Technical Field

The present invention relates to hygiene equipment and to positioning by means of radio signals . More specifically, the present invention relates to a piece of hygiene equipment that can be configured to dispense a consumable to a user, and/or to dispose a consumable from a user, and has capabilities to at least transmit radio signals . The present invention also relates to a system formed by two or more corresponding pieces of hygiene equipment .

Technical Background

Hygiene equipment in the form of , for example , dispensers for various liquids and/or tissues , is generally common today in premises that are frequented by many people . Specifically, such premises can be office buildings , manufacturing sites , hospitals , airports , train stations , bus terminals , shopping malls , hotels , restaurants , schools , kindergartens , and the like, which all have in common that they are places being visited by a considerable number of people and that hand or body hygiene or cleaning in general is desired at least to some degree . As a consequence, these premises will provide restroom or related facilities for the people working or staying in these premises .

For example, restrooms and toilets will be provided for the people working in an office building or visiting an airport . In such facilities the mentioned hygiene equipment may be installed in form of soap, foam or towel dispensers , disinfectant (e.g. alcogel etc . ) dispensers , toilet paper dispensers , hygiene bag dispensers , dispensers for hygiene products , such as absorbent articles , diapers , incontinence products , and other related devices . Usually, such hygiene equipment is predominantly present in restroom or toilet facilities . Likewise, such equipment may be found in entrance halls , kitchens , kitchenettes , offices , restaurants , canteens , conference/meeting rooms , receptions , reception areas , elevator, waiting areas , printer rooms and docucenters , gyms , or disposal areas . In the case of a hospital , for example, hygiene equipment will be present virtually everywhere , since doctors and caring personnel will need access to such facilities also when not using a restroom or toilet facility . Specifically, there may be rules and schemes that prescribe the use of hygiene equipment whenever entering some dedicated area, when approaching a patient, or, generally, before carrying out any tasks that require respective hygiene .

In the above examples , the piece of hygiene equipment may be configured to dispense a consumable to a user . The consumable may be identified as any article that the user employs for a hygienic purpose, so that possible articles include an amount of soap or alcogel , towels , tissues , hygienic/absorbent articles , etc . Likewise, however, the piece of hygiene equipment may well be configured to dispose a consumable from a user so that it as such may take the form of a waste bin, used towel bin, and the like .

It is known in the arts to provide hygiene equipment in the form of dispensers having sensors which can detect that a given supply is about to run out or has run empty . The result of this detection can be made visible on the dispenser so that service personnel can take notice of a necessity to refill the dispenser . Likewise, it is known to provide such hygiene equipment with electronic capabilities for not only detecting the necessity of a refill , but also for conveying information on such a necessity for a refill to a somewhat central location. For example, a server of, or connected to a data network (e.g. Internet) can receive and store such notifications in order for allowing service personnel to receive or obtain corresponding indications that a refill needs to be carried out. In this case the hygiene equipment may have capabilities to convey signals related to said notification via a wireless radio signal to a recipient station placed sufficiently near to the hygiene equipment .

In certain scenarios it may be of interest to not only know the refill status of a given dispenser, but also its position either in relation to other dispensers (e.g. in some kind of relative position) or in relation to the building itself (e.g. in some kind of absolute position) . It may be also of interest to know the position of certain user groups (e.g. nurses or cleaners ) both in relative and absolute terms for e.g. quality control of cleaning or monitoring of hand hygiene compliance . Likewise, the individual as such may know their position in a building so as to orienteer themselves and/or find a given way, floor, or room.

As already mentioned, the premises where the above discussed hygiene equipment is installed are usually frequented by a large number of individuals . However, not only individuals may roam the premises but also associated equipment may be moved or installed in the premises : for example , cleaning personnel may carry trolleys with refilling supply or employees may carry computer, treatment or diagnostic equipment . Both the individuals as well as the equipment may be thus subject to positioning and/or tracking in the sense that the individuals may want to determine their position/location in the building or that the equipment in the form of possibly valuable and costly devices should be traced so as to avoid theft or abuse or so as to be able to measure and eventually optimize their utilization . The latter is exemplified by being able to measure for how long an x-ray apparatus has been stored in the storage room vs. used in the surgical theater . Such data can then be used as a basis for purchase of new such apparatus or for sharing it with the neighboring ward . Likewise, it may be desired to track and/or locate individuals for paging, security, or other purposes.

However, existing radio signal positioning systems (e.g. Global Position System = GPS, Gallileo, GLONASS, WAAS, and the like) usually transmit radio signals that do not sufficiently penetrate into buildings . Accordingly, it may be difficult to employ their signals for positioning individuals or equipment inside buildings . At the same time, the existing equipment inside buildings (e.g. standard communication equipment such as WLAN/WiFi access points ) usually has access restrictions so that they are accessible only by a limited number of users and thus are not generally suitable for positioning inside buildings . Further, current systems including the so-called real time location systems (RTLS ) and/or systems employing a received signal strength indication (RSSI ) may suffer from other drawbacks, including insufficient indoor accuracy . Moreover, such technologies are not suitable for obtaining high accuracy and suitable positioning results .

It is therefore an obj ect of the present invention to provide a solution that can substantially facilitate positioning inside buildings whilst relying on equipment and infrastructure that is already present and/or installed also for other purposes .

Summary

The mentioned problems are solved by the subj ect-matter of the independent claims . Further preferred embodiments are defined in the dependent claims .

Specifically, the embodiments of the present invention appreciate that hygiene equipment can be found inside buildings in a more or less distributed fashion . Further, hygiene equipment can already provide electronics and power resources for transmitting radio signals . By means of the embodiments of the present invention, wide spread equipment being already installed for other purposes can be configured to obtain a positioning functionality inside buildings .

According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is therefore provided a piece of hygiene equipment comprising a processing circuit and a radio circuit, wherein the radio circuit is configured to receive and/or transmit a radio signal carrying payload data, wherein the processing circuit is configured to obtain the payload data carried by a received radio signal and/or to generate the payload data carried by a transmitted radio signal , and wherein the processing circuit is configured to obtain timing information indicating when the radio signal is received and/or transmitted by an antenna coupled to said radio circuit .

According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is therefore provided a method for operating a piece of hygiene equipment comprising a processing circuit and a radio circuit , wherein the radio circuit is configured to receive and/or transmit a radio signal carrying payload data, comprising a step of obtaining, by the processing circuit, the payload data carried by a received radio signal and/or a step of generating the payload data carried by a transmitted radio signal , and a step of obtaining, by the processing circuit, timing information indicating when the radio signal is received and/or transmitted by an antenna coupled to said radio circuit .

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a system comprising a plurality of pieces of hygiene equipment as they are described as corresponding embodiments in the present disclosure .

Brief description of the drawings

Embodiments of the present invention, which are presented for better understanding the inventive concepts and which are not to be seen as limiting the invention, will now be described with reference to the figures in which :

Figure 1 shows a schematic view of a piece of hygiene equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 shows a schematic view of positioning with hygiene equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Figures 3A to 3D show schematic views of mechanisms for ranging by employing a time-of-flight determination of radio signals according to embodiments of the present invention;

Figures 4A and 4B show schematic views of mechanisms for positioning with hygiene equipment according to respective embodiments of the present invention ;

Figure 5 shows a schematic view of a device which is subject to positioning according to one or more of the embodiments of the present invention;

Figure 6 shows a schematic view of device functionalities for implementing embodiments of the present invention ; and

Figures 7A and 7B show flowchart of a method embodiments the present invention .

Detailed description Figure 1 shows a schematic view of a piece of hygiene equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, the figure shows a piece of hygiene equipment in the form of a soap, foam, or liquid dispenser 10. As shown, the dispenser 10 is configured to dispense a consumable to a user in that, for example, a lever 101 is actuated for driving an e ection mechanism 102, which, in turn, ejects an amount 104 of the consumable held in a reservoir 103. The consumable may be accordingly liquid, solid or foam soap, spray, a disinfectant liquid/foam/gel , etc . As a consequence, a user' s hand actuating the lever 101 can be provided with the amount 104 of soap, foam, or gel . Although a liquid dispenser is shown, the following details may equally be combined with the respective components of a dispenser for solid substances , tissues , towels , or other hygiene articles and products , such as absorbent articles , diapers , or incontinence products .

According to the shown embodiment, the shown piece of hygiene equipment 10 comprises a processing circuit 111 and a radio circuit 112. Generally, the latter radio circuit 112 is configured to receive and/or transmit a radio signal 20 carrying payload data 200. More specifically, the radio circuit 112 can be configured to only receive an inbound radio signal 20-1 carrying the payload data 200, to only transmit an outbound radio signal 20-0 carrying the payload data 200, or both . Likewise, the processing circuit 111 is configured to obtain the payload data 200 carried by a received inbound radio signal 20-1 and/or to generate the payload data to be carried by a transmitted outbound radio signal 20-0. Generally, there is thus envisaged a two-way operation, although the basic embodiments of the present invention may rely and comprise only the configuration for one of the two directions , i.e. the receiving of inbound signals or the transmission of outbound signals .

The processing circuit 111 is further configured to obtain timing information indicating when the radio signal is received and/or transmitted by an antenna coupled to said radio circuit . In other words , the processing circuit 111 can obtain information on when an inbound radio signal reached the receiving antenna 113 and/or when an outbound radio signal leaves the antenna 113 coupled to the radio circuit 112. For this purpose, the piece of hygiene equipment 10 may as such comprise the antenna 113 that receives /transmits the radio signal 20 from or into a transmission range . Likewise, the antenna 113 may well be external to the piece of hygiene equipment and as such not comprised by the dispenser 10.

The payload data (PD) 200 may generally comprise any suitable data, including information indicating an identification of the piece of hygiene equipment 10 , information indicating an identification of an originator/transmitter of an inbound radio signal , information relating to said timing information, information indicating a number of use instances , optionally time-stamped, of the piece of hygiene equipment 10 , and/or information indicating a filling state of the consumable in the reservoir 103. In the latter two cases , the processing circuit 111 may be coupled to sensors of the e ection mechanism 102 and/or, respectively, the reservoir 103 so as to be able to generate corresponding payload data . In general , the detailed mechanical and/or electronic mechanisms and configurations for dispensing an amount of consumable and detecting use instances and filling states are as such known in the prior arts . In general , however, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to above mentioned types of information . Therefore, the PD may also comprise or relate to status data, on a physical observable like luminosity, light, humidity, temperature and the like may be conveyed . Further examples include data on a refill ID, data on occupancy or movement (by persons and/or equipment) , and general content (e.g. messages , commercial images , etc . ) .

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the processing circuit 111 is configured to specifically generate beacon payload data for being transmitted by said radio circuit 112 as a beacon radio signal carrying said beacon payload data . This beacon signal can be transmitted in regular or irregular intervals so as to notify any receiver of the existence and being-in-range of the dispenser. Further, timing information can be obtained that indicates when a beacon radio signal is transmitted by the antenna 113 coupled to radio circuit, and this timing information can be encoded in advance into the beacon payload data . A fixed delay can be considered in advance that takes into account the natural delay between numerically generating data (e.g. in a processor' s or memory' s register) and actually transmitting a radio signal carrying that data .

For the purpose of operating the dispensing and/or sensor mechanisms , the processing circuit 111, the radio circuit 112 and thus for being actually able to emit a radio signal , the piece of hygiene equipment 10 may comprise or may be coupled to an electric power source 114, which can be a battery, a rechargeable battery, an ultracap, a receiver for receiving wireless energy, a receiver for harvesting energy, a solar cell , or an adaptor or interface to which electric energy is fed from a (mains) supply line .

Figure 2 shows a schematic view of positioning with hygiene equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention . Specifically, the hygiene equipment is shown in the context of a room 1 of the above discussed exemplary premises . For example , room 1 is an intensive care ward room of a hospital . As usual , such a premise is provided with hygiene equipment and so is the ward room 1 as shown in Figure 2. Namely, there are shown two pieces of hygiene equipment in the form of the liquid dispenser 11 and the tissue dispenser 12 , which are, as such provided with the respective components and functionalities as described in con unction with the corresponding embodiments of the present invention .

Specifically, the pieces 11 and 12 of hygiene equipment are in this exemplary configuration set up to transmit the respective radio signals 21-0 and 22-0. In this or in other embodiments , radio signals may be instead or additionally received by the pieces 11 and 12 of hygiene equipment . A third radio signal 23-0 is emitted into room 1 from equipment that IS cL S such not shown. In any way however, two or more radio signals are transmitted into room 1 in order to allow a determination of a position 30. Naturally, the dimensionality and precision of position 30 may depend on the number of receivable signals and the corresponding properties of these signals. In general, two or more signals originating from known sources may allow the determination of a 2D-position, and three or more signals originating from known sources may allow the determination of a 3D-position. Usually, it may be desired to have even more than three signals at hand which then not only contributes in an improved accuracy but may also compensate for shadowing or reflection phenomena .

Figures 3A to 3D show schematic views of mechanisms for ranging by employing a time-of-flight determination of radio signals according to embodiments of the present invention . Specifically, Figure 3A shows a schematic view of a general variant of so-called two way ranging (TWR) between a piece of hygiene equipment 10 (e.g. a dispenser) and some kind of positioning target device 20 , when, for example, the dispenser 10 acts as a beacon . It is thus assumed that the dispenser 10 transmits beacon signals 101-1, 101-2, in regular or irregular intervals . At some given time , the device 20 comes into range and can receive the beacon signal 101-3. The device 20 can obtain information on the timing when the signal 101-3 was received ( 2 ) and obtain information on when a response signal 201 is transmitted (T3) toward the dispenser 10.

The payload in the beacon signal 101 may contain information on identifying the dispenser 10 , and this information may be encoded, together with relative or absolute information on the receiving/transmission timings , onto the payload of the response signal 201. The dispenser can thus obtain information on the timing when the signal 201 was received ( T4 ) and obtain information on the timing when the signal 101-3 was transmitted (Tl ) . Together with the timing information contained in payload data of signal 201, the processing section of the dispenser is able to determine the distance d between the dispenser 10 and the target device by employing a calculation such as

[ (T4 - Tl) (T3 - T2) ]

(1)

where c denotes the speed of light, the applicable propagation speed for radio signals . Further, the conveyed payload may also be employed to ensure that the signal 201 is in actual response to the beacon signal 101-3. In addition to this , further signals may be employed for any one of improving accuracy, employing cancelling techniques or adding redundancy .

Figure 3B shows a schematic view of a similar ranging scheme where it is assumed that the target device 20 transmits beacon signals 201-1, 201-2, in regular or irregular intervals . The ranging is carried out similar to the situation of Figure 3A, taking into account - at least indirectly - the timings Tl to T4. An additional signal 202 may be employed if the distance determination is made at the site of the device 20 but information on the determined distance should be conveyed back to the dispenser 10. Likewise, the determined distance may be conveyed to some central entity (server) via another means of communication (e.g. a wireless network connection) .

Figure 3C shows a schematic view of time difference of arrival (TDOA) scheme between more than one piece of hygiene equipment and the positioning target device 20. Specifically, two pieces 10 and 11 of hygiene equipment transmit beacon signals 101-1, ... abd, respectively, 111-1, ... into some overlapping range . At some point in time, the device 20 is assumed to have received the two beacon signals 101-2 and 111-1. Both dispensers 10 , 11 obtain information on timing when the signals 101-1 and 111-1 are transmitted by their respectively coupled antennae . In this embodiment, the information on the timing can be identified as an instruction or synchronization signal employed for the plurality of dispensers 10 , 11 to transmit the signals 101-1 and 111-1 at substantially the same time Tl. In this way, the device 20 may determine different timings when the different signals are received . Namely, the signal 101-2 can be assumed to be received at T2 at device 20 , and the signal 111-1 can be assumed to be received at T3 at device 20. With this knowledge, the device 20 can initiate ranging calculations . Again, further signals may be employed for any one of improving accuracy, employing cancelling techniques or adding redundancy . In addition, any determined distance or difference may be conveyed to some central entity (server) via another means of communication (e.g. a wireless network connection) or via an optional signal 203 to any one of the involved devices .

Figure 3D shows a schematic view of another time difference of arrival (TDOA) scheme between the positioning target device 20 and more than one piece of hygiene equipment . Specifically, this scheme is similar to the one described in conj unction with Figure 3C, but here the device 20 is the originator of the beacon signal . Therefore, the device 20 is assumed to transmit the beacon signals 204-1, 204-2, ... at regular or irregular intervals . It may now be assumed that dispenser 10 receives the particular signal 204-2 at time T2, whereas dispenser 11 receives this particular signal 204-2 at time T3. Again, the payload carried by the signal 204 may be employed for facilitating identification and association of any received signals . The dispensers can obtain information on the receiving times T2 and T3 and can decode any payload to accomplish the mentioned association, so as to determine a time difference of arrival of one signal at different locations . This information may be fed back to the target device and/or a central entity ( server) to complete a ranging and/or positioning calculation .

As for further possible ways of initiating the sequence, it is noted that the configuration shown in Figure 3D can be modified so that the device 20 is passive and ''listening' until device 10 or 11 sends a message to initiate the process (ranging) . When device 20 receives this ^A ping' request, it can transmit a ^" "single ping' that is received by devices 10, 11, where these devices are operated in synchronization and can calculate the desired information based on TDOA. In TDOA, devices 11 and 10 can be operated to be in synchronization and information on the timing T3 can be for example transported to device 10 , when TDOA calculations are supposed to take place in device 10. The dispensers can then obtain information on the receiving times T2 and T3 and can decode any payload to accomplish the mentioned association .

Figures 4A and 4B show schematic views of mechanisms for positioning with hygiene equipment according to respective embodiments of the present invention . In Figure 4A a room 1 is shown from atop with four pieces of hygiene equipment 11 , 12 , 13, and 14 according to respective embodiments of the present invention . The present embodiment is now described in the context of determining a position 30 by means of payload data transmitted from the pieces of hygiene equipment, with an exemplary exchange of data between the piece of hygiene equipment 11 and a device at location 30.

The device at location 30 can be identified as the target of positioning in the context of the present disclosure . Specifically, the device (e.g. the device 20 as mentioned elsewhere in the present disclosure) is any suitable device that is configured to receive, process , and/or transmit data employed by the embodiments for positioning . The device is usually carried by an individual that is subject to positioning or is affixed or attached or incorporated in an object that is subj ect to positioning (e.g. a dispenser or other equipment or obj ect) . The device can be in the form of an "intelligent" tag or badge, and a more specific example of such a device is described below in conj unction with Figure 5. With now again reference to Figure 4A, an embodiment is described in which the processing circuit of the piece of hygiene equipment (e.g. dispenser) 11 is configured to generate payload data 201 for being transmitted as a beacon radio signal 21 , and to obtain timing information indicating when the beacon radio signal 21 is transmitted by the antenna of the piece of hygiene equipment 11.

Specifically, the timing information is obtained so as to indicate when the signal 21 has departed from dispenser 11. In other words , there is information available that indicates a timing when the signal 21 is transmitted by the antenna of the transmitting circuit and, therefore, a time of flight determination can be made if a point in time 11 when the signal 21 has "left" the dispenser 11 is known (i.e. is obtained) , and a further point in time t2 can be determined when the signal 21 has arrived at position 30 , by means , for example, a receiver device at this position 30. The positioning can in particular be based on calculating the distance dl 1 between the location of the dispenser 11 and the position 30 along dll = c (t2 - tl) , (2) where c is the speed of light, again the applicable propagation speed of radio signals . It is common knowledge that by obtaining one or more further distances to further points of known positions , e.g. a distance dl2 between the dispenser 12 and position 30 , and, optionally, distances dl3 and dl4 to dispensers 13 and 14 , the position 30 can be derived in two or three dimensions (e.g. by means of triangulation, multilateration, filtering or other applicable mathematical and computational algorithms and methods , which are, as such, known in the arts ) .

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the corresponding timing information is obtained before the beacon signal 21 is transmitted by the antenna, and the beacon payload data 210 includes information indicating said timing information . For example, the processing circuit of dispenser 11 may know in advance a delay time applicable between the point in time when the transmitting circuit is instructed to transmit signal 21 and the point in time when the signal actually leaves the antenna . In this way, the processing and propagation delay in the transmission circuit and the antenna is considered.

Following this example, the processing circuit may obtain timing information from a clock circuit and modify this information in line with the above discussed delay and optionally further delays for generating the beacon payload data that indicates a time still being in the future . At an appropriate timing, the processing circuit instructs the transmission circuit to transmit the signal which then carries beacon payload data indicating the actual timing when the signal 21 left the antenna of dispenser 11. A device at position 30 can then, for example by means of a synchronized clock, determine the timing of receiving the signal 21 , decode the "departure" timing information from the received beacon payload data and determine a time of flight, and, in turn, a distance between the dispenser 11 and the position 30. The departure timing could also be transmitted later in a separate transmission, if, for example, a functionality to indicate a time still being in the future is not available .

In another embodiment, the determination of a distance may be effected as now described with the example of data being exchanged between dispenser 13 and a device at position 30. Specifically, the timing information is again obtained before the beacon signal 23 is transmitted by the antenna of dispenser so that the processing circuit of dispenser 23 has knowledge of the timing, denoted her as 11 , when the beacon signal 23 has left the antenna of the dispenser 23. In this embodiment now, the target device at position 30 receives the signal 23 with the beacon payload data 231.

In response to receiving this signal , the device at position 30 generates and transmits a response signal that may carry response payload data 232. This signal can then be received by a receiving circuit of the dispenser 13, and, in turn, a timing t4 can be determined when the response signal is received . Again, a delay can be considered that takes into account any propagation and processing delays occurring in the involved circuitry.

When the time T23 is known that the device at position 30 requires between receiving at its antenna the signal 23 and transmitting with its antenna the response signal , then the distance can be calculated as follows : dl3 = c (t4 - tl - T23) /2. (3)

In a further embodiment, the device at position 30 may be configured to determine (measure) an actual timing t3 when the signal 23 is received at its antenna and an actual timing t4 when the response signal is transmitted with its antenna . These timings t3 and t4 can be compiled to information which is carried as the response payload data 232 back to the dispenser 23. In this way, the distance can be preferably calculated in another form of two way ranging (TWR) as follows : dl3 = c [ (t4 tl) - (t3 - t2)]/2. (4)

In a similar embodiment, the timing 11 is determined at the site of the device at position 30 and a query signal 241 is transmitted to, for example, dispenser 14. The same procedure as described above then takes place in that a beacon signal is sent back from the dispenser 14 to the device at position 30 where it is received at a time t4. The delay equivalent to the above T23 or as defined by above t2 and t3 then takes place in the dispenser 14 instead of the device at the position 30.

Although physically equivalent to the embodiment described in con unction with dispenser 13 of Figure 3A, the present embodiment can provide the advantage that it can be device subject to positioning that triggers the signal sequence by sensing out the query signal 241. The individual pieces of hygiene equipment can thus be configured to wait for any query signal before a beacon signal is transmitted, which, in turn, can save energy consumption at the dispensers . This may be of particular advantage when the device subject to positioning has a comparatively large reservoir of electric power, such as a smartphone that usually is recharged regularly anyway (e.g. once a day) , whereas the pieces of hygiene equipment may need to operate on the basis of a limited internal power supply that is replaced or recharged less frequently (e.g. once a year) .

In Figure 4B a room 1 is shown from atop with four pieces of hygiene equipment 11', 12 ' , 13' , and 14 ' according to respective embodiments of the present invention . In this embodiment one piece of hygiene equipment obtains the timing information as further timing information which indicates when a further beacon signal is transmitted by an antenna coupled to a transmission circuit of a further piece of hygiene equipment . That is, the timing information is able to synchroni ze the transmission of beacon signals from several transmission circuits and respective antennas , and, with this , from several pieces of hygiene equipment . The synchroni zation may be such that the corresponding beacon signals are transmitted at the same time or with some kind of known time shift . The latter can be then conveyed as part of the beacon payload data with each beacon signal .

In general , however, the present embodiments allows for determination of the position 30 by means of determining the different points in time when each one of the beacon signals 21', 22 ' , 23' and 24 ' was received by a device at position 30. The situation shown in Figure 4B is such that a substantially contemporaneous transmission of all the involved beacon signals takes place . As a consequence, the individual beacon signal will reach the position 30 at different times , which can then be employed to determine the position 30 in the room 1 by making use of the known positions of the pieces of hygiene equipment 11', 12 ' , 13' and 14 ' .

Generally, the determination of the position can thus take place at the site of the device subject to positioning or at the site of a piece of hygienic equipment, provided that all the required information is made available at that site. For the purpose of conveying the information to one site it may be considered to employ the beacon payload data. As already mentioned, this data may contain information on the timings when a signal was transmitted by an antenna . Likewise, any transmission/receiving time can be conveyed to a target device/dispenser by means of the beacon, response or query signals .

Figure 5 shows a schematic view of a device which is subject to positioning according to one or more of the embodiments of the present invention . As shown, this device can take the form of a smartphone 40 which usually has both processing resources and radio transmitting/receiving resources . In the shown situation, the device 40 may in one embodiment transmit a query 400 which triggers a response 100 from at least the piece of hygiene equipment 10. If the timings 11 , t2 , t3 , and t4 , namely the timing 11 when the query 400 is transmitted from an antenna of device 40 , the timing t2 when the query 400 is received by an antenna of dispenser 10 , timing t3 when the response 100 is transmitted from an antenna of dispenser 10 , and the timing t4 when the response 100 is received by an antenna of device 40 are known, then the distance between the dispenser 10 and the device 40 can be determined along equation (3) .

The device 40 can further receive additional responses from further pieces of hygiene equipment so as to compile data on a 2D or 3D position relative to the individual dispensers . With knowledge of the position of a dispenser, the device 40 can also compile a position in relative or absolute terms , i.e. with a room or even in terms of geographical coordinates . These additional pieces of information may be likewise conveyed to the device by means of the payload data carried by the respective signals .

The sequence, however, may also be swapped in the sense that a beacon signal 100 is transmitted first from the dispenser 10 at a timing tl which triggers the response signal 400, received at timing t4 at the dispenser. Naturally, then only one distance can be determined by the piece of hygiene equipment. However, the payload data may be employed to convey information on distances to further pieces of hygiene equipment and information on identifying these pieces of hygiene equipment with regard to at least their respective positions to the site where the position of the device subject to positioning is eventually determined .

Figure 6 shows a schematic view of a general internal configuration in a piece of hygiene equipment according to another embodiment of the present invention . Specifically, a piece of hygiene equipment comprises a processing circuit 121, a memory circuitry 122 , and a radio circuit 123 which is in turn coupled to an antenna device 124. The radio circuit 123 and the antenna 124 are configured to receive and/or transmit radio signals at concurrent or alternate times . In this way the sections 111 to 114 as described elsewhere in the present disclosure can be implemented .

The memory circuit 122 stores code that can instruct the processing circuit 121 to implement one or more embodiments of the present invention . Specifically, the circuits can be provided in or for a piece of hygiene equipment configured to dispense a consumable to a user . The memory circuit 122 may then store code that can instruct the processing circuit 121 to implement or control the obtaining of payload data carried by a received radio signal and/or the generating of payload data carried by a transmitted radio signal . Furthermore, the memory circuit 122 may store code that can instruct the processing circuit 121 to implement or control the obtaining of timing information indicating when a radio signal is received and/or transmitted by antenna 124 coupled to the radio circuit 123.

Figures 7A and 7B show flowchart of a method embodiments of the present invention . The two shown sequences focus on the two scenarios of, respectively, transmitting a radio signal and receiving a radio signal . Specifically, Figure 7A shows a sequence where first there is determined in step S110 the timing information . This timing information indicates in a sense when a radio signal will be transmitted in the future. In step S120 this timing information is the basis for generating payload data which is to be carried by a radio signal at a predetermined timing in line with the in advance obtained timing information . At the appropriate timing, the radio signal carrying the generated payload data is transmitted by an antenna coupled to a radio circuit in step S130. As a consequence, the radio signal carries information on when it left the transmitting antenna . Correspondingly, any information on a timing when the radio signal is received can be employed for determining a positional relationship between the transmitter (originator) and the receiver of the radio signal in line with any one of the above discusses time of flight calculations . Said positional relationship can be expressed, for example, by information indicating a location, a position, and/or a distance . The former may be in the form of a room or floor number and a position may be expressed by coordinates ) geographic or relative to some custom origin) .

Likewise, Figure 7B shows a sequence where first a radio signal is received by an antenna coupled to a radio circuit in step S210. In step S220 timing information is obtained on when the radio signal was received in step S220. In step S230 the payload data carried by the received radio signal is obtained . As a consequence, a pair of devices can exchange radio signals , where at least one partner is able to determine a time of flight of one particular radio signal, and, with this , to determine a positional relationship to the other partner in terms of, for example, a distance to that partner or a position in relative or absolute terms . Generally, a position in relative terms may represent a position relative to one device, e.g. the active piece of hygiene equipment itself . Likewise, a position in absolute terms may represent a position relative to one common origin, so that more than one position of more than one device can be localized or set at least in position relationship context . Although detailed embodiments have been described, these only serve to provide a better understanding of the invention defined by the independent claims, and are not to be seen as limiting .