# US 11,897,754 B2 · Dispensing system with liquid level sensing and level-based actions > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,897,754 B2 - Document ID: US11897754B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/702,385 - Filed: 2022-03-23 - Published: 2022-09-29 - Granted: 2024-02-13 - Earliest claimed: 2021-03-26 - Assignees: Henkel AG & Co. KGaA - Applicants: Henkel AG & Co. KGaA - Inventors: Elif Affan; Dirck Seynaeve; Nadezda Chakrova; Karel Pauwels; Edward Gilchrest; Andrew Bell Krystinik; Elana Rae Abrams; Alexander Borgestedt; Stanley Maurice Katz; Michael Cong Tao; Mark Craig Brannan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11897754B2 ## CPC - B67D 3/0093: {Level indicators} - B67D 3/0067: {relating to shape or materials, e.g. bag-in-box packages [BIB], pouches} - B67D 3/0077: {Electronic circuitry} - B67D 3/0083: {for the liquid container} - B67D: DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (cleaning pipes or tubes or systems of pipes or tubes B08B9/02; emptying or filling of bottles, jars, cans, casks, barrels, or similar containers, not otherwise provided for B67C; water supply E03; pipe systems F17D; domestic hot-water supply systems F24D; measuring volume, volume flow, mass flow or liquid level, metering by volume G01F; coin-freed or like apparatus G07F) ## Abstract A dispensing system includes a container, a holder, and a signal processing module. The container includes a body configured to store a liquid and a conductive strip coupled to an outer surface of the body. The holder is configured to receive the container. The holder includes an electrical contact configured to contact the conductive strip when the container is received in the holder. The signal processing module is in electrical communication with the electrical contact. The signal processing module is configured to receive signals from the electrical contact to determine a level of liquid within the container body based on the signals when the container is received in the holder. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A dispensing system comprising: a container comprising: a body configured to store a liquid, and a conductive strip coupled to an outer surface of the body; a holder configured to receive the container, the holder comprising an electrical contact configured to contact the conductive strip when the container is received in the holder; and a signal processing module in electrical communication with the electrical contact, the signal processing module configured to receive signals from the electrical contact to determine a level of liquid within the container body based on the signals when the container is received in the holder, wherein the signal processing module is configured to determine the level of liquid within the container in response to determining that a dosing event has occurred. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The dispensing system of claim 1, wherein a contact surface of the conductive strip contacts the electrical contact of the holder when the container is received in the holder, and wherein a plane tangent to the outer surface of the container at the contact surface intersects a vertical plane at an angle of between about 5 degrees and about 89 degrees. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the holder comprises a tap configured to dispense the liquid from the container. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the signal processing module is configured to communicate the level of liquid within the container to a user. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the signal processing module is configured to determine, based on the level of liquid within the container, that a replenish threshold has been satisfied. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The dispensing system of claim 5, wherein the signal processing module is configured to determine that the replenish threshold has been satisfied based on the level of liquid within the container by first determining a volume of liquid remaining in the container. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The dispensing system of claim 5, wherein the signal processing module is configured to automatically order a replacement container in response to determining that the replenish threshold has been satisfied. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The dispensing system of claim 5, wherein the signal processing module is configured to automatically send a communication to a user device in response to determining that the replenish threshold has been satisfied. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the signal processing module is configured to determine the level of liquid within the container at a regular time interval. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the conductive strip is integrally formed with a product label coupled to the outer surface of the container. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the conductive strip is disposed under a product label coupled to the outer surface of the container. ### Claim 12 A container comprising: a body configured to store a liquid, the body comprising: an outer surface, an upper portion comprising an upper side wall portion, and a lower portion comprising a dispensing opening and a lower side wall portion disposed at an angle of about 170 degrees to about 179 degrees relative to the upper side wall portion; and a conductive strip coupled to the outer surface of the body, wherein an upper portion of the conductive strip is disposed on the upper side wall portion, and wherein a lower portion of the conductive strip is disposed on the lower side wall portion. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The container of claim 12, wherein the lower side wall portion is disposed at an angle of about 175 degrees to about 177 degrees relative to the upper side wall portion. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The container of claim 12, wherein the upper side wall portion and the lower side wall portion together form a smooth curve. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The container of claim 12, wherein the conductive strip is coupled to the outer surface of the body along a coupling portion of the body, and wherein the coupling portion of the body forms a smooth curve. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The container of claim 12, wherein the dispensing opening is disposed at a front portion of the body, and wherein the lower portion of the body is angled downward from a rear portion of the body toward the front portion of the body and toward the dispensing opening. ### Claim 17 A method of dispensing a liquid, the method comprising: disposing a container configured to store a liquid onto a holder, wherein a conductive strip coupled to an outer surface of the container contacts an electric contact disposed on the holder; determining, by a signal processing module, a level of liquid within the container at a regular time interval while the container is disposed on the holder; determining, by the signal processing module, based on the level of liquid within the container, that a replenish threshold has been satisfied; and communicating, by the signal processing module, in response to determining that the replenish threshold has been satisfied, that the replenish threshold has been satisfied. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein communicating that the replenish threshold has been satisfied comprises ordering a replacement container. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein communicating that the replenish threshold has been satisfied comprises sending a notification to a user device.