Smart urinals and methods of making and using same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10604924-B2
Application number	US-201615378005-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2016
Priority date	Dec 13, 2016
Publication date	Mar 31, 2020
Grant date	Mar 31, 2020

Abstract

A urinal includes a body having an interior portion and an exterior portion. The urinal has an analysis portal having a sensing part and an investigating part communicatively coupled to the sensing part. The sensing part has a display and at least one sensor. The investigating part is configured to authenticate a user when the user is proximate the body. The sensing part is configured to directly receive urine voided by a user.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A urinal comprising:
a body having an interior portion and an exterior portion; said interior portion including a drain opening and a back wall having an opening extending therethrough; said interior portion being configured to receive a fluid and direct said fluid to said drain opening; and
a modular analysis portal comprising a sensing part housing and an investigating part housing removably coupled thereto; said sensing part housing including a plurality of sensors and an electronic target display showing a target indicia; said investigating part housing comprising a computing device in data communication with said electronic target display and said plurality of sensors;
wherein:
said modular analysis portal is situated within said opening in said back wall such that: (a) said sensing part housing is in front of said back wall to allow an upper surface of said sensing part housing to directly receive urine voided by a user; and (b) said investigating part housing is rearwardly adjacent said back wall; and
said target indicia dynamically changes in response to contact with a user's voided urine.

2. The urinal of claim 1 , further comprising a primary display;
wherein, said sensing part housing is shaped as a triangular prism, and said investigative part housing is shaped as a rectangular cuboid.

3. The urinal of claim 2 , wherein said primary display is situated within the interior portion.

4. The urinal of claim 3 , wherein said computing device is configured to wirelessly communicate with a mobile device of said user.

5. The urinal of claim 4 , wherein said computing device includes an authenticator; said authenticator authenticating said user when said user is proximate said body.

6. The urinal of claim 5 , wherein said computing device authenticates said user based upon a communication with said mobile device.

7. The urinal of claim 4 , wherein said analysis portal is further configured to wirelessly communicate with a computer associated with an establishment housing the urinal.

8. The urinal of claim 6 , wherein at least one of said electronic target display and said primary display displays personalized content upon said authentication.

9. The urinal of claim 8 , wherein the computing device includes an alert generator; said alert generator communicating an alert to said user in response to an evaluation of at least one characteristic of said urine.

10. The urinal of claim 6 , wherein the computing device contains instructions causing a rewards appraiser to communicate a barcode to said mobile device, said instructions being stored on non-transitory computer memory.

11. The urinal of claim 10 , wherein said barcode is a QR code associated with an item carried by an establishment housing the urinal; said QR code allowing said user to redeem said item at said establishment.

12. A urinal, comprising:
a body having an interior portion and an exterior portion; said interior portion including a drain opening and a back wall having an opening extending therethrough; said interior portion being configured to receive a fluid and direct said fluid to said drain opening; and
a modular analysis portal having an electronic target display, said analysis portal being situated within said back wall opening such that a part of the analysis portal is in front of the back wall and another part of the analysis portal is rearwardly adjacent the back wall; said analysis portal configured to select a computing device and wirelessly communicate with said computing device in response to a determination of at least one characteristic of urine voided by a user on said modular analysis portal;
wherein:
said electronic target display is situated within said interior portion and is configured to display a target indicia;
said target indicia is configured to direct a user to void the user's urine on said electronic target display; and
said target indicia dynamically changes in response to contact with a user's voided urine.

13. The urinal of claim 12 , wherein said computing device is a mobile device associated with said user.

14. The urinal of claim 12 , wherein said computing device is associated with an establishment within which the urinal is located.

15. The urinal of claim 12 , wherein said electronic target display is configured to display said target indicia when said user is proximate said body.

16. The urinal of claim 12 , wherein the modular analysis portal comprises a sensing part having a sensing part housing and an investigating part having an investigating part housing; said sensing part housing being coupled to said investigating part housing such that a junction therebetween is watertight.

17. A urinal, comprising:
a body having an interior portion and an exterior portion; said interior portion having a drain hole and a back wall with an opening extending therethrough; said interior portion being configured to receive a fluid and direct said fluid to said drain hole; and
a modular analysis portal having a sensing part housing and an investigating part housing removably coupled thereto; said sensing part housing having an electronic target display and a plurality of sensors;
wherein said modular analysis portal is situated within said opening such that said sensing part housing is in front of the back wall and said investigating part housing is rearwardly adjacent the back wall.

18. The urinal of claim 17 , wherein said modular analysis portal is configured to select a computing device in response to a determination of a characteristic of urine and wirelessly communicates with said computing device.

19. The urinal of claim 17 , wherein said sensing part housing has a pore and a tube; said tube comprising a plunger; said plunger being configured to draw a predetermined volume of fluid into the tube.

20. The urinal of claim 17 , wherein said modular analysis portal includes an olfactory module associated with an olfactory sensor; said olfactory module configured to cause the urinal to flush based upon a determination made by the olfactory sensor.

Assignees

• Newtonoid Tech Llc

Inventors

• Staton Fielding B
• Strumpf David

Classifications

• A61B2560/0462

  Apparatus with built-in sensors · CPC title

• A61B5/7445

  Display arrangements, e.g. multiple display units · CPC title

• E03D5/105

  touchless, e.g. using sensors · CPC title

• A61B5/6891

  Furniture · CPC title

• A61B2562/06

  Arrangements of multiple sensors of different types · CPC title