Highly responsive fill level sensor for sanitary consumables

Abstract

A sensor device for detecting a fill state of a reservoir of hygiene consumables, comprising: a set of sensors arranged along a depletion direction of the reservoir, each sensor configured to detect a presence of a hygiene consumable in a respective proximity thereof; and a processing section coupled to the set of sensors for obtaining a presence detection from each sensor of the set of sensors, where the sensor device is configured to provide a varying acquisition density, and where the acquisition density increases in the depletion direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the detection of fill levels in reservoirs for hygiene consumables (such as soap, disinfectant, tissue paper, towels, and the like). In particular, this invention relates to the responsiveness of level sensors for hygiene consumables in hygiene devices (such as dispensers for these consumables). Background Technology

[0002] The benefits of proper hygiene, especially forms of hand hygiene, are widely recognized. It is common practice that restrooms in public or commercial facilities (such as public buildings, offices, restaurants, airports, hospitals, shopping malls, etc.) are equipped with dispensers for various hygiene consumables, such as paper towels, liquid soap, disinfectants, tissues, toilet paper, or sanitary napkins.

[0003] These consumables are typically stored in dispensers, which can be fixedly positioned in a suitable location within the washroom or other designated areas. Dispensers may take the form, for example, holders for tissues or tampons, holders for toilet paper, holders for diapers, or containers for liquid soap, disinfectants, or other consumables. Furthermore, used items, such as towels or tampons, can still be considered hygiene consumables, and the appropriate equipment for receiving such used consumables may be a trash can or other container for receiving and holding them.

[0004] In the above context, it is generally desirable to know the fill level of sanitary equipment (such as dispensers or bins). Knowing the fill status is typically necessary to initiate and schedule refilling of the dispenser, emptying of bins or other containers, or other service activities. For this purpose, it is known to provide level sensors for said sanitary equipment, configured to measure and report the fill status of the corresponding consumables. Such sensors are typically equipped with sensor devices capable of detecting a measured graph related to the fill status (such as distance, weight, presence, and the like), and some form of recording and / or reporting functionality to provide relevant information to an applicable service entity. For example, the sensor reports the corresponding fill status to a service center, from which refilling or replacement can be initiated.

[0005] However, such sensors are typically battery-powered or employ energy harvesting technologies (such as solar cell units), and the available power may be limited. Meanwhile, the sensor should provide reliable measurement outputs to allow for high-quality management of sanitary facilities. Furthermore, there are applications where the demand for sanitary consumables varies significantly over time; in a sense, there are periods where demand remains relatively low and sanitary facility storage is depleted relatively slowly, and periods where demand surges and storage may be depleted relatively quickly.

[0006] This demand behavior can occur in larger facilities such as train stations, airports, cultural or sports venues, and the like. For example, without a game or other event, the sanitation facilities installed in a stadium may be used relatively little. However, during a game, the demand for sanitation facilities surges, and the storage capacity of sanitation facilities can be depleted quickly. To achieve satisfactory Quality of Service (QoS), it may be desirable to be able to respond quickly in such situations by initiating or facilitating rapid refilling.

[0007] Therefore, there is a need for an improved sensor device for detecting the fill status of hygiene consumables, which can be employed in hygiene devices that provide high responsiveness while still consuming low power. In other words, there is a need for a sensor device that can respond quickly to surges in demand while efficiently utilizing the corresponding available power resources. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The problems mentioned are addressed by the subject matter of the independent claims. Further preferred embodiments are defined in the dependent claims.

[0009] According to one aspect of the invention, a sensor device for detecting the fill status of a reservoir of hygiene consumables is provided, the sensor device comprising: a set of sensors arranged along a depletion direction of the reservoir, each sensor configured to detect the presence of hygiene consumables at its respective proximity, and a processing section coupled to the set of sensors for obtaining presence detection from each of the respective sensors in the set of sensors, wherein the sensor device is configured to provide a varying sampling density, and wherein the sampling density increases in the depletion direction.

[0010] According to one aspect of the invention, a sanitary device for dispensing and / or receiving sanitary consumables is provided, including a sensor device according to one of the disclosed embodiments.

[0011] According to a method aspect of the invention, a method for operating a sanitary device, such as a dispenser for sanitary consumables, or a sensor device for detecting the fill status of a reservoir of sanitary consumables according to one of the disclosed embodiments, is provided. Specifically, a method for operating a sensor device for detecting the fill status of a reservoir of sanitary consumables is provided, comprising: the sensor device including a set of sensors arranged along a depletion direction of the reservoir, each sensor configured to detect the presence of sanitary consumables at its respective proximity; the method including the step of providing a varying sampling density, wherein the sampling density increases in the depletion direction. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are presented to provide a better understanding of the inventive concept and should not be construed as limiting the invention. In the drawings: Figure 1A and Figure 1B An overall device embodiment of the sensor apparatus of the present invention for detecting the fill status of a reservoir for hygiene consumables is shown; Figure 2A and Figure 2B The overall operational aspects of a sensor device for detecting the fill status of a storage container for sanitary consumables according to various embodiments of the present invention are shown. Figures 3A to 3F Different types of sanitary devices according to various embodiments of the present invention are shown, wherein the filling status of a reservoir for sanitary consumables is detected; Figure 4A and Figure 4B This illustrates the overall measurement concepts involved in detecting the fill status of a reservoir for sanitary consumables according to various embodiments of the present invention; as well as Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating an embodiment of the overall method of the present invention is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0013] Figure 1A and Figure 1B An overall device embodiment of the sensor apparatus of the present invention for detecting the fill status of a reservoir for hygiene consumables is shown. Although Figure 1A An example of the modularity of this sensor device is shown, but Figure 1B The focus is on functional elements at a more general level. However, in both depictions, reference numerals are used for the same elements. According to various embodiments of the invention, a sensor device 10 is provided for detecting the fill state of a reservoir for hygiene consumables. The sensor device 10 includes a set of sensors 110 arranged along a depletion direction D of the reservoir undergoing fill state monitoring. Generally, the reservoir mentioned can form part of a hygiene facility and maintain a supply of hygiene consumables (e.g., paper towels, soap, etc.). During use, the supply decreases and the reservoir is correspondingly depleted. It is assumed that this occurs along a specific direction indicated by a so-called depletion direction. For example, a stack of paper towels is depleted, and one end of the stack moves along that depletion direction.

[0014] Each sensor 110-i in this set of sensors is configured to detect the presence of hygiene consumables at its corresponding proximity. In this way, the fill status can be deduced from information indicating which sensor(s) in the set "see" the consumables (i.e., detect their presence) and which sensor(s) in the set do not "see" the consumables (i.e., do not detect their presence or detect their absence). For this purpose, the set of sensors is arranged along the depletion direction. Further details regarding the measurement of the presence of consumables are provided elsewhere in this disclosure, and specifically in conjunction with… Figure 4A and Figure 4B supply.

[0015] The sensor device 10 further includes a processing section 120 coupled to the set of sensors 110 for obtaining presence detection from each of the sensors. The sensor device 10 may further include a memory 130 storing data related to the measurement and reporting process, including procedural data for instructing the processing section 120 to perform one or more of the actions and functions described elsewhere in this disclosure. The sensor device 10 may further include a communication section 140 for accessing remotely stored data or information and / or forwarding any reports regarding any measured or determined graph to a network 160, such as the “cloud” or the Internet. The sensor device 10 may further include a battery or other power source 150, in the form of a battery cell, rechargeable battery, supercapacitor, energy harvesting device, solar cell or photovoltaic cell, e / m wave receiver, and the like. The sensor device 10 may further include a housing 100, in which an elongated housing rod 101 can accommodate the set of sensors 110.

[0016] In general, the processing section can provide processing resources for implementing some or all of the functions locally (i.e., at the location of the sensor device) or, in the sense that the processing for implementing any function is provided by a remote data center. In this latter case, data communication may be involved between the location of the sensor device and the network, for example via the already mentioned communication section 140. However, since the sensor is attached to the location of the consumable, the processing section can at least provide the driving and readout of the sensor, such as voltage and / or current supply, analog-to-digital conversion, and / or receiving digital data from the sensor via local protocols (e.g., I2C, SPI, 1Wire, and the like).

[0017] According to various embodiments of the invention, the sensor device 10 is configured to provide a varying acquisition density, wherein the acquisition density increases in the depletion direction D. Generally, the varying acquisition density includes changing the acquisition of measurement results from the set of sensors 110 from at least a first scheme of relatively coarse measurement resolution to at least a second scheme of relatively fine measurement resolution. Resolution can be in terms of measurement time (multiple times), period (multiple periods), accuracy, location, resolution, and fidelity. For example, obtaining measurement results more frequently from sensors and / or from sensors closer together respectively provides a higher acquisition density compared to measurements that occur less frequently and from sensors positioned less closely together.

[0018] Figure 2A This illustration shows corresponding operational aspects of devices and sensor apparatuses for detecting the fill status of a sanitary consumable's reservoir according to various embodiments of the present invention. As shown, sensor apparatus 10 is employed in a sanitary device, here illustrated as an example in the form of a dispenser 1. The exemplary dispenser 1 provides a reservoir 200 for a supply 20 of sanitary consumable 20 in the form of tissue paper 2, which a user can remove from the dispenser 1 from its bottom side 19. Figures 3A to 3F Other examples of related hygiene equipment are shown and described. In the illustrated form, when the user removes the tissue 2, the supply 20 moves downward, and the reservoir 200 is correspondingly depleted along the depletion direction D. Already combined Figure 1A and Figure 1B The general applicable components of the sensor device 10 are described.

[0019] According to this embodiment, the processing section 120 is configured to provide a varying sampling density by changing the sampling interval used to obtain presence detection from the various sensors. Specifically, one or more sensors in the sensor group 110 are addressed to obtain detection results. In the example shown, when the supply 20 has moved downwards in the depletion direction, reading the presence of hygiene consumables from sensors 110-1 and 110-2 will not indicate this. Figure 4A and Figure 4B Further details of this detection are provided. Sensors 110-1, 110-2, and the remaining sensors in sensor group 110 can be provided at approximately equal distances from each other along the depletion direction D. As the supply 20 is depleted, more and more sensors 110-i will provide detection results indicating the absence of sanitary consumables at their respective proximity. The fill state can be envisioned and calculated from the location of one or more sensors that produce the presence / absence, or from the fraction of the number of sensors that produce the presence to the number of sensors that do not produce the presence. For example, in the example shown, four sensors would not produce a presence that roughly corresponds to a fill state of less than 50%.

[0020] In general, the operating scheme can be considered to obtain information about the fill status of the memory by addressing at least one of the group of sensors and obtaining presence detection from the addressed sensor. Furthermore, the processing unit can follow a specific sequence of addressing each sensor to further reduce power consumption. For example, the processing unit can be configured to obtain initial information indicating an independent sensor to be used as the starting sensor; address the sensor indicated by the initial information and obtain a first presence detection result from the addressed sensor; if the first presence detection result indicates the absence of a hygiene consumable, address subsequent sensors arranged downstream of the previously addressed sensor in the depletion direction and obtain subsequent presence detection results from the addressed sensor; if the subsequent presence detection result indicates the presence of a hygiene consumable, store the information indicating the addressed subsequent sensor as initial information.

[0021] In this embodiment, the processing unit 120 is configured to change the acquisition interval for obtaining presence detection from the respective sensors in the sense that the time interval between two consecutive measurement cycles changes. For example, the processing unit 120 may be configured to periodically acquire presence detection from the relevant sensors over a first time period. If this time period is reduced, the sensor device will acquire and obtain presence detection more frequently and in a more accurate manner because the measurement provides higher temporal resolution. This is in Figure 2A The time series shown in the diagram is illustrated as measurement points M1, M2, and M3, with corresponding time intervals Ti between the measurements. The processing section 120 can generally be configured to change the acquisition interval length T to alter the acquisition density.

[0022] In one embodiment, processing section 120 may be configured to obtain information about the fill state F of the storage device 200, determine whether the fill state F has decreased, and if so, reduce the sampling interval T. For example, the fill state F of the storage device may be well above 50% for some time, including measurement points M1 to M3. The sanitary device may then experience increased use, i.e., a surge in demand for sanitary consumables supplied by dispenser 1. As the supply is depleted, the fill state F will increase. For example, processing section 120 may be configured to determine whether the fill state F has decreased by determining that the fill state F has dropped below a predetermined threshold of x%. In this case, processing section 120 may be configured to reduce the sampling interval T to Tf.

[0023] It should be noted that one or more additional intermediate acquisition intervals, located between Ti and Tf in terms of duration, can also be applied. In this way, a gradual variation in acquisition density can be achieved. Furthermore, the acquisition density can also be reduced after it has been increased in the depletion direction. For example, it can be determined that the memory is empty and this has been reported, making it potentially unnecessary to maintain a high level of responsiveness. Therefore, once a certain depletion level has been reached, embodiments can provide a further reduction in acquisition density, for example, by increasing the acquisition interval back to a default value that at least allows for reliable and sufficiently rapid determination that refilling has occurred.

[0024] As a result, as memory usage decreases, the sensor device has increased its sampling density. This results in increased responsiveness because the sensor device can detect and report fill status more quickly, and therefore can initiate refilling or any other service actions without delay. However, power consumption is also considered in the sensor device design, as intervals may be longer when supply is still sufficiently full and / or demand is sufficiently low, leading to fewer sampling cycles and lower power consumption.

[0025] In yet another embodiment, processing section 120 can be configured to use a sampling interval of greater than 30 minutes, preferably greater than 10 minutes, if the information regarding the fill status indicates that the memory is more than 50% full, and to use a sampling interval of less than 10 minutes if the information regarding the fill status indicates that the memory is less than 50% full. In the example shown, Ti would be set accordingly, for example, to 30 or 10 minutes, resulting in 48 readings per day. This can be sufficient whenever supply is high or demand is low. Naturally, this can also be applied to situations where demand is high but supply is high enough that refilling is no longer necessary. Furthermore, low supply is also tolerable when supply is low.

[0026] However, the acquisition interval can be reduced to 1 minute to allow for a more rapid response when demand has been picked up and / or supply becomes low. In this way, it also provides an advantageous solution for larger landscape applications such as airports or stadiums, allowing the sensor devices to consume very little power when the location is less busy (e.g., at night or when there is no competition), and to “switch” to higher responsiveness when supply is depleted due to usage pickup, for example, after an aircraft has landed and passengers have disembarked or visitors have used the restrooms during a half-hour break. In any way, the provided embodiments can allow for rapid response in high-demand situations because refilling or other service routines can be quickly initiated.

[0027] Figure 2BThe diagram illustrates corresponding operational aspects of devices and sensor arrangements for detecting the fill status of a sanitary consumable's reservoir according to various embodiments of the invention. Specifically, this can be an example of providing a general case of varying sampling density by at least partially altering the distance between two adjacent sensors. As shown by example, sensor arrangement 10 includes a set of sensors 110-1, 110-2, ..., 110-6, 110-7. In this embodiment, sensors 110-i are again arranged along a depletion direction D, which encompasses a depletion range that begins at a full position F and ends at an empty position E. However, sensors 110-i are arranged with a smaller distance dE between each other towards the end point E of the depletion direction D, compared to the distance dF between them towards the starting points F. Overall, it can be assumed that the reservoir is depleted along the depletion direction D from the starting point F to the end point E.

[0028] Furthermore, compared to at least one distance dF between two adjacent sensors 110-1, 110-2 that is relatively large at the starting point F towards the depletion direction D, at least one distance dE between two adjacent sensors 110-6, 110-7 that is relatively small at the ending point E towards the depletion direction D can be relatively small. In this way, as the reservoir depletes, the measurement becomes more refined or has higher resolution. In this way, relatively coarse measurements (and the mapping between sensors and filling states) are acceptable when the need for refilling is unlikely, as the reservoir is still relatively full, while accuracy increases once the need for refilling becomes more likely. More specifically, in this embodiment, a relatively small distance between two adjacent sensors can correspond to less than 20% of the reservoir's filling capacity, preferably less than 10%, and a relatively large distance between two adjacent sensors can correspond to more than 20% of the filling capacity, preferably more than 10%. However, in general, the distance between sensors can also vary for other segments in the depletion direction, for example, except for segments towards the starting and / or ending points of the depletion direction.

[0029] Figures 3A to 3F Different types of sanitary devices according to various embodiments of the present invention are shown, wherein the filling status of a reservoir for sanitary consumables is detected. Figure 3A A schematic diagram of a dispenser 1-1 arranged to dispense hygiene consumables in liquid form is shown. For example, this could be a soap dispenser or a dispenser for disinfectants such as alcohol or alcohol gels. Primarily for this type of dispenser, the depletion direction D will be from top to bottom, as the supply of consumables will accumulate towards the bottom. The measured pattern can be correlated with the top surface of the supply and the maximum height of the reservoir. A sensor device 10, as described in a corresponding embodiment of this disclosure, can be arranged as shown.

[0030] Figure 3BA schematic diagram of a dispenser 1-2 is shown, which is arranged to dispense hygiene consumables, such as tissues or paper towels 2. The dispenser 1-2 has a reservoir 200 containing a given supply 20 of the hygiene consumables, which in this exemplary case is a stack of paper towels 2. A user can remove a paper towel from an opening on the bottom side 19 of the dispenser 1-2, which will cause the reservoir 200 to gradually deplete in a depletion region D as the supply 20 decreases. The sensor device 10, as described in a corresponding embodiment of this disclosure, can be arranged as shown.

[0031] Figure 3C A schematic diagram of similar dispensers 1-3 is shown, which are arranged to dispense hygiene consumables such as tissues or paper towels. Except that the exhaustion direction D can be from bottom to top, the dispensers shown can be similar in principle to a combination dispenser. Figure 3B As shown, there is a tissue dispenser that pushes the tissue supply upwards, allowing the user to pull out one or more tissues / tissues from the top. When the consumable is dispensed, a mechanical spring action may be involved to push the tissue supply upwards. This configuration provides an opportunity to measure the distance between the sensor location and the location of a well-defined element, such as a support that pushes the consumable supply upwards. In this way, the sensor (e.g., TOF or light reflection / absorption) can be so much more independent of the consumable because the measurement does not depend on the optical or other physical properties of the consumable. The sensor device 10 described in the corresponding embodiment of this disclosure can be arranged as shown.

[0032] Figure 3D A schematic diagram of a dispenser 1-4 is shown, which is arranged to dispense hygiene consumables, such as tissues or paper towels 2'. In this case, the consumable is an unlimited supply of paper towels 2', which may have perforations between the individual paper towels to be dispensed. That is, the user can pull the supply from the bottom side 19 of the dispenser 1-4, where the supply is guided upwards and then downwards again over one or more rollers 18 (see partial cutouts at the front of the dispenser and the downward movement of the supply). The dispenser 1-4 again has a reservoir 200 with a given supply 20' of hygiene consumables, which in this exemplary case is an unlimited series of paper towels 2'. Removing a paper towel from the opening on the bottom side 19 of the dispenser 1-4 will cause the reservoir 200 to gradually deplete in the depletion region D as the supply 20' decreases. Note that in this respect, the behavior is similar to that of a combination. Figure 3BDispensers 1-2 are described, although the consumable will move upwards first and then downwards. Specifically, sensor device 10, as described in the corresponding embodiments of this disclosure, can be arranged in dispensers 1-4 and will operate as in the case of dispensers 1-2. For this purpose, it can be assumed that the paper 2' moves upwards and downwards relatively close to the front and rear dispenser housing walls, while the sensor 10 is generally arranged therebetween.

[0033] Figure 3E A schematic diagram of dispensers 1-5 is shown, which are arranged to dispense hygiene consumables in the form of rolls, such as toilet paper. In this type, the diameter of the roll can serve as the end or limit of the supply, and for any distance measurement, the sensor position can again be a fixed point. It should be noted that this concept can be applied to two types of roll dispensers: rolls supplied from the outside (drainage direction D, considering the distance between the outer roll diameter and the sensor position) and rolls supplied from the inside (drainage direction D', considering the distance between the inner roll diameter and the sensor position). The sensor device 10, as described in the corresponding embodiment of this disclosure, can be arranged as shown.

[0034] Figure 3F A schematic diagram of a sanitary device in the form of trash cans 1-6 is shown, which are arranged to receive used sanitary consumables in the form of towels, tissues, and the like. In this type, the reservoir is for used consumables, and the fill level will increase over time, rather than decreasing as in the case of sanitary device types previously discussed. A full reservoir then indicates the need to empty the container or replace the full liner with a new one. However, the general concept of the invention naturally applies accordingly. In particular, any considerations related to the fill level and the direction of depletion are taken into account, since the reservoir is considered to have a free capacity to receive consumables for further use. Thus, during the use of this type of sanitary device, the reservoir will also deplete along the depletion direction, as, for example, the reservoir used to hold additional materials will deplete upwards, and as... Figure 3F The depletion direction D is shown in the diagram, while the box is in use. The sensor device 10, as described in the corresponding embodiment of this disclosure, can be arranged as shown.

[0035] Figure 4A and Figure 4B This illustrates the overall measurement concepts involved in detecting the fill status of a reservoir for hygiene consumables according to various embodiments of the present invention. Figure 4AThe image shows a sensor device 11 with a so-called Time-of-Flight (TOF) sensor 111, which is arranged to measure a graph indicating the distance d between the sensor's position L and the limit of the sanitary consumable in the reservoir (in the case shown, the upper end of the supply 20 at S). In principle, the distance d can be located approximately in the depletion direction D. In such an embodiment, the acquisition density can be varied by changing the acquisition interval / frequency of the driving and readout TOF sensor. Furthermore, the acquisition density can be varied by operating the sensor in different modes, including one mode where the sensor provides relatively high accuracy, fidelity, or resolution, and another mode where the sensor provides relatively low accuracy, fidelity, or resolution. Moreover, in the latter mode, the sensor can consume less power compared to the higher-accuracy mode.

[0036] In a Time-of-Flight (TOF) device, the time of flight is related to the time it takes for the probe signal to travel from the sensor to the consumable and back. This will require, at some point in time, that the measured time indication be considered to be longer than the distance of interest, d, and approximately twice that distance. The TOF sensor 111 can include any of the following: an ultrasonic sensor, a radar sensor, a light sensor, a laser sensor, and a focused light sensor. For example, a suitable TOF sensor could be the “VL53L1X” sensor manufactured by STMicroelectronics. This sensor can provide accurate ranging up to 4 m and ranging frequencies up to 50 Hz. Contained in a compact package, this sensor can integrate a so-called single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD), a receiver array, a 940 nm invisible Class 1 laser emitter, a physical infrared filter, and optics to achieve the desired performance under various ambient lighting conditions. Such a sensor allows for absolute distance measurements that are relatively independent of target color and reflectivity.

[0037] exist Figure 4B The image shows a sensor device 12, which includes a set of sensors 121-1, 121-2, ..., 121-n that can be arranged along the depletion direction D of the reservoir 200. In such a configuration, each sensor 122-i is configured to detect the presence of a hygiene consumable in its respective proximity. This can be achieved by means of a capacitive or optical sensor that produces a distinguishable output regarding the presence of a supply of consumables in its vicinity (i.e., in the corresponding vicinity). Generally, the sensors can be any of light barrier sensors, reflective sensors, proximity sensors, and capacitive sensors. For example, a light signal can be (at least partially) reflected by a consumable, while when there is no consumable, the light signal can be absorbed by the reservoir wall A. Similarly, when there is no consumable but it is absorbed by the consumable, the light signal can be reflected by the reservoir wall R.

[0038] In such an embodiment, the acquisition density can be changed by altering the acquisition interval / frequency of the driving and readout correlation sensors 122-i. Furthermore, the acquisition density can be changed by varying the distance between two adjacent correlation sensors 122-i, which has also been incorporated into... Figure 2B The description is provided. Furthermore, the acquisition density can be varied by operating the sensor in different modes, including one mode where the sensor provides relatively high accuracy, fidelity, or resolution, and another mode where the sensor provides relatively low accuracy, fidelity, or resolution. For example, the output power of the probe signal (light, ultrasound, voltage, etc.) can be varied, which can produce less fidelity measurements at potentially lower power consumption compared to higher accuracy measurements at potentially higher power consumption.

[0039] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating an overall method embodiment of the present invention is provided. Various method embodiments are used to operate a sensor device for detecting the fill status of a reservoir of hygiene consumables, as described elsewhere in this disclosure. The sensor device includes a set of sensors arranged along the depletion direction of the reservoir, wherein each sensor is configured to detect the presence of hygiene consumables at its respective proximity. The sensor device further includes a processing section coupled to the set of sensors. In step S100, the processing section may employ at least one of the set of sensors to obtain a presence detection. Overall, the sensor device provides a varying sampling density in the depletion direction in step S200. It should be noted that the operating method includes changing (S200) the sampling density at least once between two consecutive presence detections (S200). For example, the change in step S100 may include changing the sampling interval and addressing any of the different sensors that have varying or different distances from adjacent sensors.

[0040] According to yet another embodiment, a sensor device for detecting the fill status of a reservoir of hygiene consumables is provided. The sensor device includes: a set of sensors arranged along a depletion direction of the reservoir, each sensor configured to detect the presence of hygiene consumables at its respective proximity, and a processing section coupled to the set of sensors for obtaining presence detection from each of the sensors in the set of sensors, wherein at least one distance between two adjacent sensors toward the end of the depletion direction is relatively small compared to at least one relatively large distance between two adjacent sensors toward the starting point of the depletion direction.

[0041] As an alternative or supplement to the above, a sensor device for detecting the fill status of a sanitary consumable reservoir can be provided, the sensor device comprising: a set of sensors arranged along the depletion direction of the reservoir, each sensor configured to detect the presence of sanitary consumables at its respective proximity, and a processing section coupled to the set of sensors for obtaining presence detection from each of the sensors in the set of sensors, wherein the processing section is configured to change the acquisition interval for obtaining presence detection from each sensor, obtain information about the fill status of the reservoir, determine whether the fill status has decreased, and if so, decrease the acquisition interval.

[0042] Although detailed embodiments have been described, these embodiments are only intended to provide a better understanding of the invention as defined by the independent claims and should not be considered limiting.

Claims

1. A sensor device for detecting the fill status of a reservoir for hygiene consumables, comprising: A set of sensors arranged along the depletion direction of the reservoir, each sensor configured to detect the presence of a hygiene consumable at its corresponding proximity, and a processing section coupled to the set of sensors for obtaining presence detection from each sensor in the set of sensors. The sensor device is configured to provide a varying acquisition density, wherein the acquisition density increases in the depletion direction.

2. The sensor device of claim 1, wherein the varying acquisition density is provided by means of at least partially varying distance between two adjacent sensors.

3. The sensor device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the storage is depleted from the start point to the end point of the depletion direction in the depletion direction.

4. The sensor device according to claims 2 and 3, wherein at least one distance between two adjacent sensors toward the end point toward the depletion direction is relatively small compared to at least one relatively large distance between two adjacent sensors toward the starting point toward the depletion direction.

5. The sensor device of claim 4, wherein the relatively small distance between two adjacent sensors corresponds to less than 20% of the fill capacity of the storage, and the relatively large distance between two adjacent sensors corresponds to more than 20% of the fill capacity.

6. The sensor device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the varying acquisition density is provided by means of the processing section configured to change the acquisition interval for obtaining presence detection from the respective sensors.

7. The sensor device of claim 6, wherein the processing section is configured to obtain information about the fill state of the memory, determine whether the fill state has decreased, and if so, decrease the acquisition interval.

8. The sensor device of claim 7, wherein the processing unit is configured to: use an acquisition interval of more than 10 minutes if the information regarding the filling state indicates that the memory is more than 50% full, and use an acquisition interval of less than 10 minutes if the information regarding the filling state indicates that the memory is less than 50% full.

9. The sensor device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the processing section is configured to obtain information about the fill status of the memory by addressing at least one of the group of sensors and by obtaining presence detection from the addressed sensor.

10. The sensor device of claim 9, wherein the processing section is configured to: obtain start information indicating an independent sensor to be used as a start sensor; address the sensor indicated by the start information and obtain a first presence detection result from the addressed sensor; if the first presence detection result indicates the absence of a hygiene consumable, address a subsequent sensor arranged downstream of the previously addressed sensor in the depletion direction and obtain a subsequent presence detection result from the addressed sensor; if the subsequent presence detection result indicates the presence of a hygiene consumable, store information indicating the addressed subsequent sensor as the start information.

11. The sensor device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising a housing, wherein an elongated housing rod accommodates the set of sensors.

12. The sensor device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the sensor is any one of a light barrier sensor, a reflection sensor, a proximity sensor, and a capacitive sensor.

13. A sensor device for detecting the fill status of a reservoir for hygiene consumables, comprising: A set of sensors arranged along the depletion direction of the reservoir, each sensor configured to detect the presence of a hygiene consumable at its corresponding proximity, and a processing section coupled to the set of sensors for obtaining presence detection from each sensor in the set of sensors. Among them, at least one distance between two adjacent sensors towards the end of the depletion direction is relatively small compared to at least one relatively large distance between two adjacent sensors towards the starting point of the depletion direction.

14. A sensor device for detecting the fill status of a reservoir for hygiene consumables, comprising: A set of sensors arranged along the depletion direction of the reservoir, each sensor configured to detect the presence of a hygiene consumable at its corresponding proximity, and a processing section coupled to the set of sensors for obtaining presence detection from each sensor in the set of sensors. The processing section is configured to change the acquisition interval for obtaining presence detection from each sensor, obtain information about the fill state of the memory, determine whether the fill state has decreased, and if so, decrease the acquisition interval.

15. A sanitary device, preferably a dispenser for sanitary consumables, comprising a sensor device according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

16. A method of operating a sensor device for detecting the fill status of a reservoir for hygiene consumables, comprising: The sensor device includes a set of sensors arranged along the depletion direction of the reservoir, each sensor being configured to detect the presence of hygiene consumables at its corresponding proximity, the method including the step of providing a varying collection density, wherein the collection density increases in the depletion direction.

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