Capacitive sensing electronic faucet including differential measurements

• US 8,973,612 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2012
• Issued: 03/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Delta Faucet Company (Masco Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Masco Corporation Of Indiana (Masco Corporation)
• Inventors: Sawaski, Joel D., Devries, Adam M., Rodenbeck, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): JELLETT, MATTHEW WILLIAM
• Application Number:
  US13/495,525
• Publication Number:
  US 20120318364A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,000 Days
• Field of Search: 137/801, 251/129.04, 462/3
• US Class Current: 137/801
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/055 Electrical control devices, e.g. with push buttons, control panels or the like
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0318 Processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/9464 Faucets and spouts

Abstract

A fluid delivery device including an electronic faucet having a plurality of faucet components, and a primary capacitive sensor coupled to at least one of the faucet components and providing a primary output signal. At least one secondary capacitive sensor is located on or near an item which causes unintended effects on the output signal from the primary capacitive sensor and provides a secondary output signal. A controller determines a difference signal between the primary and secondary output signals of the primary and secondary capacitive sensors to control operation of the electronic faucet.

Claims

1. A fluid delivery device comprising:

an electronic faucet having a plurality of faucet components, the plurality of faucet components including a spout and a manual valve handle to control a manual valve;

a primary capacitive sensor coupled to at least one of the faucet components of the electronic faucet to sense a user touching or in proximity to the faucet component, the primary capacitive sensor providing a primary output signal;

at least one secondary capacitive sensor located on or near an item which causes unintended effects on the primary output signal from the primary capacitive sensor, each said at least one secondary capacitive sensor providing a secondary output signal; and

a controller coupled to the primary and secondary capacitive sensors, the controller determining a difference signal between the primary and secondary output signals of the primary and secondary capacitive sensors, the difference signal being used by the controller to detect when a user touches or is in proximity to the faucet component;

wherein the electronic faucet is configured to dispense water into a metal sink basin, the at least one secondary sensor is at least one of a metal plate or electrode located near or coupled to the metal sink basin.

2. The fluid delivery device of claim 1, wherein a first primary capacitive sensor is coupled to the spout to provide a first primary output signal, and a second primary capacitive sensor is located on the manual valve handle to provide a second primary output signal, the controller determining which of the manual valve handle and the spout is touched by a user based on at least one difference signal between the first and second primary output signals.

3. The fluid delivery device of claim 1, wherein the faucet components of the electronic faucet includes a faucet body hub, the manual valve handle being electrically coupled to the faucet body hub, and a spout coupled to the faucet body hub by an insulator so that the spout is electrically isolated from the faucet body hub, and wherein the primary capacitive sensor is coupled to one of the faucet body hub and the manual valve handle, the controller determined which of the manual valve handle and the spout is touched by a user based on the difference signal.

4. The fluid delivery device of claim 1, wherein the at least one secondary capacitive sensor comprises at least one of a sensor coupled to a sense wire from the primary capacitive sensor, a sensor coupled to a drain to sense fluid going down the drain, a sensor coupled to a garbage disposal, and a sensor coupled to a fluid supply line.

5. The fluid delivery device of claim 1, wherein the at least one secondary sensor is coupled to water-carrying equipment located below a sink deck, or to metal equipment connected to water and located below the sink deck.

6. The fluid delivery device of claim 1, wherein the at least one secondary sensor is used as an antenna to reduce EMI or ESD false activations.

7. A fluid delivery device comprising:

an electronic faucet including a spout, a manual valve handle to control a manual valve, and an electrically operable valve to control water flow through the spout;

a primary capacitive sensor coupled to the spout, the primary capacitive sensor providing a primary output signal in response to a user input to the spout;

a secondary capacitive sensor coupled to a secondary component which causes unintended effects on the primary output signal from the primary capacitive sensor, the secondary capacitive sensor providing a secondary output signal in response to user input to the secondary component; and

a controller coupled to the primary and secondary capacitive sensors, the controller determining a difference signal between the primary and secondary output signals of the primary and secondary capacitive sensors, the difference signal being used by the controller to control operation of the electrically operable valve;

wherein the spout of the electronic faucet is configured to dispense water into a metal sink basin, and the secondary sensor is at least one of a metal plate or an electrode located near or coupled to the metal sink basin.

8. The fluid delivery device of claim 7, wherein the user input to the primary capacitive sensor comprises a user touching or being in proximity to the faucet component, and the user input to the secondary component comprises a user touching or being in proximity to the secondary component.

9. The fluid delivery device of claim 7, wherein a first primary capacitive sensor is coupled to the spout to provide a first primary output signal, and a second primary capacitive sensor is located on the manual valve handle to provide a second primary output signal, the controller determining which of the manual valve handle and the spout is touched by a user based on at least one difference signal between the first and second primary output signals.

10. The fluid delivery device of claim 7, wherein the secondary capacitive sensor comprises at least one of a sensor coupled to a sense wire from the primary capacitive sensor, a sensor coupled to a drain to sense fluid going down the drain, a sensor coupled to a garbage disposal, and a sensor coupled to a fluid supply line.

11. The fluid delivery device of claim 7, wherein the secondary capacitive sensor is coupled to water-carrying equipment located below a sink deck, or to metal equipment connected to water and located below the sink deck.

12. The fluid delivery device of claim 7, wherein the secondary capacitive sensor is used as an antenna to reduce EMI or ESD false activations.

13. A method of controlling an electronic faucet, the method comprising the steps of:

capacitively sensing a user touching or in proximity to a plurality of faucet components including a spout and manual valve handle controlling a manual valve, at least one of said plurality of faucet components providing a primary output signal in response thereto;

capacitively sensing input from an item which causes unintended effects on the primary output signal and providing a secondary output signal in response thereto;

determining a signal difference between the primary and secondary output signals to detect when a user touches or is proximity to at least one of the plurality of faucet components; and

dispensing water into a metal sink basin, wherein the secondary output signal is provided by a capacitive sensor coupled to the metal sink basin.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of activating an electrically operable valve after detecting that a user touches or is in proximity to at least one of the plurality of faucet components.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the primary output signal is provided by a primary capacitive sensor coupled to at least one of the plurality of faucet components, and the secondary output signal is provided by a secondary capacitive sensor coupled to at least one of a sense wire from the primary capacitive sensor, a sensor coupled to a drain to sense fluid going down the drain, a sensor coupled to a garbage disposal, and a sensor coupled to a fluid supply line.