User identity in household appliances

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025028292-A1
Application number	US-202418905609-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 3, 2024
Priority date	Sep 15, 2017
Publication date	Jan 23, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A communication system provides feedback data for at least one water consuming device. The communication system includes a data collection interface, a controller, and an output interface. The data collection interface is configured to receive user data from at least one collection device. The controller is configured to perform an analysis of the user data from the at least one collection device. The output interface is configured to provide feedback data based on the analysis of the user data to a water consuming device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A toilet comprising:
a toilet tank; a toilet housing enclosing at least one plumbing component and at least one electrical component; a sensor configured to generate sensor data for a user of the toilet; and a controller configured to identify a user from the sensor data and determine an auxiliary command for an auxiliary device external to the toilet.

2 . The toilet of claim 1 , comprising:
a communication module configured to send the auxiliary command to the auxiliary device.

3 . The toilet of claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary device is a cleaning device

4 . The toilet of claim 1 , comprising:
a toilet seat, wherein at least the sensor and the controller are supported by the toilet seat.

5 . The toilet of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is an image collection device configured to collect images of the user of the toilet.

6 . The toilet of claim 5 , wherein the controller identifies the user from the images based on a color, a shape, a bone density, an outline, a height of the user, or a weight of the user.

7 . The toilet of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a temperature mapping device configured to collect a heat signature of the user of the toilet.

8 . The toilet of claim 1 , further comprising:
a toilet seat, wherein the sensor is a weight sensor in the toilet seat configured to measure or estimate a weight of the user of the toilet.

9 . The toilet of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is configured to collect data on human waste.

10 . The toilet of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is an infrared sensor configured to generate a seat signature.

11 . The toilet of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is an infrared sensor in a front of the toilet housing and configured to generate a signature of the user's feet.

12 . The toilet of claim 1 , wherein the sensor includes a biometric sensor configured to measure a metabolic rate of the user, a measurement of an organ of the user, a heart rate of the user, or a respiration rate of the user.

13 . The toilet of claim 1 , wherein data associated with the auxiliary command is provided at a display.

14 . A toilet seat comprising:
a sensor configured to generate sensor data for a user of the toilet; and a controller configured to identify a user from the sensor data and determine an auxiliary command for an auxiliary device external to the toilet.

15 . The toilet seat of claim 14 , wherein the sensor is an infrared sensor configured to generate a seat signature.

16 . The toilet seat of claim 14 , wherein the sensor is an image collection device configured to collect images of the user of the toilet.

17 . The toilet seat of claim 16 , wherein the controller identifies the user from the images based on a color, a shape, a bone density, an outline, a height of the user, or a weight of the user.

18 . The toilet seat of claim 14 , wherein the sensor is a temperature mapping device configured to collect a heat signature of the user of the toilet.

19 . The toilet seat of claim 14 , wherein the sensor is a weight sensor in the toilet seat configured to measure or estimate a weight of the user of the toilet.

20 . The toilet of claim 14 , wherein the sensor is configured to collect data on human waste.

Assignees

• Kohler Co

Inventors

• Bradley Jonathan D
• Estiban Marwan
• Rexach Rafael
• Allis Nicole

Classifications

• G06F3/167

  Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback · CPC title

• A61B5/4519

  Muscles (measuring muscular strength A61B5/224; using electromyography [EMG] A61B5/389) · CPC title

• A61B5/1113

  Local tracking of patients, e.g. in a hospital or private home · CPC title

• A61B5/4836

  Diagnosis combined with treatment in closed-loop systems or methods (A61B5/0036 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B5/1171

  based on the shapes or appearances of their bodies or parts thereof · CPC title