# US 12,178,369 B2 · Fluid dispenser with thermometer > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,178,369 B2 - Document ID: US12178369B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/591,785 - Filed: 2024-02-29 - Published: 2024-06-20 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2020-07-14 - Assignees: OP-Hygiene IP GmbH - Applicants: Op-Hygiene IP GmbH - Inventors: Heiner Ophardt - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12178369B2 ## CPC - A47K 5/1217: {Electrical control means for the dispensing mechanism} - A47K 5/1205: {Dispensing from the top of the dispenser with a vertical piston} - G01J 5/0025: {Living bodies (ear thermometers G01J5/0011; detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00)} - A47K: SANITARY EQUIPMENT; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR, e.g. TOILET ACCESSORIES - G01J: MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY (light sources F21, H01J, H01K, H05B; investigating properties of materials by optical means G01N) ## Abstract A fluid dispenser having a temperature sensor that senses a temperature of an external surface presented by a user's hand, and a pump mechanism that is configured to dispense fluid onto the user's hand when the pump mechanism is activated. It is determined whether the fluid has been dispensed onto the user's hand based, at least in part, on the temperature of the external surface presented by the user's hand. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A fluid dispenser comprising: a drip tray; a temperature sensor that senses a temperature of an external surface presented by the drip tray; a fluid outlet that is positioned above the drip tray; a pump mechanism that is configured to dispense fluid from the fluid outlet when the pump mechanism is activated; and a processor that determines, based at least in part on the temperature of the external surface presented by the drip tray, whether the fluid has been dispensed. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The fluid dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the processor determines whether the fluid has been dispensed based at least in part on whether the temperature sensor senses a change in the temperature of the external surface presented by the drip tray over time. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The fluid dispenser according to claim 2, wherein the processor determines whether the fluid has been dispensed based at least in part on whether the temperature sensor senses a decrease in the temperature of the external surface presented by the drip tray over time. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The fluid dispenser according to claim 3, further comprising an electronic pump activation mechanism for activating the pump mechanism; wherein, when the electronic pump activation mechanism is used to activate the pump mechanism in a first activation time period, the processor is configured to determine, based at least in part on the temperature of the external surface presented by the drip tray, whether the fluid has been dispensed in the first activation time period; wherein, if the processor determines that no fluid was dispensed in the first activation time period, the processor is configured to repeatedly use the electronic pump activation mechanism to activate the pump mechanism in subsequent activation time periods until a stop condition is satisfied; wherein the stop condition is satisfied when the processor determines at least one of: that the fluid has been dispensed, based at least in part on the temperature of the external surface presented by the drip tray; and that a quantity of the activations of the pump mechanism exceeds a threshold activation quantity; wherein the processor is configured to use the electronic pump activation mechanism to activate the pump mechanism in the first activation time period when a trigger condition is satisfied; wherein the trigger condition comprises at least one of: detection of a user; a threshold time interval passing since the pump mechanism was last activated; and arrival of a scheduled activation time; wherein the processor is configured to determine an operational status of the fluid dispenser based at least in part on the determination as to whether the fluid has been dispensed; wherein the operational status comprises one or more of: i) whether the pump mechanism needs to be primed; ii) whether a fluid reservoir of the fluid dispenser is empty; iii) whether the fluid dispenser is malfunctioning; iv) whether the fluid dispenser requires service; and v) whether the pump mechanism is leaking; wherein the processor is configured to provide an indication of the operational status; and wherein the processor provides the indication of the operational status by at least one of: illuminating a light; providing an alert; displaying a message; and transmitting an electronic signal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The fluid dispenser according to claim 2, wherein the processor determines a volume of the fluid that has been dispensed from the fluid dispenser based at least in part on the temperature of the external surface presented by the drip tray. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The fluid dispenser according to claim 2, further comprising an electronic pump activation mechanism for activating the pump mechanism; wherein, when the electronic pump activation mechanism is used to activate the pump mechanism in a first activation time period, the processor is configured to determine, based at least in part on the temperature of the external surface presented by the drip tray, whether the fluid has been dispensed in the first activation time period; and wherein, if the processor determines that no fluid was dispensed in the first activation time period, the processor is configured to repeatedly use the electronic pump activation mechanism to activate the pump mechanism in subsequent activation time periods until a stop condition is satisfied. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The fluid dispenser according to claim 6, wherein the stop condition is satisfied when the processor determines at least one of: that the fluid has been dispensed, based at least in part on the temperature of the external surface presented by the drip tray; and that a quantity of the activations of the pump mechanism exceeds a threshold activation quantity. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The fluid dispenser according to claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to use the electronic pump activation mechanism to activate the pump mechanism in the first activation time period when a trigger condition is satisfied. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The fluid dispenser according to claim 8, wherein the trigger condition comprises at least one of: detection of a user; a threshold time interval passing since the pump mechanism was last activated; and arrival of a scheduled activation time. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The fluid dispenser according to claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to determine an operational status of the fluid dispenser based at least in part on the determination as to whether the fluid has been dispensed. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The fluid dispenser according to claim 10, wherein the operational status comprises one or more of: i) whether the pump mechanism needs to be primed; ii) whether a fluid reservoir of the fluid dispenser is empty; iii) whether the fluid dispenser is malfunctioning; iv) whether the fluid dispenser requires service; and v) whether the pump mechanism is leaking. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The fluid dispenser according to claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to provide an indication of the operational status. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The fluid dispenser according to claim 12, wherein the processor provides the indication of the operational status by at least one of: illuminating a light; providing an alert; displaying a message; and transmitting an electronic signal. ### Claim 14 (depends on 2) The fluid dispenser according to claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether a fluid reservoir of the fluid dispenser is empty based at least in part on the determination as to whether the fluid has been dispensed. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The fluid dispenser according to claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to provide an indication when the determination is made that the fluid reservoir is empty. ### Claim 16 (depends on 2) The fluid dispenser according to claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether the fluid dispenser is malfunctioning based at least in part on the determination as to whether the fluid has been dispensed. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The fluid dispenser according to claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to provide an indication when the determination is made that the fluid dispenser is malfunctioning. ### Claim 18 (depends on 2) The fluid dispenser according to claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether the fluid dispenser requires service based at least in part on the determination as to whether the fluid has been dispensed. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The fluid dispenser according to claim 18, wherein the processor is configured to provide an indication when the determination is made that the fluid dispenser requires service. ### Claim 20 (depends on 2) The fluid dispenser according to claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether the pump mechanism is leaking based at least in part on the temperature of the external surface presented by the drip tray.