Granted Patent B2

US 12,390,056 · App. 18/404,202 · Granted Aug 19, 2025

Inventors: Jeffrey Rospierski (Alden, NY); David L. Snodgrass (Saint Paul, MN); Andrew M. Schultz (Minneapolis, MN); Viktor Slobodyan (Duluth, MN); Cheryl A. Littau (Apple Valley, MN); Kenneth T. Dobizl (Mounds View, MN)

Assignee: Ecolab USA Inc.

A47K5/1217G08B21/245G16H40/20

Abstract

Claims (31)

1. A dispenser system comprising:

a dispenser beacon module configured to monitor actuations of a product dispenser, the dispenser beacon module including:

a module controller configured to generate dispenser data for each of a plurality of detected actuations of the product dispenser; and

one or more wireless transceivers configured to wirelessly transmit and/or receive data, wherein at least one of the one or more wireless transceivers is configured to wirelessly transmit and/or receive at least a portion of the dispenser data,

wherein the dispenser beacon module further includes a module housing sized to fit within a housing of the product dispenser, the module housing including a module base, and a bottle presence trigger configured on or about an outer surface of the module housing such that presence of a product bottle in the housing of the product dispenser provides a bottle presence signal indicative of presence of the product bottle in the housing of the product dispenser.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the module controller is configured to receive identification information from one of a plurality of badges associated with one or more of the plurality of detected actuations of the product dispenser.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the dispenser data for each of the plurality of detected actuations of the product dispenser includes the identification information.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the product dispenser is one of a manually actuated hand hygiene product dispenser or a touch free hand hygiene product dispenser.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the module controller is configured to receive a dispenser actuation signal from a switch that detects actuation of the product dispenser.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the product dispenser is one of a manual product dispenser or a touch free product dispenser.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the module controller is further configured to store a dispense event count upon receipt of a dispenser actuation signal.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a bottle presence trigger including a switch that changes from a first state to a second state when a product bottle is installed into the product dispenser; and wherein the module controller is further configured to reset a dispense event count when the product bottle is installed.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the dispenser data includes the dispense event count.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the bottle presence trigger includes one of a plunger switch, a pin switch, or a rocker switch.

11. The system of claim 1 , further including an indicator that is illuminated by the module controller upon receipt of a dispenser actuation signal.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the module housing further includes a module cover.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the module housing is sized to be received into a receptacle within the housing of the product dispenser.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the module controller is internal to the module housing.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the module controller further determines status information corresponding to each of the detected actuations of the product dispenser, the status information including at least one of a battery level associated with the dispenser beacon module or a battery level associated with the product dispenser.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the dispenser data for each of the plurality of the detected actuations of the product dispenser further includes at least one of a battery level associated with the dispenser beacon module, a battery level associated with the product dispenser, and a dispense event count.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the dispenser beacon module further includes a power source that provides power to the module controller.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the module controller receives power from the product dispenser.

19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the module controller receives power from one or more batteries that also provide power to the product dispenser.

20. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a computing system including:

one or more processors; and

one or more non-transitory storage devices comprising instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:

for each of a plurality of product dispensers, analyze dispenser data received for each of a plurality of detected actuations of the product dispenser and identify one or more of the detected actuations of the product dispenser for which the dispenser data includes a product bottle absence indication.

21. The system of claim 20 , further comprising instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to generate an alert including the detected product bottle absence indication.

22. The system of claim 20 , further comprising instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to, for each of the plurality of product dispensers, detect installation of a product bottle in the product dispenser.

23. The system of claim 20 , wherein the computing device is configured to generate a product bottle replacement indication upon detection of installation of the product bottle in the product dispenser.

24. The system of claim 20 , wherein the computing device is configured to generate a product bottle removal indication upon detection of removal of the product bottle from the product dispenser.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (4)

References Cited (400)