Faucet including capacitive sensors for hands free fluid flow control
First Claim
1. A faucet comprising:
- a spout;
a passageway that conducts water flow through the spout;
an electrically operable valve disposed within the passageway and having an opened position, in which water is free to flow through the passageway, and a closed position, in which the passageway is blocked;
a first capacitive sensor having a first detection field that generates a first output signal upon detection of a user'"'"'s hands in the first detection field;
a second capacitive sensor having a second detection field that generates a second output signal upon detection of a user'"'"'s hands in the second detection field;
an overlapping detection field defined by an overlap of the first detection field and the second detection field;
an activation field defined by the first detection field less the overlapping detection field;
an inhibit field defined by the second detection field including the overlapping detection field; and
a controller coupled to the first and second capacitive sensors and the electrically operable valve, the controller being programmed to actuate the electrically operable valve in response to detecting the user'"'"'s hands in the activation field, and the controller being programmed to inhibit operation of the electrically operable valve in response to detecting the user'"'"'s hands in the inhibit field.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A faucet comprises a spout, a passageway that conducts water flow through the spout, and an electrically operable valve disposed within the passageway. A first capacitive sensor has a first detection field that generates a first output signal upon detection of a user'"'"'s hands in the first detection field, and a second capacitive sensor has a second detection field that generates a second output signal upon detection of a user'"'"'s hands in the second detection field. A controller is coupled to the first and second capacitive sensors and the electrically operable valve. The controller is programmed to actuate the electrically operable valve in response to detecting the user'"'"'s hands in the first detection field and not in the second detection field for a predetermined period of time surrounding the detection of the user'"'"'s hands in the first detection field.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A faucet comprising:
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a spout; a passageway that conducts water flow through the spout; an electrically operable valve disposed within the passageway and having an opened position, in which water is free to flow through the passageway, and a closed position, in which the passageway is blocked; a first capacitive sensor having a first detection field that generates a first output signal upon detection of a user'"'"'s hands in the first detection field; a second capacitive sensor having a second detection field that generates a second output signal upon detection of a user'"'"'s hands in the second detection field; an overlapping detection field defined by an overlap of the first detection field and the second detection field; an activation field defined by the first detection field less the overlapping detection field; an inhibit field defined by the second detection field including the overlapping detection field; and a controller coupled to the first and second capacitive sensors and the electrically operable valve, the controller being programmed to actuate the electrically operable valve in response to detecting the user'"'"'s hands in the activation field, and the controller being programmed to inhibit operation of the electrically operable valve in response to detecting the user'"'"'s hands in the inhibit field. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A faucet comprising:
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a spout; a passageway that conducts water flow through the spout; an electrically operable valve disposed within the passageway and having an opened position, in which water is free to flow through the passageway, and a closed position, in which the passageway is blocked; a first capacitive sensor having a first detection field that generates a first output signal upon detection of a user'"'"'s hands in the first detection field; a second capacitive sensor having a second detection field that generates a second output signal upon detection of a user'"'"'s hands in the second detection field; a controller coupled to the first and second capacitive sensors and the electrically operable valve, the controller being programmed to actuate the electrically operable valve in response to detecting the user'"'"'s hands in the first detection field but not in the second detection field; and wherein the controller inhibits the electrically operable valve from moving to the opened position when the user'"'"'s hands are detected within the first detection field and the second detection field. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A faucet comprising:
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a spout; a passageway that conducts water flow through the spout; an electrically operable valve disposed within the passageway and having an opened position, in which water is free to flow through the passageway, and a closed position, in which the passageway is blocked; a first capacitive sensor having a first detection field that generates a first output signal upon detection of a user'"'"'s hands in the first detection field; a second capacitive sensor having a second detection field that generates a second output signal upon detection of a user'"'"'s hands in the second detection field; a controller coupled to the first and second capacitive sensors and the electrically operable valve, the controller being programmed to actuate the electrically operable valve in response to detecting the user'"'"'s hands in the first detection field but not in the second detection field; and wherein the controller inhibits the electrically operable valve from moving to the opened position when the user'"'"'s hands are detected within the second detection field within a predetermined time surrounding the detection of the user'"'"'s hands in the first detection field. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of actuating a faucet comprising:
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monitoring a first capacitive sensor having a first detection field that generates a first output signal upon detection of a user'"'"'s hands in the first detection field; monitoring a second capacitive sensor having a second detection field that generates a second output signal upon detection of a user'"'"'s hands in the second detection field; toggling an electrically operable valve within the faucet between an opened position, in which water is free to flow through the faucet, and a closed position, in which the faucet is blocked and water flow through the faucet is inhibited, upon receipt of the first output signal but not the second output signal; inhibiting the first output signal from the first capacitive signal when the second output signal is generated from the second capacitive sensor; and returning to the monitoring the first capacitive sensor. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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Specification