Patent Description:
This disclosure generally relates to dispensers for dispensing consumable products.

Systems dispensing consumable products are commonplace. For example, paper hand towel and bath tissue dispensers are in many private, semi-private and public washrooms, and sanitizer dispensers are found in many work areas, food processing stations and kitchens. From time-to-time these dispensers need to be serviced whether due to low or no product left in the dispenser or due to a malfunction or vandalism. However, servicing the dispensers can be costly and time consuming as each service requires a visit to the location of the dispenser, and the dispensers may be located in different areas of a floor, scattered across multiple floors of a building or resident in entirely different buildings. As such, it's beneficial to provide the service technicians as much information as possible about the requirements of a particular service need in advance so they can prepare accordingly and bring any necessary supplies.

Some dispensers are enabled with "smart" technology which allows, for example, the dispensers to remotely report their current product level so service technicians know when to refill the dispensers. To enable this functionality the dispensers are becoming more complex. As dispenser complexity increases a need grows to remotely diagnose and/or report dispenser anomalies to facilitate service technician service visits, which minimizes costs and decreases dispenser down time due to a malfunction or other operational issue.

<CIT> is an example illustrating the state of the art.

In general, the subject matter of this specification relates to a dispenser, e.g., a consumable product dispenser. According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a dispensing system as claimed in claim <NUM>.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method as claimed in claim <NUM>.

For example, including an impact sensor (e.g., an accelerometer) in or on a dispenser can allow monitoring and tracking of (unusual) impacts or other jarring events to or within the dispenser. For example, the impact sensor can be used to determine if the dispenser was subject to an unusual impact, as could happen from a washroom occupant striking or running into the dispenser or a washroom service technician slamming the dispenser door closed, which, in either case, could result in damage to the dispenser. Further, for example for rolled hand towel dispensers, the impact sensor could be mounted proximate the arms supporting the roll so as to detect the vibration or impact from the roll accidentally falling off the arms, which would result in a dispenser malfunction.

This type of impact information can be used to troubleshoot dispenser issues. For example, if a low paper sensor signaled a low paper condition a technician might assume all the paper has been depleted and make a service call to the dispenser to refill it However, if the impact sensor near the roll arms reports an impact (e.g., indicating the roll fell off the arms) just before the low paper sensor alert, it may indicate that the roll arms are malfunctioning and should be replaced, in which case the service technician will bring spare parts or a replacement dispenser on the service call. Thus the impact data can be used be used alone or in combination with other dispenser data to provide context for a dispenser malfunction or service need or the conditions under which the dispenser is operating, without a costly and time-consuming in-person service call and inspection.

Repeat use of reference characters in the present specification and drawings is intended to represent the same or analogous features or elements of the disclosure.

The present disclosure relates to determining a dispenser operational status including whether the dispenser was subjected to or recorded any anomalous impacts. For example, an impact (e. g, from a washroom occupant walking into the dispenser or from a service technician slamming the dispenser door dosed) can knock the consumable product in the dispenser from its mount or other holding position and tause a malfunction. So detecting such impacts can assist, for example, with diagnosing and correcting a dispenser malfunction.

To this end, the dispensing system includes an impact sensor, such as an accelerometer, to sense impacts to the dispenser and/or (abnormal) movement of parts or components inside the dispenser (e.g., depending on how and where the impact sensor is mounted). The dispenser also includes an event sensor (e.g., another accelerometer, a low product sensor, a motor current sensor, etc.) that can be used in concert with the impact sensor to infer or diagnosis a malfunction and (in some instances) its cause. For example, the impact sensor and event sent may be accelerometers with the impact sensor mounted on the body of the dispenser and the event sensor mounted on the roll holder of the dispenser. In this configuration, if the event sensor detects movement/vibrations before, but dose-in-time to, the impact sensor detecting movement/vibrations it could be indicative of the roll falling from the holder and the vibration from the fall traveling first hitting the event sensor and then through the body and reaching the impact sensor fractions of a second later. A service technician could use this information to investigate the roll holder as it may be faulty.

Conversely, if the event sensor detects movement/vibrations after, but dose-in-time to, the impact sensor detecting movement/vibrations it could be indicative of an abnormal impact to the dispenser that causes the roll to fall from the holder, e.g., by vibrations moving from the body of the dispenser where the impact occurred to the roll holder causing the roll to dislodge. This information would allow a service technician to appreciate that it was not a failure of the roll holder that caused the malfunction but rather an anomalous impact event, e.g., a washroom occupant walking info the dispenser, which would facilitate and expedite the service call or other treatment of the dispenser. A dispensing system with this functionality is described in more detail below wih reference to <FIG>, which is a cutaway representation of an example dispensing system <NUM> (in this representation, a portion of the body <NUM>, e.g., a side cover portion, of the dispenser <NUM> is not shown to illustrate the interior of the dispenser <NUM>), and <FIG>, which is a perspective representation of the example dispensing system <NUM>.

The dispenser <NUM> of the dispensing system <NUM> can be, for example, a hand towel dispenser, both tissue dispenser, liquid soap dispenser, wiper dispenser, sanitizer dispenser, fragrance dispenser or the like. The dispenser <NUM>. more generally, is a device that holds consumable produd and dispenses the consumable product in response to a stimulus, e.g., a user or environmental stimulus, or at pre-determined (e.g.. programmatically) set intervals. The dispenser <NUM> includes a body <NUM>, e.g., a composite, polymeric or metal housing. The body <NUM> encloses, fully or partially, a product holding area <NUM> of the dispenser <NUM>.

The product holding area <NUM> holds, for example, the consumable product <NUM> (e.g., paper towels (rolled and folded), both tissue, wipes/wipers, liquid soap or sanitizer, lotion, deodorizer, etc.) in position for dispensing. In some implementations, for example, for consumable product <NUM> such as rolled hand towels or bath tissue, the product holding area <NUM> can be accessed by rotating a front side <NUM> of the body <NUM> away from a back side <NUM> (e.g., the wall mounted side) by a hinge or the like. In these representations, a portion of the body <NUM> (e.g., a side cover portion) is not shown to illustrate the interior of the dispenser <NUM>.

The dispenser <NUM> also includes a dispensing mechanism <NUM>. In general, the dispensing mechanism <NUM> is coupled to the consumable product <NUM> through a consumable product holder <NUM> (which in some implementations can be part of the dispensing mechanism <NUM>) in the product holding area <NUM>. The dispensing mechanism <NUM> operates to dispense a portion of the consumable product <NUM> (e.g., dispense a length of roll <NUM> for use to dry hands). In some implementations, the dispensing mechanism <NUM> is an electromechanical feed mechanism that includes or operates in conjunction with a motor <NUM> that, in response to a stimulus such as a user waving a hand proximate the dispenser <NUM>, feeds a length of the roll <NUM> through an opening <NUM> in the body <NUM> to present to the user. For example, the dispensing mechanism <NUM> can include a series of rollers <NUM> through which a portion of the roll <NUM> is feed such that when the dispensing mechanism <NUM> actuates it pulls and unwinds the roll <NUM> (or causes the roll <NUM> to be pulled and unwound) to feed a portion of the rall <NUM> to the user. In some implementations, the motor <NUM> can be integral to the roll holder <NUM> and causes a spindle <NUM> of the roll holder <NUM> (e.g., on which the rolled product <NUM> is mounted) to turn thereby causing the roll <NUM> to unwind and be dispensed.

In the case, for example, of a liquid soap or sanitizer dispenser <NUM> the motor <NUM> may be a pump <NUM> that draws the liquid product from a bottle, cassette or other container in the product storage area holding the liquid product to use for a dispense operation. In the case of folded towels, the dispenser mechanism <NUM> is the throat of the dispenser <NUM>, through product is dispensed and by which pressure (e.g., friction) is exerted on the towels as they are pulled through the throat to cause one towel to separate from another to enable single towel dispensing.

In some implementations, the dispenser <NUM> is a user-driven dispensing unit, e.g.. the dispense process is not powered by a motor <NUM> or other electromechanical generator. For example, for a dispenser <NUM> such as a paper lowed, bath tissue, or folded towel dispenser, a user may grab an exposed tail of the product <NUM> and pull to cause more of the product <NUM> to be dispensed. For a liquid soap or sanitizer dispenser <NUM>, a user may depress or otherwise manually actuate a pump (e.g., dispensing mechanism <NUM>) to draw the product <NUM> from its container and dispense the product <NUM>.

The dispenser <NUM> includes a first impact sensor <NUM>. The first impact sensor <NUM> senses impacts (e.g., first impacts) or other physical contact events with the dispenser <NUM> that causes vibrations in or movement (e.g., including micro-scale movement) of the dispenser <NUM>. In some implementations, the first impact sensor <NUM> is an accelerometer or a velocity sensor. For example, the first impact sensor <NUM> can detect impacts to the dispenser <NUM> ranging from when struck in acts of vandalism or equipment abuse (e.g., a washroom occupant slapping or otherwise hitting the dispenser <NUM> or service attendants harshly closing the dispenser door during servicing) to internal malfunctions such as a the consumable product <NUM> being dislodged or falling from its dispensing position (e.g., a paper towel roll <NUM> falling from the roll holder <NUM>) or vibrations from a misaligned motor <NUM> or roller <NUM>, as the vibrations (e.g., mechanical waves) from such event may reach a body-mounted impact sensor <NUM>.

In some implementations the first impact sensor <NUM> is mounted or otherwise located on the body <NUM> (e.g., an internal side of the body <NUM>). The first impact sensor <NUM> can store data describing impact events or it can communicate such impacts to the data processing device <NUM> and the data processing device <NUM> can store the impact data and associated time/date data describing when the impact occurred (e.g., December <NUM>, <NUM> at <NUM>:06PM).

The dispensing system <NUM> also indudes a dispenser event sensor <NUM> to sense an operational status of the dispenser <NUM>. The operational status can be, for example, a paper or pump jam condition, a low consumable product condition or low battery condition or another abnormal or service need type condition (e.g., a sensor not responding issues). As with the first impact sensor <NUM>, the dispenser event sensor <NUM> can store data describing an operational status or it can communicate such data to the data processing device <NUM> and the data processing device <NUM> can store the data and associated time/date data describing when the operational status was recorded (e.g., December <NUM>, <NUM> at <NUM>:07PM).

In some implementations the dispenser event sensor <NUM> is a motor overcurrent sensor (e.g., to detect the current spike in the motor <NUM> during a paper or pump jam condition), an impact sensor (e.g., similar to or same as the first impact sensor <NUM> to detect abnormal vibrations or movement of components or product <NUM> in the dispenser <NUM>), a low product or amount of product used or remaining sensor (e.g., to detect when the dispenser <NUM> is low on consumable product <NUM> such as described, for example, in <CIT>, which is incorporated by reference regarding the first and second sensors). More generally, the dispenser event sensor <NUM> is a sensor that monitors an operational characteristic or function of the dispenser <NUM>.

With respect to both the first impact sensor <NUM> and the dispenser event sensor <NUM>, in some implementations, these sensors can be calibrated (e.g., through empirical experimentation on a per-dispenser basis) so that normal operation of the dispenser <NUM> does not trigger an alert and that only abnormal or unwanted events trigger an alert. In other implementations, the sensors <NUM>, <NUM> may send all data sensed to the data processing device <NUM> and the data processing device <NUM> can be calibrated to identify abnormal reading from the sensors <NUM>, <NUM> (e.g., an abnormal reading would be one above a user-defined threshold).

As described above the dispensing system <NUM> (or dispenser <NUM>) includes a data processing device <NUM>, to store impact data describing the first impact (from the first impact sensor <NUM>) and operational status data describing the operational status (from the dispenser event sensor <NUM>) and associate the first impact data and the operational status data. As such, the data processing device <NUM> is in data communication with the sensors <NUM>, <NUM> to gather readings from the sensors <NUM>, <NUM> and store and/or communicate those readings. The data processing device <NUM> can be integral to and resident at the dispenser <NUM> or remote and separate from the dispenser <NUM> (e.g., in which case the data processing device <NUM> and the dispenser <NUM> could communicate through transceivers or transmitters and/or receivers).

In general, the data processing device <NUM> associates first impact data and the operational status data by correlating the data, by time of occurrence of the events (e.g., impacts and/or malfunctions of abnormal conditions) described by the data from the sensors <NUM>, <NUM>, or through other user-defined relationships.

As described above, according to the invention, the dispenser event sensor <NUM> is an impact sensor such as an accelerometer or velocity sensor placed on a consumable product holder <NUM> (e.g., roll holder <NUM> for a rolled paper hand towel <NUM>) with the first impact sensor <NUM> being placed on the interior portion of the back side <NUM> of the dispenser <NUM>. In response to an impact being detected (e.g., by the first impact sensor <NUM>), the data processing device <NUM> compares a time of the first impact as detected by the first impact sensor <NUM> with a time of a second impact as detected by the second impact sensor <NUM> to determine which of the first impact and second impact occurred first in time.

Based on this information from the data processing device <NUM> (e.g., which can be sent to a smart phone or a server <NUM> for display via a GUI), a service technician can infer a root cause of a problem of malfunction associated with an impact to the dispenser <NUM>. For example, if the data processing device <NUM> determines that the second impact occurred before the first impact (but within a user-defined time range such as <NUM> second or <NUM> seconds or <NUM> seconds), this may be indicative of the consumable product (e.g., roll <NUM>) falling from the consumable product holder <NUM> (e.g., roll holder <NUM>), in which case the second impact sensor <NUM> mounted proximate or on the holder <NUM> would first detect movement, with vibrations from such movement traveling through the dispenser <NUM> and eventually reaching the further-away, body-mounted first impact dispenser <NUM>. Given that the holder <NUM> malfunction was not predicated by an external impact (as would be the case if the first impact sensor <NUM> recorded an impact before the second impact sensor <NUM>) the service technician may decide to bring a new bolder <NUM> on the service call to fix the dispenser <NUM>, which expedites the servicing of the dispenser <NUM>-as the technician would not have to make a second trip back to the dispenser <NUM> upon noticing during the first trip that the holder <NUM> malfunctioned.

To facilitate this expedited service process, in some implementations, the data processing device <NUM>, in response to determining the second impact occurred before the first impact, generates a message including the associated impact and event data (e.g., indicating a malfunction of the consumable product holder). Further, to prevent the dispenser <NUM> from further malfunctioning given the inference that the roll <NUM> is no longer on the holder <NUM>, the data processing device <NUM> can (e.g., based on an adminisirator-defined instruction set) prevent the dispensing mechanism <NUM> from causing consumable product to be dispensed which could further damage the dispenser <NUM>.

Conversely, if the first impact occurred before the second impact that might suggest that the malfunction was caused by an external factor, such as a washroom occupant running into the dispenser <NUM>. This information would inform the service technician that the dispenser <NUM> did not fail from an inherent design or operational flaw but rather from an anomalous event such that no further troubleshooting is required, which saves time and resources that would otherwise be required to do so.

More generally, this process can be described as comparing a time of the first impact as detected by the first impact sensor <NUM> with a time of a malfunction as detected by the dispenser event sensor <NUM> (impact sensor or otherwise) to determine whether the malfunction occurred after the first impact. For example, if the dispenser event sensor <NUM> is a motor current sensor <NUM> and it detects an over-current situation, indicative of a consumable product dispense jam/malfunction, a service technician may need to diagnose the dispenser <NUM> to understand the root cause for the jam. However, if the first impact sensor <NUM> indicated a major impact just prior to the jam then that information would inform the technician's service call and reduce the time and expense associated with the service as the technician could first investigate whether the impact caused the jam as opposed to a problem with the motor or other dispensing mechanism <NUM> components. This information could also be used to determine if the dispenser <NUM> is eligible to be fixed under warranty from a design flaw or not subject to the warranty because the dispenser <NUM> was vandalized or otherwise misused.

In some implementations, the data from the first impact sensor <NUM> alone is sufficient to inform the service needs or malfunction diagnosis of a dispenser <NUM>. More particularly, in response to the data processing device <NUM> determining an unusual impact occurred (e.g., an impact above a user-defined threshold) based on data from the first impact sensor <NUM>, the data processing device <NUM> sends a message (e.g., according to an administrator-defined instruction set) to a service technician or server <NUM> reporting the impact. For example, a wirelessly-enabled dispenser <NUM> may send report check-in messages to a central server <NUM> according to a pre-determined check in interval (e.g., <NUM> hours). If the dispenser <NUM> fails to check-in for three consecutive intervals, the central sever <NUM> or administrator may identify the dispenser <NUM> as needing service, as the check-in failure could be indicative of, for example, the dispenser's batteries running out. Thus it would be beneficial to know if any catastrophic activity (e.g., abnormal impact) occurred to the dispenser <NUM> leading up to the check-in failure that could explain the failure.

Given that the sensor <NUM> is sensing movement and vibrations, in some implementations, the dispenser <NUM> includes an isolator coupled to the body <NUM>, between the dispenser <NUM> and the surface to which the dispenser <NUM> is mounted, to provide vibration isolation between the dispenser <NUM> and the mounting surface, as it would be desirable to isolate building vibrations from causing false alarms through the sensor <NUM>. The isolator can be, for example, a rubber pad or spring device that reduces or eliminates extraneous vibrations (e.g., vibrations not emanating from the dispenser <NUM>) from reaching the dispenser <NUM> and altering the readings/measurements from the sensor <NUM>.

In many cases, a dispenser <NUM> may already be installed and not have the capability to determine impact events. In these scenarios a first impact sensor <NUM> can be added to these already installed dispensers to enable this capability, e.g., along with a transmitter or transceiver to send the impact data to, for example, the data processing device <NUM>. For example, this can range from adhering or attaching (e.g., through mechanical means such as screws or nuts and bolts) the sensor <NUM> to the dispenser at a specific location, e.g., based on the type of dispenser <NUM> and the selected relationship between the sensing device location and product <NUM> type. Once installed, the sensor <NUM> can detect impacts based on measurements (or changes) of vibrations or movement of the dispenser <NUM>. Implementations of the subject matter and the operations described in this specification can be implemented in digital electronic circuitry, or in computer software, firmware, or hardware, including the structures disclosed in this specification and their structural equivalents, or in combinations of one or more of them. Implementations of the subject matter described in this specification can be implemented as one or more computer programs, i.e., one or more modules of computer program instructions, encoded on computer storage medium for execution by, or to control the operation of, data processing apparatus.

The term "data processing device" encompasses all kinds of apparatus, devices, and machines for processing data, including by way of example a programmable processor, a computer, a system on a chip, or multiple ones, or combinations, of the foregoing The apparatus can include special purpose logic circuitry, e.g., an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit).

The processes and logic flows can also be performed by, and apparatus can also be implemented as, special purpose logic circuitry, e,g. , an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit).

Generally, a computer will also include, or be operatively coupled to receive data from or transfer data to, or both, one or more mass storage devices for storing data. e.g., magnetic, magneto-optical disks, or optical disks. The processor and the memory can be supplemented by, or incorporated in, special purpose logic circuitry,.

Implementations of the subject matter described in this specification can be implemented in a computing system that includes a back-end component, e.g.. as a data server, of that includes a middleware component, e.g., an application server, or that includes a front-end component, e.g., a client computer having a graphical user interface or a Web browser through which a user can interact with an implementation of the subject matter described in this specification, or any combination of one or more such back-end, middleware, or front-end components.

The computing system can include dients and servers. The relationship of client and server arises by virtue of computer programs running on the respective computers and having a cent-server relationship to each other. In some embodiments, a server transmits data (e.g., an HTML page) to a user computer (e.g., for purposes of displaying data to and receiving user input from a user interacting with the user computer). Data generated at the user computer (e.g., a result of the user interaction) can be received from the user computer at the server.

Claim 1:
A dispensing system (<NUM>) for dispensing consumable product (<NUM>) comprising:
a dispenser (<NUM>) including:
a body (<NUM>) comprising a front side (<NUM>) and a back side (<NUM>), and a product holding area (<NUM>) defined by the front side (<NUM>) and the back side (<NUM>), wherein the product holding area (<NUM>) is configured to store the consumable product (<NUM>) within the dispenser (<NUM>);
a dispensing mechanism (<NUM>) operatively coupled to the consumable product (<NUM>) through a consumable product holder (<NUM>) in the product storage area (<NUM>), and wherein the dispensing mechanism (<NUM>) is configured to facilitate a dispensing cycle to dispense a portion of the consumable product (<NUM>);
a first impact sensor (<NUM>) configured to sense a first impact to the dispenser;
a dispenser event sensor (<NUM>) configured to sense an operational status of the dispenser (<NUM>), the dispenser event sensor (<NUM>) comprising a second impact sensor; and
a data processing device (<NUM>) configured to store impact data describing the first impact and operational status data describing the operational status and to associate the first impact data and the operational status data, wherein associating the first impact data and the operational status data comprises comparing a time of the first impact as detected by the first impact sensor with a time of a second impact as detected by the second impact sensor to determine which of the first impact and second impact occurred first in time.