Lavatory occupancy detection systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10906647-B2
Application number	US-201816202470-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2018
Priority date	Nov 28, 2018
Publication date	Feb 2, 2021
Grant date	Feb 2, 2021

Abstract

An occupancy detection system and method for a lavatory includes a door sensor operatively coupled to a door of the lavatory. The door sensor is configured to output a door sensor signal that indicates a status of the door. At least one presence sensor that is configured to output at least one presence sensor signal that indicates an occupancy status of the lavatory. An occupancy detection control unit is in communication with the door sensor and the at least one presence sensor. The occupancy detection control unit is configured to receive the door sensor signal and the presence sensor signal(s). The occupancy detection control unit is configured to determine an occupancy status of the lavatory based on the door sensor signal and the presence sensor signal(s).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An occupancy detection system for a lavatory, the occupancy detection system comprising:
a door sensor operatively coupled to a door of the lavatory, wherein the door sensor is configured to output a door sensor signal that indicates a status of the door;
at least one presence sensor that is configured to output at least one presence sensor signal that indicates an occupancy status of the lavatory;
an occupancy detection control unit in communication with the door sensor and the at least one presence sensor, wherein the occupancy detection control unit is configured to receive the door sensor signal and the at least one presence sensor signal, and wherein the occupancy detection control unit is configured to determine an occupancy status of the lavatory based on the door sensor signal and the at least one presence sensor signal; and
an occupancy indicator, wherein the occupancy detection control unit is in communication with the occupancy indicator, wherein the occupancy status of the lavatory is indicated by the occupancy indicator, and wherein the occupancy detection control unit operates the occupancy indicator based on the occupancy status of the lavatory as determined by the occupancy detection control unit.

2. The occupancy detection system of claim 1 , wherein the occupancy detection control unit determines that the lavatory is unoccupied in response to the door sensor signal indicating that the door is open.

3. The occupancy detection system of claim 1 , wherein the occupancy detection control unit determines the occupancy status is occupied in response to the door sensor signal indicating that the door is closed and the at least one presence sensor signal indicating that an individual is within the lavatory.

4. The occupancy detection system of claim 3 , wherein the door sensor signal indicating that the door is open triggers the occupancy detection control unit to perform a reading of the at least one presence sensor signal.

5. The occupancy detection system of claim 3 , wherein the occupancy detection control unit resets the occupancy status to unoccupied in response to the door sensor signal indicating that the door is opened after being closed.

6. The occupancy detection system of claim 1 , wherein the door sensor comprises one or more of a proximity sensor, a pressure sensor, or a temperature sensor.

7. The occupancy detection system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one presence sensor comprises one or more of a proximity sensor, a pressure sensor, or a temperature sensor.

8. The occupancy detection system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one presence sensor comprises a floor sensor operatively coupled to a floor of the lavatory, and wherein the at least one presence sensor signal comprises a floor sensor signal output by the floor sensor.

9. The occupancy detection system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one presence sensor comprises a changing table sensor operatively coupled to a changing table of the lavatory, and wherein the at least one presence sensor signal comprises a changing table sensor signal output by the changing table sensor.

10. The occupancy detection system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one presence sensor comprises a toilet sensor operatively coupled to a toilet of the lavatory, and wherein the at least one presence sensor signal comprises a toilet sensor signal output by the toilet sensor.

11. The occupancy detection system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one presence sensor comprises a plurality of presence sensors including:
a floor sensor operatively coupled to a floor of the lavatory, wherein the at least one presence sensor signal comprises a floor sensor signal output by the floor sensor;
a changing table sensor operatively coupled to a changing table of the lavatory, wherein the at least one presence sensor signal further comprises a changing table sensor signal output by the changing table sensor; and
a toilet sensor operatively coupled to a toilet of the lavatory, wherein the at least one presence sensor signal further comprises a toilet sensor signal output by the toilet sensor.

12. The occupancy detection system of claim 1 , further comprising a cleaning system that is in communication with the occupancy detection control unit, wherein the cleaning system is configured to automatically clean at least a portion of the lavatory when the door is closed and the lavatory is unoccupied.

13. The occupancy detection system of claim 1 , wherein the occupancy detection control unit is configured to respond to receiving the door sensor signal and the at least one presence sensor signal by transmitting a control signal to one or more switches to actuate the switches from a closed state to an open state to deactivate one or more components of a light control system.

14. The occupancy detection system of claim 1 , wherein in response to a UV light source being deactivated, the occupancy detection control unit deactivates a cleaning indication of the occupancy indicator.

15. An occupancy detection method for a lavatory, the occupancy detection method comprising:
operatively coupling a door sensor to a door of the lavatory;
communicatively coupling an occupancy detection control unit with the door sensor and at least one presence sensor of the lavatory;
outputting, by the door sensor, a door sensor signal that indicates a status of the door;
outputting, by the at least one presence sensor, at least one presence sensor signal that indicates an occupancy status of the lavatory;
receiving, by the occupancy detection control unit, the door sensor signal and the at least one presence sensor signal;
determining, by the occupancy detection control unit, an occupancy status of the lavatory based on the door sensor signal and the at least one presence sensor signal;
communicatively coupling an occupancy indicator with the occupancy detection control unit;
indicating the occupancy status of the lavatory by the occupancy indicator; and
operating, by the occupancy detection control unit, the occupancy indicator based on the occupancy status of the lavatory as determined by the occupancy detection control unit.

16. The occupancy detection method of claim 15 , wherein the determining comprises determining that the lavatory is unoccupied in response to the door sensor signal indicating that the door is open.

17. The occupancy detection method of claim 15 , wherein the determining comprises determining that the occupancy status is occupied in response to the door sensor signal indicating that the door is closed and the at least one presence sensor signal indicating that an individual is within the lavatory.

18. The occupancy detection method of claim 17 , further comprising triggering, by the door sensor signal indicating that the door is open, the occupancy detection control unit to perform a reading of the at least one presence sensor signal.

19. The occupancy detection method of claim 17 , further comprising resetting, by the occupancy detection control unit, the occupancy status to unoccupied in response to the door sensor signal indicating that the door is opened after being closed.

20. The occupancy detection method of claim 15 , further comprising:
communicatively coupling a cleaning system with the occupancy detection control unit; and
automatically cleaning at least a portion of the lavatory when the door is closed and the lavatory is unoccupied.

21. The occupancy detection method of claim 15 , further comprising, in respons

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Alvarez Christopher

Classifications

• A61L2103/75

  Room floors or walls · CPC title

• Y02B20/40

  Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection · CPC title

• A61L2202/11

  Apparatus for generating biocidal substances, e.g. vaporisers, UV lamps · CPC title

• B64D11/02 Primary

  Toilet fittings · CPC title

• G01V9/002

  using fields or radiation detectable only by persons susceptible therefor, e.g. radio-esthesis, dowsing · CPC title