Time-of-Flight Hand Dispenser Sensing in Infrared-Prone Settings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing touchless dispensers for hand cleaning fluids and waste bins face issues with infrared and capacitive sensors, which are often inoperative due to environmental factors and lack the ability to provide comprehensive feedback for control and management, such as determining the level of consumables or waste bin fullness.
Innovation Solution
Implementing precise distance measuring sensors, like time of flight sensors, to accurately measure distances and control the dispensing of products and waste bin levels, allowing for efficient operation and management of appliances by determining the presence of objects and gestures, and estimating the remaining quantity of consumables or waste.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If infrared sensors are used for touchless dispensing, then the dispenser can be activated without contact, but the sensors are often rendered inoperative due to infrared radiation in the environment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the operating parameters of the sensor system by using time-of-flight measurement with modulated light sources and synchronized detection. This approach uses temporal modulation and correlation techniques to distinguish intended activation gestures from environmental infrared radiation, thereby maintaining touchless operation while improving reliability in infrared-prone environments.
2Ease of operation
If capacitive sensors are used for touchless dispensing, then the dispenser can detect hand presence, but the sensors have difficulty measuring changes in capacitive fields depending on environmental conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces capacitive sensing with optical time-of-flight sensing. Instead of measuring changes in capacitive fields that are sensitive to environmental conditions, the system uses optical pulses and measures the time for light to travel to and from the target object. This substitution provides more reliable and consistent measurements that are not affected by the same environmental factors that plague capacitive sensors.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple sensors are used to control different features, then the dispenser can sense various hand gestures, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the time-of-flight sensor system multi-functional by configuring it to detect multiple types of gestures and conditions using the same hardware platform. By adjusting detection thresholds, measurement ranges, and processing logic, the single sensor system can differentiate between various hand gestures, distances, and movement patterns to control different dispenser features, thereby achieving versatility without proportionally increasing hardware complexity.
4Device complexity
If sensors provide only single condition information, then the sensor system is simple, but other useful information for control and management is not provided
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements comprehensive feedback by having the time-of-flight sensor continuously measure distance to the target object and feed this information back to the controller. The controller processes this distance data to determine not only basic presence but also gesture type, hand movement trajectory, and timing patterns. This rich feedback loop enables sophisticated control and management functions while maintaining relatively simple sensor hardware.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances the reliability and efficiency of touchless dispensers by accurately triggering product dispensing and waste bin management, reducing power consumption, and providing real-time data for maintenance optimization.
Implementation Method 1
a time of flight sensor to determine a distance of a hand of a user below an outlet of the dispenser from which the dispenser when activated dispenses the fluid
Data Source
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AI summary
A hand cleaning fluid dispenser for dispensing fluid onto a user's hand includes a time of flight sensor to determine a distance of a hand of a user below an outlet of the dispenser from which the dispenser when activated dispenses the fluid and a controller to activate the dispenser to dispense the fluid from the outlet when the hand is sensed to be within a predetermined range of distances below the outlet.