Parallel hand hygiene compliance system

• US 10,008,098 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2015
• Issued: 06/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OP hygiene IP Gmbh
• Original Assignee: OP hygiene IP Gmbh
• Inventors: Ophardt, Heiner
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, Brian
• Application Number:
  US14/869,674
• Publication Number:
  US 20160093195A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,001 Days
• Field of Search: 705 1433, 725 27
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10425 the interrogation device being arranged for interrogation of record carriers passing by the interrogation device
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0233 Method of redeeming a frequent usage reward
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/245 Reminder of hygiene compliance policies, e.g. of washing hands
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources

Abstract

In combination a group compliance system for monitoring hand-hygiene compliance of a plurality of persons using a plurality of hand cleaning fluid dispensers in facilities together with a personal compliance system for monitoring hand-hygiene compliance of an individual person of the dispensers within the facilities, however, with the individual person having control as to the extent that any data regarding their identity and hygiene events are disclosed to others.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring the use of a plurality of hand cleaning fluid dispensers in a facility frequented by a number of persons, wherein:

each of the dispensers is located at a location in the facility spaced relative the location of other of the dispensers and, when activated by a person proximate each respective dispenser, each dispenser dispenses a fluid onto the person'"'"'s hand suitably positioned relative the dispenser,

the method comprising;

providing a group compliance system comprising a first computer and a first communications network providing communication between each of the dispensers and the first computer,

on the dispensing of the fluid by each of the dispensers, communicating data from each of the dispensers regarding the dispensing of fluid by each of the dispensers to the first computer via the first communications network;

defining group data to include the data from each of the dispensers regarding the dispensing of fluid by the dispensers communicated to the first computer;

monitoring with the first computer the group data and calculating group compliance data representing the dispensing of fluid by the dispensers based on the group data,

providing a personal compliance system comprising a personal computing device carried by one person, a second computer and a second communication network providing communication between each of the dispensers, the second computer and the personal computing device,

determining when any one of the dispensers is a proximate dispenser by being sufficiently close to the personal computing device that the one person carrying the personal computing device can have fluid from that respective dispenser dispensed onto a hand of the one person,

on the dispensing of the fluid by each of the dispensers while each comprises the proximate dispenser, communicating data from the proximate dispenser regarding the dispensing of fluid by the proximate dispenser wirelessly to the personal computing device, defining personal data to include the data from the proximate dispenser regarding the dispensing of fluid by the proximate dispenser and communicating the personal data to the second computer;

monitoring with the second computer the personal data and calculating personal compliance data representing the dispensing of fluid by the dispensers based on the personal data,

designating as private data the personal data and data derived therefrom including the personal compliance data;

preventing communication from the personal compliance system other than to the one person of the private data unless authorized by the one person,

communicating from the personal compliance system to the one person of the personal compliance data or data derived therefrom to the one person.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

the first computer communicating the group compliance data to the second computer;

the second computer comparing the personal compliance data with the group compliance data and calculating comparison data representative of the such comparing, the comparison data comprising part of the private data;

communicating from the personal compliance system to the one person the comparison data.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 wherein:

the first computer communicating the group compliance data to the personal compliance system; and

the personal compliance system communicating the group compliance data to the one person.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 wherein as authorized by the one person, communicating with the personal compliance system, the personal compliance data or the data derived therefrom to the one person via the personal computing device.

5. The method claimed in claim 1 wherein the first computer monitors the dispensing of fluid by each of the dispensers by all persons including the one person.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first computer monitors the dispensing of fluid by each of the dispensers by a number of persons in a predetermined group of persons which group does not include the one person.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 wherein the first computer monitors the dispensing of the fluid by each of the dispensers by a number of persons in a predetermined group of persons which group include the one person,

having each person in the group carry an identification tag;

determining by cooperation of the identification tag and each of the dispensers when any one identification tag and a respective one of dispensers are sufficiently close that the person carrying the one identification tag can activate the respective one dispenser to dispense the fluid, and

limiting data used in calculation of at least some of the group compliance data to data regarding dispensing of the fluid from the dispensers at a time when the any one identification tag and the respective one of the dispensers are sufficiently close that the person carrying the one identification tag can activate the respective one dispenser to dispense the fluid.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 wherein data linking the identification tag to the one person comprises personal data which is not provided to the first computer except as authorized by the one person.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of determining when any one of the dispensers is a proximate dispenser is carried out by the personal computing device and each dispenser cooperating to provide a proximity system.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 including enabling the one person by use of the personal computing device to permit the personal computing device to communicate to the first computer portions of the private data.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1 including:

providing a rewards system which monitors events including each event by which the personal compliance system communicates the personal data to the one person, and awards rewards to the one person based on the events monitored,

permitting the redemption of the rewards by the one person redeeming the rewards for a value in currency, goods or services; and

monitoring the award of the rewards, redemption of the rewards and a balance of unredeemed rewards and communicating to the one person reward data regarding the rewards including any value in currency, goods or services for which the rewards can be redeemed.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the events further include each event b which the personal compliance system communicates the personal data to the first computer.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1 including protecting the private data from being communicated by the personal compliance system other than as encrypted for decryption by the personal compliance system or as authorized by the one person by the group compliance system.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1 including providing a security system which permits the one person to select different modes of operation of the personal compliance system selected from the group consisting of:

a first mode preventing any communication of the private data from the personal computing device other than to the one person,

a second mode preventing communication of the private data from the personal compliance system other than to the personal computing device,

a third mode preventing communication of the private data from the personal compliance system other than to the one person and preventing communication of the private data that includes identification data identifying the identity of the one person to the group compliance system, and

a fourth mode of preventing communication of the private data from the personal compliance system other than to the one person and the group compliance system.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1 including further designating as the private data all data identifying the one person.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15 including providing the personal computing device with identification data identifying the one person, and wherein the personal data includes the identification data.

17. The method as claimed in claim 1 including providing the personal computing device with identification data identifying the one person, and wherein the personal data includes the identification data.

18. A compliance system in a facility including:

a plurality of hand cleaning fluid dispensers,

each of the dispensers located at a location in the facility spaced relative the location of other of the dispensers,

when activated by a user proximate each respective dispenser, each dispenser dispensing a fluid onto the user'"'"'s hand suitably positioned relative the dispenser,

a group compliance system comprising a first computer and a first communications network providing communication between each of the dispensers and the first computer,

each of the dispensers providing data to the first computer via the first communications network regarding the dispensing of the fluid by each of the dispensers;

the first computer monitoring the data regarding the dispensing of the fluid by each of the dispensers and calculating group compliance data representing the dispensing of the fluid by the dispensers,

a personal compliance system comprising a personal computing device carried by one person,

each of the dispensers providing data to the personal computing device wirelessly representing the dispensing of the fluid by each of the dispensers when each of the dispensers are activated and dispense the fluid onto the hand of the one person;

the personal compliance system monitoring the data regarding the dispensing of the fluid by each of the dispensers by the one person and calculating personal compliance data representing the dispensing of the fluid by the one person,

the first computer providing the group compliance data to the personal computing device wirelessly;

the personal computing device comparing the personal compliance data with the group compliance data and calculating comparison data representative of such comparing,

the personal computing device communicating the comparison data to the one person;

the personal computing device and each dispenser cooperate to provide a proximity system which determines when the personal computing device and a respective dispenser of the dispensers is sufficiently close that the one person carrying the personal computing device can activate the respective dispenser, and

the personal compliance system limiting data used in the calculation of at least some of the personal compliance data to data regarding dispensing from each of the dispensers at a time when the personal computing device and each of the dispensers is sufficiently close that the one person carrying the personal computing device can activate each of the dispensers.

19. The compliance system as claimed in claim 18 wherein the personal compliance system prevents communication from the personal compliance system other than to the one person of all data regarding identification of the one person.

20. A method of monitoring the use of a plurality of hand cleaning fluid dispensers in a facility frequented by a number of persons, wherein:

each of the dispensers is located at a location in the facility spaced relative the location of other of the dispensers and, when activated by a person proximate each respective dispenser, each dispenser dispenses a fluid onto the person'"'"'s hand suitably positioned relative the dispenser,

the method comprising;

providing a group compliance system comprising a first computer and a first communications network providing communication between each of the dispensers and the first computer,

on the dispensing of the fluid by each of the dispensers, communicating data from each of the dispensers regarding the dispensing of fluid by each of the dispensers to the first computer via the first communications network;

defining group data to include the data from each of the dispensers regarding the dispensing of fluid by the dispensers communicated to the first computer;

monitoring with the first computer the group data and calculating group compliance data representing the dispensing of fluid by the dispensers based on the group data,

providing a personal compliance system comprising a personal computing device carried by one person, a second computer and a second communication network providing communication between each of the dispensers, the second computer and the personal computing device,

providing the personal compliance system with identification data uniquely identifying the one person;

determining when any one of the dispensers is a proximate dispenser by being sufficiently close to the personal computing device that the one person carrying the personal computing device can have fluid from that respective dispenser dispensed onto a hand of the one person,

on the dispensing of the fluid by each of the dispensers while each comprises the proximate dispenser, communicating data from the proximate dispenser regarding the dispensing of fluid by the proximate dispenser wirelessly to the personal computing device,

defining personal data to include the identification data and the data from the proximate dispenser regarding the dispensing of fluid by the proximate dispenser,

communicating the personal data to the second computer;

monitoring with the second computer the personal data and calculating personal compliance data representing the dispensing of fluid by the dispensers based on the personal data,

designating as private data all data regarding the identification data of the one person including the personal data and data derived therefrom including the personal compliance data;

preventing communication from the personal compliance system other than to the one person of the private data unless authorized by the one person,

communicating from the personal compliance system to the one person of the personal compliance data or the data derived therefrom to the one person.