Systems, devices, and methods for detecting spills

• US 10,215,658 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2017
• Issued: 02/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Lewis, Steven Jackson, Biermann, Matthew Dwain, Charles, Kevin Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US15/730,161
• Publication Number:
  US 20180100780A1
• Time in Patent Office: 503 Days
• Field of Search: 340605, 340604, 340602, 340539, 3405721, 3405736, 340590-593, 340601, 340607, 34082549, 340 1462- 1469
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/00 Investigating fluid-tightness of structures
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/16 using electric detection means G01M3/045, G01M3/06, G01M3/12, G01M3/20, G01M3/24, G01M3/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/048 for determining moisture content of the material
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/12 of a solid body in dependence upon absorption of a fluid; of a solid body in dependence upon reaction with a fluid , for detecting components in the fluid
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/12 responsive to undesired emission of substances, e.g. pollution alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/20 responsive to moisture

Abstract

A technique for detecting spills is disclosed. A number of electrodes within a portion of a surface are connected to a resistance meter. The resistance meter detects a spill by measuring a change in resistance between two or more electrodes when a fluid is spilled over the two or more of the electrodes. The location of the spill can also be determined based on a known location for each of the electrodes. The size of the spill can further be determined based on a number of electrodes which measured a change in resistance due to the spilled fluid.

Claims

1. A system for detecting spills comprising:

a plurality of electrodes disposed within a portion of a surface;

a resistance meter in communication with the plurality of rows of electrodes; and

a spill detection module executed by a processor in a processing device and in communication with a database, the spill detection module configured to;

detect a spill based on a change in a resistance value between at least two electrodes among the plurality of electrodes, the change detected by the resistance meter;

determine a location of the spill based on a known location of each of the plurality of electrodes;

determine a size of the spill based on a number of the at least two electrodes for which a change in resistance value is detected;

retrieve known resistance values from the database corresponding to a plurality of substances;

compare the resistance value detected between the at least two of the plurality of electrodes against the retrieved resistance values corresponding to the plurality of substances; and

identify a type of fluid spilled based on a comparison of the resistance value detected between the at least two of the plurality of electrodes and the retrieved resistance values corresponding to the plurality of substances.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of electrodes are arranged in alternating rows of electrodes.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising an electrode movement module executed by the processor, the electrode movement module configured to:

raise at least one of the electrodes, in response to detecting the spill, such that at least a portion of the at least one electrode protrudes above the surface within which the plurality of electrodes are disposed.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a spill drain module executed by the processor, the spill drain module configured to:

lower at least one of the plurality of electrodes within a passageway in the surface, in response to detecting the spill, such that a fluid spilled can drain through the passageway in the surface.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of lighting elements disposed within the surface; and

an illumination module executed by the processor and configured to illuminate lighting elements to reflect the determined location of the spill.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a notification module executed by the processor, the notification module configured to:

generate a task requesting that the fluid spilled be cleaned.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein a priority of the task is determined based on at least one of an identity of the fluid spilled and the size of the spill.

8. A method for detecting spills comprising:

monitoring, using a resistance meter, a plurality of electrodes disposed within a portion of a surface;

detecting a spill, using a spill detection module executed by a processor in a processing device and in communication with a database, based on a change in a resistance value between at least two electrodes among the plurality of electrodes, the change detected by the resistance meter;

determining a location of the spill based on a known location of each of the plurality of electrodes; and

determining a size of the spill based on a number of the at least two electrodes for which a change in resistance value is detected;

retrieving known resistance values from the database corresponding to a plurality of substances;

comparing the resistance value detected between the at least two of the plurality of electrodes against the retrieved resistance values corresponding to the plurality of substances; and

identifying a type of fluid spilled based on a comparison of the resistance value detected between the at least two of the plurality of electrodes and the retrieved resistance values corresponding to the plurality of substances.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

raising at least one of the plurality of electrodes in response to detecting the spill, using an electrode movement module executed by the processor, such that at least a portion of the at least one electrode protrudes above the surface within which the plurality of electrodes are disposed.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

lowering at least one of the electrodes within a passageway in the surface in response to detecting the spill, using a spill drain module executed by the processor, such that a fluid spilled can drain through the passageway in the surface.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

illuminating one or more lighting elements disposed within the surface to reflect the determined location of the spill, using an illumination module executed by the processor, in response to detecting the spill.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

generating a task, using a notification module executed by the processor, requesting that a fluid spilled be cleaned.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein a priority of the task is determined based on an identity of the fluid spilled.

14. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing instructions for detecting spills executable by a processing device, wherein execution of the instructions causes the processing device to:

monitor a plurality of electrodes disposed within a portion of a surface;

detect a spill based on a change in resistance value between at least two electrodes among the plurality of electrodes, the change detected by the resistance meter;

determine a location of the spill based on a known location of each of the plurality of electrodes;

determine a size of the spill based on a number of the at least two electrodes for which a change in resistance value is detected;

retrieve known resistance values from a database, corresponding to a plurality of substances;

compare the resistance value detected between the at least two of the plurality of electrodes against the retrieved resistance values corresponding to the plurality of substances; and

identify a type of fluid spilled based on a comparison of the resistance value detected between the at least two of the plurality of electrodes and the retrieved resistance values corresponding to the plurality of substances.

15. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 14, wherein execution of the instructions further causes the processing device to:

execute an electrode movement module to raise at least one of the electrodes in response to detecting the spill such that at least a portion of the at least one electrode protrudes above the surface within which the plurality of electrodes are disposed.

16. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 14, wherein execution of the instructions further causes the processing device to:

execute an illumination module in response to detecting the spill to illuminate one or more lighting elements disposed within the surface to reflect the determined location of the spill.

17. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 14, wherein execution of the instructions further causes the processing device to:

execute a notification module to generate a task requesting that the fluid spilled be cleaned, wherein a priority of the task is determined based on an identity of the fluid spilled.

18. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 14, wherein execution of the instructions further causes the processing device to:

lower at least one of the plurality of electrodes within a passageway in the surface in response to detecting the spill, using a spill drain module executed by the processor, such that a fluid spilled can drain through the passageway in the surface.