System for monitoring compliance with apparatuses having predetermined operating parameters

A monitoring unit for monitoring usage of an apparatus by users, the monitoring unit comprising:

• a display;
• an activation device for acknowledging a user of an apparatus;
• a timing device for generating time of use data;
• an ancillary input device for generating an ancillary signal upon user actuation of an ancillary device;
• a completion input device coupled to said activation, timing, and ancillary input devices, the completion input device generating a completion signal in response to a signal produced by the user, wherein user acknowledgment data, the time of use data, the ancillary signal, and the completion signal comprise a user compliance data set;
• a controller coupled to said completion input device and said display, wherein said controller is configured to couple to the apparatus for controlling at least part of the operation of the apparatus;
• a memory for storing said user compliance data set generated by said activation, timing, ancillary input, and completion input devices of said monitoring unit;
• a central processing unit programmed to compare each of said user compliance data sets with predetermined operating parameters assigned to each apparatus user and stored in said memory and to generate compliance/non-compliance data based on each comparison result for storage in said memory and for presentation to the users by said display, the predetermined operating parameters including at least frequency of use parameters;
• and
• a central unit connected over a communications link to receive down loadings of said user compliance data sets and said compliance/non-compliance data from said memory.

A sink monitoring device comprising:

• an activation device for acknowledging an operator of a sink;
• a timing device for determining time of use data;
• a completion input device for generating wash completion data when the operator has completed use of the sink;
• a memory storage device for storing operator data sets and predetermined frequency of use parameters for operators of the sink, the operator data sets including operator acknowledgment data, time of use data, and wash completion data;
• a compliance controller coupled to the memory storage device, the compliance controller being configured to determine if the operator is in compliance with a predetermined sink use regimen by comparing the predetermined frequency of use parameters to the operator data sets, the compliance controller generating a non-compliance signal when an operator is no longer in compliance with the predetermined frequency of use parameter for the operator, wherein the compliance controller is configured to couple to the plumbing of the sink to control the delivery of water to the sink;
• and
• a non-compliance warning device coupled to the compliance controller, the noncompliance warning device being configured to provide a non-compliance warning when the compliance controller generates a non-compliance signal.

A method of monitoring usage of at least one sink, the method comprising:

• providing a sink monitoring device associated with at least one sink, the sink monitoring device being configured to control water flow to the at least one sink, to identify at least one operator of the at least one sink, to determine the time when the at least one operator uses the at least one sink, to store operator identity data, time of use data, and a predetermined frequency of use parameter, and to provide an alert when the at least one operator is not in compliance with a predetermined use regimen;
• identifying the at least one operator of the at least one sink when the at least one operator uses the at least one sink;
• storing the time when the at least one operator uses the at least one sink;
• determining if the at least one operator is in compliance with the predetermined use regimen by comparing time elapsed since the at least one operator last used the at least one sink with the predetermined frequency of use parameter stored in the sink monitoring device;
• and
• providing an alert of non-compliance of the predetermined sink use regimen by the at least one operator when time elapsed since the at least one operator last used the at least one sink exceeds the predetermined frequency of use parameter.

A method of monitoring usage of at least one sink, the method comprising:

• providing a sink monitoring device associated with at least one sink, the sink monitoring device being configured to control water flow to the at least one sink, to determine the time elapsed since an operator last used the at least one sink, and to store at least one predetermined frequency of use parameter;
• storing the time when the at least one sink is used by an operator;
• comparing the time elapsed since the at least one sink was last used to the at least one predetermined frequency of use parameter;
• and
• providing an alert signal when the time elapsed since the at least one sink was last used exceeds the at least one frequency of use parameter.