Passive sensors for automatic faucets and bathroom flushers
First Claim
1. A system including optical sensor for controlling a flow valve of an electronic faucet or bathroom flusher, comprising an optical element located at an optical input port and arranged to partially define a detection field having a selected size and orientation that eliminate invalid targets;
- a light detector optically coupled to said optical element and said input port, said light detector being constructed to detect ambient light; and
a control circuit for controlling opening and closing of said flow valve, said control circuit being constructed to receive signal from said light detector corresponding to the detected ambient light and to control said opening and closing by executing a detection algorithm employing detection of increases and decreases of said ambient light due to the presence of a user within said detection field for several time intervals.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is directed to novel optical sensors and novel methods for sensing optical radiation. The novel optical sensors and the novel optical sensing methods are used, for example, for controlling the operation of automatic faucets and flushers. The novel sensors and flow controllers (including control electronics and valves) require only small amounts of electrical power for sensing users of bathroom facilities, and thus enable battery operation for many years. A passive optical sensor includes a light detector sensitive to ambient (room) light for controlling the operation of automatic faucets or automatic bathroom flushers.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. A system including optical sensor for controlling a flow valve of an electronic faucet or bathroom flusher, comprising
an optical element located at an optical input port and arranged to partially define a detection field having a selected size and orientation that eliminate invalid targets; -
a light detector optically coupled to said optical element and said input port, said light detector being constructed to detect ambient light; and
a control circuit for controlling opening and closing of said flow valve, said control circuit being constructed to receive signal from said light detector corresponding to the detected ambient light and to control said opening and closing by executing a detection algorithm employing detection of increases and decreases of said ambient light due to the presence of a user within said detection field for several time intervals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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14. A method of controlling a flow valve of an electronic faucet or bathroom flusher using an optical sensor, comprising
providing an optical element located at an optical input port and arranged to partially define a detection field having a selected size and orientation that eliminate invalid targets; -
providing a light detector optically coupled to said optical element and said input port, detecting ambient light arriving at said light detector;
providing a signal corresponding to said detected light from said light detector to a control circuit; and
controlling opening and closing of said flow valve using said control circuit and said signal corresponding to the detected ambient light, said controlling including executing a detection algorithm employing detection of increases and decreases of said ambient light due to the presence of a user within said detection field for several time intervals. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A sensor-based faucet system, comprising:
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a faucet body including a water conduit having at least one inlet for receiving water and at least one outlet for providing water;
an optical sensor for generating sensor output signals corresponding to detected ambient light provided to an electronic control circuit; and
a main valve controlled by an actuator constructed to receive control signals from said electronic control circuit for switching between an open state of said valve and a closed state of said valve;
said open state permitting water flow, and said closed state of said valve preventing water flow from said outlet. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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23. (canceled)
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24. A sensor-based automatic flusher system, comprising:
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a flusher body including a water conduit having at least one inlet for receiving water and at least one outlet for providing water to a toilet of a urinal;
an optical sensor constructed and arranged to generate sensor output signals corresponding to detected ambient light;
a control circuit arranged to control operation of said optical sensor, and a main valve controlled by an actuator receiving control signals from said control circuit for switching between an open state of said valve and a closed state of said valve;
said open state permitting water flow, and a closed state of said valve preventing fluid flow from said outlet.
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25-26. -26. (canceled)
Specification