System and methods for soiled garment detection and notification

• US 9,892,615 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2016
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Glasgow, Dane, Sherman, Corinne Elizabeth, Ramadge, David, Carlson, Timothy, Gonzales, Jr., Sergio Pinzon
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Jack K
• Application Number:
  US15/341,115
• Publication Number:
  US 20170053514A1
• Time in Patent Office: 468 Days
• Field of Search: 3405731
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 25/14 Clothing hangers, e.g. suit hangers A47G25/60 takes precedence; wardrobes with extensible garment holders A47B61/02
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 25/1407 with identification means identification in general G09F
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0001 by organoleptic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure involve an apparatus, systems, and methods for soiled garment detection and notification. The method may include receiving a measure of odor being released from a garment from a soiled garment detection apparatus. The method may further include determining that the measure of odor exceeds an acceptable odor threshold. A message may then be sent to a user device associated with the garment (e.g. a device of the owner of the garment) in response to determining that the measure of odor exceeds the threshold. The message may include a notification that the garment is soiled, and a suggested course of action to improve the measure of odor released by the garment.

Claims

1. A system for soiled garment detection and notification, the system comprising:

a controller comprising;

a data repository to store a laundering status for a garment based on a measure of odor being released by the garment;

a receiver configured to receive, from a soiled garment detection apparatus, sensor data comprising a measure of odor being released by a garment; and

one or more processors configured to;

determine that the measure of odor exceeds an acceptable threshold level of odor; and

transmit a message to a user device in response to the measure of odor exceeding the acceptable threshold of odor, the message including a notification related to the measure of odor being released by the garment.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising the soiled garment detection apparatus, the soiled garment detection apparatus including:

an olfactory sensor configured to produce the sensor data that comprises the measure of odor released from the garment;

a transmitter coupled to the olfactory sensor, the transmitter configured to transmit the sensor data to the controller; and

an alert component configured to produce a human-detectable alert.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller further comprises a transmitter to transmit control data to the soiled garment detection apparatus, the control data to cause the alert component to produce the human-detectable alert in response to determining the measure of odor exceeds the acceptable threshold level of odor.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the soiled garment detection apparatus further includes a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader configured to obtain an identifier of the garment from an RFID tag affixed to the garment, the transmitter being further configured to transmit the identifier of the garment to the controller.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the message includes the identifier of the garment.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the data repository further stores laundering information related to a collection of garments, the garment being included in the collection of garments.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising an interface module configured to generate a user interface to display at least a portion of the laundering information stored in the data repository.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine the measure of odor exceeds the acceptable threshold level of odor by comparing the sensor data with a baseline odor level of the garment.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine the measure of odor exceeds the acceptable threshold level of odor by performing operations including:

establishing an olfactory profile for the garment, the olfactory profile including information regarding a concentration of particles normally released by the garment; and

comparing the sensor data to information in the olfactory profile.

10. A method comprising:

receiving, from a soiled garment detection apparatus, sensor data comprising a measure of odor being released by a garment;

storing a record of a laundering status of the garment in a local data repository, the laundering status being based on the measure of odor being released by the garment;

determining, by a hardware processor, that the measure of odor exceeds an acceptable threshold level of odor; and

in response the measure of odor exceeding the acceptable threshold level of odor, transmitting a message to a user device, the message including a notification related to the measure of odor being released by the garment.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting control data to the soiled garment detection apparatus in response to determining the measure of odor exceeds the acceptable threshold level of odor, the control data causing the soiled garment detection apparatus to provide a human-detectable alert.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising generating an item recommendation based on the measure of odor released by the garment, the item recommendation including an item likely to improve the measure of odor normally released by the garment, the item recommendation being included in the message transmitted to the user device.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the local data repository includes laundering information related to a plurality of garments, the garment being included in the collection of garments; and

causing presentation of a user interface including a portion of laundering information stored in the local data repository.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving, from the soiled garment detection apparatus, an identifier of the garment, the identifier of the garment being included in the message.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising establishing an olfactory profile specific to the garment, the olfactory profile including information regarding a concentration of particles released by the garment.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the determining the measure of odor exceeds the acceptable threshold level of odor is based on a comparison of the sensor data with information in the olfactory profile.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the determining that the measure of odor exceeds the acceptable threshold level of odor comprises:

storing initial sensor data to establish a baseline odor level for the garment, the initial sensor data being received from the soiled garment detection apparatus when the garment is freshly laundered;

comparing the sensor data with the baseline odor level; and

determining that the sensor data exceeds the baseline odor level by at least a predetermined percentage.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the message further includes a suggested course of action to improve the measure of odor being released by the garment.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the suggested course of action is a reminder to launder the garment.

20. A hardware storage device embodying instructions that, when executed by at least on processor of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving sensor data comprising a measure of odor being released by a garment;

determining that the measure of odor exceeds an acceptable threshold level of odor; and

in response to the measure of odor exceeding the acceptable threshold level of odor, transmitting, to a user device, a message including a notification related to the measure of odor being released by the garment and a suggested course of action to improve the measure of odor being released by the garment.