Touchless Dispensing via QR Pairing to Reduce Surface Contamination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dispensing devices require users to touch external surfaces, risking contamination and are cumbersome to operate wirelessly.
Innovation Solution
A network-controlled dispensing device that uses a scannable device identifier to establish cloud-based pairing with a mobile device, allowing touchless control through a QR code for selection and initiation of product dispensing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If users touch external surfaces of the dispensing device to make selections and initiate dispensing, then the device is easy to operate, but contamination and germ transmission occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical contact-based control (touching buttons, touchscreens, or dials on the dispensing device) with optical scanning technology. A scannable identifier (such as a QR code or RFID tag) on the device is read by a mobile device's camera or scanner, establishing wireless communication without physical contact. This substitution eliminates the transmission of contaminants while maintaining ease of operation through familiar mobile device interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a scannable identifier as an intermediary between the user and the dispensing device control system. Instead of direct hand-to-device contact, the user's mobile device scans this identifier to establish communication. This intermediary layer enables touchless operation, preventing germ transmission while still allowing users to easily select products and initiate dispensing through their mobile devices.
2Ease of operation
If wireless control using mobile devices is implemented, then touchless operation is achieved, but communication setup is time-consuming and unreliable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-configuring a scannable identifier (such as a QR code containing device identification information) on the dispensing device before use. This pre-established identifier eliminates the need for time-consuming wireless communication setup procedures. When a user wants to operate the device, they simply scan the pre-existing identifier with their mobile device, instantly establishing communication without requiring app downloads, pairing procedures, or network configuration.
3Ease of operation
If a scannable device identifier is used for cloud-based pairing, then touchless control is enabled, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the extraction principle by removing the complex wireless communication setup and pairing logic from the dispensing device itself, placing it instead in the cloud-based server system. The dispensing device only needs to display or present a simple scannable identifier (such as a QR code), which is a relatively simple component. The complex tasks of establishing communication, authenticating the mobile device, and managing product selections are handled by the external server, thereby minimizing the added complexity on the dispensing device while still enabling touchless control.
Data Source
AI summary
A network-controlled dispensing device is provided. The dispensing device may include a display, a scannable device identifier (e.g., QR code, RFID tag, etc.) that uniquely identifies the dispensing device to a scanning device, and a network device to establish communications with a server based, at least in part, on the scannable device identifier. The dispenser includes a controller to control dispensing of a product based on one or more product selections received from the server. The controller generates a dispense code in response to receiving one or more product selections from the server and presents the dispense code on the display. If the code received from the server matches the dispense code, the controller dispenses a product based on the one or more product selections received from the server.