Entertaining or advertising hygiene apparatus

• US 7,952,484 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2010
• Issued: 05/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Healthmark LLC
• Original Assignee: Hygiene Screen LLC
• Inventors: Lynn, John M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg; George A
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCNALLY, KERRI L
• Application Number:
  US12/836,278
• Publication Number:
  US 20100282773A1
• Time in Patent Office: 321 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/1217 Electrical control means for the dispensing mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/245 Reminder of hygiene compliance policies, e.g. of washing hands
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0076 Body hygiene; Dressing; Knot tying

Abstract

A method and apparatus are disclosed which involve an improved way to coerce use of a soap dispenser (or other hygiene device). A soap dispenser according to at least one embodiment, includes a teaching or entertaining device that is fun and informative that is triggered when the soap dispenser is utilized. The soap dispenser may also be utilized as an advertising tool.

Claims

1. A hand hygiene apparatus intended to be used by multiple different persons that provides entertainment during use, comprising:

a hand sanitizing apparatus;

an identification device interfaced with the hand sanitizing apparatus, the identification device operable to identify an individual user of the hand sanitizing apparatus; and

an information sharing device interfaced with the hand sanitizing apparatus, the information sharing device operable to communicate a large variety of information selected by the identified user of the hand sanitizing apparatus in order to encourage more frequent use of the hand sanitizing apparatus.

2. The hand hygiene apparatus of claim 1 wherein the information informs the user of a minimum time period for use of the hand sanitizing apparatus.

3. The hand hygiene apparatus of claim 1 further comprising memory associated with the information sharing device, the memory operable to store the information communicated to the user.

4. The hand hygiene apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a remote computer interfaced with the information sharing device, the remote computer operable to store the information communicated to the user.

5. The hand hygiene apparatus of claim 4 wherein the remote computer communicates with the information sharing device over the Internet.

6. The hand hygiene apparatus of claim 5 wherein the information sharing device allows the user to select the information from a plurality of web sites.

7. The hand hygiene apparatus of claim 1 wherein the information comprises a plurality of packets including digital information.

8. The hand hygiene apparatus of claim 1 wherein the identification device comprises a radio frequency identification device (RFID).

9. The hand hygiene apparatus of claim 1 wherein the identification device comprises a voice recognition device or other biometric device.

10. The hand hygiene apparatus of claim 1 wherein the information shared with the user is trivia.

11. The hand hygiene apparatus of claim 4 wherein the computer keeps records of hand washing frequency.

12. The hand hygiene apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least some portion of the information is advertising information not necessarily chosen by the user.

13. A method for entertaining a user of a hand sanitizing apparatus intended to be used by multiple persons, comprising:

providing an information sharing device operable to be interfaced with the hand sanitizing apparatus;

identifying an individual user of the hand sanitizing apparatus using an identification device interfaced with the hand sanitizing apparatus;

receiving an activation signal at the information sharing device when the hand sanitizing apparatus is used; and

communicating from the information sharing device to the identified user after receipt of the activation signal a large variety of information selected by the user in order to encourage more frequent use of the hand sanitizing apparatus.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising informing the user of a minimum time period for use of the hand sanitizing apparatus based on the activation signal.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the information sharing device is operable to interface with the Internet to communicate information to the user.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising updating the information communicated to the user by using a news reader program.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the identification device comprises a radio frequency identification device (RFID).

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the identification device comprises a voice recognition device or other biometric device.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the information comprises an advertising message.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the advertising is targeted to the user.