Systems and methods for locating a public facility

• US 9,311,790 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2013
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GOJO Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: GOJO Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Wegelin, Jackson W., Kanfer Rolnick, Marcella
• Primary Examiner(s): Khan, Omer S
• Application Number:
  US13/792,036
• Publication Number:
  US 20140197924A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,130 Days
• Field of Search: 340/8.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/22 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

In an exemplary method of locating a public facility, a public facility is provided at a fixed location and includes a facility locating module. A wireless signal is generated from the facility locating module. Software code accessible to the portable electronic device is provided. The software code causes the portable electronic device to detect the wireless signal and to generate a location indicating output from the portable electronic device to identify at least one of a location of the public facility, a distance to the public facility from the portable electronic device, and a direction from the portable electronic device to the public facility.

Claims

1. A method for locating dispenser for dispensing one of a soap and a sanitizer, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of dispensers for dispensing one of a soap and a sanitizer, each at a generally fixed location, with each dispenser including a facility locating module;

providing a central station remote from the dispenser, the central station storing a database identifying the plurality of dispensers and a location of each of the plurality of dispensers;

transmitting a wireless signal from one of the plurality of facility locating modules to the central station to update information in the database with regard to at least one of the location of the corresponding dispenser and a status of the corresponding dispenser; and

providing software code accessible to a portable electronic device, the software code causing the portable electronic device to access the database and use the information in the database in combination with a location of the portable electronic device determined by the portable electronic device, without communication with the plurality of facility locating modules, to generate a location indicating output corresponding to a location of a nearest one of the plurality of dispensers relative to a location of the electronic device, to identify the estimated location of the nearest one of the plurality dispensers, a distance to the estimated location of the nearest one of the plurality dispensers from the portable electronic device, and a direction from the portable electronic device to the estimated location of the nearest one of the plurality of dispensers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless signal comprises at least one of a Bluetooth signal, an RFD signal, and a wireless local area network (WLAN) signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the output identifying the distance to the dispenser from the portable electronic device comprises an audible signal for which at least one of volume, pitch, and frequency varies in proportion to the received signal strength indication.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the output identifying the distance to the dispenser from the portable electronic device comprises a visual signal for which at least one of size, intensity, color, and frequency varies in proportion to the received signal strength indication.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless signal further includes information relating to at least one of a description of the dispenser, and a condition of the dispenser.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable electronic device comprises at least one of a cell phone, a smart phone, a tablet computer, and a laptop computer.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising downloading an application to the portable electronic device, the application being programmed to generate the location indicating output.