Automatic water faucet

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016201306-A1
Application number	US-201615080204-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 24, 2016
Priority date	Sep 30, 2013
Publication date	Jul 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An automatic water faucet includes: a water faucet; an imaging unit provided in a water discharge port of the water faucet and that images light reflected from a measure-distance target; a distance measurement unit that measures a distance from the imaging unit to the measure-distance target based on image data; a threshold setting unit that sets a threshold for distance; a detection unit that detects the measure-distance target as a detection object if the distance is shorter than the threshold set by the threshold setting unit; and a water supply control unit that causes the water faucet to discharge water in response to the detection unit detecting a detection object and causes the water faucet to stop supplying water in response to the detection unit not detecting a detection object. The threshold setting unit increases the threshold setting in response to the detection unit detecting a detection object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An automatic water faucet comprising:
a water faucet; an imaging unit provided in a water discharge port of the water faucet and that images light reflected from a measure-distance target; a distance measurement unit that measures distance from the imaging unit to the measure-distance target, based on image data captured by the imaging unit; a threshold setting unit that sets a threshold for distance; a detection unit that detects the measure-distance target as a detection object if the distance that the distance measurement unit measures is shorter than the threshold set by the threshold setting unit; and a water supply control unit that causes the water faucet to discharge water in response to the detection unit detecting a detection object, and causes the water faucet to stop supplying water in response to the detection unit not detecting a detection object; wherein the threshold setting unit increases the threshold setting in response to the detection unit detecting a detection object.

2 . The automatic water faucet according to claim 1 , wherein:
the detection unit does not detect a detection object if the distance that the distance measurement unit measures is equal to or greater than the threshold set by the threshold setting unit; and the threshold setting unit decreases the threshold setting in response to the detection unit not detecting a detection object.

3 . The automatic water faucet according to claim 1 , wherein the threshold setting unit:
(1) sets a first threshold during intervals when the detection unit is not detecting a detection object; (2) sets a second threshold greater than the first threshold during intervals when the detection unit is detecting a detection object; (3) when the detection unit no longer detects a detection object having been under detection, sets a third threshold greater than the first threshold and equal to or less than the second threshold during an interval until a predetermined period of time elapses; and (4) sets the first threshold after the predetermined period of time elapses.

4 . The automatic water faucet according to claim 1 , wherein the threshold setting unit:
(1) sets a first threshold during intervals when the detection unit is not detecting a detection object; (2) sets a second threshold greater than the first threshold during intervals when the detection unit is detecting a detection object; and (3) when the detection unit no longer detects a detection object having been under detection, sets the threshold varying it from the second threshold until it reaches the first threshold.

5 . The automatic water faucet according to claim 2 , wherein the threshold setting unit sets as the first threshold a value smaller than distance from an overflow edge of a sink in which water discharged from the water faucet accumulates to the water discharge port, and sets as the second threshold a value greater than the distance from the overflow edge to the water discharge port.

Assignees

• Lixil Corp

Inventors

• Shirai Yuki
• Kamata Azumi

Classifications

• G01S7/4813

  Housing arrangements · CPC title

• G01S17/04

  Systems determining the presence of a target · CPC title

• E03C1/057 Primary

  touchless, i.e. using sensors · CPC title

• G01S17/48

  Active triangulation systems, i.e. using the transmission and reflection of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves · CPC title

• G01S17/08

  for measuring distance only (indirect measurement G01S17/46; active triangulation systems G01S17/48) · CPC title