Passive sensors for automatic faucets and bathroom flushers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8955822-B2
Application number	US-201213573663-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 1, 2012
Priority date	Dec 4, 2002
Publication date	Feb 17, 2015
Grant date	Feb 17, 2015

Abstract

The present invention is directed to novel optical sensors and novel methods for sensing optical radiation. The novel optical sensors and the novel optical sensing methods are used, for example, for controlling the operation of automatic faucets and flushers. The novel sensors and flow controllers (including control electronics and valves) require only small amounts of electrical power for sensing users of bathroom facilities, and thus enable battery operation for many years. A passive optical sensor includes a light detector sensitive to ambient (room) light for controlling the operation of automatic faucets or automatic bathroom flushers.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An optical sensor for controlling a valve of an electronic faucet or bathroom flusher, comprising
an optical element located at an optical input port and arranged to partially define a detection field;
a light detector constructed to detect ambient light from said detection field; and
a control circuit for controlling opening and closing of a flow valve, said control circuit being constructed to sample periodically said light detector to receive signal from said light detector corresponding to the detected ambient light for background levels of said ambient light and present levels of said ambient light, said control circuit including a microcontroller executing a control algorithm programmed to initiate said opening and closing based on periodic data limited to the detected ambient light including
utilizing a stability value corresponding to changes of the detected ambient light within a time period and a target value corresponding to intensity of the detected ambient light with respect to background ambient light, and
determining user states corresponding to behavior of a user within said detection field wherein each said user state depends on both said stability value and said target value, wherein said controlling the opening and closing of said flow valve is based on a transition between said user states.

2. The optical sensor of claim 1 wherein said control circuit is constructed to sample periodically said detector based on the amount of previously detected light.

3. The optical sensor of claim 1 wherein said control circuit is constructed to open and close said flow valve based on first detecting arrival of a user and then detecting departure of said user.

4. The optical sensor of claim 1 wherein said control circuit is constructed to open and close said flow valve based on detecting presence of a user.

5. The optical sensor of claim 1 wherein said optical element includes an optical fiber.

6. The optical sensor of claim 1 wherein said optical element includes a lens.

7. The optical sensor of claim 1 wherein said light detector is constructed to detect light in the range of 400 nanometers to 1000 nanometers.

8. The optical sensor of claim 1 wherein said light detector is constructed to detect light in the range of 500 nanometers to 950 nanometers.

9. The optical sensor of claim 1 wherein said light detector includes a photodiode.

10. The optical sensor of claim 1 wherein said light detector includes a photoresistor.

11. A method of controlling a valve of an electronic faucet or a bathroom flusher using an optical sensor, comprising the acts of:
providing a light detector optically coupled to an optical element located at an input port partially defining a detection field, and providing a control circuit including a microcontroller;
detecting periodically ambient light arriving at said light detector from said detection field;
providing signals corresponding to said detected ambient light from said light detector to said control circuit for background levels of said ambient light and present levels of said ambient light; and
executing a control algorithm by said microcontroller programmed to initiate opening and closing of a flow valve based on periodic data limited to the detected ambient light by determining several predefined user states identifying a user initially approaching said input port and thus entering a first of said user states and progressing through a succession of said user states separated over time, wherein said opening or closing of said flow valve is initiated only after a predefined sequence of said user states.

12. The method of controlling a valve according to claim 11 wherein said control circuit is constructed to adjust a sample period based on prior detection of the ambient light.

13. The method of controlling a valve according to claim 11 wherein said several predefined user states include pairs of user states corresponding to increase and decrease of said detected ambient light.

14. The method of controlling a valve according to claim 11 , wherein said detecting ambient light includes using a photodiode.

15. The method of controlling a valve according to claim 11 , wherein said detecting ambient light includes using a photoresistor.

16. The method of controlling a valve according to claim 11 , wherein said detecting ambient light includes detecting light in the range of 500 nanometers to 950 nanometers.

17. A method of controlling a valve of an electronic faucet or a bathroom flusher using an optical sensor, comprising
providing a light detector optically coupled to an optical element at an input port partially defining a detection field, and providing a control circuit including a microcontroller;
detecting periodically ambient light arriving at said light detector from said detection field;
providing signals corresponding to said detected ambient light from said light detector to said control circuit;
executing a control algorithm by said microcontroller programmed to initiate opening and closing of a flow valve, including
utilizing a stability value corresponding to changes of the detected ambient light within a time period and a target value corresponding to intensity of the detected ambient light with respect to background ambient light, and
determining user states corresponding to behavior of a user within said detection field wherein each said user state depends on both said stability value and said target value; and

controlling the opening and closing of said flow valve using said control circuit based on a transition between said user states, wherein said opening or closing of said flow valve is initiated only after a predefined sequence of said user states.

18. The method of controlling a valve according to claim 17 wherein said executing said control algorithm including determining a bright mode, a dark mode, and a normal mode of said light detector based on said detected ambient light.

19. The method of controlling a valve according to claim 17 wherein said control circuit is constructed to adjust a sample period based on prior detection of the ambient light.

20. The method of controlling a valve according to claim 17 , wherein said detecting ambient light includes using a photodiode.

21. The method of controlling a valve according to claim 17 , wherein said detecting ambient light includes using a photoresistor.

22. The method of controlling a valve according to claim 17 , wherein said detecting ambient light includes detecting light in the range of 500 nanometers to 950 nanometers.

Assignees

• Parsons Natan E
• Guler Fatih
• Herbert Kay
• Mo Xiaoxiong
• Wu Haiou
• Zhang Yue
• Sloan Valve Co

Inventors

• Parsons Natan E
• Guler Fatih
• Herbert Kay
• Mo Xiaoxiong
• Wu Haiou
• Zhang Yue

Classifications

• E03C1/057

  touchless, i.e. using sensors · CPC title

• E03D5/105 Primary

  touchless, e.g. using sensors · CPC title