JP2002070119A - Multi-functional toilet apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a multi-functional toilet apparatus of a simple structure in which the human body and seating are detected using plural signals obtained by amplifying the output of one sensor at different amplification factors, and to provide a multi-functional toilet apparatus capable of more accurately determining slight operation within the seating detecting range and human body detecting range and retreat to the outside of the detecting range. SOLUTION: This multi-functional toilet apparatus is provided with a Doppler sensor, plural signal processing parts for amplifying a sensor output original signal output from the Doppler sensor at different amplification factors, a human body status determining part to which a first output signal amplified according to the first amplification factor by the signal processing part is input to detect the human body, a seating state determining part to which a second output signal amplified according to the second amplification factor by the signal processing part is input to detect seating, and a control part for controlling the heated toilet stool seat function or washing function according to the output of the human body status determining part and the seating state determining part.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a multifunctional toilet apparatus having a heating toilet seat function and a washing function, and more particularly, to a multifunctional toilet apparatus capable of detecting a human body and sitting using a Doppler sensor. is there.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional human body detection algorithm using a Doppler sensor determines that a human body is present during a period from when the amplitude of the sensor output original signal exceeds the threshold 3 to when the amplitude of the sensor output original signal exceeds the threshold 3 again. Then, a period until the amplitude of the sensor output original signal exceeds the threshold value 3 is determined as the absence of a human body. (Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, if the sensor output original signal exceeds the threshold value 3 in S11, the presence or absence of the current human body is checked in S12, and if "there is a human body", the process proceeds to S14. "No human body", "No human body"
In the case of, it is determined that "there is a human body" in S13. Also,
If the sensor output original signal does not exceed the threshold value 3 in S11, the previous determination is continued. )

A conventional seating detection algorithm using a Doppler sensor has a sensor output original signal having a threshold value of four.
Is determined to be seated again until the amplitude of the sensor output original signal exceeds the threshold value 4, and then the period until the sensor output original signal amplitude exceeds the threshold value 4 is determined to be unseated. is there. (Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2,
If the sensor output original signal exceeds the threshold value 4 in S21, S
At 22, it is checked whether or not there is a seat. If “seated” is determined, “no seat” is determined at S 24. If “no seat” is determined, “seated” is determined at S 23. If the sensor output original signal does not exceed the threshold value 4 in S21, the previous determination is continued. )

Further, in the conventional multifunctional toilet apparatus, since the sensing distance is different between the seat detection and the human body detection, the detection is performed using separate sensors.

[0005]

In the conventional human body detection algorithm using a Doppler sensor, when the result of determination is that there is a human body, the amplitude of the sensor output original signal is increased when a person performs a small operation within the human body detectable range. Exceeds threshold 3, and it is erroneously determined that there is no human body, so that there is a problem that it is not possible to accurately determine a minute movement and leaving the detection range.

Similarly, in the conventional seating detection algorithm using a Doppler sensor, when the result of the judgment is that there is seating, the amplitude of the sensor output original signal falls below the threshold value 4 when a person performs a small operation within the seating detection possible range. There is a problem that it is not possible to accurately determine the minute movement and the leaving from the detection range because it is determined that there is no seating because of exceeding.

Furthermore, the conventional multifunctional toilet apparatus for performing both human body detection and seating detection has a complicated structure because it uses a plurality of sensors for seating detection and human body detection.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to perform human body detection and seating detection using a plurality of signals obtained by amplifying one sensor output with different amplification factors. It is an object of the present invention to provide a multifunctional toilet device having a simple structure, and a multifunctional toilet device that more accurately determines a minute movement in a seating detection range and a human body detection range and a departure from the detection range.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, in the multifunctional toilet apparatus according to the present invention, the Doppler sensor and the sensor output original signal output from the Doppler sensor are amplified differently. A plurality of signal processing units that amplify at a rate, a human body situation determination unit that performs human body detection with the first output signal amplified based on the first amplification rate in the signal processing unit as an input, and a second in the signal processing unit. A seating status determination unit that performs seating detection with the second output signal amplified based on the amplification factor as an input, and controls a heating toilet seat function or a washing function based on outputs of the human body status determination unit and the seating status determination unit. A control unit that performs the control. Therefore, the first output signal required for human body detection and the second output signal required for seat detection are created based on one Doppler sensor output original signal, and human body detection and seating detection can be performed using this signal. Therefore, the structure of the plurality of sensors is simpler than that of the conventional multifunctional toilet.

Further, the human body condition determination section determines that the human body is present when the amplitude of the first output signal exceeds a first threshold value, and thereafter, the amplitude of the sensor output original signal is gradually attenuated. A period until the amplitude of the first output signal falls below the first threshold is determined to be a human body. Therefore, it is possible to accurately determine a minute operation within the detection range where the amplitude of the sensor output original signal abruptly attenuates and a departure from the detection range where the amplitude of the sensor output original signal attenuates gradually.

In a third aspect, the seating state determination unit includes:
When the amplitude of the second output signal exceeds the second threshold, it is determined to be seated, and then the sensor output original signal is slowly attenuated and the second output signal is seated for a period until it falls below the second threshold. It is characterized by determining that there is.
Therefore, it is possible to accurately determine the minute operation within the detection range where the sensor output voltage amplitude abruptly attenuates and the departure from the detection range where the sensor output voltage amplitude attenuates gradually.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. Figure 3
2 shows a structure of the multifunctional toilet device according to claim 1. An original sensor output signal from the Doppler sensor 1 is input to a first amplifier circuit 2 and a second amplifier circuit 3. The first output signal amplified by the amplification circuit 2 at the first amplification rate is sent to the human body detection determination unit 4 provided with the algorithm shown in FIG. 4 and the second output signal amplified by the amplification circuit 3 at the second amplification rate Each is input to the seating detection determination unit 5 having the algorithm shown in FIG.

The human body presence / absence information output from the human body detection / judgment unit 4 and the seating presence / absence information of the seating detection / judgment unit 5 are input to the multifunctional toilet device control unit 6. The multifunctional toilet device control unit 6 controls the heating device 7 based on the human body presence / absence information and seating presence / absence information.
Then, an ON / OFF command is transmitted to the lighting device 8, the deodorizing device 9, and the cleaning device 10.

In general, the sensor output original signal, the first output signal, and the second output signal of the Doppler sensor 1 from the time when the human body enters the toilet until the time when the human body exits are shown in FIG. Using the sensor original signal, the first output signal, and the second output signal of FIG.
The determination of the human body status and the determination of the sitting status during each operation will be described.

At the time of entering the room indicated as "entering room" in FIG.
The gradually increasing first output signal exceeds threshold value 1. On the other hand, the second output signal also does not exceed the threshold value 2 although it gradually increases. In the human body detection algorithm shown in FIG. 4, it is checked in S41 whether the current state is "there is a human body". In this case, since no entry has been detected, it is "no human body", so the flow proceeds to S43. In S43, the first output signal and the threshold 1
However, since the first output signal is larger than the threshold value 1 as described above, the state is changed to the “human body present” state in S45.
In the seating detection algorithm shown in FIG. 5, it is checked in step S51 whether or not the seating is present. In this case, since it is not seated, it goes to S53. In step S53, the second output signal is compared with the threshold value 2. As described above, since the second output signal does not exceed the threshold value 2, it is determined in step S56 that there is no seating.

After entering the room and at the start of sitting, which is indicated by "sitting" in FIG. 6, the gradually increased second output signal exceeds the threshold value 2. In the seating algorithm shown in FIG.
Investigate whether or not there is "seated" in 1. In this case, since the seat is not yet seated, "no seat" is selected, and the process proceeds to S53. S
At 53, the second output signal is compared with the threshold value 2. However, since the second output signal exceeds the threshold value 2 as described above, the state is changed to the "seated" state at S55.

When the seat is still after sitting, the amplitudes of the original sensor output signal, the first output signal, and the second output signal are all very small, and fall below the thresholds 1 and 2. In addition, as mentioned above, "there is a seat"
And it is in the state of "having a human body". In the human body detection algorithm shown in FIG. 4, since "there is a human body", the process goes from S41 to S42. Since the first output signal does not exceed the threshold value 1 in S42, the amplitude attenuation rate of the original sensor output signal is calculated in S47, and the attenuation rate is compared with the threshold value 5 in S48. The decay rate is represented by current amplitude / previous amplitude. As mentioned above,
Since the amplitude is very small and hardly changes, the attenuation rate becomes 1 and the process transits from S48 to S44 to continue the "human body presence" determination. In the seating detection algorithm shown in FIG. 5, since "there is seating", the process goes from S51 to S52. Since the second output signal does not exceed the threshold value 2 in S52, the amplitude decay rate of the sensor output original signal is calculated in S57. Since the sensor output original signal hardly changes, the attenuation rate is 1. Therefore, the process transits from S58 to S54 to continue the “seated” determination.

In the state of being seated and indicating "small operation" in FIG. 6, the first output signal exceeds the threshold 1 and the second output signal exceeds the threshold 2. Then, at the end of the operation, the sensor original signal, the first output signal, and the second output signal rapidly attenuate. In addition, as described above, the state is “sitting” and “there is a human body”. In the human body detection algorithm shown in FIG. 4, since "there is a human body", the first output signal is compared with the threshold 1 in S42. Since the first output signal exceeds the threshold value 1 during the minute operation, S
At 44, it is determined that there is a human body. Since the first output signal does not exceed the threshold value 1 at the end of the minute operation,
To S47, and calculates the sensor output original signal amplitude decay rate. Since the decay rate is calculated as described above, the decay rate is below the threshold value 5. Therefore, the process transits from S48 to S44 and determines that "there is a human body". In the human body detection algorithm shown in FIG. 5, since "there is a seat", the second output signal is compared with the threshold value 2 in S52. Since the second output signal exceeds the threshold value 2 during the minute operation, it is determined that "there is a seat" in S54. And
Since the second output signal does not exceed the threshold value 2 at the end of the minute operation, the process goes from S52 to S57, and the sensor output original signal amplitude decay rate is calculated. Since the decay rate is calculated as described above,
The decay rate is below the threshold value 5. Therefore, the process proceeds from S58 to S54, and it is determined that “there is a seat”.

Further, at the time of leaving the seat shown as "seating" in FIG. 6, the sensor output original signal, the first output signal, and the second output signal all gradually attenuate. The first output signal is threshold 1
, But the second output signal is below threshold 2. Note that, as described above, the state is “with seat” and “with human body”. In the human body detection algorithm shown in FIG. 4, since "there is a human body" in S41, the process transits to S42. Since the first output signal exceeds the threshold value 1 in S42, the flow goes to S44.
In S44, it is determined that "there is a human body". In the seating detection algorithm shown in FIG.
At 2, the second output signal is compared with the threshold value 2. As described above, since the second output signal does not exceed the threshold value 2, the sensor original signal amplitude decay rate is calculated in S57. Since the amplitude decay rate is large, the amplitude decay rate exceeds the threshold value 6 in S58, and S
At 56 it is determined that there is no seating.

Also, at the time of leaving, which is shown as "leaving" in FIG.
The sensor output original signal, the first output signal, and the second output signal all gradually attenuate. Note that the first output signal and the second output signal are below the thresholds 1 and 2. Furthermore, as described above, “no seat” and “there is a human body”. FIG.
In the human body detection algorithm shown in (1), since "there is a human body" in S41, the process transits to S42. Since the first output signal is lower than the threshold value 1 in S42, the sensor output original signal amplitude decay rate is calculated in S47. Since the attenuation rate exceeds the threshold value 5 in S48, it is determined that there is no human body in S46. In the seating detection algorithm shown in FIG. 5, since there is no seating in S51, the process transits to S53. As mentioned above,
Since the second output signal does not exceed the threshold value 2, it is determined in S46 that "no sitting".

As described above, both the human body detection and the seat detection can be performed with one sensor output by the algorithm shown in FIGS. Further, when there is a human body, the multi-function toilet control unit 6 transmits an ON command to the lighting device and the heating device. Also,
When there is a seat, an ON command is transmitted to the deodorizing device.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing a conventional human body detection algorithm using a Doppler sensor.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a conventional seating detection algorithm using a Doppler sensor.

FIG. 3 is a structural view of the multifunctional toilet device of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a determination algorithm of a human body detection determination unit 4 of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a discrimination algorithm of the seating detection judgment section 5 of the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows typical sensor output original signals, first output signals, and second output signals from entry to exit when using the toilet.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1: Doppler sensor 2: amplifying circuit 3: amplifying circuit 4: human body detection determination unit 5: seat detection determination unit 6: multifunctional toilet device control unit 7: heating device 8: lighting device 9: deodorizing device 10: cleaning device

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A Doppler sensor, a plurality of signal processing units for amplifying an original sensor output signal output from the Doppler sensor at different amplification factors, and a plurality of signal processors amplified by the signal processing unit based on a first amplification factor. A human body situation determination unit that performs human body detection with one output signal as an input, a seating state determination unit that performs seating detection with a second output signal amplified based on a second amplification factor in the signal processing unit, and the human body A multifunctional toilet apparatus, comprising: a control unit that controls a heating toilet seat function or a washing function based on outputs of a situation determination unit and the sitting state determination unit. 2. The human body condition determination section determines that a human body is present when the amplitude of the first output signal exceeds a first threshold value, and thereafter, the amplitude of the original sensor output signal gradually decreases and the first output signal is reduced. The multifunctional toilet apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a period until the amplitude of the signal falls below the first threshold value is determined to be a human body. 3. The seating state determination unit determines that the second output signal is seated when the amplitude of the second output signal exceeds a second threshold value. Thereafter, the amplitude of the sensor original signal attenuates slowly and the second output signal is reduced. The multifunctional toilet device according to claim 1, wherein a period until the value falls below the second threshold value is determined to be seated. 4. The control unit is also capable of outputting a control signal to a peripheral device provided in a toilet room based on outputs of a human body condition determination unit and the sitting state determination unit. The multifunctional toilet device according to claim 1. 5. The multifunctional toilet apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the multifunctional toilet apparatus is integrally formed with a toilet.