Granted Patent B2

US 12,322,267 · App. 17/398,198 · Granted Jun 3, 2025

Inventors: James Edward Myers (Bottisham, GB); Emre Özer (Buckden, GB); Remy Pottier (Grenoble, FR); Jedrzej Kufel (Littleport, GB); John Philip Biggs (Cambridge, GB)

Assignee: Arm Limited

G08B21/18G08B5/36

Abstract

Claims (62)

1. Apparatus comprising a flexible substrate applied to a surface of the apparatus, the flexible substrate comprising:

at least one visual indicator element;

at least one detector configured to detect access to the apparatus consistent with a cleaning operation; and

processing circuitry configured to control a visual indication state of the at least one visual indicator element in response to a detection by the at least one detector of access to the surface of the apparatus; and

conductive tracks that connect the processing circuitry to the at least one visual indicator element and the at least one detector;

wherein the at least one detector is configured to detect an instance consistent with a cleaning operation of the surface being required;

wherein the at least one detector is disposed at the surface;

wherein the at least one detector comprises:

a heater element and a gas detector element, wherein the heater element is configured to heat a local area of the surface, and the gas detector element is configured to detect the instance consistent with the cleaning operation being required in response to detecting emission of one or more gases from the local area heated by the heater element indicative of the presence of contaminants;

wherein the at least one visual indicator element, at least one detector, processing circuitry, and conductive tracks have been printed onto the flexible substrate.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , in which the at least one detector comprises communications circuitry configured to interact with complementary communications circuitry in proximity to the at least one detector.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , in which:

the at least one detector is configured to detect an instance consistent with a cleaning operation being required; and

the processing circuitry is configured to communicate, via the communications circuitry, data indicative of detection of an instance consistent with a cleaning operation being required.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , in which the at least one detector comprises at least one touch detector.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , in which:

the processing circuitry is configured to control the visual indication state of the at least one visual indicator element in response to an elapsed time since a most recent detection by the at least one detector; and

the processing circuitry is configured to control the visual indication state of the at least one visual indicator element in response to detection by the at least one detector of access to the apparatus.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:

a set of two or more optical particle detectors spaced apart on the apparatus;

respective visual indicator elements associated with the optical particle detectors;

in which the processing circuitry is configured to control the visual indication state of a given visual indicator element in response to a detection by the respective optical particle detector of one or more surface particles on the apparatus.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:

a set of two or more touch detectors spaced apart on the apparatus;

respective visual indicator elements associated with the touch detectors;

in which the processing circuitry is configured to control the visual indication state of a given visual indicator element in response to a detection by the respective touch detector of touching of the apparatus.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , in which the at least one visual indicator element comprises one or more of:

(i) at least one ultraviolet light emitting element;

(ii) at least one infrared light emitting element;

(iii) at least one light emitting element; and

(iv) at least one visual indicator element configured to change a visual indication state in response to a control signal and to retain a current visual indication state in the absence of the control signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 2 , in which the complementary communications circuitry is associated with a cleaning implement.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , in which the apparatus comprises an energy source to provide electrical energy for operations of at least the processing circuitry.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , in which the energy source comprises energy harvesting apparatus, the energy harvesting apparatus comprising one or more selected from the list consisting of:

(i) induction circuitry to receive electrical energy from complementary induction circuitry in proximity to the apparatus;

(ii) one or more solar power generating elements; and

(iii) apparatus configured to generate electrical energy in response to motion relative to the apparatus consistent with performance of a cleaning operation.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , in which the energy source comprises one or both of a mains power source and a battery power source.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , the apparatus comprising a substrate for mounting to a surface of an article.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , comprising one or both of:

(i) a substantially transparent layer disposed over the substrate; and

(ii) an adhesive portion to mount the substrate to the article.

15. An article of furniture having at least one surface at least partially covered by apparatus comprising a flexible substrate applied to a surface of the apparatus, the flexible substrate comprising:

at least one visual indicator element;

at least one detector configured to detect access to the apparatus consistent with a cleaning operation; and

processing circuitry configured to control a visual indication state of the at least one visual indicator element in response to a detection by the at least one detector of access to the surface of the apparatus; and

conductive tracks that connect the processing circuitry to the at least one visual indicator element and the at least one detector;

wherein the at least one detector is configured to detect an instance consistent with a cleaning operation of the surface being required;

wherein the at least one detector is disposed at the surface;

wherein the at least one detector comprises one or more of:

a heater element and a gas detector element, wherein the heater element is configured to heat a local area of the surface, and the gas detector element is configured to detect the instance consistent with the cleaning operation being required in response to detecting emission of one or more gases from the local area heated by the heater element indicative of the presence of contaminants;

wherein the at least one visual indicator element, at least one detector, processing circuitry, and conductive tracks have been printed onto the flexible substrate.

16. A cleaning implement comprising communications circuitry configured to interact with complementary communications circuitry associated with apparatus comprising a flexible substrate applied to a surface of the apparatus, the flexible substrate comprising:

at least one visual indicator element;

at least one detector configured to detect access to the apparatus consistent with a cleaning operation; and

processing circuitry configured to control a visual indication state of the at least one visual indicator element in response to a detection by the at least one detector of access to the surface of the apparatus, in which the at least one detector comprises the complementary communications circuitry configured to interact with the communications circuitry in proximity to the at least one detector; and

conductive tracks that connect the processing circuitry to the at least one visual indicator element and the at least one detector;

wherein the at least one detector is configured to detect an instance consistent with a cleaning operation of the surface being required;

wherein the at least one detector is disposed at the surface;

wherein the at least one detector comprises:

a heater element and a gas detector element, wherein the heater element is configured to heat a local area of the surface, and the gas detector element is configured to detect the instance consistent with the cleaning operation being required in response to detecting emission of one or more gases from the local area heated by the heater element indicative of the presence of contaminants;

wherein the at least one visual indicator element, at least one detector, processing circuitry, and conductive tracks have been printed onto the flexible substrate.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (34)