Dispensing device having improved performance
AssigneeKimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
InventorsVannarak DeMonteiro, Galdric Marcotte
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A monitoring device can be configured to be coupled to a product dispenser to provide monitoring functionality for the product dispenser. The monitoring device can include a network gateway microcontroller configured to perform operations. The operations can include establishing a wireless connection with one or more dispenser monitoring devices, each of the one or more dispenser monitoring devices associated with a dispenser. The operations can include obtaining dispenser data from the one or more dispenser monitoring devices via the wireless connection. The operations can include providing the dispenser data via an internet connection to a cloud-based management service.
Claims17
A monitoring device configured to be coupled to a product dispenser to provide monitoring functionality for the product dispenser, the monitoring device comprising:
- a network gateway microcontroller configured to perform operations, the operations comprising:
- establishing a wireless connection with one or more dispenser monitoring devices, each of the one or more dispenser monitoring devices associated with a dispenser;
- obtaining dispenser data from the one or more dispenser monitoring devices via the wireless connection;
- and
- providing the dispenser data via an internet connection to a cloud-based management service;
- wherein the network gateway microcontroller is further configured to receive over the air (OTA) data from the cloud-based management service and provide the OTA data to the one or more dispenser monitoring devices via the wireless connection, wherein the OTA data comprises a software update, a firmware update, and/or a command;
- and
- wherein the wireless connection comprises a beacon connection such that the one or more dispenser computing devices are configured to broadcast one-way beacon data and the network gateway microcontroller is configured to scan for the one-way beacon data.
A dispenser for dispensing a product, the dispenser comprising:
- a housing having an interior volume so as to retain a product;
- a dispensing mechanism contained within the housing for dispensing the product;
- one or more sensors configured to monitor the dispensing mechanism;
- a dispenser computing device configured to control the dispensing mechanism, the dispenser computing device configured to obtain dispenser data from the one or more sensors;
- and
- a monitoring device comprising a network gateway microcontroller configured to perform operations, the operations comprising:
- obtaining the dispenser data from the dispenser computing device via a wireless connection;
- and
- providing the dispenser data to a cloud-based management service;
- wherein the network gateway microcontroller is further configured to receive over the air (OTA) data from the cloud-based management service and provide the OTA data to the dispenser computing device, wherein the OTA data comprises a software update, a firmware update, and/or a command;
- and
- wherein the wireless connection comprises a beacon connection such that the one or more dispenser computing devices are configured to broadcast one-way beacon data and the network gateway microcontroller is configured to scan for the one-way beacon data.
A monitoring device configured to be coupled to a peripheral device to provide monitoring functionality for the peripheral device, the monitoring device comprising:
- a network gateway microcontroller configured to perform operations, the operations comprising:
- establishing a wireless connection with one or more monitoring devices, each of the one or more monitoring devices associated with a peripheral device;
- obtaining peripheral device data from the one or more monitoring devices via the wireless connection;
- and
- providing the peripheral device data to a cloud-based management service;
- wherein the network gateway microcontroller is further configured to receive over the air (OTA) data from the cloud-based management service and provide the OTA data to the dispenser computing device, wherein the OTA data comprises a software update, a firmware update, and/or a command;
- and
- wherein the wireless connection comprises a beacon connection such that the one or more dispenser computing devices are configured to broadcast one-way beacon data and the network gateway microcontroller is configured to scan for the one-way beacon data.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.