# US 2020/0288293 A1 · Sensor and System for Monitoring Dispenser Levels, Traffic Flow, and Staff Location > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2020/0288293 A1 - Document ID: US20200288293A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/813,005 - Filed: 2020-03-09 - Published: 2020-09-10 - Earliest claimed: 2019-03-08 - Assignees: Mero Technologies Inc. - Applicants: Mero Technologies Inc. - Inventors: James-Andrew Cole MacDonald - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200288293A1 ## CPC - H04W 4/80: Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication - G06Q 10/06311: {Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group} - H04W 4/029: Location-based management or tracking services - H04W 4/14: Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD] - H04W 40/244: {using a network of reference devices, e.g. beaconing} - H04W 4/021: Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract An electronic material sensor for a container, such as a dispenser for paper or liquid materials, or a waste receptacle, in a facility such as a restroom. The material sensor may be adapted to fit inside an existing material dispenser. The material sensor provides wireless data transmission of the level of liquid or paper material in the container. A traffic sensor senses presence of people in the facility. An electronic beacon assigned to a user, such as a cleaning staff, tracks location of the user in the facility. In a system employing one or more sensors, including material sensors, traffic sensors, and beacons, the sensors send real-time data to a base station running a software application, to give details about levels of the materials and facility usage, and the location of cleaning staff. The system sends notifications to cleaning and maintenance staff when the materials need to be replenished and receptacles need to be emptied, and the system may be used by managers to schedule cleaning according to traffic and location of staff. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A material sensor, comprising: an electronic circuit including a sensing device that senses a level of a material in a container; a communications device that relays data relating to the sensed level of the material to a base station; and a microcontroller that controls operation of the sensing device and the communications device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The material sensor of claim 1, further comprising a feature that calibrates the material sensor for selected levels of the material. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The material sensor of claim 1, wherein the communications device relays the sensed level of the material to the base station wirelessly. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The material sensor of claim 1, wherein the sensing device is an optical sensing device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The material sensor of claim 1, wherein the container is selected from a material dispenser and a material receptacle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The material sensor of claim 5, wherein the material dispenser is selected from a paper dispenser and a liquid dispenser. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The material sensor of claim 5, wherein the material receptacle is selected from a waste receptacle and a recycling receptacle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The material sensor of claim 5, wherein the material sensor is adapted to be retrofitted to an existing material dispenser or material receptacle. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A system, comprising: at least one material sensor of claim 1; a base station that communicates with the at least one material sensor; and a processor that receives data from the base station and performs one or more operations based on the data; wherein one said operation comprises sending a notification advising of the sensed level of material in a material dispenser or a material receptacle to a user. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, further comprising a traffic sensor; wherein the traffic sensor comprises an electronic circuit including a sensing device that senses presence of a person in a selected location or within a selected proximity to the traffic sensor as a measure of traffic; a communications device that relays data relating to the measure of traffic to the base station; and a microcontroller that controls operation of the sensing device and the communications device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the notification comprises at least one of SMS and email. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, further comprising a beacon; wherein the beacon is assigned to the user; wherein the beacon comprises an electronic circuit including a communication device that automatically establishes wireless communication with the base station when within a wireless communications range; and a microcontroller that controls operation of the communications device; wherein communication of the beacon with the base station indicates that the user is at the location of the base station. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions thereon, that when executed by a computer, direct the computer to control operation of the system of claim 9, including one or more of: receiving data from one or more sensor; storing the data; analyzing the data; determining statistics from the data; and sending a notification relating to the data received from the one or more sensors to a user. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13; wherein the one or more sensors are selected from material sensors, traffic sensors, and beacons; wherein the notification comprises at least one of a level of material in a dispenser, a level of material in a receptacle, a traffic level, and a location of a user. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the notification comprises at least one of SMS and email. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein determining statistics comprises long-term data analytics about material usage and maintenance history. ### Claim 17 A method for remote monitoring of at least one parameter of a facility, comprising: disposing an electronic sensing device in or on a container of the facility, wherein the electronic sensing device senses a level of a material in the container; communicating data relating to the sensed level of the material to a base station; and using a processor to perform one or more operations based on the data; wherein one said operation comprises sending a notification advising of the sensed level of the material in the container to a user. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the container is selected from a material dispenser and a material receptacle. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the material dispenser is selected from a paper dispenser and a liquid dispenser. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the material receptacle is selected from a waste receptacle and a recycling receptacle. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the material sensor is adapted to be retrofitted to an existing material dispenser or material receptacle. ### Claim 22 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising disposing an electronic traffic sensor that senses presence of a person in a selected location or within a selected proximity to the traffic sensor as a measure of traffic; communicating data relating to the measure of traffic to the base station; and using the processor to perform one or more operations based on the measure of traffic; wherein sending a notification comprises advising of amount of traffic at the selected location. ### Claim 23 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising assigning an electronic beacon to the user; wherein the beacon automatically establishes wireless communication with the base station when within a wireless communications range; wherein communication of the beacon with the base station indicates that the user is at the location of the base station; wherein a location of the user is logged according to the location of the base station. ### Claim 24 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the notification comprises at least one of SMS and email.