Method of automatic standardized calibration for infrared sensing device

• US 6,770,869 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2003
• Issued: 08/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Chicago Faucet Company (Geberit Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: The Chicago Faucet Company (Geberit Holding AG)
• Inventors: Patterson, Wade C., Watson, Thomas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): GAGLIARDI, ALBERT J
• Application Number:
  US10/650,156
• Publication Number:
  US 20040069941A1
• Time in Patent Office: 341 Days
• Field of Search: 250/252.1, 250/341.5, 250/221, 462/3, 251/129.01
• US Class Current: 250/252.1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/00 Programme-control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/025 wherein the volume is determined during delivery
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/06 with selective dispensing of different fluids or materials or mixtures thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/42 Transmitting or receiving remote control signals via a network
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/07 Arrangements for monitoring or testing transmission systems; Arrangements for fault measurement of transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/114 Indoor or close-range type systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1143 Bidirectional transmission

Abstract

A method for calibrating automatic infrared sensing devices having control modules, an IR detector, and an IR emitter by using a select infrared emitter/detector pair to calibrate a plurality of control modules wherein an appropriate infrared emitter input value to the select infrared emitter is obtained to provide a given output from the select infrared detector in response to infrared radiation reflected from a known test object, and the appropriate infrared emitter input value is then determined and stored permanently in one or more control modules as a calibration standard.

Claims

1. A method for calibrating infrared sensing devices, comprising:

emitting infrared radiation via an infrared emitter;

detecting the emitted infrared radiation via an infrared detector;

determining, based on the detecting, an infrared emitter input value for causing the emitter to output infrared radiation such that the detector detects infrared radiation within a specified range; and

calibrating multiple control modules based on the infrared emitter input value.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling each of the control modules to control a faucet.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the control modules is associated with a different infrared emitter/detector pair.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the calibrating enables each of the control modules to control an infrared emitter of the associated infrared emitter/detector pair such that an infrared detector of the associated infrared emitter/detector pair detects infrared radiation within the specitied range when the infrared emitter of the associated infrared emitter/detecter pair emits infrared radiation based on the emitter input value.