WO2023181018A1

WO2023181018A1 - Autonomous system for supplying refill bags and products

Info

Publication number: WO2023181018A1
Application number: PCT/IL2023/050217
Authority: WO
Inventors: Barak Tzadok; Assaf BAR
Original assignee: Barak Tzadok; Bar Assaf
Priority date: 2022-03-20
Filing date: 2023-03-03
Publication date: 2023-09-28

Abstract

An autonomous system for supplying refill bags and products that includes a plurality of containers to receive and contain refill bags and packages of products, a remote computer for managing the system, and a smartphone application for user management. Each container has a sensor for detecting when the specific refill bag or the specific package of product is about to be empty or need a service. Each container includes a communication unit for transmitting to the computer through communication station information when the specific refill bags or product is about to be empty and additional information and includes a unique ID that is linked and associated in the computer to the specific refill bag or the specific product that is inside of. The computer processes and issue orders for supplying the specific refill bags and specific products. The smartphone application enables the control the autonomous ordering.

Description

Autonomous system for supplying refill bags and products

Description TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention refers to an autonomous system for supplying refill bags and products.

BACKGROUND ART

Every home has plastic containers for bath soap, shampoo, oil, milk, and a variety of products such as for example sugar, coffee and creams. Empty containers are an ecological as well as an economic burden, as it is expensive to produce them, store them and transport them and to handle the plastic waste. The present invention provides an effective solution to this problem. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The intention of the drawing attached to the application is not to limit the scope of the invention and its application. The drawing is intended only to illustrate the invention and it constitutes only one of its many possible implementations.

FIG. 1 schematically depicts the system and its parts. THE INVENTION

The main objective of the present invention is to provide an autonomous system (10) for supplying refill bags of products and products. The system includes plurality of containers (1) that are designed to receive and contain a refill bag (2) or a package of a product (6), a central computer (3) for managing the system, and a smartphone application (4). The central computer can be a remote server for example (cloud). The computer may process an Al algorithm that manage and analyze the raw data coming from the smart bottle and other customer sources.

Each container (1) has a sensor (11) that is designed to detect a situation when the specific refill bag (21) or a specific product (61) that it contained inside is about to be empty. Such sensors (11) can be for example a weight sensor that detects by the weight of the specific refill bag (21) or the specific product (61) when the material inside it reaches a quantity that requires an alert to order a new refill bag or a new product of that kind, or another type of sensor such as for detecting volume or other parameters. As mentioned above, the system refers also to products such as a regular bottle of shampoo that can be positioned inside the container (1) that detects when it close to become empty. The specific refill bag (21) and the specific product (61) can be identified by identification tags (such as RFID tags) that are attached to them, or that are attached on the container (1) in which they are placed. Each container (1) also has a Wi-Fi communication unit (12) (or any other communication available in that place) that is designed to transmit to the central computer (3) through the Wi-Fi communication in that place (5) the information as to the specific refill bag (21) or the specific product (61), for example, as for the amount of material left and its current weight and may include additional parameters such as tilting, battery situation, malfunctions and the like. Such transmission may be few times a day or as decided per each container and each material inside the containers. Each container (1) has a unique ID number, so that the central computer (3) receives the information in relation to each specific container (1) in the system (10).

In case this is possible, it is advisable to use a type of communication (such as a radio model or any other signal transmission method) that consumes less energy than WIFI communication, and this is so that there is no need to charge or replace batteries in the containers frequently. It is possible, for example, that the communication will be on a radio channel to a switchboard in the house itself, and from there will be communication to the WIFI station in the house.

The central computer (3) can be in control and can be even in a place that belongs to the entity that operates the system and provides such service for households, offices, hotels and the like. When the central computer (3) that receives the information from the containers (1) in a particular client’s place, for example, detects that the specific refill (21) or the specific product (61) in a particular container (1) contains a fairly small amount, possible by predetermination, then the central computer (3) issues autonomous order to send a new refill or new product to that client, who can receive the shipment by courier or in other way. The unique ID number of each container (1) is linked and associated in the central computer to a particular refill bag or particular product and maybe also a particular client ID, so that the autonomous order refers to the refill bag or product that the client is used to or wants to use, for example, the same type of shampoo.

The smartphone app (4) enables the client to control the autonomous ordering system in relations to the containers (1) that he has in his place. Each client can have a profile in the app that lists the containers (1) he keeps in his place and which are linked and associated to the central computer (3), as well as the specific type of each refill bag (2) or product (6) for each container (1). The app (4) enables the client to change the type of refill or product for each container, if he is interested in replacing the type of shampoo for example, to remove or to add other containers and to associate those containers with specific refill bags or products listed in the app. The app may provide the client with information as to the status of each container and the refill bags or products inside them, and to determine whether the order will be autonomous or done by him when he receives specific alert as to the situation of refills and products.

Claims

Claim

1. An autonomous system for supplying refill bags or products in packages that comprises a plurality of containers that are designed to receive and contain a refill bag or to receive a product in a package, a remote central computer and a smartphone application for managing the system; wherein each container has a sensor that is designed to detect a situation that a specific refill bag or a specific product in package that are placed inside the container is about to be empty; wherein each container is equipped with a communication unit that is designed to transmit to the central remote computer through a communication station information as to the specific refill bag or the specific product; wherein each of the plurality of container includes a unique ID number that is linked and associated in the central remote computer and in the smartphone application to the specific refill bag or the specific product; wherein the remote central computer is designed to process and issue autonomous orders to a supplying center for supplying said specific refile bags and specific products; and wherein the smartphone application is designed to enable a control of the autonomous ordering.