Voice-controlled faucet

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12031309-B2
Application number	US-201916962771-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 17, 2019
Priority date	Jan 17, 2018
Publication date	Jul 9, 2024
Grant date	Jul 9, 2024

Abstract

A faucet system comprising a faucet; an electronic valve associated with the faucet; and a faucet controller associated with the electronic valve; wherein the faucet controller is configured to receive a faucet command from a command server; and actuate the electronic valve upon receiving the faucet command; wherein the command server is configured to receive a speech-based command from a natural language processing (NLP) server; generate the faucet command from the speech-based command and transmit the faucet command to the faucet controller; and wherein the NLP server is remote to the faucet.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A faucet system comprising
a user device;
a natural language processing (NLP) server;
a command server;
a faucet;
an electronic valve associated with the faucet; and
a faucet controller associated with the electronic valve,

wherein the user device is configured to
receive a voice command from a user; and
transmit information associated with the user device and audio data based on the voice command to the NLP server,

wherein the NLP server is configured to
receive the information associated with the user device and the audio data from the user device;
identify a user account associated with the user based on the information;
recognize speech from the audio data;
select a faucet service from a plurality of services associated with the user account based on determining that the speech is associated with a faucet function;
generate a speech-based command; and
transmit the speech-based command and data indicating the user account to the command server,

wherein the NLP server is remote to the faucet,
wherein the command server is configured to
receive the speech-based command and the data indicating the user account from the NLP server;
select a faucet from one or more faucets associated with the user account;
generate a faucet command specific to the faucet based on one or more properties of the faucet and the speech-based command; and
transmit the faucet command to the faucet controller,

wherein the faucet is able to be operated remotely, and
wherein the faucet controller is configured to
receive the faucet command from the command server; and
actuate the electronic valve upon receiving the faucet command,

wherein the faucet controller is further configured to
receive non-voice inputs from one or more elements associated with the faucet; and
transmit the non-voice inputs to the command server, and wherein the command server is configured to generate a subsequent faucet command,

wherein the command server and/or the faucet controller are configured to
override, complement, modify, halt, or adjust one command over the other in response to the speech-based faucet command and the non-voice inputs-based subsequent faucet command based on system settings and mode priorities.

2. The faucet system according to claim 1 , wherein the faucet system comprises one or more elements associated with the faucet and in electrical communication with the faucet controller, wherein the elements are selected from a group consisting of mechanical devices, touch sensors, measurement sensors and electronic cartridges.

3. The faucet system according to claim 2 , wherein the faucet controller is configured to receive a non-voice input from one or more elements associated with the faucet, and wherein the faucet controller is configured to generate a local command in response thereto.

4. The faucet system according to claim 3 , wherein the system is configured to be in a first faucet mode of a plurality of faucet modes, and wherein the system is configured to exit the first faucet mode and to enter a second faucet mode in response to the local command and/or the speech-based command.

5. The faucet system according to claim 4 , wherein the faucet modes are selected from a group consisting of standby mode, manual control mode, quick control mode, measured dispensing mode, temperature/flow rate mode, treatment mode, hand wash mode, maintenance mode, and dishwashing mode.

6. The faucet system according to claim 4 , wherein the system is configured such that mode exit and entry is determined by the command server in response to the speech-based command and/or is determined by the faucet controller in response to a non-voice input.

7. The faucet system according to claim 4 , wherein the system is configured such that mode exit and entry is determined based on a criteria selected from a group consisting of a mode priority, a most recently requested mode, a most requested mode, a mode permission to override, and a combination thereof.

8. The faucet system according to claim 4 , wherein the speech-based command comprises a parameter specifying an amount of fluid to dispense, wherein the system enters a measured dispensing mode, and wherein the faucet command comprises instructions to actuate the electronic valve to deliver a specified volume of fluid.

9. The faucet system according to claim 4 , wherein the speech-based command specifies a temperature, wherein the system enters a temperature/flow rate mode, and wherein the faucet command comprises instructions to actuate a first electronic valve and a second electronic valve to deliver a fluid at a specified temperature.

10. The faucet system according to claim 4 , wherein the system comprises a mechanical device; a touch sensor; or a presence sensor associated with and in electrical communication with the faucet, and wherein
upon actuation of the mechanical device,
upon a user operating the touch sensor, or
upon the presence sensor detecting a user,
the first faucet mode is exited and the second faucet mode is entered.

11. The faucet system according to claim 4 , wherein a maintenance mode and a manual control mode have a higher priority than the other modes and wherein the other modes do not have permission to override the maintenance mode or manual control mode.

12. The faucet system according to claim 3 , wherein the local command comprises one or more parameters selected from a group consisting of flow rate, amount of fluid, temperature, time interval, time, a faucet indicator or a faucet mode.

13. The faucet system according to claim 3 , wherein the local command is associated with a mode comprising one or more settings for operating the faucet, and wherein the faucet controller is configured to actuate the electronic valve to control the faucet in accordance with the one or more settings.

14. The faucet system according to claim 3 , wherein the local command comprises an operating pattern of the electronic valve.

15. The faucet system according to claim 2 , wherein the faucet controller is configured to receive a non-voice input from one or more elements associated with the faucet, and wherein the faucet controller is configured to generate a local command in response thereto, and to actuate the electronic valve in accordance with the local command.

16. The faucet system according to claim 1 , wherein the faucet system comprises one or more sensors associated with the faucet and in electrical communication with the faucet controller, wherein the sensors are selected from a group consisting of capacitive sensors, touch sensors, flow sensors, temperature sensors, presence sensors, IR sensors, light sensors, gesture sensors, radar sensors, micro-radar sensors, handle position sensors and pressure sensors.

17. The faucet system according to claim 1 , wherein the speech-based command comprises one or more parameters selected from a group consisting of flow rate, amount of fluid, temperature, time interval, time, a faucet indicator or a faucet mode.

18. The faucet system according to claim 1 , wherein the speech-based command is associated with a mode comprising one or more settings for operating the faucet, and wherein the faucet controller is configured to actuate the electronic valve to control the faucet in accordance with the one or more settings.

19. The faucet system according to claim 1 , wherein the faucet command comprises an operating pattern of the electronic valve.

Assignees

• As America Inc

Inventors

• GUNAWARDENA Mahendra
• Soberano Eric
• Libbrecht Alanna Wing
• MYERS Verne
• Buhowski Christopher Thomas
• Giblin Noelle
• Heydari Behnam
• Smith Benjamin

Classifications

• H04L67/12

  specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks · CPC title

• G10L2015/223

  Execution procedure of a spoken command · CPC title

• G10L15/30

  Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications · CPC title

• G10L15/22

  Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue · CPC title

• G05B2219/45006

  Valves · CPC title