JP2018164167A - Remote controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently use electric power generated by a solar battery.SOLUTION: A remote controller for remotely controlling a water section apparatus, comprises a communication unit, a solar battery, a power storage unit, an operation unit, and a communication controller. The communication unit transmits a control signal for controlling the water section apparatus wirelessly. The solar battery generates electric power by light. The power storage unit is charged by the electric power generated by the solar battery. The operation unit operates by using the electric power supplied from the power storage unit, and accepts an operation by a human body by detecting the human body. The communication controller, in a case where the human body is detected by the operation unit, controls the communication unit to transmit the control signal to the water section apparatus wirelessly. In addition, the communication controller forbids the wireless transmission of the control signal by the communication unit until a charging state of the power storage unit reaches a communicable state, where the communication unit is possible to communicate with the water section apparatus.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

  The disclosed embodiment relates to a remote control device.

  In remote areas such as toilet rooms, washrooms, and kitchens, remote control devices that remotely control water-related devices such as toilet devices and automatic faucet devices may be provided.

  Remote control devices for water-circulating devices are generally driven by commercial power or dry batteries, but in recent years, those equipped with solar cells and driven by electric power generated using lighting or external light have also been proposed. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

JP-A-9-221806

  However, compared with the electric power obtained from a commercial power supply or a dry battery, the electric power obtained from illumination or external light is limited. For this reason, in the remote control device driven by the solar cell, it is an important issue to efficiently use the electric power generated by the solar cell.

  An object of an embodiment of the disclosure is to provide a remote control device that can efficiently use electric power generated by a solar cell.

  A remote control device according to an aspect of the embodiment is a remote control device that remotely controls a watering device, a communication unit that wirelessly transmits a control signal for controlling the watering device, a solar cell that generates power by light, A power storage unit that is charged with power generated by a solar cell, an operation unit that operates using the power supplied from the power storage unit, and that receives an operation by the human body by detecting a human body, and the operation unit A communication control unit configured to control the communication unit to wirelessly transmit the control signal to the water-circulating device when the human body is detected, and the communication control unit includes a charge state of the power storage unit. The wireless transmission of the control signal by the communication unit is prohibited until the communication unit reaches a communicable state in which the communication unit can communicate with the water supply device.

  If you try to communicate with the water supply device in a state where sufficient power is not stored in the power storage unit, a halfway strength control signal is transmitted, not only can the water supply device be controlled, but also the power storage unit There is a risk that the power charged in the battery will be wasted. On the other hand, in the remote control device according to one aspect of the embodiment, the wireless communication of the control signal by the communication unit is performed until the charging state of the power storage unit reaches a communicable state in which communication with the water-circulating device can be performed by the communication unit. Since transmission is prohibited, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of waste as described above. Therefore, according to the remote control device according to one aspect of the embodiment, the power generated by the solar battery can be used efficiently.

  A voltage detection unit configured to detect a voltage of the power storage unit, wherein the communication control unit detects the control signal from the communication unit while the voltage of the power storage unit detected by the voltage detection unit is less than a threshold value; It is characterized by prohibiting wireless transmission.

  While the voltage of the power storage unit detected by the voltage detection unit is less than the threshold value, by prohibiting wireless transmission of the control signal by the communication unit, power is wasted due to the wireless transmission of the control signal with halfway strength Consumption can be suppressed. Therefore, the electric power generated by the solar cell can be used efficiently.

  Further, when the human body is detected by the operation unit while the voltage of the power storage unit is less than a threshold value, the communication control unit, after the voltage of the power storage unit becomes equal to or higher than the threshold value, The communication unit is controlled so that the control signal is wirelessly transmitted to the watering device.

  As a result, when the user performs an operation on the operation unit before the voltage of the power storage unit reaches the threshold value, the control signal is wirelessly transmitted to the water supply device without ignoring the operation of the user. be able to.

  Further, the operation unit detects the human body in a non-contact manner.

  By making the operation unit a non-contact type, it is possible to reduce the number of times the user directly touches the remote control device as compared with the case where the operation unit is a contact type. Therefore, it can suppress that a solar cell breaks down when a user touches a remote control device.

  In addition, the operation unit includes a transmission unit that emits a signal for detecting the human body.

  The active type including the transmitter has a higher power consumption than the passive type not including the transmitter, but according to the remote control device according to the embodiment capable of efficiently using the power generated by the solar cell. The operation unit can be operated stably.

  In addition, the communication unit, the solar battery, the power storage unit, the operation unit, and a housing that accommodates the communication control unit, the housing has a vertically long shape when attached to a vertical surface. Features.

  By making the case shape a vertically long shape that matches the shape of the hand, it is possible to improve the operability of hand-holding operation, and the operation part is easily covered by the user's hand, Detection accuracy can be improved.

  The solar cell may be disposed above the operation unit in a state where the casing is attached to a vertical surface.

  By arranging the solar cell closer to the illumination, it is possible to prevent the light incident on the solar cell from being blocked by the user while the user is operating the operation unit. . Therefore, a decrease in power generation efficiency can be suppressed.

  In addition, an indicator for displaying a charge state of the power storage unit is provided.

  By providing the indicator on the remote control device, the user can visually grasp the timing when the remote control device can be used, so that the remote control device can be used safely and without discomfort.

  In addition, the watering device is a toilet device, and performs a toilet cleaning operation according to the received control signal.

  There is a certain waiting time from when the toilet bowl cleaning operation is performed until the next toilet bowl cleaning operation becomes possible. The solar battery mounted on the remote control device can make the state of charge of the power storage unit communicable during the above waiting time until the wash water accumulates even if the lighting is relatively dark in the toilet room. Has power generation performance. Therefore, although there is a period during which transmission of the control signal by the communication unit is prohibited, discomfort given to the user can be minimized.

  According to one aspect of the embodiment, the electric power generated by the solar cell can be used efficiently.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a communication control process. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view illustrating an example of an external configuration of the toilet system according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the external configuration of the remote control device. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the toilet system. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an operation example of the remote control device. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure of processing executed by the remote control device. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an operation example of the remote control device according to the first modification. FIG. 8A is a schematic perspective view showing an external configuration of a remote control device according to a second modification. FIG. 8B is a diagram showing a relationship between the voltage of the power storage unit and the display mode of the indicator.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of a remote control device disclosed in the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, this invention is not limited by embodiment shown below.

<1. Communication control processing>
First, the content of the communication control process performed in the remote control device according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a communication control process. In the embodiment described below, a toilet apparatus will be described as an example of a watering device.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the remote control device 3 according to the embodiment is a device that remotely controls the toilet device 2, and controls the toilet device 2 by wirelessly transmitting a control signal to the toilet device 2.

  The remote control device 3 includes an operation unit. The operation unit is a non-contact type human body detection sensor that detects a hand-holding operation by a user. When a human body is detected by the operation unit, the remote control device 3 wirelessly transmits a control signal to the toilet device 2, and the toilet device 2 performs an operation such as a toilet cleaning operation according to the control signal received from the remote control device 3.

  In addition, the remote control device 3 includes a solar cell and a power storage unit that is charged by power generated by the solar cell, and is driven by the power stored in the power storage unit. Therefore, according to the remote control device 3 according to the embodiment, unlike the conventional remote control device that is driven by a commercial power source or a dry battery, no power supply work or battery replacement is required.

  Since the solar cell generates power by light, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, it cannot generate power when the toilet room R is turned off. If the lighting of the toilet room R is left off for a long time, the state of charge of the power storage unit becomes “completely discharged”, that is, the amount of stored power is zero due to spontaneous discharge. On the other hand, when the user enters the toilet room R and the toilet room R is illuminated, the solar cell starts generating power and the power storage unit starts to be charged.

  Here, if communication with the toilet apparatus 2 is attempted in a state where sufficient electric power is not stored in the power storage unit, a control signal with a halfway strength is transmitted from the remote control apparatus 3 to control the toilet apparatus 2. In addition to being unable to do so, the power charged in the power storage unit may be consumed in vain.

  Therefore, the remote control device 3 according to the embodiment prohibits wireless transmission of the control signal until the charged state of the power storage unit reaches a communicable state where communication with the toilet device 2 is possible. In other words, when the charge state of the power storage unit does not reach the communicable state, the control signal is not wirelessly transmitted even if a human body is detected by the operation unit. As a result, it is possible to suppress wasteful consumption of power due to wireless transmission of a control signal with halfway strength. Therefore, according to the remote control device 3 according to the embodiment, the power generated by the solar battery can be used efficiently.

<2. Toilet system exterior configuration>
Next, the external configuration of the toilet system according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view illustrating an example of an external configuration of the toilet system according to the embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the toilet system 1 includes a toilet device 2 and a remote control device 3.

  The toilet device 2 includes a toilet 5, a water supply unit 6, and a toilet seat unit 7. The toilet bowl 5 is a Western style toilet bowl, and is disposed near the wall surface on the back side of the toilet room R, for example. Although the floor-standing toilet 5 is shown here, the toilet 5 may be a wall-mounted toilet.

  The water supply unit 6 includes a water passage 61 for supplying flush water to the toilet 5 and a first main body case 62 provided so as to cover a part of the water passage 61, and switches between water supply and water stop to the toilet 5. It has a function. The toilet seat unit 7 includes a second main body case 71 installed on the upper part of the toilet 5, a toilet seat 72 and a toilet lid (not shown) that are pivotally supported so as to be openable and closable with respect to the second main body case 71. And a function of automatically opening and closing the toilet seat 72 and the toilet lid (not shown), a function of warming the toilet seat 72, and the like.

  The remote control device 3 is installed on the wall surface of the toilet room R. The wall surface is a vertical surface. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the remote control device 3 is disposed on the wall surface W on the left side as viewed from the user seated on the toilet seat 72.

<3. External configuration of remote control device>
Next, the external configuration of the remote control device 3 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the external configuration of the remote control device 3.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the remote control device 3 has a rectangular parallelepiped casing 300. The operation unit 32 and the solar cell 33 are disposed on the front surface (surface on the X axis positive direction side) of the housing 300.

  The solar cell 33 is disposed above the operation unit 32 in a state where the housing 300 is attached to the wall surface W (see FIG. 2). As described above, by arranging the solar cell 33 at a position closer to the illumination of the toilet room R, the solar cell 33 is manually moved by the user while the user is performing the hand-holding operation on the operation unit 32. It can suppress that the light which injects into is interrupted. Therefore, a decrease in power generation efficiency can be suppressed.

  In addition, the housing 300 has a vertically long shape when attached to the wall surface W (see FIG. 2). By making the shape of the housing 300 a vertically long shape that matches the shape of the hand, the operability of the hand-holding operation can be improved, and the operation unit 32 is easily covered by the user's hand, The detection accuracy of the human body can be improved.

<4. Functional configuration of toilet system>
Next, the functional configuration of the toilet system 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the toilet system 1. In FIG. 4, constituent elements necessary for describing the features of the embodiment are represented by functional blocks, and descriptions of general constituent elements are omitted. That is, each component illustrated in FIG. 4 is functionally conceptual and does not necessarily need to be physically configured as illustrated. For example, the specific form of distribution / integration of each functional block is not limited to the one shown in the figure, and all or a part thereof is functionally or physically distributed in an arbitrary unit according to various loads or usage conditions.・ It can be integrated and configured.

  First, the configuration of the remote control device 3 will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, the remote control device 3 includes a communication unit 31, an operation unit 32, a solar cell 33, a power storage unit 34, a voltage detection unit 35, a storage unit 36, and a control unit 37. These are housed in a housing 300 (see FIG. 3).

  The communication unit 31 wirelessly transmits a control signal for controlling the toilet device 2. Specifically, the communication unit 31 converts an electric signal input from the control unit 37 into a radio wave, and radiates it into the toilet room R from an antenna (not shown) as the control signal. Note that the communication unit 31 may emit infrared rays as control signals instead of radio waves.

  The operation unit 32 receives an operation (for example, a hand-holding operation) by a human body by detecting the human body in a non-contact manner.

  Thus, by making the operation unit 32 a non-contact type, it is possible to reduce the number of times the user directly touches the remote control device 3 as compared with the case where the operation unit 32 is a contact type. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the solar cell 33 from being damaged when the user touches the remote control device 3.

  The operation unit 32 is a so-called active infrared sensor, and includes a light projecting unit 321 that emits infrared light, and a light receiving unit 322 that receives reflected infrared light emitted from the light projecting unit 321, and is reflected from an object. The target (human body) is detected by the light receiving unit 322 receiving the infrared light. When the operation unit 32 detects a human body, the operation unit 32 outputs a signal indicating that a hand-holding operation has been performed to the control unit 37.

  The operation unit 32 is not limited to an infrared sensor, and may be a unit that detects a human body by irradiating light other than infrared rays such as far infrared rays, visible light, and ultraviolet rays. The signal for detecting the human body is not limited to light, but may be radio waves (microwaves or millimeter waves), ultrasonic waves, or the like. Further, the operation unit 32 may be a capacitive proximity sensor. Furthermore, the operation unit 32 is not limited to a non-contact type, and may be a contact type sensor such as a capacitive touch sensor.

  The solar cell 33 generates power using light such as illumination and external light. The power storage unit 34 is a storage battery such as a lithium ion capacitor, for example, and stores the power generated by the solar battery 33. The electric power stored in the power storage unit 34 is supplied to the communication unit 31, the operation unit 32, the storage unit 36, the control unit 37, and the like, which operate with the power supplied from the power storage unit 34.

  The voltage detection unit 35 detects the voltage of the power storage unit 34. The voltage detection result by the voltage detection unit 35 is output to the control unit 37.

  The storage unit 36 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory element such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a flash memory (Flash Memory). The storage unit 36 stores a threshold value used in a state monitoring unit 371 described later.

  Control unit 37 is connected to communication unit 31, operation unit 32, power storage unit 34, voltage detection unit 35, and storage unit 36, and controls the operation of remote control device 3. The control unit 37 includes, for example, a microcomputer, and reads and executes a program (not shown) stored in the storage unit 36 by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), or the like, so that a state monitoring unit 371 and a communication control unit 372 function.

  The state monitoring unit 371 monitors the state of charge of the power storage unit 34 based on the voltage of the power storage unit 34 detected by the voltage detection unit 35.

  Specifically, the state monitoring unit 371 compares the voltage of the power storage unit 34 detected by the voltage detection unit 35 with the threshold value stored in the storage unit 36 so that the voltage of the power storage unit 34 is equal to or higher than the threshold value. It is monitored whether or not there is, and the monitoring result is stored in the storage unit 36.

  The monitoring result is represented by flag information, for example. Here, when the voltage of the power storage unit 34 is equal to or higher than the threshold value, a “communicable flag” indicating that the charge state of the power storage unit 34 is the above-described communicable state (see FIG. 1) is stored in the storage unit 36. When the voltage of the power storage unit 34 is less than the threshold value, the charge state of the power storage unit 34 indicates that the communication unit 31 cannot communicate with the toilet apparatus 2 and cannot communicate. It is assumed that “flag” is stored in the storage unit 36.

  The state monitoring unit 371 may compare the “storage amount” of the power storage unit 34 with a threshold value. In this case, the state monitoring unit 371 performs an estimation calculation such as multiplying the voltage of the power storage unit 34 detected by the voltage detection unit 35 by a constant stored in the storage unit 36, thereby calculating the amount of power stored in the power storage unit 34. What is necessary is just to estimate and compare the estimated amount of electricity storage and a threshold value.

  The communication control unit 372 performs communication when acquiring a signal (hereinafter referred to as operation information) indicating that a hand-hold operation has been performed from the operation unit 32 (that is, when a human body is detected by the operation unit 32). The unit 31 is controlled to wirelessly transmit a control signal to the toilet device 2.

  When the communication control unit 372 acquires the operation information from the operation unit 32, the communication control unit 372 refers to the monitoring result stored in the storage unit 36 and determines whether to perform wireless transmission of the control signal by the communication unit 31.

  Specifically, when the “communicable flag” is stored in the storage unit 36, the communication control unit 372 determines that the control unit wirelessly transmits the control signal, and controls the communication unit 31 to perform the toilet. A control signal is transmitted to the apparatus 2 by radio. On the other hand, when the “communication impossible flag” is stored in the storage unit 36, the communication control unit 372 determines not to wirelessly transmit the control signal by the communication unit 31.

  As described above, according to the remote control device 3 according to the embodiment, while the voltage of the power storage unit 34 detected by the voltage detection unit 35 is less than the threshold value, the communication unit Wireless transmission of the control signal by 31 is prohibited.

  It continues and the structure of the toilet apparatus 2 is demonstrated. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the toilet apparatus 2 includes a communication unit 21, a control unit 22, and a function unit 23.

  The communication unit 21 receives a control signal wirelessly transmitted from the remote control device 3. Specifically, the communication unit 21 receives a radio wave as a signal with an antenna (not shown), converts the received radio wave into an electrical signal, and outputs the electrical signal to the control unit 22.

  The function unit 23 operates based on the control of the control unit 22. The functional unit 23 includes at least a solenoid valve 231. The electromagnetic valve 231 is, for example, an EFV (Electric Flush Valve), and opens and closes the water passage 61 (see FIG. 2). The electromagnetic valve 231 is built in the first main body case 62 of the water supply unit 6.

  The control unit 22 is connected to the communication unit 21 and the function unit 23 and controls the operation of the toilet device 2. Specifically, when the control signal from the remote control device 3 is received by the communication unit 21, the control unit 22 controls the electromagnetic valve 231 to open the water passage 61, that is, the toilet flushing operation.

<5. Example of operation of remote control device>
Next, an operation example of the remote control device 3 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an operation example of the remote control device 3.

  As shown in FIG. 5, when the user enters the toilet room R and the toilet room R is illuminated, the solar cell 33 starts power generation. Thereby, the power storage unit 34 starts to be charged, and the voltage of the power storage unit 34 increases. Subsequently, when the voltage of the power storage unit 34 reaches the drive voltage of the control unit 37, the control unit 37 starts to operate. The drive voltage of the control part 37 is 2V, for example.

  When the power storage unit 34 is continuously charged, the voltage of the power storage unit 34 reaches a threshold value. Here, the threshold value is set to a voltage higher than the voltage of the power storage unit 34 necessary for one communication with the toilet device 2 by the communication unit 31. Therefore, the state in which the voltage of the power storage unit 34 is equal to or higher than the threshold is a state in which the communication unit 31 can perform one-time communication with the toilet device 2, that is, a control signal having a strength that can be received by the toilet device 2. This means that the wireless transmission can be performed only once from 31 (that is, the communication is possible). The threshold value is specifically higher than the total value of the voltage of the power storage unit 34 required for one communication with the toilet device 2 by the communication unit 31 and the drive voltage of the control unit 37, and the power storage unit 34. It is set to a voltage lower than the upper limit value of the voltage. This point will be described later.

  When the user performs a hand-holding operation after the voltage of the power storage unit 34 becomes equal to or higher than the threshold value, a control signal is wirelessly transmitted by the communication unit 31 and the toilet apparatus 2 performs the toilet cleaning operation.

  When the control signal is transmitted, the power stored in the power storage unit 34 is consumed, so that the voltage of the power storage unit 34 decreases and falls below the threshold value. Here, as described above, the threshold value is set to a voltage higher than the total value of the voltage of the power storage unit 34 necessary for one communication with the toilet device 2 by the communication unit 31 and the drive voltage of the control unit 37. Therefore, even if the voltage of the power storage unit 34 decreases due to the transmission of the control signal, the voltage of the power storage unit 34 does not fall below the drive voltage of the control unit 37. For this reason, it can prevent that the control part 37 becomes a state which cannot operate | move.

  Subsequently, it is assumed that the user performs a hand-holding operation in a state where the voltage of the power storage unit 34 is less than the threshold value. In this case, transmission of the control signal by the communication unit 31 is prohibited, and the toilet cleaning operation by the toilet device 2 is not performed. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the power stored in the power storage unit 34 from being consumed wastefully.

  Here, when the toilet bowl cleaning operation by the toilet apparatus 2 is performed, the next toilet bowl cleaning operation cannot be performed until the cleaning water is accumulated in the cleaning water tank of the toilet apparatus 2. Therefore, there is a certain waiting time after the toilet bowl cleaning operation is performed until the next toilet bowl cleaning operation becomes possible. This waiting time is, for example, 20 seconds. Even if the solar cell 33 mounted on the remote control device 3 is a relatively dark illumination of the toilet room R (for example, at least about 200 lux), the voltage of the power storage unit 34 is maintained during the waiting time until cleaning water is accumulated. Has a power generation performance that can be set to be equal to or greater than the threshold. Therefore, according to the remote control device 3 according to the embodiment, although there is a period during which transmission of the control signal by the communication unit 31 is prohibited, discomfort given to the user can be minimized.

  Note that the communication control unit 372 may store an operation history in the storage unit 36 when a hand-holding operation is detected by the operation unit 32 while the voltage of the power storage unit 34 is less than the threshold value. In this case, the communication control unit 372 determines whether or not the operation history is stored in the storage unit 36 after the voltage of the power storage unit 34 becomes equal to or higher than the threshold value. You may make it control the communication part 31 and transmit a control signal to the toilet apparatus 2 by radio.

  Thereby, for example, when a hand-holding operation is performed immediately before the voltage of the power storage unit 34 reaches the threshold value, the toilet cleaning operation can be performed with a slight time lag without ignoring the hand-holding operation.

  Subsequently, until the user undresses and sits on the toilet device 2, the voltage of the power storage unit 34 becomes equal to or higher than the threshold value. Thereafter, when a hand-holding operation is performed by the user, a control signal is wirelessly transmitted by the communication unit 31 as usual, and a toilet cleaning operation by the toilet device 2 is performed. By the transmission of the control signal, the voltage of the power storage unit 34 decreases and becomes less than the threshold value, but the voltage of the power storage unit 34 becomes the threshold value or more again while the user is using it.

  After that, when the user finishes using the hand, and the hand-holding operation is performed, since the voltage of the power storage unit 34 is equal to or higher than the threshold value, a control signal is wirelessly transmitted by the communication unit 31 as usual, and the toilet apparatus 2 performs toilet cleaning. Operation is performed. By the transmission of the control signal, the voltage of the power storage unit 34 decreases and becomes less than the threshold value. Thereafter, the voltage of the power storage unit 34 rises again, but the increase in the voltage of the power storage unit 34 is stopped by turning off the illumination of the toilet room R as the user leaves the room. And the voltage of the electrical storage part 34 falls gradually by natural discharge.

<6. Specific operation of remote control device>
Next, a specific operation of the remote control device 3 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure of processing executed by the remote control device 3.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 37 determines whether or not a hand-holding operation has been performed by the user (step S <b> 101). Specifically, when the control unit 37 acquires a signal indicating that the hand-holding operation has been performed from the operation unit 32, the control unit 37 determines that the hand-holding operation has been performed by the user. The control unit 37 repeats the determination process in step S101 until a signal indicating that the hand-holding operation has been performed is acquired from the operation unit 32 (No in step S101).

  If it is determined in step S101 that a hand-holding operation has been performed (step S101, Yes), the control unit 37 determines whether or not the voltage of the power storage unit 34 is equal to or higher than a threshold value (step S102). Specifically, when the “communication enabled flag” is stored in the storage unit 36, the control unit 37 determines that the voltage of the power storage unit 34 is equal to or higher than the threshold value, and stores the “communication disabled flag” in the storage unit 36. Is stored, it determines with the voltage of the electrical storage part 34 being less than a threshold value.

  When it determines with the voltage of the electrical storage part 34 being more than a threshold value in step S102 (step S102, Yes), the control part 37 controls the communication part 31 and makes the toilet apparatus 2 transmit a control signal wirelessly ( In step S103), the process returns to step S101. On the other hand, when the voltage of the power storage unit 34 is less than the threshold (No in step S102), the control unit 37 performs the process without performing the process of step S103, that is, without performing wireless transmission of the control signal in step S101. Migrate to

  As described above, the remote control device 3 according to the embodiment is a remote control device that remotely controls the toilet device 2 (an example of a watering device), and includes a communication unit 31, a solar cell 33, a power storage unit 34, An operation unit 32 and a communication control unit 372 are provided. The communication unit 31 wirelessly transmits a control signal for controlling the toilet device 2. The solar cell 33 generates electricity with light. The power storage unit 34 is charged with power generated by the solar battery 33. The operation unit 32 operates using electric power supplied from the power storage unit 34, and accepts an operation by a human body by detecting the human body. When a human body is detected by the operation unit 32, the communication control unit 372 controls the communication unit 31 to wirelessly transmit a control signal to the toilet device 2. Further, the communication control unit 372 prohibits wireless transmission of the control signal by the communication unit 31 until the charging state of the power storage unit 34 reaches a communicable state in which the communication unit 31 can communicate with the toilet device 2. .

  Therefore, according to the remote control device 3 according to the embodiment, the electric power generated by the solar cell 33 can be used efficiently.

<7. First Modification>
In the above-described embodiment, the toilet device 2 has been described as an example of the watering device. . In the first modification, an example in which the watering device is an automatic faucet device installed in a washroom will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an operation example of the remote control device 3 according to the first modification.

  As shown in FIG. 7, when the user enters the washroom and the washroom is illuminated, the solar cell 33 starts power generation. Thereby, the power storage unit 34 starts to be charged, and the voltage of the power storage unit 34 increases. Then, when the voltage of the power storage unit 34 reaches the drive voltage of the control unit 37, the control unit 37 starts to operate.

  The lighting of the toilet or kitchen where the automatic faucet device 8 is installed is generally brighter than the lighting of the toilet room R, and is at least about 500 lux, for example. For this reason, when the remote control device 3 is installed in a washroom or kitchen, the charging speed of the power storage unit 34 is faster than when it is installed in the toilet room R, and the voltage of the power storage unit 34 is about 3 seconds, for example. The threshold is reached. Since it takes about 3 seconds for the user to enter the washroom or kitchen before reaching the bowl or sink, the user performs a hand-holding operation while the voltage of the power storage unit 34 is below the threshold value. There is little possibility. That is, it is possible to store the power necessary for communication with the automatic faucet device 8 in the power storage unit 34 before the user performs a hand-hold operation.

  Subsequently, after the voltage of the power storage unit 34 becomes equal to or higher than the threshold value, when the user performs a hand-hold operation on the remote control device 3, a control signal is wirelessly transmitted by the communication unit 31. When receiving the control signal, the automatic water faucet device 8 controls a solenoid valve (not shown) to open the water passage. Thereby, water is discharged from the water outlet of the automatic water faucet device 8.

  When the control signal is transmitted, the power stored in the power storage unit 34 is consumed, so that the voltage of the power storage unit 34 decreases and falls below the threshold. However, the user wets his hand or rubs his hand with soap or the like. 3 seconds or more elapses during the operation such as or the like, and the voltage of the power storage unit 34 becomes the threshold value or more again. Even when the remote control device 3 is installed in the kitchen, the voltage of the power storage unit 34 becomes equal to or higher than the threshold value again while performing operations such as washing dishes. As described above, according to the remote control device 3, it is possible to store electric power necessary for communication with the automatic faucet device 8 after the user performs a hand-holding operation until the next hand-holding operation is performed. The user can use the remote control device 3 without discomfort.

  Subsequently, when the user who has finished rubbing his hand with soap performs a hand-holding operation on the remote control device 3 again, the voltage of the power storage unit 34 is equal to or higher than the threshold value. Then, water is discharged from the water outlet of the automatic water faucet device 8. By the transmission of the control signal, the voltage of the power storage unit 34 decreases and becomes less than the threshold value, but the voltage of the power storage unit 34 becomes the threshold value or more again while the user is washing hands.

  Thereafter, when the lighting in the washroom is turned off as the user leaves the room, the voltage of the power storage unit 34 gradually decreases due to natural discharge.

  As described above, the watering device is not limited to the toilet device 2 installed in the toilet room R, and may be an automatic faucet device 8 installed in a washroom or a kitchen.

  The remote control device 3 does not necessarily need to be fixedly installed on the wall surface W or the like. Since the remote control device 3 can be self-supplied by the solar battery 33, it can also be used as a portable remote control device.

<8. Second Modification>
FIG. 8A is a schematic perspective view showing an external configuration of a remote control device according to a second modification. Moreover, FIG. 8B is a figure which shows the relationship between the voltage of the electrical storage part 34, and the display mode of an indicator.

  As shown in FIG. 8A, an indicator 80 that displays the charging state of the power storage unit 34 may be provided in the housing 300A of the remote control device 3A. From the viewpoint of visibility, the indicator 80 is preferably provided on the front surface of the housing 300 </ b> A, like the operation unit 32 and the solar cell 33.

  The indicator 80 includes, for example, a plurality (three in this case) of LED lamps 81 to 83. The LED lamps 81 to 83 are arranged in the order of the LED lamp 81, the LED lamp 82, and the LED lamp 83 from the left side when viewed from the user. The LED lamp 82 is formed to be longer than the LED lamp 81, and the LED lamp 83 is It is formed longer than the LED lamp 82.

  The control unit 37 changes the display mode of the LED lamps 81 to 83 by controlling the indicator 80 according to the voltage of the power storage unit 34 detected by the voltage detection unit 35.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 8B, when the voltage of the power storage unit 34 is 0, power is not supplied to the indicator 80, and thus all the LED lamps 81 to 83 are turned off. Subsequently, when power generation by the solar battery 33 is started and the voltage of the power storage unit 34 starts to rise, the control unit 37 changes the LED lamps 81 to 83 to the LED lamp 81 and the LED lamp as the voltage of the power storage unit 34 increases. The LED 82 and the LED lamp 83 are sequentially turned on.

  For example, when the voltage of the power storage unit 34 is 0% and the threshold value is 100%, the control unit 37 turns on the LED lamp 81 when the voltage is 10%, and when the voltage is 50%. The LED lamp 82 is turned on, and the LED lamp 83 is turned on at 100%.

  Thus, by providing the indicator 80 in the remote control device 3A, the user can visually grasp the timing at which the remote control device 3A can be used, so that the remote control device 3A can be used safely and without discomfort. Can do.

  Here, the indicator 80 includes a plurality of LED lamps 81 to 83, but the indicator 80 only needs to include at least one indicator lamp. In this case, the control unit 37 may light the indicator 80 when the voltage of the power storage unit 34 is equal to or higher than the threshold value, thereby allowing the user to recognize that communication with the water-circulating device is possible. Good. Further, by lighting the indicator 80 when the voltage of the power storage unit 34 is less than the threshold value, the user recognizes that communication with the toilet device 2 is impossible (the power storage unit 34 is being charged). It is also possible to make it.

  Further effects and modifications can be easily derived by those skilled in the art. Thus, the broader aspects of the present invention are not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described above. Accordingly, various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

R Toilet room 1 Toilet system 2 Toilet device 3 Remote control device 31 Communication unit 32 Operation unit 33 Solar cell 34 Power storage unit 35 Voltage detection unit 36 Storage unit 37 Control unit 371 Status monitoring unit 372 Communication control unit

Claims (9)

A remote control device for remotely controlling a watering device,
A communication unit that wirelessly transmits a control signal for controlling the water supply device;
Solar cells that generate electricity by light,
A power storage unit that is charged by power generated by the solar cell;
An operation unit that operates using electric power supplied from the power storage unit and receives an operation by the human body by detecting the human body;
A communication control unit configured to control the communication unit to wirelessly transmit the control signal to the watering device when the human body is detected by the operation unit;
The communication control unit
The wireless transmission of the control signal by the communication unit is prohibited until the state of charge of the power storage unit reaches a communicable state in which the communication unit can communicate with the water supply device. apparatus. A voltage detection unit for detecting the voltage of the power storage unit;
The communication control unit
2. The remote control device according to claim 1, wherein wireless transmission of the control signal by the communication unit is prohibited while the voltage of the power storage unit detected by the voltage detection unit is less than a threshold value. The communication control unit
When the human body is detected by the operation unit while the voltage of the power storage unit is less than the threshold, the communication unit is controlled to control the water after the voltage of the power storage unit exceeds the threshold. The remote control device according to claim 2, wherein the control signal is wirelessly transmitted to a surrounding device. The operation unit is
The remote control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the human body is detected without contact. The operation unit is
The remote control device according to claim 4, further comprising a transmitter that emits a signal for detecting the human body. A housing that houses the communication unit, the solar cell, the power storage unit, the operation unit, and the communication control unit,
The housing is
6. The remote control device according to claim 1, wherein the remote control device has a vertically long shape in a state of being attached to a vertical surface. The solar cell is
The remote control device according to claim 6, wherein the remote control device is disposed above the operation unit in a state where the housing is attached to a vertical surface. The remote control device according to claim 1, further comprising an indicator that displays a charging state of the power storage unit. The watering device is
The remote control device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the remote control device is a toilet device, and performs a toilet cleaning operation according to the received control signal.

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