Methods, systems and apparatus for dynamically adjusting product use reporting schedules for dispensers to increase or decrease the frequency of such reports based on expected product use such as a date the dispenser is expected to be depleted.

A voice controlled device comprises a housing, a dock, a coupling mechanism, and a microphone. The dock is configured to connect the housing to a plurality of host appliances. The coupling mechanism is configured to receive an identification value indicative of docking between the voice controlled device and a currently connected host appliance of the plurality of host appliances. The microphone is configured to receive one or more voice inputs for the currently connected host appliance. A command is provided based on the one or more voice inputs and the identification value.

The present invention provides a system and method for supervising consumption and inventory of appliance consumables. The system comprises an appliance monitor that is placed on or next to an appliance. The appliance module includes one or more sensors measuring physical properties affected by operational modes of the appliance. The appliance module includes a processor that determines in which operational mode the appliance is operating. A server identifies a utilization cycle of the appliance as a function of an aggregation of one or more operational modes. The server further determines an amount of consumption of the consumable connected with the utilization cycle. The server tracks an inventory of the consumable for the appliance. The server can respond accordingly by sending a message for, inter alia, placing an order for delivery of a new supply of the consumable or for a repair service visit to the site of the appliance.

A dispenser for dispensing consumable product having a consumable product storage area configured to store the consumable product within the dispenser; a dispensing mechanism operatively coupled to the consumable product and configured to facilitate a dispensing cycle to dispense a portion of consumable product, and wherein the dispensing cycle creates a vibration event in at least a portion of the dispenser; a vibration sensing device configured to sense a vibrational characteristic of the vibration event, wherein a value of the vibrational characteristic changes as a function of an amount of consumable product remaining in the dispenser; and a data processing device configured to (i) store data describing the vibrational characteristic and (ii) communicate the data to a remote receiver separate from the dispenser.

Methods, hand wash monitoring system and hand wash hub system for motivating and monitoring compliance of hand washing are disclosed. Hand wash monitoring system detects presence of hands in hand washing sink. Subsequently, hand wash monitoring system initiates countdown of plurality of instructions to be displayed to user for washing hands. Plurality of instructions include wetting hands, applying soap, scrubbing hands, rinsing hands, and drying hands. Each of plurality of instructions is counted for predetermined time period. Hand wash monitoring system further monitors compliance of user following plurality of instructions for washing hands to improve compliance of hand washing with established protocol. In one embodiment, hand wash monitoring system is communicatively coupled with hand wash hub system and attendance monitoring system to display users' hand washing schedule and compliance with established protocol on external display device to get people to wash their hands more frequently and more thoroughly.

A smart control system for monitoring a bathroom includes a server, a smart toilet, a smart door handle, and a roller. The smart toilet includes a first sensor configured to detect whether the smart toilet is clean and send a first detection result to the server. The smart door handle includes a second sensor configured to detect whether the door of the bathroom is in an open state or a closed state and send a second detection result to the server. The roller includes a third sensor configured to detect a usage of the toilet paper on the roller and send a third detection result to the server. The server analyzes the first detection result, the second detection result, and the third detection result to obtain an analysis result. The server performs corresponding operations according to the analysis result.

An apparatus for dispensing a towel and/or a liquid, which stores information pertaining to an amount of the towel and/or liquid that is arranged in the apparatus and/or dispensed by the apparatus. The apparatus stores the information in a control data memory that is able to be written to only once. The control data memory is part of a radio chip. The apparatus stores the information pertaining to the dispensed amount in a comparison data memory that is erasable and rewritable. The apparatus automatically compares the information pertaining to the dispensed amount of the towel and/or liquid that is stored in the control data memory and in the comparison data memory with one another. The apparatus prevents the towel and/or liquid from being dispensed, or stores the information pertaining to the amount that is stored in the control data memory in the comparison data memory, if the information of the control data memory and that of the comparison data memory are not consistent with one another.

Methods, systems and apparatus for determining or identifying the type of product in a dispenser based at least in part on the length of rolled product dispensed and/or the radial measurement.

Methods, hand wash monitoring system and hand wash hub system for motivating and monitoring compliance of hand washing are disclosed. Hand wash monitoring system detects presence of hands in hand washing sink. Subsequently, hand wash monitoring system initiates countdown of plurality of instructions to be displayed to user for washing hands. Plurality of instructions include wetting hands, applying soap, scrubbing hands, rinsing hands, and drying hands. Each of plurality of instructions is counted for predetermined time period. Hand wash monitoring system further monitors compliance of user following plurality of instructions for washing hands to improve compliance of hand washing with established protocol. In one embodiment, hand wash monitoring system is communicatively coupled with hand wash hub system and attendance monitoring system to display users' hand washing schedule and compliance with established protocol on external display device to get people to wash their hands more frequently and more thoroughly.

A solution for detecting level of a consumable tissue product (201, 301) in a tissue dispenser (103, 106) located in a washroom. This is provided in a number of aspects such as a tissue dispenser, a method, system, and a sensor unit utilizing two sensor elements (420, 430), each arranged to measure light reflected from a reflection field located on the tissue product, reflected directly from the tissue product, or measure the absence of the tissue product. Data from the sensor elements are wirelessly transmitted to a server (901) for further handling, such as for instance notification to a janitor in charge of service of the washroom.