JP2001258799A - Toilet equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide toilet equipment to obtain a convenient and comfortable environment by detecting behavior of a user in the toilet from entering the toilet to getting out after finishing needs and controlling outer equipment arranged in the toilet room according to the behavior. SOLUTION: A Doppler sensor utilizing an electric wave is used as a means for judgiy the behavior of a user in the toilet and controls the outer equipment flexibly according to the behavior.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a toilet apparatus provided with a human body detecting means.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2985382 and Japanese Patent No. 2985381, seating and unseating of a toilet user are detected, and an external device is controlled based on the presence or absence of seating. Things are known. For example, in the cold winter season, when you sit on the toilet seat,
N, and controls a heating device, an air conditioning device, an air purifier, and the like, such as automatically turning off when the user leaves. Further, the technology of Japanese Patent No. 2985381 discloses that a signal for controlling an external device is transmitted by a dedicated wireless signal transmission unit.

[0003]

However, in such a conventional technique, since the heating device or the like is controlled by detecting the seating of the human body, the device is not turned on until immediately before the user sits down, There was a problem that it was not warm yet. Also, for example, even if it is attempted to heat the entire toilet room in a cold winter season, it must be patient until the seat is cold. Furthermore, the technology of providing a dedicated radio signal transmission unit to transmit a signal for controlling an external device requires a cost for the device itself, requires a space, reduces the cost of the toilet device, and reduces the size of the toilet device. Was contradictory. The present invention has been made in order to solve such a problem, and a Doppler sensor using radio waves is used as a means for detecting an operation state from a time when a toilet user enters a toilet to a time when he / she leaves the room. It is an object of the present invention to provide a toilet device that uses and controls an external device in a toilet room according to an operation state of the toilet device to obtain a convenient and comfortable environment.

[0004]

Means for Solving the Problems and Action / Effect The invention according to the first aspect of the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and means for transmitting a radio wave for detecting a human body, and transmitting the radio wave by the transmitting means. Means for receiving the reflected wave of the radio wave,
In a toilet apparatus including a human body detection sensor unit that obtains a difference between a frequency of a signal received by the receiving unit and a frequency of a signal transmitted by the transmitting unit and generates a difference signal according to the difference, A control circuit for outputting a control signal for operation and a connection terminal for outputting a signal to an external device are provided, and the control signal is output according to a signal from the human body detection sensor unit.

[0005] The Doppler sensor using radio waves has a characteristic in a pattern of an output waveform of a difference signal depending on a human behavior pattern. For example, when a person approaches a toilet, the amplitude gradually increases at a certain frequency. When the user stops in front of the toilet, the waveform suddenly disappears, and the waveform becomes a low-frequency waveform. In the present invention, by utilizing the properties of the Doppler sensor as described above, by predicting the behavior of a person from the output pattern of the difference signal, whether the user has just entered the toilet or entered the toilet and entered the toilet You can determine whether you are approaching, standing in front of the toilet bowl, undressing, sitting, wearing clothes, moving away from the toilet, etc. By receiving the control signal by being connected to the terminal, it is possible to flexibly control the external device according to the operation state of the toilet user, and it is possible to provide a toilet device capable of obtaining a convenient and comfortable environment. .

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a means for transmitting a radio wave for detecting a human body, a means for receiving a reflected wave of a radio wave transmitted by the transmitting means, and a means for transmitting a signal received by the receiving means. In a toilet apparatus including a human body detection sensor unit that obtains a difference between a frequency and a frequency of a signal transmitted by the transmission unit and generates a difference signal corresponding to the difference, an external device is operated also as the transmission unit. A wireless signal transmitting unit that wirelessly outputs a control signal for causing the control unit to output a control signal in accordance with a signal from the human body detection sensor unit.

In the present invention, since the transmitting section for outputting the control signal to the external device is also used as the transmitting means of the human body detecting sensor, it is not necessary to provide a dedicated transmitting section, and the cost is not increased. No new space is required.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the toilet device, the distance from the human body detection sensor unit to the human body is determined to belong to any of three or more predetermined regions, and the detected distance is determined. The control signal is output in accordance with the area to which.

In the present invention, the distance from the human body detection sensor unit to the human body is detected by predicting the behavior of the human from the output pattern of the differential signal by utilizing the above-described properties of the Doppler sensor. The external device can be flexibly controlled according to the area to which the detected distance belongs.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the human body detection sensor unit 3 according to the present invention. First, an instruction signal from the microcomputer that controls the entire device to the transmission circuit is transferred through the signal line 7, and the transmission circuit functions in response to the signal, and a signal for human body detection is transmitted via the antenna 1. You. The transmitted radio waves impinge on the object, reflect and are taken into the receiving circuit via the receiving antenna 2. At this time, the frequency of the radio wave reflected from the moving object is changed by the Doppler effect compared with the transmitted radio wave, and the difference is detected by the difference detection circuit 8 as the difference frequency and amplitude. At this time, the moving speed can be converted by the frequency, and the position can be converted by the amplitude.

FIG. 2 shows a toilet bowl 18, a toilet apparatus 26 and an external device 10 installed in a toilet space 19 according to the present invention.
FIG. 17 is a diagram showing layouts of Nos. To 17. The human body detection sensor unit 3 is built in the toilet device 26.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an operation after the toilet user enters the toilet and a positional relationship from the human body detection sensor unit 3 at the time of the operation. Toilet door 2
The toilet user 21 who has opened 0 advances toward the toilet bowl 18 (user 22). Next, in the case of stool and women's urine, undress before the toilet (user 23), then sit down (user 25) and defecate. In the case of men's urine, there is no undressing (user 23), and urine stands in front of the toilet (user 24).

FIG. 4 shows a toilet device 26 and external devices 10 to 10.
17 is a block diagram showing that the communication cable 17 is connected by a communication cable 32. The toilet device 26 transmits the control signal to the control circuit A6.
To the control circuit B33 of the external device through the signal output connection terminal 31, the communication cable 32, and the signal input connection terminal 30 of the external device. The external device is controlled by the control signal.

FIG. 5 shows a toilet device 26 and external devices 10 to 10.
FIG. 17 is a block diagram showing that No. 17 is connected by wireless communication. The toilet device 26 sends a control signal from the control circuit A6 to the transmission unit 43, and is transmitted by a transmission radio wave 42. The control signal is received by the receiving circuit 40 of the external device as a received radio wave 41 and transmitted to the control circuit B33. The external device is controlled by the control signal.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a difference signal waveform detected by the difference detection circuit 8 from the time when the toilet user enters the toilet space 19 to the time when he / she leaves the room after performing men's urine. Here, before entering the room of FIG. 3, during entering the room of FIG. 3,
FIG. 3 when approaching the toilet bowl, FIG. 3 during urination,
FIG. 3 corresponds to the distance section in FIG. 3 when the user is away from the toilet, FIG. 3 during leaving the room, and FIG. 3 after leaving the room.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a difference signal waveform detected by the difference detection circuit 8 from the time when the toilet user enters the toilet space 19 to the time when the user performs a stool and leaves the room.
Here, FIG. 3 before entering the room, FIG. 3 during entering the room, FIG. 3 when approaching the toilet, FIG. 3 during undressing, FIG. 3 during stool (during sitting), and FIG. 3 corresponds to the distance section of FIG. 3 when the user is away from the toilet, FIG. 3 during leaving the room, and FIG. 3 after leaving the room.

Next, as an embodiment, a description will be given based on a series of operations at the time of a stool in a winter season when the temperature is low. In FIG. 3, when the toilet user 21 tries to enter the toilet, the waveform during the entrance shown in FIG. 7 is detected by the human body detection sensor unit 3. The detected difference signal is used as the human state detecting means 4 in FIG.
Is determined to be in the room. Toilet device 2 determined to be in the room
4 transmits a control signal from the control circuit A6 to the control circuit B33 of the external device through the signal output connection terminal 31, the communication cable 32, and the signal input connection terminal 30 of the external device, as shown in FIG. The external devices 11 to 17 shown in FIG. 2 are controlled by this control signal. At this time, the lighting 11 is turned on, the ventilation fan 12 starts ventilation, the air cleaner 14 starts operation, and the cooling / heating air conditioner 13 starts operation with strong heating.

Similarly, when the toilet user approaches the toilet (user 22), the waveform when the toilet is approaching the toilet is detected by the human body detection sensor unit 3. Based on the detected difference signal, it is determined that the toilet is approaching, and the control signal is sent to the external device. The cooling / heating air conditioner 13, which is an external device receiving the control signal approaching the toilet, slightly weakens the heating operation, and turns on the panel heater 1 for step heating.
0, the heating mat 17 is turned on.

The toilet user starts undressing (user 2)
3), the waveform during undressing is detected by the human body detection sensor unit 3. Based on the detected difference signal, it is determined that the clothes are being undressed, and the control signal is sent to the external device. The back heating device 15 and the heating toilet seat 16 which are the external devices receiving the control signal during undressing are turned on.

When the toilet user is in the stool (seated) (user 25), the waveform in the stool (seated) is detected by the human body detection sensor unit 3. Based on the detected difference signal, it is determined that the stool is in the stool (sit), and the control signal is sent to the external device. A predetermined control is performed so that the back heating device 15, the heating toilet seat 16, and the foot heater panel heater 10, which are the external devices that have received the control signal during stool (during sitting), do not become too hot.

When the toilet user finishes defecation and starts to wear clothes (user 23), the waveform during the clothes is detected by the human body detection sensor unit 3. Based on the detected difference signal, it is determined that clothing is being worn, and a control signal is sent to an external device. Back heating device 1 which is an external device that receives a control signal during clothing
5. The heating toilet seat 16 is turned off.

When the toilet user moves away from the toilet (user 22), a waveform when the user moves away from the toilet is detected by the human body detection sensor unit 3. According to the detected difference signal,
It is determined that the user is away from the toilet, and the control signal is sent to the external device. The cooling / heating air conditioner 13, which is an external device receiving the control signal moving away from the toilet, turns off the heating operation, and also turns off the step heater 10 and the heating mat 17.

Further, when the toilet user tries to leave the room (user 21), the waveform during the room leaving is detected by the human body detection sensor unit 3. Based on the detected difference signal, it is determined that the user is leaving the room, and the control signal is sent to the external device. The illumination 11 which is an external device which has received the control signal during the leaving of the room is turned off, the ventilation fan 12 ventilates, and the air purifier 14 ends the operation.

As a second embodiment, a description will be given based on a series of operations during men's urination during a low temperature in winter. In FIG. 3, when the toilet user 21 tries to enter the toilet,
The waveform during entering the room shown in FIG. 7 is detected by the human body detection sensor unit 3. The detected difference signal is determined to be in the room by the human state detection means 4 in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the toilet device 26 determined to be in the room enters the control signal into the control circuit A6.
To the transmission unit 43 and transmitted by the transmission radio wave 42. The control signal is received by the reception circuit 40 of the external device as a reception radio wave 41 and transmitted to the control circuit B33. The external devices 11 to 17 shown in FIG. 2 are controlled by this control signal.
At this time, the lighting 11 is turned on, the ventilation fan 12 starts ventilation, the air purifier 14 starts operation, and the cooling / heating air conditioner 13 starts operation with strong heating.

Similarly, when the toilet user approaches the toilet (user 22), the waveform when the toilet is approaching the toilet is detected by the human body detection sensor unit 3. Based on the detected difference signal, it is determined that the toilet is approaching, and the control signal is sent to the external device. The cooling / heating air conditioner 13, which is an external device receiving the control signal approaching the toilet, slightly weakens the heating operation, and turns on the panel heater 1 for step heating.
0, the heating mat 17 is turned on.

When the toilet user starts male urine (user 24), the waveform in the male urine is detected by the human body detection sensor unit 3. Based on the detected difference signal, it is determined that a boy is urinating, and the control signal is sent to an external device. The back heating device 15 and the heating toilet seat 16 which are the external devices that have received the control signal during men's urination are not being undressed, so they are not turned on and are kept off, and the foot heater panel heater 10 does not become too hot. The predetermined control is performed as described above.

When the toilet user finishes urinating and moves away from the toilet (user 22), the waveform when the user moves away from the toilet is detected by the human body detection sensor unit 3. Based on the detected difference signal, it is determined that the user is moving away from the toilet, and the control signal is sent to the external device. A cooling / heating air conditioner 1 that is an external device that receives a control signal that is moving away from the toilet
3 turns off the heating operation, and the foot heater panel heater 10 and the heating mat 17 are also turned off.

Further, when the toilet user tries to leave the room (user 21), the waveform during the room leaving is detected by the human body detection sensor unit 3. Based on the detected difference signal, it is determined that the user is leaving the room, and the control signal is sent to the external device. The illumination 11 which is an external device which has received the control signal during the leaving of the room is turned off, the ventilation fan 12 ventilates, and the air purifier 14 ends the operation.

In the above embodiment, the operation of the external device is controlled based on the operation of the toilet user. However, the distance detection means 5 shown in FIG. Since the position of the toilet user can also be estimated, it is of course possible to perform the above-described control in accordance with the distance categories 1 to 3 shown in FIG.

The transmitting means 9 of the human body detecting sensor unit 3 is also used as the transmitting section 43 shown in FIG. 5, and the oscillation frequency used for human body detection and the oscillation frequency for transmitting a control signal to an external device are slightly changed. By enabling output, it is possible to share parts.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an internal configuration of a human body detection sensor unit.

FIG. 2 is a diagram in which a toilet and an external device are installed in a toilet space.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an operation state when a user enters a toilet room and adds a business.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram when the toilet device and an external device are connected by wire.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram when the toilet device and the external device are wirelessly connected.

FIG. 6 is an example of an output waveform of a differential signal in a series of operations during men's urination.

FIG. 7 is an example of an output waveform of a differential signal in a series of operations during a stool.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Transmission antenna, 2 ... Reception antenna, 3 ... Human body detection sensor unit, 4 ... Operation state detection means, 5 ... Distance detection means, 6 ... Toilet apparatus control circuit, 7 ... Signal line, 8 ... Difference detection circuit, 9 ... Transmission means, 10 ... Panel heater for foot heating, 11 ... Lighting, 12 ... Ventilation fan, 13 ... Air conditioner, 14 ... Air purifier, 15 ... Back heating device, 16 ... Heating toilet seat, 17 ... Heating mat, 18 ... Toilet , 19 ... toilet space, 20 ... toilet door, 21 ... user entering the toilet, 22 ... user approaching the toilet bowl, 23 ... user undressing, 24 ... user in male urine, 25 … In the stool
(Sitting seated) user, 26 ... toilet device, 30 ... signal input connection terminal, 31 ... signal output connection terminal, 32 ... communication cable, 33 ... external device control circuit, 40 ... external device wireless receiving circuit , 41: received radio wave, 42: transmitted radio wave, 43
… Wireless transmitter (transmitter of human body detection sensor unit)

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Koji Mine Inventor 2-1-1 Nakajima, Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu-shi, Fukuoka Prefecture F-term (reference) 2D037 AD01 AD16 EA01 EA03 EA04 EB00 2D038 BB18 BC01 JC11 JH03 KA02 KA03 ZA05

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A means for transmitting a radio wave for detecting a human body, a means for receiving a reflected wave of a radio wave transmitted by the transmitting means, a frequency of a signal received by the receiving means, and a signal transmitted by the transmitting means. A control circuit for outputting a control signal for operating an external device and a signal to the external device in a toilet device including a human body detection sensor unit that obtains a difference from the frequency of the signal obtained and generates a difference signal according to the difference And a connection terminal for outputting a control signal in response to a signal from the human body detection sensor unit. 2. A means for transmitting a radio wave for detecting a human body, a means for receiving a reflected wave of a radio wave transmitted by the transmitting means, a frequency of a signal received by the receiving means, and a signal transmitted by the transmitting means. In a toilet device provided with a human body detection sensor unit that obtains a difference from the frequency of the obtained signal and generates a difference signal according to the difference, a control signal for operating an external device that is also used as the transmission unit is wirelessly transmitted. A wireless signal transmitting unit that outputs a control signal according to a signal of the human body detection sensor unit. 3. In the toilet device, a distance from the human body detection sensor unit to a human body is set to a predetermined value.
3. The toilet apparatus according to claim 1, wherein it is determined which of the above areas belongs to, and the control signal is output according to the area to which the detected distance belongs. 4.