Touch Free Hygienic Display Control Panel For A Smart Toilet

• US 20150000025A1
• Filed: 06/26/2013
• Published: 01/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sigmund Lindsay Clements
• Original Assignee: Sigmund Lindsay Clements
• Inventors: clements, sigmund lindsay
• Granted Patent: US 9,594,500 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 4/443
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/057 touchless, i.e. using sensors
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 9/08 Devices in the bowl producing upwardly-directed sprays; Modifications of the bowl for use with such devices showers A47K3/28; bathing devices for special therapeutic or hygienic purposes A61H33/00, for specific parts of the body A61H35/00 ; Bidets; Combinations of bowls with urinals or bidets; Hot-air or other devices mounted in or on the bowl, urinal or bidet for cleaning or disinfecting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/168 Feature extraction; Face representation

Abstract

A touch free toilet control panel display which may be used, for activating various components of a smart toilet. The user may touch freely use a touch free input device, for choosing from a displayed menu of toilet functions. Various input devices may used to activate the displayed toilet devices, such as, a floating capacitive field (404) to detect a user'"'"'s fingers hovering above the displayed menu options (406), body movement recognition used to control the movement of a displayed cursor, an eye tracking system (604), that uses the user'"'"'s gaze point (610), tongue recognition, etc. Touch free activation of the menu functions, reduces the transmission of bacteria from the menu panel to the user, and may also ease the use of the toilet devices. The display menu may show toilet devices, such as, a bidet, bidet water temperature, internet connection, etc. Other embodiments are described and shown.

Claims

1. A toilet control panel display, comprising:

(a) a plurality of toilet device'"'"'s functions displayed on a display, for allowing a user to choose a toilet device function from the plurality of displayed toilet device functions,

(b) the display connected to a computer,

(c) a touch free user input device operably connected to the computer, for allowing the user to touch freely activate a displayed toilet device function from the plurality of displayed toilet devices functions, for sending a touch free user device activation input to the computer,

(d) the computer connected to the toilet devices, for sending toilet device operating instructions to a toilet device,

(e) a toilet connected to the toilet devices,

whereby the user may touch freely operate a toilet device.

2. The toilet control panel display of claim 1

wherein the touch free user input device means, comprises, a touch free user device input hardware and a touch free user device input software,

for inputting the user'"'"'s chosen toilet device function,

and wherein the toilet device is a bidet,

and wherein the computer connected to the toilet devices comprises the computer connected to a motor controller, for sending instructions from the computer to the motor controller, for the motor controller to supply a voltage or discontinue supplying the voltage to the toilet device,

and wherein the computer comprises, a computer having a memory for a storage of toilet device operating functions and a software,

for converting the user'"'"'s input into information that is associable with toilet device functions,

for associating the user'"'"'s chosen toilet functions with instructions for operating the chosen toilet device

and wherein the display is a output device for the presentation of information in a visual form.

3. The control panel of claim 1 wherein the touch free user input device is a touch free floating capacitive field positioned over a display screen system, comprising, a user interactive capacitive field software, and a user interactive capacitive field hardware,

for inputting the user'"'"'s chosen toilet device function using their body parts above the screen,

and wherein the toilet device is a bidet.

4. The toilet control panel display of claim 1 wherein the touch free user input device is a eye tracking system, comprising eye tracking hardware and eye tracking software,

for allowing the user to touch freely use their eyes to input toilet device functions.

5. The control panel of claim 1 wherein the touch free input is a three dimensional hand recognition device, comprising three dimensional hand recognition hardware and three dimensional hand recognition software,

for inputting the user'"'"'s chosen toilet device function using their hand.

6. A hygienic control panel display for operating a toilet'"'"'s devices, comprising,

(a) a computer means for processing information,

(b) a memory storage means for storing information on a storage medium,

(c) a display means connected to the computer means, for allowing he computer to display a plurality of toilet device functions, for allowing a user to choose displayed toilet devices functions,

(d) a touch free user device input means, comprising, a touch free user device input hardware means and a touch free user device input software means, connected to the computer means,

for allowing the user to touch freely input their chosen toilet device to the computer,

(e) a first means for the user'"'"'s chosen device input to be processed,

(f) a second means for activating a chosen toilet device,

(g) a third means for connecting the plurality of toilet devices to the computer,

(h) a toilet device means connected to the computer means, for the computer means to operate the toilet device means,

(i) a toilet means connected to the plurality toilet devices means

whereby the user may touch freely operate the toilet devices.

7. The control panel of claim 6 wherein the touch free user input device means is a eye tracking system, comprising eye tracking hardware and eye tracking software,

for inputting the user'"'"'s chosen toilet device function using their eyes to choose toilet menu options,

and wherein the toilet device means is a bidet water pressuriser means,

8. The control panel of claim 6 wherein the touch free user input device means is a touch free floating capacitive field positioned over a display screen system means, comprising, a user interactive capacitive field software means and a user interactive capacitive field hardware means,

for inputting the user'"'"'s chosen toilet device function using their body parts above the screen,

and wherein the toilet device means is a bidet means.

9. The control panel of claim 6 wherein the touch free user input device means is a voice recognition system means, comprising voice recognition hardware means and voice recognition software means,

for inputting the user'"'"'s chosen toilet device function using their voice,

and wherein the toilet device means is a bidet means,

and wherein the plurality of toilet devices means may comprise, a bidet, a bidet water pressuriser means,

and wherein connecting the plurality of toilet devices to the computer comprises, the computer means connected to a motor controller means,

for sending instructions from the computer to the motor controller,

for supplying a voltage or discontinuing the supplying of a voltage from the motor controller to the toilet device,

for supplying the voltage or discontinuing the supplying of the voltage from the motor controller to the plurality of toilet devices,

and wherein the display is and output device for the presentation of information in a visual form.

10. The control panel of claim 6 wherein the touch free user input device means is a displayed avatar controlled by a user'"'"'s body movement system means, comprising body movement recognition hardware means and body movement controlled avatar software means

for inputting the user'"'"'s chosen toilet device function, using body movements.

11. The control panel of claim 6 wherein the touch free user input device means is a touch free user device input hardware and a touch free user device input software,

for inputting the user'"'"'s chosen toilet device function, and wherein the toilet device is a bidet.

12. The control panel of claim 6 wherein the touch free user input device means is a is body gestures recognition system means comprising body gestures recognition hardware means and body gestures recognition software means,

for allowing the user to touch freely for input the user'"'"'s chosen toilet device function using body part gestures,

13. The control panel of claim 6 wherein the touch free user input device means is a touch free user interactive projected display projected onto a surface system means, comprising a projector means and a touch free interactive projection means, projected on to a surface from the projector means,

for allowing the user to use their body parts interacting with a projection on a surface, to touch freely input the user'"'"'s chosen toilet device function,

and wherein the display means is a projection means.

14. The control panel of claim 6 wherein the touch free user input device means is a touch free user thought controlled headset system means,

for a user to use their thoughts to touch freely input the user'"'"'s chosen toilet device function,

and wherein the toilet device is a levitating user toilet seat for the touch free levitation of a user above the toilet.

15. The control panel of claim 6 wherein the touch free user input device means is a touch free holographic projection display means,

for allowing a user to touch freely chose holographic displayed toilet device function images floating in space,

and wherein the toilet device means is a bidet,

and wherein the display means is a holographic projection means.

16. A method for operating a toilet control panel display, comprising:

(a) providing a computer which can receive a user'"'"'s touch free input, which can process information,

(b) providing a touch free user input device, comprising a touch free user device input hardware and a touch free user device input software, connecting to the computer, for allowing the user to touch freely input their chosen toilet device function in to the computer, for sending touch free user input to the computer,

(c) providing a touch free user input software which is programmed into the computer, for making the user'"'"'s toilet device activation input associable with stored toilet device operation information,

(f) providing a memory which is connected to said computer, for storing a plurality of toilet device functions and for storing a plurality of toilet device function operating instructions,

(d) providing a display which is connected to the computer for displaying a plurality of toilet device functions stored in the memory,

(e) providing a plurality of displayed toilet device functions which are displayed on the display, for allowing a user to choose a toilet device function from the plurality of displayed toilet device functions,

(g) inputting of a toilet device function operation request by the user into the touch free user input

(h) receiving the user'"'"'s input request of a touch free device function operation, by the computer,

(i) associating the user'"'"'s input request with a toilet device function operation instructions, by the computer,

(j) activating the instructions associated with the toilet device function operation,

(k) providing a plurality of toilet devices which are connected to the computer, for instructing the operations of the toilet devices,

(l) instructing the operation of the toilet device,

(m) operating the toilet device,

(n) providing a toilet which is connected to the toilet devices,

whereby a user may touch freely operate a toilet device.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein providing a touch free user input device is a eye tracking system, comprising eye tracking hardware and eye tracking software,

for allowing the user to touch freely use their eyes to input toilet device functions,

and wherein the toilet device is a bidet water pressuriser.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein providing a touch free user input device is a touch free floating capacitive field positioned over a display screen system, comprising, a user interactive capacitive field software,

and a user interactive capacitive field hardware, for allowing the user to touch freely chose toilet device functions using their body parts or input devices above the screen,

and wherein the toilet device is a bidet.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein providing a touch free user input device is a displayed avatar controlled by a user'"'"'s body movement system, comprising body movement recognition hardware and body movement controlled avatar software,

for allowing the user to touch freely activate displayed toilet device functions using body movements.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein providing a touch free user input device is a three dimensional hand recognition device, comprising three dimensional hand recognition hardware and three dimensional hand recognition software,

for allowing the user to touch freely input chosen displayed toilet device function using their body part gestures,

and wherein the computer may be a computer, comprising, a computer and a memory,

and wherein the plurality of toilet devices may comprise a bidet water aerator, a bidet water pressuriser,

and further providing instructing the operation of the plurality the toilet devices by the computer

and wherein the device comprises the device and a connection to a motor controller

and wherein the plurality of devices comprises the plurality of devices and a connection to a motor controller.

and further including providing a automatic bidet connected to the computer, comprising a camera and user gender identifying software,

for determining the user'"'"'s gender,

for determining whether the user'"'"'s evacuation is from the bladder or the bowel,

for determining when a user has started evacuating their body,

for determining when a user has stopped evacuating their body

for sending the user information to the computer.