EP2082367A1 - Surveillance et enregistrement d'utilisation d'articles par un consommateur - Google Patents

Surveillance et enregistrement d'utilisation d'articles par un consommateur

Info

Publication number
EP2082367A1
EP2082367A1 EP07821120A EP07821120A EP2082367A1 EP 2082367 A1 EP2082367 A1 EP 2082367A1 EP 07821120 A EP07821120 A EP 07821120A EP 07821120 A EP07821120 A EP 07821120A EP 2082367 A1 EP2082367 A1 EP 2082367A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
consumer
monitoring
activation
recording
motion sensor
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP07821120A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Scott James GRUBB
Therese Louise JONES
David Martin Pooley
Richard Leslie Wright
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Unilever PLC
Unilever NV
Original Assignee
Unilever PLC
Unilever NV
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Unilever PLC, Unilever NV filed Critical Unilever PLC
Priority to EP07821120A priority Critical patent/EP2082367A1/fr
Publication of EP2082367A1 publication Critical patent/EP2082367A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q30/00—Commerce
    • G06Q30/02—Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to monitoring and recording the usage of consumer articles, particularly personal care articles, by a consumer during e.g. a consumer trial.
  • the object of the present invention is to provide an improved device for accurately monitoring an subject's usage of a product in an unconstrained environment.
  • the invention provides a consumer article comprising a monitoring device for monitoring and recording consumer usage of the article, the monitoring device comprising:
  • a data storage device for storing data that is sensed by the motion sensor;
  • a first activation device comprising a timing device for delaying activation of the device;
  • a secondary activation device by which the device can be activated and/or deactivated remotely.
  • the invention provides a method of monitoring and recording consumer usage of a consumer article according to the first aspect of the invention, the method comprising the steps
  • the invention provides a monitoring device for monitoring and recording consumer usage of consumer articles, the monitoring device comprising:
  • a data storage device for storing data that is sensed by the motion sensor;
  • a first activation device comprising a timing device for delaying activation of the device;
  • the monitoring device can located within the consumer article during manufacture, without monitoring/recording of this activity and other activities not relevant to consumer behaviour e.g. packaging and transportation, activities.
  • the device can be activated by operatives in the field (such as consumer research personnel) and the device then passed to consumers. The consumer may even be able to activate the device as will be clear below.
  • the motion sensor may be an accelerometer capable of sensing accelerations along one or more axis.
  • the accelerometer may be capable of sensing accelerations along three orthogonal axis.
  • a tri-axial accelerometer could be used or alternatively, two 2-axis ones mounted at right angles capable of sensing 3 dimensional acceleration data.
  • any other suitable motion sensor may be used.
  • the motion sensor may be analogue or digital.
  • the data storage device may incorporate erasable nonvolatile memory.
  • Erasable (rewritable) memory allows re-use of the device.
  • Non-volatile memory is advantageous because this means the memory is protected in case of a loss of power (e.g. in the case of battery powered devices, when the battery loses power) .
  • the first activation device comprising a timing device may be a real time clock.
  • the real time clock may be digital and/or produces a digital output signal.
  • the secondary activation device by which the device can be activated and/or deactivated remotely may comprises a secondary switch which is externally accessible on the consumer product. This may be magnetically operated (e.g. a g reed' switch) so that it is not directly connected to the device. This enables the device to be contained wholly within the consumer article (i.e. not visible to the naked eye) .
  • This secondary switch can be used as an event sensor in its own right. For example detecting lid removal, etc. It can be also used as a trigger signal for the other sensors. For example, a small magnet attached to the product packaging could be used to inhibit acceleration logging during transit . The magnet may then be removed prior to use (after transportation) .
  • the secondary activation device may function only when the delay in activation caused the first activation device, is completed.
  • the device may monitor and record acceleration data continually or for a predetermined number of events. Such events may be monitored may be time-linked in that they may be recorded for a predetermined period of time and/or events may be separated by predetermined time periods.
  • the device may monitor and record acceleration data only in response to the motion sensor sensing a predetermined or threshold' acceleration.
  • the interval of time may begin when the accelerometer senses a threshold minimum acceleration associated with consumer usage of an article e.g. at least 0.2 G.
  • the device may contain a programmable computing device, such as a microprocessor e.g. microcontroller. This may be connected to the motion sensor, timing device and the data storage device, and capable of reading and execute program instructions from the data storage device to control the various components within the device.
  • a programmable computing device such as a microprocessor e.g. microcontroller. This may be connected to the motion sensor, timing device and the data storage device, and capable of reading and execute program instructions from the data storage device to control the various components within the device.
  • the programmable computing device may be able to record data to the data storage device, said data including digital acceleration signals produced by the accelerometer a digital timer signal produced by the timing device e.g. at the beginning of the interval of time to be stored in the data storage device.
  • the device may be contained discreetly within the consumer article, and preferably it is completely contained within the consumer article so that it is hidden from view (when viewed with the naked eye) .
  • the consumer article may include one or more hollow portions for housing the device, to prevent enlarging of the consumer device to fit in the monitoring and recording device.
  • All components may be selected so that they are small as compared with the consumer article.
  • the device has a power source which may be a battery or it may be at least in part solar powered.
  • a power source which may be a battery or it may be at least in part solar powered.
  • the device may include a capacitor within the circuit.
  • the device may be programmed to record for discreet sequential time periods rather than continually to reduce the amount of recording time (and therefore the power needed) . This is particularly advantageous when monitoring the consumer usage of what are generally small products over extended periods of time.
  • the time periods may be 5 seconds (i.e. 5 seconds recording following by a non-recording period which may be also 5 seconds) . This would reduce the power required but still provide representative data for consumer activity.
  • the device may be contained and concealed within any type of consumer product e.g. personal care product such as skin product e.g. soaps & creams, hair products e.g. shampoo bottle, oral care product e.g. toothbrush, deodorant product e.g. deodorant stick; or household care products e.g. hard surface cleaning product or laundry or dish washing product, where it will be used to monitor product usage by consumers.
  • personal care product such as skin product e.g. soaps & creams, hair products e.g. shampoo bottle, oral care product e.g. toothbrush, deodorant product e.g. deodorant stick; or household care products e.g. hard surface cleaning product or laundry or dish washing product, where it will be used to monitor product usage by consumers.
  • Fig 1 shows a schematic diagram of the device according to the invention contained within a consumer article.
  • the device comprises a small electronic circuit board housed within a protective, sealed housing (not shown) concealed within a personal care product, here shown as a soap bar 1 for personal use.
  • the protective cover is made up of two plastic parts: a cap and a base. These will be sealed using a standard O-ring. A feature will be incorporated into the cap to facilitate easy removal. For inclusion within most consumer products the overall size of the complete assembly is approx. 44mm x 17mm x 10mm.
  • the PCB will be mechanically attached to the cap so that it can be easily removed for access.
  • the cap and base are made of polycarbonate, having a thickness of approximately lmm.
  • the device can optionally be used without the protective sealed housing.
  • All of the electronics reside on a single printed circuit board.
  • the device monitors and records 3-axis acceleration data. Recording is triggered by motion i.e. acceleration above a pre-set threshold of 26. Once triggered, the device records acceleration data for a predetermined period of time. This time period is set during initial programming. Multiple recordings can be made according to the remaining memory/battery capacity.
  • the data storage device incorporates erasable non-volatile memory, allowing re-use of the device and protection in case of a loss of power (e.g. in the case of battery powered devices, when the battery loses power) .
  • the data storage device comprises flash memory : Atmel AT45DB321C ⁇ Dataflash' memory IC to provide non-volatile data storage.
  • the programmable computer comprises a PIC16LF876 microcontroller from Microchip.
  • Memory capacity is optimised by pre-compressing three accelerometer signals (one per axis) into a single value prior to storage.
  • Data is stored as a series of 'events' so the storage capacity has also to accommodate additional information (e.g. calendar date) relating to each event.
  • the timing device comprises a Maxim MAX6902 which provides a real-time clock (date/time) information.
  • the motion sensor comprises a Kionix KXM52-1050 Tri-axis accelerometer to sense acceleration.
  • the secondary activation device comprises a miniature reed (i.e. magnetically operated) switch which is used as a trigger signal for the other sensors.
  • a small magnet is attached to the product packaging and used to inhibit acceleration data recordal during transit. The magnet is removed by operatives in the field prior to consumer testing.
  • the device further comprises a A MAX3221E RS232 transceiver to enable direct communication between the logger and a PC (via the serial port)
  • the device electronics are powered from a Lithium Manganese Dioxide (LiMnO 2 ) CR1225 coin cell. Since battery voltage can drop by as much as 0.3V during high-current activity (e.g. flash memory activity) . This may be sufficient to cause some ICs to malfunction, especially when the battery is near the end of its life.
  • a MAX1724 DC-DC converter is therefore be used to boost the battery voltage to a constant 3.3V.
  • the net battery life of course depends on the proportion of time the device spends in each state.
  • the device may also be run from an (optional) external DC power supply connected via the data cable .
  • the device is connectable to a computing device e.g. PC, via standard connectors.
  • a mini-USB type connector is used in this embodiment for data communications. Although smaller connectors are available, the mini-USB type provides a good compromise between size, ease-of-use and lifetime (in terms of how many times the connector can be used) .
  • the physical interface comprises an RS232-type serial connection accessed via a 5-pin mini-USB connector mounted on the device circuit board.
  • a mini-USB to DB9 serial cable connects the logger to a PC.
  • the recorded data can be downloaded to a computer for analysis.
  • the battery is inserted and the device connected to the PC using the mini-usb cable.
  • the computer is then used to program the device parameters.
  • the timing device (first activation device) is used prior to installing in the consumer product, to delay recording of manufacturing/transportation acceleration data which would be superfluous .
  • the time delay is set to expire with the commencement of the consumer trial.
  • the device is also programmed with other instructions e.g. date, time etc. and to record data e.g. for a predetermined time period (e.g. 5 seconds) in response to the sensing of a threshold acceleration (on any axis) .
  • the program instructions are stored on the data storage device.
  • the device is then installed within the protective housing and this is then located with a hollow portion of the product. In the case of the soap bar the protective housing is located within the bar during the moulding process.
  • the magnet for activation of the device via the reed switch) is then located on the exterior of the bar.

Landscapes

  • Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Accounting & Taxation (AREA)
  • Development Economics (AREA)
  • Strategic Management (AREA)
  • Finance (AREA)
  • Game Theory and Decision Science (AREA)
  • Entrepreneurship & Innovation (AREA)
  • Economics (AREA)
  • Marketing (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Secondary Cells (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un article de consommateur comprenant un dispositif de surveillance pour surveiller le consommateur et enregistrer l'usage de l'article, le dispositif de surveillance comprenant : un détecteur de mouvement (5); un dispositif de stockage de données pour stocker des données qui sont détectées par le détecteur de mouvement; un premier dispositif d'activation comprenant un dispositif de temporisation pour retarder l'activation du dispositif; et un dispositif d'activation secondaire (10) par lequel le dispositif peut être activé et/ou désactivé à distance.
EP07821120A 2006-11-16 2007-10-10 Surveillance et enregistrement d'utilisation d'articles par un consommateur Withdrawn EP2082367A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP07821120A EP2082367A1 (fr) 2006-11-16 2007-10-10 Surveillance et enregistrement d'utilisation d'articles par un consommateur

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP06124251 2006-11-16
PCT/EP2007/060752 WO2008058817A1 (fr) 2006-11-16 2007-10-10 Surveillance et enregistrement d'utilisation d'articles par un consommateur
EP07821120A EP2082367A1 (fr) 2006-11-16 2007-10-10 Surveillance et enregistrement d'utilisation d'articles par un consommateur

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP2082367A1 true EP2082367A1 (fr) 2009-07-29

Family

ID=38015284

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP07821120A Withdrawn EP2082367A1 (fr) 2006-11-16 2007-10-10 Surveillance et enregistrement d'utilisation d'articles par un consommateur

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP2082367A1 (fr)
WO (1) WO2008058817A1 (fr)

Families Citing this family (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US8424721B2 (en) 2008-10-06 2013-04-23 Conopco, Inc. Device and method for monitoring consumer test compliance
WO2013087520A1 (fr) * 2011-12-12 2013-06-20 Unilever Plc Contrôle d'utilisation de pain de savon
US10582764B2 (en) 2016-11-14 2020-03-10 Colgate-Palmolive Company Oral care system and method
US11043141B2 (en) 2016-11-14 2021-06-22 Colgate-Palmolive Company Oral care system and method
US11213120B2 (en) 2016-11-14 2022-01-04 Colgate-Palmolive Company Oral care system and method
US11361672B2 (en) 2016-11-14 2022-06-14 Colgate-Palmolive Company Oral care system and method
US10835028B2 (en) 2016-11-14 2020-11-17 Colgate-Palmolive Company Oral care system and method

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6092726A (en) * 1997-08-21 2000-07-25 The Procter & Gamble Company Universal monitor for collecting data on consumable products
US6536068B1 (en) * 1999-12-29 2003-03-25 Gillette Canada Company Toothbrushing technique monitoring
GB0109444D0 (en) * 2001-04-17 2001-06-06 Unilever Plc Toothbrush usage monitoring system
US7463144B2 (en) * 2004-03-19 2008-12-09 Arbitron, Inc. Gathering data concerning publication usage

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See references of WO2008058817A1 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO2008058817A1 (fr) 2008-05-22

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