Wireless Communication for Hygiene Dispenser Systems

Abstract

A communication system for handwash compliance monitoring, comprises a plurality of handwash monitoring sensors for collecting handwash compliance data at a respective plurality of handwash stations, at least one hub which wirelessly receives handwash compliance data transmitted from said plurality of handwash monitoring stations, a gateway which wirelessly receives handwash compliance data transmitted from the hub, and a wireless cellular telephone link for transmitting the handwash compliance data from the gateway to a central monitoring station.

1 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A communication system for hygiene compliance monitoring comprising:
 a plurality of hygiene monitoring sensors for collecting hygiene compliance data at a respective plurality of hygiene stations; and   a wireless link for transmitting the hygiene compliance data over a cellular telephone network to a central monitoring station, wherein the hygiene compliance data includes dispenser hygiene station activation counts and unique identifiers for each hygiene station.   
     
     
         24 . The communication system according to  claim 23 , wherein the plurality of hygiene monitoring sensors transmit hygiene compliance data to a central hub before transmission over the cellular telephone network. 
     
     
         25 . The communication system according to  claim 23 , wherein the wireless link comprises a gateway which wirelessly receives the hygiene compliance data from a plurality of hygiene monitoring sensors before transmission over the cellular telephone network. 
     
     
         26 . The communication system according to  claim 23 , comprising a plurality of hubs which wirelessly communicate to a gateway before transmission over the cellular network. 
     
     
         27 . The communication system of  claim 23 , further including a remote server and database store at the central monitoring station. 
     
     
         28 . The communication system of  claim 27 , further including an internet connection at the central station to enable internet access to the remote server and database store. 
     
     
         29 . The communication system of  claim 23 , including a plurality of hubs, wherein at least one hub of the plurality can receive hygiene compliance data transmitted from another hub, and retransmit the data. 
     
     
         30 . The communication system of  claim 23 , wherein the wireless link transmits data at a frequency which is one of 433 MHz, 900 MHz or 2.4 GHz. 
     
     
         31 . A method for communicating hygiene compliance data, comprising:
 collecting hygiene compliance data from a plurality of hygiene stations having monitoring sensors; and   transmitting the collected hygiene compliance data wirelessly over a cellular telephone network to a central monitoring station, wherein the hygiene compliance data includes dispenser hygiene station activation counts and unique identifiers for each hygiene station.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , including the step of wirelessly transmitting the hygiene compliance data from the hygiene stations to a central hub, before transmitting the data wirelessly over the cellular network. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 31 , including using a gateway which wirelessly receives the hygiene compliance data from a plurality of hygiene monitoring sensors before transmission over the cellular telephone network. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 31 , including transmitting the data wirelessly over a plurality of hubs to a gateway before transmission over the cellular network. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 31 , including providing a remote server and database store at the central monitoring station. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 31 , including providing an internet connection at the central station to enable internet access to the remote server and database store. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 31 , including providing a plurality of hubs, wherein at least one hub of the plurality receives the hygiene compliance data transmitted from another hub, and retransmits the data. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the step of transmitting is done over a frequency which is one of 433 MHz, 900 MHz or 2.4 GHz. 
     
     
         39 . A method for communicating hygiene compliance data comprising:
 collecting hygiene compliance data from a plurality of hygiene stations having monitoring stations;   said hygiene compliance data including hygiene station activation counts and the hygiene stations unique identifier (address) and transmitting the hygiene compliance data to a central hub or gateway using a wireless link, wherein the data is transmitted at one of 433 MHz, 900 MHz or 2.4 GHz.