JP6455020B2 - Toilet seat apparatus and communication system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a toilet seat device and a communication system, and more particularly, to a toilet seat device that operates by supplying AC power, and a communication system including the toilet seat device and a power tap.

  In recent years, usage conditions of various facilities and equipment are collected and analyzed as statistical data and used for various purposes. The purpose of use is, for example, reflected in the design of facilities / equipment, the life of facilities / equipment is judged and used for maintenance, etc. Etc.

  Such attempts are also being made on toilets. That is, statistical data on toilet usage is collected and analyzed, and usage history of toilet equipment is grasped. As a result, facility design according to the usage status of toilets and usage history of toilets is performed, maintenance is performed by estimating the lifespan of toilets, etc., and the congestion level of toilets is displayed on an electric display panel, etc. The convenience of the user.

  As information on the usage status and usage history, for example, in the case of a toilet seat device, an event occurrence time and usage time such as an output signal of a seating sensor, a water discharge signal from a water discharge unit, and a toilet flush signal can be used. . The obtained information is transferred via a communication line connecting the toilet seat device and a data collection device such as a personal computer, and various analyzes are performed on the data collection device.

  The communication between the toilet seat device and the external device may be connected via a wired communication line or may be connected via a wireless communication line (see Patent Document 1).

  In the case of the wired type, a metal connector provided on the outside of the toilet seat device and a metal connector provided on the data collection device side are connected by a cable or the like. In the case of the wireless type, the communication module provided in the toilet seat device and the communication module in the data collection device are configured to be communicable via a radio wave such as a specific low power radio or weak radio. Become.

JP 2014-029091 A

  In the toilet room, there is a lot of moisture and the humidity is high, and further, droplets of moisture including ammonia, sulfur components, and acids derived from toilet cleaners are floating. For this reason, the metal surface in the toilet room is liable to have oxides or corrosion. That is, when adopting the above-described wired system, there is a problem that an oxide adheres to or corrodes a metal connector provided outside the toilet seat device.

  In addition, toilet equipment such as a toilet seat device has little space inside. For this reason, when adopting the above-described wireless system, it is necessary to change the design for providing the communication module inside the toilet seat device, and an increase in cost is inevitable. Further, since the communication module is provided inside the toilet seat device, there is a problem that the size of the toilet seat device is increased.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and information data relating to the use state of the toilet seat device without requiring a large design change, increasing the size, or providing a metal connector outside the device. The purpose is to be able to output to the outside by wire.

One aspect of the present invention includes a power supply terminal for receiving supply of AC power from a power supply, an AC power supply line connected to the power supply terminal, a resistive load that generates heat when energized from the AC power supply line, Switching means for switching on / off of energization from the AC power supply line to the resistive load, and on / off of energization to the resistive load performed by the switching means in a basic energization pattern according to the temperature setting related to the resistive load A control unit that controls the energization pattern different from the basic energization pattern according to the temperature setting of the resistive load according to a use state other than the temperature setting of the toilet seat device. The toilet seat device is characterized by being changed into a pattern.

  According to the toilet seat device configured as described above, when notifying the outside of the operation state other than the temperature setting of the toilet seat device, a normal energization pattern (basic energization pattern) for controlling a resistance load such as a toilet seat heater or a hot water heater and the like Is configured to change the energization pattern at the power supply terminal connected to the AC power supply line by switching to a specific energization pattern indicating the operating state of different toilet seat devices. For this reason, it becomes possible to flow an electric current with the same energization pattern also to the external apparatus connected via the said power supply terminal. Examples of the external device include a power strip interposed between the power supply terminal and the AC outlet of the commercial AC power supply, and a device disposed in the middle of the wiring for supplying AC power to the power supply terminal. . Thereby, the operation state of the toilet seat apparatus can be notified to the outside of the toilet seat apparatus using the switching means for switching on / off the energization to the existing resistance load inside the toilet seat apparatus.

  One of the selective aspects of the present invention is further provided with a zero-cross detection unit that detects a zero-cross of the AC power supply of the AC power supply line, and the control unit performs the resistance load performed by the switching unit in synchronization with the zero-crossing This is a toilet seat device that controls on / off of energization.

  According to the toilet seat device configured as described above, on / off switching of energization to the resistive load is performed at or near the zero cross of the AC power supply. For this reason, it is possible to suppress the voltage and current supplied to the resistive load from greatly changing in a short time, and to prevent the occurrence of noise that may cause malfunction of the device as much as possible.

  One of the optional aspects of the present invention is that the control unit changes the energization pattern from the basic energization pattern by changing a part of the basic energization pattern when the use state changes. The toilet seat device is characterized by being changed to a different one.

  According to the toilet seat device configured as described above, in an external device, it can be reliably identified that the energization pattern of the current flowing through the power supply terminal has changed according to the use state. Thereby, the information regarding the use state other than the temperature setting of the toilet seat device can be reliably acquired in the external device.

  One of the selective aspects of the present invention is that when the use state changes, the control unit changes a part of the basic energization pattern to a unique energization pattern according to the use state. Is a toilet seat device that is different from the basic energization pattern.

  According to the toilet seat device configured in this way, in an external device, it is possible to reliably identify that the energization pattern of the current flowing through the power supply terminal has changed according to the use state when the state change occurs. It becomes like this. Thereby, the information concerning the use state other than the temperature setting of the toilet seat device can be reliably acquired in the external device with the minimum necessary information amount.

  One of the other aspects of the present invention is a communication system including any one of the toilet seat devices described above and a power strip for connecting the power terminal to an external commercial AC power source. An energization detection circuit that detects energization between the commercial AC power supply and the power supply terminal, an energization pattern identification unit that identifies an energization pattern from a detection result of the energization detection circuit, and an energization pattern identified by the energization pattern identification unit A communication code generation unit that generates a communication code corresponding to the communication code and a wireless communication unit that wirelessly transmits the communication code.

  According to the communication system configured as described above, it is not necessary to provide a communication module for notifying the operation state of the toilet seat device to the outside, and the toilet seat device is greatly changed in design or the size of the toilet seat device. It is possible to wirelessly output information data relating to the use state of the toilet seat device without increasing the size of the toilet seat device.

  In addition, the toilet seat apparatus demonstrated above contains various aspects, such as being implemented in the state integrated in another apparatus, or being implemented with another method.

  According to the first aspect of the invention, the normal energization pattern (basic energization pattern) for controlling the resistance load of the toilet seat heater, the hot water heater, etc. when notifying the outside of the operation state other than the temperature setting of the toilet seat device. By switching to a specific energization pattern indicating the operating state of a different toilet seat device, the energization pattern at the power supply terminal connected to the AC power supply line is changed. For this reason, it becomes possible to flow an electric current with the same energization pattern also to the external apparatus connected via the said power supply terminal. Examples of the external device include a power strip interposed between the power supply terminal and the AC outlet of the commercial AC power supply, and a device disposed in the middle of the wiring for supplying AC power to the power supply terminal. . Thereby, the operation state of the toilet seat apparatus can be notified to the outside of the toilet seat apparatus using the switching means for switching on / off the energization to the existing resistance load inside the toilet seat apparatus.

  According to the invention of claim 2, on / off switching of energization to the resistive load is performed at or near the zero cross of the AC power supply. For this reason, it is possible to suppress the voltage and current supplied to the resistive load from greatly changing in a short time, and to prevent the occurrence of noise that may cause malfunction of the device as much as possible.

  According to the third aspect of the invention, in the external device, it can be reliably identified that the inside of the energization pattern of the current flowing through the power supply terminal has changed according to the use state. Thereby, the information concerning the use state other than the temperature setting of the toilet seat device can be reliably acquired in the external device as the current value of the state.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, in an external device, it is possible to reliably identify that the inside of the energization pattern of the current flowing through the power supply terminal has changed according to the use state when the state change occurs. become. Thereby, the information concerning the use state other than the temperature setting of the toilet seat device can be reliably acquired in the external device with the minimum necessary information amount.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, there is no need to provide a communication module for notifying the operation state of the toilet seat device to the outside, the design of the toilet seat device is greatly changed, or the size of the toilet seat device is increased. Without increasing the size, information data relating to the usage state of the toilet seat device can be output to the outside wirelessly.

It is a typical perspective view showing the toilet apparatus provided with the toilet seat apparatus concerning 1st Embodiment. It is a circuit diagram which shows an example of the electrical constitution of the toilet seat apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the electricity supply pattern for adjusting the temperature of a heater. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the process concerning the information output using electricity supply with respect to a resistive load. It is a figure which shows an example of a specific electricity supply pattern. It is a figure explaining the electricity supply pattern containing a specific electricity supply pattern. It is a block diagram which shows the electric constitution of a power strip. Another example of processing relating to information output using energization to a resistive load will be described. It is a figure explaining the electricity supply pattern containing a specific electricity supply pattern. It is a figure which shows an example of the specific pattern equivalent to the change of each use condition concerning 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the circuit structure which implement | achieves a toilet seat apparatus concretely. It is a figure which shows an example of the circuit structure which implement | achieves a power supply tap concretely.

Hereinafter, the present technology will be described in the following order.
(1) First embodiment:
(2) Second embodiment:
(3) Third embodiment:
(4) Fourth embodiment

(1) First embodiment:
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a toilet device 1 including a toilet seat device according to the present embodiment.

  A toilet apparatus 1 shown in the figure includes a Western-style seat toilet 10 (hereinafter simply referred to as a toilet 10) and a toilet seat apparatus 11 provided on the toilet 10.

  The toilet bowl 10 has a bowl portion 12. The bowl part 12 is provided on the upper part of the toilet bowl 10. The bowl portion 12 is formed in a concave shape that is recessed downward from the upper surface 10 a of the toilet bowl 10. The bowl portion 12 receives filth and urine excreted by the user. In addition, water is stored inside the bowl portion 12, which prevents bad odors and pests from flowing back into the room from the drain pipe connected to the toilet 10.

  The toilet seat device 11 includes a casing 111, a toilet seat 112, and a toilet lid 113. The toilet seat 112 and the toilet lid 113 are pivotally supported with respect to the casing 111. As a result, the toilet seat 112 has a shaft with respect to the casing 111 between a closed state disposed along the upper edge of the bowl portion 12 and an open state disposed substantially perpendicular to the upper edge of the bowl portion 12. It is pivotable as the center of rotation. Similarly, the toilet lid 113 is also between a closed state disposed on the toilet seat 112 along the upper edge of the bowl portion 12 and an opened state disposed substantially perpendicular to the upper edge of the bowl portion 12. The shaft with respect to the casing 111 is rotatable about the center of rotation. Note that the toilet lid 113 is not necessarily provided.

  The toilet seat device 11 has a sanitary washing function, a local drying function, a toilet seat heating function, and the like. The sanitary washing function is a function of washing a local part such as a “butt” of a user sitting on the toilet seat 112. The local drying function is a function of drying a wet local area by sanitary washing by blowing warm air to a local area such as a “buttock” of a user sitting on the toilet seat 112. The toilet seat heating function is a function of warming the seating surface of the toilet seat 112 to an appropriate temperature.

  As a sanitary washing function, for example, the toilet seat device 11 advances the water discharge nozzle 114 from the casing 111 into the bowl portion 12 of the toilet 10 according to an operation performed by the user on the operation unit, and the vicinity of the tip of the water discharge nozzle 114. It has a function which injects water from the spout provided in. Thereby, a user's local part can be washed. Moreover, not only cold water but the warm water heated with the heater can also be injected from a water discharge nozzle from a water discharge nozzle.

  In the present specification, the upper side is “upper” when viewed from the user sitting on the toilet seat 112, and the lower side is “lower” when viewed from the user sitting on the toilet seat 112. Further, the front is viewed as “front” when viewed from the user sitting on the toilet seat 112 with the back facing the opened toilet lid 113, and the rear is defined as “rear” when viewed from the user sitting on the toilet seat 112. Further, the right side is defined as “right side” when viewed from the user standing in front of the toilet 10 facing backward, and the left side is defined as “left side” when viewed from the user standing in front of the toilet 10 facing backward.

  FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram illustrating an example of an electrical configuration of the toilet seat device 11 according to the present embodiment. The toilet seat device 11 shown in the figure includes a control unit 20, a resistance load 21, a load switching unit 22, a zero cross detection unit 23, a power supply unit 24, a storage unit 25, a power supply terminal 26, an operation unit 27, an entrance detection sensor 28, and a human body detection. It has a sensor 29 and a seating detection sensor 30.

The control unit 20, storage unit 25 are electrically connected. For example, various programs and data for controlling the toilet seat device 11 are stored in the storage unit 25. The control unit 20 reads out programs and data from the storage unit 25 and performs appropriate processing, thereby comprehensively controlling each unit of the toilet seat device 11. As the storage unit 25, for example, a nonvolatile storage device such as an EEPROM or a flash memory can be used.

  The power supply terminal 26 is composed of, for example, an AC inlet that is detachably inserted into a household outlet. The toilet seat device 11 is supplied with AC power from a commercial AC power source via a power terminal 26. Note that the AC power supplied to the toilet seat device 11 is not limited to AC power supplied from a commercial AC power supply, and may be AC power supplied from a private generator, for example.

  The resistance load 21 is a resistance element that generates heat when energized, such as a warm water heater, a warm air heater, and a toilet seat heater.

  The hot water heater is a heater for generating hot water used for sanitary washing. A hot water heater produces | generates the warm water for sanitary washing by heating the wash water temporarily stored by the tank, for example. For example, a ceramic heater or a sheathed heater is used as the hot water heater.

  The hot air heater is a heater for generating hot air used for local drying. A warm air heater is arrange | positioned between a fan and a blower outlet, for example, and produces | generates the warm air for local drying by heating the wind blown off from the fan. For example, a nichrome wire heater is used as the warm air heater.

  The toilet seat heater is a heater for heating the toilet seat 112 to realize a toilet seat heating function. As the toilet seat heater, for example, a tubing heater or a planar heater is used.

  Thus, the toilet seat apparatus 11 (toilet apparatus 1) is provided with various resistance loads 21 for heating the object to be heated. The object to be heated includes cleaning water for sanitary cleaning, wind for local drying, toilet seat 112 and the like. However, the resistance load 21 provided in the toilet seat device 11 is not limited to these. For example, a heater for generating warm air for room temperature adjustment may be provided, or a heater for realizing the toilet seat heating function. In this case, a heater for rapid heating that continuously raises the temperature of the seating surface of the toilet seat 112, a heater for heat insulation heating that keeps the temperature of the seating surface of the toilet seat 112 within a predetermined temperature range, and the like may be provided.

  The load switching unit 22 is a switching element for switching on / off energization to the resistance load 21 such as a hot water heater, a warm air heater, and a toilet seat heater.

  The hot water switching element is connected in series to the hot water heater. The hot water switching element is used for switching between an energized state (on state) in which electric power is supplied to the hot water heater and a non-energized state (off state) in which no electric power is supplied.

  The warm air switching element is connected in series to the warm air heater. The hot air switching element is used for switching between an energized state (on state) in which electric power is supplied to the hot air heater and a non-energized state (off state) in which no electric power is supplied.

The toilet seat switching element is connected in series to the toilet seat heater. The toilet seat switching element is used for switching between an energized state in which power is supplied to the toilet seat heater ( on state) and a non-energized state in which power is not supplied (off state).

  The load switching unit 22 is electrically connected to the control unit 20, and switching between the energized state and the non-energized state of the load switching unit is controlled by the control unit 20. Each load switching unit 22 can be switched between an energized state and a non-energized state based on a control signal input from the control unit 20. For example, a mechanical relay or a semiconductor switch can be used for each load switching unit 22.

  The control unit 20 selects an optimum energization pattern according to the target set temperature from the plurality of energization patterns shown in FIG. 3, and outputs an ON signal to the load switching unit 22 according to the selected energization pattern. AC power can be supplied to 21 at a predetermined energization ratio.

  FIG. 3 shows energization patterns 0 to 5 in which the on / off ratios are set so that the energization ratios are different from each other, and the energization pattern 0 and the on / off ratio have an on / off ratio of 0% (not energized). The energization pattern 1 with a ratio of 31%, the energization pattern 2 with an on / off ratio of 44%, the energization pattern 3 with an on / off ratio of 56%, the energization pattern 4 with an on / off ratio of 69%, and the on / off ratio A 100% energization pattern 5 is shown. These energization patterns 0 to 5 are basic energization patterns when the resistance load 21 is heated according to the temperature setting. The set temperature of the resistance load 21 is set by an operation input to the operation unit 27 performed by the user.

  Thus, by changing the on / off ratio of the load switching unit 22, that is, the energization ratio in the resistive load 21, the amount of heat by which the resistive load heats the object to be heated to an appropriate temperature can be controlled well. In the energization pattern shown in FIG. 3, a white portion represents non-energization and a black portion represents energization.

  In each energization pattern, a time corresponding to a half wave of AC power is set as a unit time for switching on / off. For example, when the frequency of the AC power supplied to the power supply terminal 26 is a commercial AC power supply having a frequency of 60 Hz, the unit time of the energization patterns 0 to 5 is set to 1/120 seconds. Thus, by setting the unit time for switching energization on / off of the energization pattern to a time corresponding to a half wave of AC power, it is possible to perform the energization on / off switching timing at a zero cross point described later. Note that the number of types of energization patterns constituting the basic energization pattern shown in FIG. 3, the on / off ratio in each basic energization pattern, the on / off arrangement order in each energization pattern, and the like are examples, and can be variously changed. .

  The control unit 20 performs on / off switching of the load switching unit 22 in the vicinity of the zero cross point of the power supply waveform. Specifically, a power waveform of AC power supplied from the power supply terminal 26 is input to the zero cross detection unit 23, and the control unit 20 loads the load switching unit based on the zero cross detection signal output from the zero cross detection unit 23. 22 is switched on / off. As a result, the energization on / off of the resistance load 21 is switched at the zero cross point of the AC power, and the voltage or current energized to the resistance load 21 is suppressed from changing greatly in a short time, thereby causing malfunction of the device. It is possible to prevent the occurrence of noise that may cause as much as possible.

  In FIG. 2, the control unit 20 is supplied with electric power from the power supply unit 24, and the entrance detection sensor 28 that detects a user entering the toilet room (a private room of the toilet booth in the case of public use) and the toilet seat 112. Based on signals from a human body detection sensor 29 for detecting a user in front of the user, a seating detection sensor 30 for detecting the user's seating on the toilet seat 112, an operation unit 27, etc. Can be controlled. AC power is supplied to the power supply unit 24 from an external commercial AC power supply CS via a power supply terminal 26.

  The seating detection sensor 30 can detect a human body existing above the toilet seat 112 immediately before the user sits on the toilet seat 112 and a user seated on the toilet seat 112. That is, the seating detection sensor 30 can detect not only a user seated on the toilet seat 112 but also a user existing above the toilet seat 112. As such a seating detection sensor 30, for example, an infrared light projecting / receiving distance measuring sensor or the like can be used.

  The human body detection sensor 29 can detect a user in front of the toilet 10, that is, a user present at a position spaced forward from the toilet seat 112. That is, the human body detection sensor 29 can detect a user who enters the toilet room and approaches the toilet seat 112. As such a human body detection sensor 29, for example, an infrared light projecting / receiving distance measuring sensor or the like can be used.

  The entrance detection sensor 28 can detect a user immediately after opening a toilet room door or entering a toilet room, or a user existing in front of the door trying to enter the toilet room. That is, the entrance detection sensor 28 can detect not only the user who entered the toilet room, but also the user before entering the toilet room, that is, the user existing in front of the door outside the toilet room. As such an entrance detection sensor 28, a pyroelectric sensor, a microwave sensor such as a Doppler sensor, or the like can be used. When using a sensor that uses the microwave Doppler effect or a sensor that detects the object to be detected based on the amplitude (intensity) of the microwave transmitted and reflected, the user's The presence can be detected. That is, the user before entering the toilet room can be detected.

  In the toilet apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1, an entrance detection sensor 28, a seating detection sensor 30, and a human body detection sensor 29 are provided so as to be partially embedded in the upper surface of the casing 111. When the toilet lid 113 is closed, the entrance detection sensor 28 detects the entrance of the user through a transmission window provided near the base. For example, when the room entry detection sensor 28 detects the user, the control unit 20 can automatically open the toilet lid 113 based on the detection result of the room entry detection sensor 28. However, the installation form of the seating detection sensor 30, the human body detection sensor 29, and the entrance detection sensor 28 is not limited to this, and can be changed as appropriate. The types of sensors are not limited to these, and various other sensors may be provided.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing relating to information output using energization to the resistance load 21. The processing shown in the figure is performed by the control unit 20 controlling the load switching unit 22. In the process shown in the figure, various types of information can be output. However, in the following description, the case where the detection result of the seating detection sensor 30 described above is output as information will be described as an example. . Further, the control unit 20 can execute on / off control of the load switching unit 22 according to the above-described energization pattern, that is, on / off control of energization to the resistance load 21 in parallel with the processing shown in FIG. it can.

  First, the control unit 20 acquires such a setting value for information output, and determines whether or not to perform information output using energization to the resistive load 21 (S10). If this set value is set to output information (S10: Yes), the sensor output of the seating detection sensor 30 is acquired (S20). On the other hand, when this setting value is set not to output information (S10: No), it is determined that a predetermined time has passed (S40). Such a set value is stored as a register value in a storage medium such as the storage unit 25 described above, and the information output setting is changed by the user performing a predetermined operation input to the operation unit 27. can do.

  Next, when information output is performed (S10: Yes), the control unit 20 changes the above-described energization pattern to a different one from the basic energization pattern (S30). In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, by replacing a part of the basic energization pattern described above with a predetermined energization pattern corresponding to the sensor output acquired from the seating detection sensor 30, the above-described energization pattern is replaced with the basic energization pattern. The pattern is changed to something different.

For example, when the sensor output of the seating detection sensor 30 indicates seating detection, a part of the basic energization pattern is replaced with the predetermined seating detection pattern shown in FIG. If the sensor output indicates non-sitting detection, a part of the basic energization pattern is replaced with a predetermined non- sitting detection pattern shown in FIG.

  Thereafter, after a predetermined time has elapsed (S40), the processes after step S10 are repeatedly executed. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, when information is output, a part of the basic energization pattern is replaced with a predetermined energization pattern at a constant repetition period. That is, a part of the basic energization pattern is replaced with a specific energization pattern at a constant repetition period.

  By performing on / off control of the load switching unit 22 with the above-described energization pattern (basic energization pattern or basic energization pattern partially replaced with a predetermined energization pattern), the resistive load 21 is synchronized with this energization pattern. The energization / non-energization in is switched. Since the current flowing through the resistance load 21 is supplied from the AC power supply line connected to the power supply terminal 26, the same current flows through the power supply terminal 26. The power terminal 26 is connected to a commercial AC power source via a power tap 50.

  FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the power strip 50. In the present embodiment, the toilet seat device 11, the power tap 50, and an external controller constitute a communication system.

  The power tap 50 shown in the figure includes a current sensor 51 as an energization detection circuit, an energization pattern identification unit 52, a communication code generation unit 53, a wireless communication unit 54, and a power supply terminal 55 such as an AC outlet. The power tap 50 is configured to be able to communicate with an external controller 60 through a wireless communication line.

  The current sensor 51 detects energization in the power supply line L between the power supply terminal 55 connected to the power supply terminal 26 of the toilet seat device 11 and the commercial AC power supply CS, and outputs the detection result to the energization pattern identification unit 52. To do. For example, when the current sensor 51 detects that the power supply line L is energized, it outputs an energization on signal to the energization pattern identification unit 52 and when it detects that the power supply line L is not energized. An energization off signal is output to the energization pattern identification unit 52.

  The energization pattern identification unit 52 includes a storage unit that stores the basic energization patterns described above, a specific energization pattern indicating seating detection, and a specific energization pattern indicating non-detection of seating, and corresponds to the basic energization pattern. A portion that corresponds to a specific energization pattern can be identified by pattern recognition. That is, whether the portion corresponding to the specific energization pattern is the specific energization pattern indicating the seating detection illustrated in FIG. 5A or the specific energization pattern indicating the non-sitting detection illustrated in FIG. Can be identified. Then, the identified specific energization pattern itself or information corresponding thereto is converted into a communication code via the communication code generation unit 53 and wirelessly transmitted from the wireless communication unit 54.

  The wireless signal transmitted in this way is received by the wireless communication unit 61 of the external controller 60. And the operation state identification part 62 which the controller 60 has acquires the specific electricity supply pattern itself which the radio | wireless communication part 61 received, or the information according to it, and depends on the use condition of the toilet seat apparatus 11, and also the use condition of the toilet apparatus 1. Get information. Information relating to the usage state acquired in this way may be stored by providing a storage device in the controller 60, or via an external information processing device (personal computer, tablet, mobile phone, It may be transmitted to a server apparatus or the like) on demand or periodically.

(2) Second embodiment:
Next, another example of processing related to information output using energization to the resistive load 21 will be described with reference to FIG. In the present embodiment, the information output is configured to be executed in accordance with the timing when the use state of the toilet seat device 11 changes. As in the first embodiment, the control unit 20 can execute the on / off control of the load switching unit 22 with the basic energization pattern described above in parallel with the processing shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, since the processing related to information output performed by the control unit 20 and the energization pattern identification process performed by the energization pattern identification unit 52 of the power tap 50 are the same as those in the first embodiment. The hardware and software configurations of the toilet apparatus 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  First, the control unit 20 acquires such a setting value for information output, and determines whether or not to perform information output using energization to the resistive load 21 (S110). When this setting value is set to perform information output (S110: Yes), the sensor output of the seating detection sensor 30 is acquired (S120). On the other hand, when this set value is set not to output information (S110: No), no operation is performed. Such a set value is stored, for example, in a storage medium such as the storage unit 25 described above as a register value, and a user performs a predetermined operation input to the operation unit 27 to set information output. Can be changed.

  Next, it is determined based on each sensor output whether or not a change in the usage state has occurred (S130). When the use state changes (S130: Yes), the above-described energization pattern is changed to a different one from the basic energization pattern at that timing (S140). Accordingly, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, when the usage state changes (when the usage state changes from the seating non-detection state to the seating detection state, and when the seating detection state changes to the seating non-detection state). When a change in the usage state occurs, a part of the basic energization pattern described above is replaced with a predetermined energization pattern corresponding to the sensor output obtained from the seating detection sensor 30, thereby It is changed to something different from the energization pattern.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a predetermined energization pattern corresponding to each use state according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 10A, the predetermined energization pattern according to the present embodiment includes a leader part Pl and a data part Pd. The leader portion Pl is an energization pattern for identification indicating that the data portion Pd is subsequently generated, and the data portion Pd is an energization pattern indicating the contents of the usage state variation. The leader part Pl and the data part Pd are energization patterns of a certain length composed of a certain number of half waves.

  As shown in FIG. 10B, the leader portion Pl has, for example, a unique energization pattern that is not identical to all or part of the energization patterns 0 to 5 as the basic energization pattern shown in FIG. For this reason, the energization pattern identification unit 52 of the power tap 50 can identify the leader portion Pl no matter which part of the basic energization pattern is replaced with the energization pattern applied to the leader portion Pl. Therefore, even if the data portion Pd generated following the leader portion Pl is the same as part or all of the basic energization pattern, the energization pattern identification unit 52 does not mistake the basic energization pattern as the data portion Pd. Can be identified.

  FIG. 10C is a diagram illustrating an example of the data portion Pd. This figure shows a case where the energization pattern for four periods (b0, b1, b2, b3) including eight half waves of AC power is used as the data portion Pd. A pattern for deenergizing the negative half-wave while energized is indicated by P, and a pattern for turning the second half on while the first half is off is indicated by N. As described above, in the data portion Pd using four cycles of AC power, eight types of usage states can be expressed. In the example shown in FIG. 10C, different energization patterns are associated with six types of usage states (seating, leaving, human body detection, human body non-detection, cleaning start, and cleaning stop). Of course, the energization pattern may be configured by changing the on / off of energization for each half wave so that 64 types of usage states can be expressed.

  On the other hand, when the use state has not changed (S130: No), and after the basic energization pattern has been changed to a different one (S140), the process returns to step S110 and the processes after step S110 are repeatedly executed. Thereby, when a use state changes, a part in basic energization pattern can be changed into a unique energization pattern according to a use state, and an energization pattern can be changed into a thing different from a basic energization pattern. .

(3) Third embodiment:
Next, an example of a circuit configuration that specifically realizes the toilet seat device 11 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Note that in the present embodiment, the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment are assigned to configurations common to the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  In the circuit shown in FIG. 11, the toilet seat apparatus 11 includes an AC / DC converter as a power supply unit 24 that generates a DC voltage for driving a microcomputer as the control unit 20 from an AC power supply, and a zero cross detection that detects a zero cross point of the AC power supply. And a load switching unit 22 that controls the energization of the resistance load 21.

  In the power supply unit 24, first, the diode bridge circuit performs full-wave rectification of the AC power supply, and the electrolytic capacitor removes the pulsating current, thereby converting AC to DC. Next, this direct current is intermittently applied to the primary winding of the power transformer by PWM control or the like, thereby generating an alternating current of a desired voltage in the secondary winding of the power transformer. A constant voltage power supply Vcc, which is a DC voltage of a desired voltage, is obtained by rectifying and smoothing the alternating current generated in the secondary winding of the power transformer with a diode and an electrolytic capacitor provided on the secondary side. The constant voltage power supply Vcc having the desired voltage is supplied to the power supply voltage input terminal Vcc of the microcomputer.

  The zero-cross detector 23 includes a diode D1 as a rectifier and a diode D2 as a rectifier connected in parallel between one input line L1 of the AC power supply and the primary-side ground GNDP after full-wave rectification of the input line. doing. The diode D1 is connected with the cathode directed toward the input line L1 and the anode directed toward the primary side ground GNDP. On the other hand, the diode D2 is connected in the opposite direction to the diode D1, and is connected with the anode directed to the input line L1 and the cathode directed to the primary side ground GNDP.

  In the present embodiment, the diode D2 is constituted by a light emitting diode that constitutes a light emitting element of the photocoupler PC1. The phototransistor PT that constitutes the light receiving element of the photocoupler PC1 has a collector terminal connected to the input terminal IN of the microcomputer and an emitter terminal connected to the secondary side ground. The collector terminal of the phototransistor PT is pulled up to a constant voltage power supply Vcc through a resistor. Thereby, the zero cross detection signal output from the zero cross detector 23 can be input to the input terminal IN of the microcomputer while electrically insulating the AC power source and the microcomputer.

  When the voltage V1 of the input line L1 of the AC power supply is higher than the voltage V2 of the input line L2, the zero-cross detection unit 23 causes the current from the input line L1 to pass through the diode D2 through the resistor and to connect the primary side ground GNDP. And return to the input line L2 from the primary side ground GND via a diode bridge circuit as a full-wave rectifier. When current flows through this path, the diode D2 emits light. On the other hand, when the voltage V1 is lower than the voltage V2, no current flows through the diode D2, the diode D1 conducts and the diode D2 does not emit light.

  In the load switching unit 22, a resistive load 21 connected in series and a triac Trc as an AC switch are connected between the input line L 1 and the input line L 2. For this reason, when the triac Trc is turned off, the resistance load 21 is not energized, and when the triac Trc is turned on, the resistance load 21 is energized.

  A control signal output from the output terminal Out of the microcomputer is input to the gate terminal as the control terminal of the triac Trc via the photocoupler PC2. The photocoupler PC2 includes a light emitting diode PD2 as a light emitting element and a phototriac PTrc as a light receiving element.

  The light emitting diode PD2 has an anode connected to the constant voltage power supply Vcc via a resistor and a cathode connected to the ground via an NPN bipolar transistor Tr. The bipolar transistor Tr is connected with the collector facing the light emitting diode PD2 and the emitter facing the ground, and the gate is connected to the output terminal Out of the microcomputer. For this reason, when the microcomputer outputs a predetermined control signal from the output terminal Out, the collector-emitter of the bipolar transistor Tr becomes conductive, and a current flows through the light emitting diode PD2 to emit light.

  On the other hand, the phototriac PTrc that receives light emitted from the light emitting diode PD2 has one terminal connected to one terminal of the triac Trc via a resistor, and the other terminal connected to the other terminal of the triac Trc via a resistor. ing. The gate terminal of the triac Trc is connected to the other terminal of the phototriac PTrc. Therefore, when the phototriac PTrc receives light emitted from the light emitting diode PD2 and a current flows through the phototriac PTrc, a gate current flows through the triac Trc and the triac Trc is turned on.

  When the microcomputer outputs a signal for controlling on / off of the load switching unit 22, a predetermined control signal is output from the output terminal Out at the timing when the zero cross detection signal from the zero cross detection unit 23 is input to the input terminal IN. It is configured to output. For this reason, the load switching unit 22 is turned on and the resistance load 21 is energized in synchronization with the timing at which the zero cross detection unit 23 detects the zero cross of the AC power supply. As a result, the energization on / off of the resistance load 21 is switched at the zero cross point of the AC power, and the voltage or current energized to the resistance load 21 is suppressed from changing greatly in a short time, thereby causing malfunction of the device. It is possible to prevent the occurrence of noise that may cause as much as possible. Further, since the AC power supply and the microcomputer are electrically insulated and connected using the photocouplers PC1 and PC2, stable operation of the microcomputer can be realized.

(4) Fourth embodiment:
Next, an example of a circuit configuration that specifically realizes the power strip 50 described above will be described with reference to FIG. In the present embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

  A power tap 50 shown in FIG. 12 includes a microcomputer 56, an AC / DC converter 57 that generates a DC voltage for driving the microcomputer 56 from an AC power supply, and a zero-cross detection unit 58 that detects a zero-cross point of the AC power supply. A current sensor 51 that detects energization in the transmission line L1 of the AC power supply and a wireless module as the wireless communication unit 54 are provided.

  In the AC / DC converter 57, first, the AC power is converted into direct current by full-wave rectifying the AC power with a diode bridge circuit and removing pulsating current with an electrolytic capacitor. Next, the direct current is converted into a desired DC voltage by a DC / DC converter. This desired DC voltage is supplied to the drive voltage input terminal Vin of the microcomputer 56.

  The zero-cross detection unit 58 includes a diode D3 connected to the transmission line L2 of the AC power supply with an anode facing, and an RC series circuit RC. The connection point J between the resistor and the capacitor of the RC series circuit RC is connected to the ground via another resistor. The terminal voltage on the high potential side of this other resistor is input to the AD input terminal AD1 of the microcomputer 56, and the terminal voltage on the low potential side of this other resistor is input to the ground input terminal GND of the microcomputer 56. The microcomputer 56 can detect a change in the charged amount of the capacity of the RC series circuit RC by detecting a potential difference between the AD input terminal AD1 and the ground input terminal GND. Therefore, the microcomputer 56 can detect the zero cross of the AC power supply by detecting the maximum value and the minimum value of the potential difference between the AD input terminal AD1 and the ground input terminal GND.

  The current sensor 51 includes a current sensor CT provided around the transmission line L1 and an amplifier Amp that amplifies the output of the current sensor CT. The output of the amplifier Amp is input to the AD input terminal AD2 of the microcomputer 56. Thereby, the microcomputer 56 can detect energization of AC power supply.

  Then, the microcomputer 56 determines whether the AC power transmission line L1 is energized for each half-wave section of the AC power detected based on the output of the zero cross detector 58, and transmits the AC power via the AC power. Can be reproduced. Then, the microcomputer 56 identifies by pattern recognition whether or not the reproduced energization pattern includes a predetermined energization pattern. In this embodiment, the microcomputer 56 that reproduces the energization pattern and identifies the predetermined energization pattern constitutes the energization pattern identification unit 52 in this embodiment.

  When the microcomputer 56 identifies that the predetermined energization pattern is included in the energization pattern, the microcomputer 56 converts the predetermined energization pattern itself or information related to the use state corresponding to the predetermined energization pattern into a communication code, The wireless module is controlled using the terminals Tx and Rx, and a communication code is output. In other words, the microcomputer 56 that converts the predetermined energization pattern itself or information on the use state corresponding to the predetermined energization pattern into a communication code and outputs the communication code to the wireless module constitutes the communication code generation unit 53 in this embodiment.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and the configurations disclosed in the above-described embodiments are interchanged with each other or the combination is changed, the publicly known technology, and the above-described embodiments are disclosed. Also included are configurations in which the components are replaced with each other or the combination is changed. Further, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but extends to the matters described in the claims and equivalents thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Toilet apparatus, 10 ... Toilet bowl, 10a ... Upper surface, 11 ... Toilet seat apparatus, 111 ... Casing, 112 ... Toilet seat, 113 ... Toilet lid, 114 ... Spout nozzle, 12 ... Bowl part, 20 ... Control part, 21 ... Resistance load DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 22 ... Load switching part 23 ... Zero cross detection part 24 ... Power supply part 25 ... Memory | storage part 26 ... Power supply terminal 27 ... Operation part 28 ... Entrance detection sensor 29 ... Human body detection sensor 30 ... Seating detection sensor 50 ... Power tap, 51 ... Current sensor, 52 ... Electric pattern recognition unit, 53 ... Communication code conversion unit, 53 ... Zero cross detection unit, 54 ... Wireless communication unit, 55 ... Power supply terminal, 56 ... Microcomputer, 57 ... AC / DC converter, 58 ... zero cross detector, 60 ... controller

Claims (4)

A power supply terminal for receiving AC power from the power supply;
An AC power supply line connected to the power supply terminal,
A resistive load that generates heat when energized from the AC power line; and
Switching means for switching on / off energization from the AC power line to the resistive load;
A control unit for controlling on / off of energization to the resistive load performed by the switching unit with a basic energization pattern according to a temperature setting related to the resistive load;
With
The control unit changes the basic energization pattern to an energization pattern different from the basic energization pattern according to the temperature setting of the resistance load according to a use state other than the temperature setting of the toilet seat device. Toilet seat device. Further comprising a zero cross detector for detecting a zero cross of the AC power supply of the AC power line;
2. The toilet seat device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls on / off of energization to the resistance load performed by the switching unit in synchronization with the zero cross.   The said control part changes an energization pattern to a thing different from the said basic energization pattern by changing the periodic part in the said basic energization pattern, if the said use state changes. The toilet seat apparatus of Claim 1 or Claim 2. A toilet system comprising: the toilet seat device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ; and a power strip for connecting the power terminal to an external commercial AC power source.
The power strip is
An energization detection circuit for detecting energization between the commercial AC power supply and the power supply terminal;
An energization pattern identifying unit for identifying an energization pattern from a detection result of the energization detection circuit;
A communication code generation unit that generates a communication code according to the energization pattern identified by the energization pattern identification unit;
A wireless communication unit for wirelessly transmitting the communication code;
A communication system comprising:

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