Claims:CLAIMS
1. A Smart, Contactless Hand Sanitizer Dispenser with Automatic Level Measurement, Display and Management, and with Wireless Connectivity comprising of
a. A housing/body (101) with inlets (301) and outlets (302) for filling and dispensing
b. Storage tank (102)
c. An indicator/display unit (201)
d. Filling switch (203) and filling valve (303)
e. Drain/continuous dispensing switch (204) to operate the dispensing valve (304) independently and/or without the use of any other switch/sensor
f. A dispensing sensor (205)
g. A microcontroller driven controller unit (206) with wireless connectivity module for data transfer and remote operations
h. 2 or more float switches (208, 209, 210) installed on the storage tank for liquid level measurement and management
i. A power supply to run the unit (207)
2. A method for automatically measuring the liquid level of the storage tank using 2 or more float switches.
3. A method for automatically managing the level of liquid in the storage tank.
4. A system in the hand sanitizer dispenser which allows for automatic/semi-automatic filling of the storage tank.
5. A system in the hand sanitizer dispenser which allows for automatic/semi-automatic continuous dispensing/draining of the storage tank.

, Description:TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a Smart Contactless Hand Sanitizer Dispenser with Automatic Level Measurement, Display and Management, and with Wireless Connectivity. It is for remote or sensor-triggered hand sanitizer dispensing devices which can dispense hand sanitizer in a pre-defined, programmable manner, measure the sanitizer level in the device’s storage tank, trigger automatic or manual filling and dispensing, be remotely operated, and transmit sanitizer level and other sensor-gathered information wirelessly.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), a US based public health institute, “many studies have found that sanitizers with an alcohol concentration between 60–95% are more effective at killing germs than those with a lower alcohol concentration or non-alcohol-based hand sanitizers.” The CDC also recommends that “when using hand sanitizer, apply the product to the palm of one hand (read the label to learn the correct amount) and rub the product all over the surfaces of your hands until your hands are dry.”
With the advent of Covid-19, and considering the importance and emphasis laid on hand sanitizing, several types of contactless sanitizer dispensers have become recently available. Most of such devices are contactless in the sense that the dispensing action is triggered by a sensor, usually an infrared sensor. When the sensor detects an obstacle, say a hand, it triggers the valves to open and liquid sanitizer is dispensed through the device’s outlet, either in droplet or mist form. These sensors are prone to interferences which cause false triggers and hence a wastage of sanitizer. There is no means available for dispensing the sanitizer to a pre-defined quantity, which may or may not be dependent on the level of the sanitizer remaining in the device.
These devices may have a level gauge or a visual means of determining the level of sanitizer in the storage tank, but are not capable of automatic refilling. They have to be manually filled by opening the cover or inlet cap and by pouring the sanitizer thorough the inlet. In the absence of automatic level detection, the person filling has to rely on experience and visual aids to ensure filling to a desired level, say the tank being full. There is also a possibility of spillage and wastage. Most importantly, such manual interventions are counterproductive to the idea of the device being contactless. There is no means available for automatic refilling the sanitizer by a connected tank. When these devices are being manually filled, there are no inlet valves which open and close according to the level of the tank or when operated using features available on the device, such as a push button switch.
Previously known hand sanitizer dispensers dispense sanitizer liquid only when triggered by the sensor. This limits their use to a hand sanitizer only. It may be possible to fill any container with liquid by continuously triggering the sensor, say by placing and hand under it continuously, till the required quantity is filled. However, there is no means available for continuous dispensing the sanitizer remotely or by the press of a button/switch.
Previously known hand sanitizer dispensers also do not have a feature to automatically drain the remaining liquid in the storage tanks. It may be possible to empty the tank by continuously triggering the sensor, say by placing and hand under it, till the tank quantity is drained. It may also be possible to open a manual valve connected via a pipe/tube to drain the unit. The most common feature is to open the filling cover and remove the liquid. However, there is no means available for draining the tank remotely or by the press of a button/switch.
Previously known hand sanitizer dispensers also have no in-built wireless connectivity. There is no means to collect any information on liquid level, usage, or no means to operate the dispenser remotely. This implies that the refilling of these devices is dependent on manually determining the liquid level. This dependence may often lead to the tank getting empty and this not being noticed. Also, the consumption of the sanitizer has to be manually tracked and the usage can be calculated based upon it. However, there is no means available for getting any event driven (such as power up, filling, draining, dispensing etc.) information from the sanitizer dispenser.
In order to overcome the limitations of previously known hand sanitizer dispensers, our invention provides smart, contactless hand sanitizer dispensing and liquid level monitoring and wireless connectivity to enable data transfer and remote operations such as dispensing, continuous dispensing, filling and drainage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The following is a summary of the key features of our invention presented in a simplified form.
Our invention is a Smart Contactless Hand Sanitizer Dispenser with Automatic Level Measurement, Display and Management, and with Wireless Connectivity.
The key novel features of our Hand Sanitizer Dispenser are that it is Smart, Contactless, and it features Automatic Level Monitoring, Display and Management and Wireless Connectivity.
Each of these features are briefly described below –
Hand Sanitizer Dispenser – Our invention is primarily to be used as a hand sanitizer dispenser. A “hand sanitizer is a liquid, gel, or foam generally used to decrease infectious agents on the hands.” A dispenser is a device that “an automatic machine or container which is designed to release a specific amount of something.” However, our device can also be used to dispense other liquids such as water, beverages, medicine etc. and gels such as dishwasher, soap etc.
Smart – Our invention runs on a programmable microcontroller. Several popular microcontrollers commonly available these days are – ARM, MSP340, STM series, PIC, Atmel based Arduino and so on. The microcontroller enables us program the device based on its inputs (form a signal such as liquid level from sensors, hand detection from infrared or ultrasonic sensor, or switches) and for outputs (such as a signal to dispense sanitizer, indicate level on LED, send out information remotely from the device, to a speaker/microphone for voice communication etc.). It can be programmed in its programming language, to dispense a pre-defined amount of sanitizer. This can be configured either by the manufacturer or the user for according to the intended usage and location of the device say shop floor or entrance of building or bathroom, or according to level of sanitizer remaining (since liquid pressure of the liquid remaining in the tank affects the rate of dispensing of it from the outlet) etc. Our invention is also capable of incorporating various sensors such as temperature, humidity, air quality for achieving greater functionalities.
Contactless – Our invention is truly contactless and it can be remotely operated through a mobile/computer application or through simple switches present on the device. Besides contactless sanitizer dispensing (i.e. dispensing triggered on the output of a contactless sensor) available in previously known devices, our invention incorporates remote operations, and also operations through a push button or any other switch (momentary or self-latching) which can operate solenoid valves present in the device. These valves are used to dispense, fill or drain the unit. This is described in more details in the detailed description of the invention below.
Automatic Level Measurement, Display and Management –
Automatic Level Measurement – The level of sanitizer present in the device’s container can be measured by various means methods. Commonly available methods include level gauges, load cells, hydrostatic devices, magnetic level gauges, capacitance or magneto restrictive or infrared or ultrasonic or radar level transmitters, and floats.
Our invention uses 2 or more float switches placed within the tank to determine level. “Floats work on simple principle of placing a buoyant object with a specific gravity intermediate between those of the process fluid and the headspace vapor into the tank, then attaching a mechanical device to read out its position. The float sinks to the bottom of the headspace vapor and floats on top of the process fluid.” The process is described in more details in the detailed description of the invention below.
In order to achieve continuous level measurement, which is not possible through float switches, our invention may or may not use infrared distance sensors placed at the top of the storage tank. The process is described in more details in the detailed description of the invention below.
However, our invention is not restricted to using only floats and infrared sensors, and can utilize any of the abovementioned methods used for liquid level measurement. The measured level information can be transmitted wirelessly and also be displayed (as described below) to enable proper monitoring.

Automatic Level Display – The measured sanitizer level can be displayed by means of LEDs or a LED bar (such as a Seed Studio LED Bar), or by OLED or LCD displays with or without speakers, fitted on the device. The same level can be displayed to a remote device such as a computer or mobile phone, by using the wireless connectivity of the device. This is described in more details in the detailed description of the invention below.
Automatic Level Management – The device is capable of automatic filling and drain. Being a smart device, it is programmed to enable automatic filling of the device’s sanitizer tank to another tank (which serves as the filling container) by pipes/tubes. Once a sanitizer volume goes below the predefined level, the filling valves present in the device are opened and the device’s tank start filling. Once the liquid level reaches a pre-defined level, the valve closes and the filling operation is stopped.
The device also has a push button or any other switch (momentary or self-latching) present on it, to be used for filling. This is used to manually activate the filling valve by pressing it ON. Once the valve is open, the operator opens the filling inlet cap and pours the liquid. Once the tank is full, the filling valve closes or may be closed manually by pressing the button OFF. The device may also be installed with an overfill protection drain placed at or above the tank fill position, which will drain excess liquid. The key novelty is the presence of the filling switch and the filling valve in the device.
The device also capable remote continuous dispensing or drain. In presently available devices, there is a valve present at the bottom of the device which opens and closes based on the signal of a sensor, to dispense liquid from the dispensing outlet. This valve in our invention can be controlled remotely and independently from the sensor. The device has a push button or any other switch (momentary or self-latching) present on it, to be used for continuous dispensing/drain. This is used to manually activate the dispensing valve. This can be used to conveniently fill another smaller container by placing it below the dispensing nozzle present on our invention. The key novelty is the presence of the drain switch and drain feature in the device for controlled dispensing without using the sensor used for triggering the dispensing operation.
This is described in more details in the detailed description of the invention below.

Wireless Connectivity – Our invention is a smart hand sanitizer dispenser. Since it is microcontroller controlled, it can be fitted with various functional modules for expanding its functions. Our invention is capable of incorporating any of the popular WiFi chips such as ESP8266, ESP32, Sterling-EWB Embedded, AR9271 etc. This allows our invention to wirelessly send and receive data.
Besides displaying tank sanitizer level and being enabled in voice communication, our invention can be remotely controlled to fill, dispense or continuously dispense, or drain. It can also send out usage data such as no. of times it has dispensed, power on – off time, drain time, volume dispensed and volume filled etc. This data can further be processed either within the device or externally to determine consumption, ordering, for understanding usage pattern in the device’s location, efficacy of the device in driving good hand sanitizing practice etc.
This is described in more details in the detailed description of the invention below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Embodiments of our invention are illustrated by the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 – Front view of our invention showing components 101, 201 & 301
Figure 2 – Isometric view of our invention showing components 202, 203, 204 & 302
Figure 3 – Bottom isometric view of our invention showing components 205, 301
Figure 4 – Back view of our invention (with back cover removed) showing components 102, 206, 207, 303, 304
Figure 5 – Back isometric view of our invention showing components 102, 202, 203, 204, 206, 303, 304
Figure 6 – Back isometric view of our invention showing components 102, 208, 209, 210
Figure 7– Commonly available float switches
Figure 8– Isolated isometric view of components 102, 211

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The following description provides the key concepts of our invention in a simplified form.
Our invention is a Smart, Contactless Hand Sanitizer Dispenser with Automatic Level Measurement, Display and Management, and with Wireless Connectivity.
The term Hand Sanitizer Dispenser refers to a device which when dispenses a pre-defined amount of hand sanitizer to the user upon receiving a pre-defined signal, usually from a sensor. “Hand sanitizer is a liquid, gel, or foam generally used to decrease infectious agents on the hands.”
Hand sanitizer dispensers come in wide range of shapes, sizes and configurations. The dispensing action can be carried out either manually or automatically. With the advent of Covid-19, there has been an increased emphasis on social distancing and non-contact. Also being emphasized is the importance of hygiene and effective hand sanitizing. In short, the present situation has made hand sanitizer dispensers indispensable.
Our invention is a betterment to presently available contactless hand sanitizer dispensers. It aims to eliminate the drawbacks in presently available devices, some of which have been described earlier. It incorporates many novel features which aren’t available in present devices.
The key novel features of our Hand Sanitizer Dispenser are that it is Smart, Contactless, and it features Automatic Level Measurement, Display and Management and Wireless Connectivity.
The key components of our invention as shown in Figures 1-8 are –
No. Name Description/Function
101 Body/Housing The body of the device which contains all the components assembled as per a pre-defined layout. It may be made of wood, plastic or metal.
102 Storage Tank It is the container for the hand sanitizer. It may be made of plastic or metal. It is sealed and has suitable inlets/outlets for filling, dispensing and drain. It also has openings to connect different types of sensors for level measurement. There may also be more than one storage tank with associated systems for dispensing.
201 Indicator/Display LED/LCD/OLED or any type of indicator/display to show the current state/ongoing operation/any other information such as, but not limited to, power ON/OFF, tank level, dispensing ON/OFF, filling ON/OFF, drain ON/OFF, temperature, humidity etc. The indicator/display may also have inbuilt or be connected to speakers/microphone for voice communication. It may be suitably located in the device without affecting its functionality.
202 Power Switch Switch/push button used to turn the unit ON/OFF. It may be suitably located in the device without affecting its functionality.
203 Filling Switch Switch/push button used for filling the device. When pressed (remotely activated), it activates the filling valve directly or via a signal sent to the controller unit. Its function may be remotely controlled. The ON/OFF state of this switch may be displayed on the indicator/display. It may be suitably located in the device without affecting its functionality.
204 Drain Switch Switch/push button for continuous dispensing/draining the device. When pressed (or remotely activated), it activates the dispensing valve directly or via a signal sent to the controller unit. Its function may be remotely controlled. The ON/OFF state of this switch may be displayed on the indicator/display. It may be suitably located in the device without affecting its functionality. It allows for dispensing control without using the dispensing sensor.
205 Dispensing Sensor Infrared, Ultrasonic or any other non-contact sensor to indicate the presence of a hand or any object. This sends a signal to the controller unit, which in turn opens the dispensing valve for a pre-defined amount of time. It may be suitably located in the device without affecting its functionality.
206 Controller Unit A microcontroller-based unit with several inputs/outputs to send and receive signals to/from various components of the device and also from external sources. It contains the microcontroller and modules for wireless connectivity, voltage regulation, input outputs and relays. It can be connected to sensors, motors, pumps, valves etc. and have wireless connectivity. It may be suitably located in the device without affecting its functionality.
207 Power Supply A suitable power supply to power the unit and all its components. It may be a lithium-polymer or any other commonly available battery which can be charged from an external source. It may also indicate an external power supply. It may also be regulated to control the current supplied to the controller unit and other components. It may be suitably located in the device without affecting its functionality.
208, 209, 210 Float Switch A float switch is a type of level sensor, a device used to detect the level of liquid within a tank. Two or more float switches can be used to indicate 3 or more level states. For this embodiment and illustration of our invention, we have installed 3 float switches to measure the liquid level in the tank. It may be suitably installed on the storage tank to indicate different levels.
211 Infrared Sensor An IR sensor placed at the top of the storage tank and used for tank liquid level measurement. An IR distance sensor uses a beam of infrared light to reflect off an object to measure its distance. The distance is calculated using triangulation of the beam of light. The sensor sends out an analog output which is read by the controller and distance is calculated. It may be suitably placed on the tank without affecting its functionality.
301 Dispensing Outlet Outlet to dispense hand sanitizer or any other liquid. It may be a tube, pipe or a nozzle. It is the common outlet of the device and is also used for drain/continuous dispensing operations. It may be suitably located in the device without affecting its functionality.
302 Filling Inlet The inlet used for filling and refilling the device. It may or may not be connected to an external source/tank. When not in use, the inlet is kept closed with a cap or a cover or any device which serves such a function. It is connected to the storage tank via the filling valve through pipes/tubes. It may be suitably located in the device without affecting its functionality.
303 Filling Valve A solenoid valve connected to the filling inlet and the tank via pipes/tubes. It is normally closed type to prevent any unwanted filling or contamination in the storage tank. It can be turned on/off by signals sent from the controller unit or from the filling switch. It may be remotely operated or by a button/switch present on the device. It may be suitably located in the device without affecting its functionality.
304 Dispensing Valve A solenoid valve connected to the dispensing outlet and the tank via pipes/tubes. It is normally closed type to prevent any unwanted drain/dispensing/spillage from the storage tank. It can be turned on/off by signals sent from the controller unit or from the drain switch. It is turned on momentarily for regular dispensing. It can also be kept open for longer durations for continuous dispensing/draining the storage tank. It may be remotely operated or by a button/switch present on the device. It may be suitably located in the device without affecting its functionality.

We have described in more detail, some of the novel features of our invention –
Contactless – our invention takes into consideration the various drawbacks in presently available devices. It seeks to improve on these drawbacks, some of which are vital in the present times. Being a smart device with wireless connectivity, we have made contactless, the two primary functions of the device, i.e. dispensing and filling.
While presently available devices may be controlled by sensors we have utilized as well (205), and may have contactless dispensing, they all require manual touches/interventions to ensure drainage and filling.
There is no provision in presently available device to fill the storage tank (102). The key feature in all these devices is that in order to fill the storage tank (102), one has to open a lid/cover and manually pour liquid in it. There may be markings present indicating the level inside the tank. Once a desired level is reached, the person stops and closes the lid/cover. There is no filling valve (303) present in such devices. There is also no filling switch (203) present in such devices.
We have incorporated in our invention, a filling switch (203) which can be used to activate the filling valve (303). The filling switch may be either pressed on the device (semi-automatic filling) or be operated remotely using the device’s wireless capabilities. The level of liquid in the tank is determined by its automatic level monitoring feature described below, and can also be used to activate filling in the tank. That is, filling can automatically start when the level falls below a pre-defined level. When the filling switch is pressed or remotely activated, a signal is sent to the controller unit (206) which opens the filling valve (303). The device may be connected to another refill container to automatically refill the unit. In the absence of such a container, a user may pour liquid through the filling inlet (302). The device is programmed so that once the desired level in the storage tank (102) is reached, the filling valve (303) closes. The filling inlet may be kept closed to avoid contamination. The device allows both for automatic and semi-automatic filling.
There is no provision in presently available device to drain the remaining liquid present in the storage tank (102). The key feature in all these devices is that the dispensing valve (304) (or any similar valve which serves the same function) is triggered by the dispensing sensor (205) (or any similar sensor which serves the same function). There is no drain switch (204) (or any switch/button which serves the same function) available on these devices. In order to empty the tank or to fill a smaller container from the dispensing outlet, the dispensing sensor has to be manually activated for as long as is necessary. This makes draining/continuous dispensing whenever necessary, a tedious process.
We have incorporated in our invention, a drain switch (204) which can be used to activate the dispensing valve (304). The drain switch may be either pressed on the device (semi-automatic drain) or be operated remotely using the device’s wireless capabilities. This drain/continuous dispensing feature can be used to empty the tank or fill another container. The device allows for automatic or semi-automatic drain.
Automatic Level Monitoring – As described above, there are several methods used for measuring a liquid’s level inside a storage tank. “Magnetic float switch is an electromagnetic ON/OFF switch. It helps to sense the level of water present in the tank. It has a permanent magnet in the float. The Switch is present in the white stem of the sensor. As the float rises or falls with level of water in the tank, the switch gets activated by the magnet in the float, thereby another signal is obtained. These two signals (a signal and the lack of a signal) may be used to indicate two states of the tank, i.e. empty or not empty, full or not full etc. A state of the tank is an indication of the level of liquid present in it. It can indicate a particular height of the liquid, i.e. tank full or empty, or a range, such as tank level high or low. In our invention, we have determined it by interpreting the signals obtained from the float switches.
The formula we have derived for calculating the number of independent states of the storage tank ‘S’ by using ‘n’ number of float switches (an integer) is indicated by the following equation –
S = n + 1
We have used the above principle, and for illustration, we have used 3 float switches (208, 209, 210). The key novelty is that we have used float switches in a hand sanitizer to not just indicate empty or full, but also to enable measurement of the tank’s liquid level by interpreting the signal from the float switches. In this illustration, ‘n’ is 3 and hence, ‘S’ is 4, i.e. 4 independent states of the tank are possible.
We have illustrated our invention with one of several commonly available float switches (Figure 7). The float rests on the base and in this state, it indicates a HIGH or 1. When liquid is filled, the liquid in the tank pushes the float along the cylindrical tube till it reaches the end. Once it moves away from the base, it loses the magnetic contact and indicates a LOW state Now if the liquid goes past this, the float continues to be help by the stopper placed at the end.
The logic used in order to determine level from these float switches is explained below. Let us call the float switches (208, 209, 210) as LS1, LS2 and LS3 respectively. The signal provided by them to the controller unit can be either 1 or 0 (HIGH or LOW or any two states as understood by the controller).
In Figure 6, the configuration of LS1-3 indicates that the tank is full. In such a case, the signal provided by LS1-3 is as follows LS1 = 0; LS 2 = 1; LS 3 = 1. The outputs of LS1-LS3 are linked and constrained by the liquid level in the tank. This means that when LS1=0, LS2 and LS3 are always 1 (or when LS1=1, LS2 and LS3 are always 0). The above logic entirely depends on the configuration of the float switches, but we have found that the number of independent states is always as per the equation stated above. The 4 possible states according to our configuration, and for illustration are shown in Table 1 below –
Tank State LS 1 LS 2 LS 3 Interpretation
A 0 1 1 Tank Full
B 1 1 1 Tank High
C 1 0 1 Tank Low
D 1 0 0 Tank Empty
Table 1
The measurement of tank level depends on the positioning of the float switches, i.e. their distance from the base (or top) of the tank. The switches can be placed at different heights to indicate different tank levels. When LS1 is 0, it could mean that the tank is full. Similarly, when LS3 is 0, it could indicate that the tank is empty etc.
Now the signal given by LS 1-3 is explained here as 1 or 0. It could be any two values which can be defined in the microcontroller’s program. The combination of these three float switches gives 4 independent states of the tank, which can be interpreted to determine tank level. This information can be displayed visually on the indicator/display (201) and used to trigger various smart features which have been described above. It should also be noted that we have only demonstrated this with 3 float switches. It is possible to determine more or less states of the tank using more or less switches respectively.
We have also illustrated another method of tank level measurement using infrared sensors (211). An infrared distance sensor uses a beam of infrared light to reflect off an object in order to measure its distance. The distance is calculated using triangulation of the beam of light between the source, object and receiver. It outputs an analog signal which depends on the position of the object in front of the sensor. The controller can interpret this analog signal to determine the level of liquid in the tank.
Automatic Level Display – The controller is programmed to read the signals from each of the float switches and determine the level of the tank based on it. As mentioned above, for 3 float switches, there are 4 independent states of the tank possible – regardless of the orientation/type of float switch. Hence these 4 pre-defined states are interpreted by the controller and used to display tank level information on the indicator/display.
Automatic Level Management – The state of the tank as interpreted by the controller can be used to automatically fill/drain the tank. The same may also be displayed on the device itself so that it’s user can act upon it, in the absence of automatic filling/draining.
The position of the level switch can be set so that pre-defined levels are determined by the controller unit. For example, LS3 can be set at a height which is equivalent to 10% of the liquid in the tank remaining. When such a state is read by the controller, it may send out a signal to enable automatic filling.
During filling, the same principle can be used. LS1 can be set at a height appropriate to indicate tank full. This signal can in turn be used to stop filling, close the solenoid valve etc.
Wireless Connectivity – The controller unit (206) may contain a wireless (implying WiFi, NFC, Bluetooth, GSM or any such technology available) module for communication with external devices. Our invention is capable of incorporating any of the popular chips such as ESP8266, ESP32, Sterling-EWB Embedded, AR9271 etc. The key feature is that it can send and receive event-based (such as dispensing valve turned ON/OFF, drain switch ON/OFF, number of times dispensed, tank level information) or time-based (such as cumulative usage daily report, usage per hour etc.) data as programmed in the microcontroller. Such data, which is generated by the device itself, can be interpreted in various ways. The user may be able to determine the usage and consumption and plan accordingly. One may also be able to determine peak usage times and predict frequency of refilling etc.
This device may also have built in storage memory so that all collected information can be stored and later uploaded to another device using available connectivity and communication methods. The device, owing to the commonly available wireless chips, can also communicate via a mobile phone app and send notifications, directly or via a server.
The wireless connectivity of the device can also be used to upload new versions of the program being run by the microcontroller. It can also be used to trigger automatic Power ON/OFF, filling and drain or any operation built into the device which may or may not be controllable from the device itself.
The wireless connectivity of the device can also be used to promote good hand sanitizing practice. The device can also be configured so that only registered users may be able to utilize the drain feature to refill sanitizers. It may also be used to limit some functions of the device so that it may be used only by authorized personnel.
The wireless connectivity is also capable of sending data from any sensors which may be attached to the controller later. For example, it may be capable of sending ambient/individual temperature, humidity etc.
The device can also function as a part of a larger system of devices installed at specific locations or by specific organizations. In such a case, the whole system of devices can be operated in a similar manner as one device. Also, in such a case, the data collected from each of these devices may be used independently or collated together for further processing.