Passive sensors and control algorithms for faucets and bathroom flushers

• US 20070057215A1
• Filed: 06/02/2006
• Published: 03/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fatih Guler, Haiou Wu, Kay Herbert, Natan Parsons, Xiaoxiong Mo, Yue Zhang
• Original Assignee: Fatih Guler, Haiou Wu, Kay Herbert, Natan Parsons, Xiaoxiong Mo, Yue Zhang
• Inventors: Zhang, Yue, Mo, Xiaoxiong, Herbert, Kay, Guler, Fatih, Wu, Haiou, Parsons, Natan
• Granted Patent: US 7,921,480 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 251/129.40
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/05 Arrangements of devices on wash-basins, baths, sinks, or the like for remote control of taps remote control of taps or the like per se F16K
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/057 touchless, i.e. using sensors
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 3/02 Self-closing flushing valves self-closing valves in general F16K21/04
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 5/105 touchless, e.g. using sensors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86389 Programmer or timer

Abstract

An optical system includes one or several passive optical detectors sensitive to ambient (room) light for controlling, for example, the operation of automatic faucets or automatic bathroom flushers. The passive optical sensors provide signals to flow controllers, including control electronics and flow valves and require only very small amounts of electrical power for sensing users of bathroom facilities, and thus enable battery operation for many years. To control the operation of automatic faucets or automatic bathroom flushers based on ambient light, the controller executes novel algorithms.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a valve of an electronic faucet or bathroom flusher, comprising:

a first light detector optically coupled to a first input port and constructed to detect ambient light arriving to said first detector from a first field of view;

a second light detector optically coupled to a second input port and constructed to detect ambient light arriving to said second detector from a second field of view;

a control circuit for controlling opening and closing of a flow valve, said control circuit being constructed to receive first data from said first light detector corresponding to the detected ambient light from said first field of view, and to receive second data from said second light detector corresponding to the detected ambient light from said second field of view, said control circuit being constructed to determine each said opening and closing of said flow valve based on a background level of said ambient light and a light level caused by a user.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said control circuit is further constructed to control said opening and closing by executing a detection algorithm employing detection of increase and decrease of said ambient light due to the presence of a user within at least one of said fields of view.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said detection algorithm processes detection of said increase of ambient light in said fields of view due to the presence of the user.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein said detection algorithm processes detection of said decrease of ambient light in said fields of view due to the presence of the user.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein said detection algorithm processes detection of said increase of ambient light in one of said fields of view and detection of said decrease of ambient light in the other of said fields of view due to the presence of the user.

6. The system of claim 1 further including an optical element located at one of said input ports associated with one of said light detectors, said optical element being arranged to partially define said field of view of said light detector.

7. The system of claim 1 further including two optical elements located at said input ports associated with said light detectors, said optical elements being arranged to partially define said field of view of said light detector.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein said optical element includes an optical fiber.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein said optical element includes a lens.

10. The system of claim 6 wherein said optical element includes a pinhole.

11. The system of claim 6 wherein said optical element includes a slit.

12. The system of claim 6 wherein said optical element includes a mirror.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said light detector is constructed to detect light in the range of 400 to 1000 nanometers.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein said control circuit is constructed to sample periodically said detector based on the amount of previously detected light.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein said control circuit is constructed to open and close said flow valve based on first detecting arrival of a user and then detecting departure of said user.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein said control circuit is constructed to open and close said flow valve based on detecting presence of a user.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein said flow valve is included in an electronic faucet system.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein said flow valve is included in a bathroom flusher system.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein said light detector includes a photodiode.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein said light detector includes a photoresistor.

21. The system of claim 6 wherein said optical element and said optical input port are constructed so that said light detector receives light in the range of 1 lux to 1000 lux.

22. A system for controlling a valve of an electronic faucet or bathroom flusher, comprising

a light detector optically coupled to an input port and constructed to detect ambient light arriving to said detector from a field of view;

and

a control circuit for controlling opening and closing of a flow valve, said control circuit being constructed to receive signal from said light detector corresponding to the detected ambient light and to determine each said opening and closing of said flow valve based on detected levels of said ambient light measured over several time intervals, said control circuit being further constructed to control said opening and closing by executing a detection algorithm employing detection of increase and decrease of said ambient light due to the presence of a user within said field of view.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein said detection algorithm includes determining a transition from background data to target data.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein said determination is performed by differentiating optical data from said light detector.

25. The system of claim 23 wherein said determination is performed using a stochastic algorithm on optical data from said light detector.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein said stochastic algorithm includes Kalman filter.

27. The system of claim 23 wherein said determination is performed using a predictive algorithm on optical data from said light detector.

28. The system of claim 23 wherein said predictive algorithm includes Jacobi algorithm.

29. A method of controlling a 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;

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 a flow valve using said control circuit and said signal corresponding to the detected light.

30. The method of controlling a valve according to claim 29 including periodically sampling said light detector using said control circuit.

31. The method of controlling a valve according to claim 29 including determining by said control circuit said opening and closing of said flow valve based on a background level of said ambient light and a present level of said ambient light.

32. The method of controlling a valve according to claim 29 wherein said control circuit is constructed to constructed to perform said periodic sampling of said detector based on the amount of the amount of light previously detected.

33. The method of controlling a valve according to claim 29 wherein said control circuit is constructed to adjust a sample period based on the detected amount of light after determining whether a facility is in use.

34-40. -40. (canceled)