mixing all of the dye  134  evenly so as not to leave any unmixed color on the surface of the receptacle  154 . The whisk may be configured to be disconnected from the motor by, for example, a push and turn mechanism operating counterclockwise to the rotation of the whisk. The material of the receptacle and whisk may minimize friction and aid in cleaning hydrophobic materials. The whisk may removable and cleaned after each use. 
     In another embodiment, the dye dispensing system  110  is configured with a 360° image capturing capability, designed to produce an image of the client&#39;s head and shoulders. An associated application would provide an avatar of the hair and face along with a pallet of dye colors to try on, allowing the client to visualize how they would look with various colors of hair. Once selected, the target color may be translated into a formula for distribution by the dye dispensing system  110 . In a further embodiment, an optical scanner may capture a three-dimensional image of the client that may be used to calculate the volume of dye required to color the hair and transmit the information to the dye dispensing system  110 . 
     In yet another embodiment, the dye dispensing system is configured with a sensor to provide hair color feedback. Digital profiles of the client&#39;s hair before and after the hair color applications may be evaluated to access the quality of the dye formula in relation to the target color selected by the client. The hair of each client has differing characteristics that impacts the results of the hair color treatment. The feedback loop may provide data for optimizing the formula towards the target color with each use based on algorithms to translate the differences between the target and actual color into formulations that are optimized and customized per client. As data is gathered from clients, the system may be capable of learning formula adjustments thereby accurately creating formulas that achieve the target color with a smaller number of applications. This capability may also improve “first time” applications which are a common source of anxiety for stylists and clients. 
     In further embodiments, the apparatus  100  and method  1100  can dispense other liquids such as, for example, developer, shampoo, conditioner, additives, lotion, moisturizer, nail polish, tanning solutions, paint or any combination thereof. 
     In the descriptions above and in the claims, phrases such as “at least one” or “one or more” may occur followed by a conjunctive list of elements or features. The term “and/or” may also occur in a list of two or more elements or features. Unless otherwise implicitly or explicitly contradicted by the context in which it is used, such a phrase is intended to mean any of the listed elements or features individually or any of the recited elements or features in combination with any of the other recited elements or features. For example, the phrases “at least one of A and B;” “one or more of A and B;” and “A and/or B” are each intended to mean “A alone, B alone, or A and B together.” A similar interpretation is also intended for lists including three or more items. For example, the phrases “at least one of A, B, and C;” “one or more of A, B, and C;” and “A, B, and/or C” are each intended to mean “A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, or A and B and C together.” In addition, use of the term “based on,” above and in the claims is intended to mean, “based at least in part on,” such that an unrecited feature or element is also permissible. 
     While the specification has been described in detail with respect to specific embodiments of the present invention, it will be appreciated that those skilled in the art, upon attaining an understanding of the foregoing, may readily conceive of alterations to, variations of, and equivalents to these embodiments. These and other modifications and variations to the present invention may be practiced by those skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of the present invention, which is more particularly set forth in the appended claims. 
     Reference has been made in detail to embodiments of the disclosed invention, one or more examples of which have been illustrated in the accompanying figures. Each example has been provided by way of explanation of the present technology, not as a limitation of the present technology. In fact, while the specification has been described in detail with respect to specific embodiments of the invention, it will be appreciated that those skilled in the art, upon attaining an understanding of the foregoing, may readily conceive of alterations to, variations of, and equivalents to these embodiments. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment may be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present subject matter covers all such modifications and variations within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. These and other modifications and variations to the present invention may be practiced by those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the scope of the present invention, which is more particularly set forth in the appended claims. Furthermore, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the foregoing description is by way of example only, and is not intended to limit the invention.