JP6473035B2 - Remote control device for toilet - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a remote control device for a toilet that controls a toilet having a cleaning function.

  Conventionally, a remote control device that controls the operation of a toilet by transmitting an optical signal to a toilet body having a cleaning function has been put into practical use. As the toilet body becomes more sophisticated, the operation system of the remote control device is becoming more complex so that each function can be supported. In recent years, remote control devices having a display function capable of displaying various information in an easy-to-understand manner are increasing (for example, see Patent Document 1).

JP 2006-194209 A

  When a display function is provided in the remote control device, power for display is required regardless of whether or not an operation is performed. A general display device that requires a light source such as a liquid crystal display continues to consume power even when a person is not in the toilet room. For this reason, for example, in the case of a battery-powered remote control device, it is conceivable that the battery will reach the end of its life without being noticed by the user, causing problems such as suddenly ineffective operation. In addition, the frequency of replacing the battery is increased, resulting in trouble for the user. There is a need for a remote control device that is not limited to a battery-powered type and that can suppress power consumption as much as possible and can easily display necessary information.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of easily presenting necessary information while suppressing power consumption in a toilet remote control device.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a toilet remote control device according to an aspect of the present invention is a remote control device that controls the operation of a main body device by transmitting a signal in response to an operation by a user. A non-volatile display unit for displaying such information, and a refresh control unit for causing the display unit to perform a refresh operation for changing the display color over time at a predetermined timing. While displaying predetermined information in different colors, each display color is changed over time.

  A “non-volatile display unit” is a device having a display mechanism that can maintain display contents even when power is not supplied. According to this configuration, power consumption for display is generated only when the display content is updated, so that power consumption can be suppressed. Further, since the refresh operation for erasing the afterimage is performed at an appropriate timing while displaying the information, it is possible to ensure visibility without giving the user a sense of incongruity or misunderstanding of the failure.

  When an operation is performed on the toilet remote control device, the display unit may perform the refresh operation while displaying information corresponding to the content of the operation. According to this configuration, since the refresh operation can be made to appear consistent with the operation, necessary information can be presented at the same time without giving the user a sense of incongruity.

  A communication unit that acquires information on the state of the main body device by communicating with the main body device may be provided, and the display unit may determine information to be displayed according to the state of the main body device. According to this configuration, the refresh operation can be performed at the same time while presenting accurate information to the user when the availability of the operation changes depending on the state of the main device.

  The refresh control unit acquires a detection result by a human body detection sensor provided inside or outside the remote control device, and the display unit is in a state of accepting an operation when a human body is detected by the human body detection sensor. The refresh operation may be performed while displaying information indicating that it has entered. According to this configuration, since it is presented that the operation acceptance state has been entered in response to the detection of the user himself / herself, a refresh operation can be performed at the same time while giving the user a sense of security.

  The refresh control unit determines the absence of a person based on a predetermined criterion, and the display unit displays information indicating that a refresh operation is being performed during a period in which the absence of the person is determined by the refresh control unit. However, the refresh operation may be performed. According to this configuration, even if a person who has entered the toilet room accidentally sees a change in the screen, he / she can understand that the refreshing operation is in progress, so that he / she will not be surprised, discomforted or misunderstood.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, in a remote control apparatus for toilets, required information can be shown easily while suppressing power consumption.

It is a figure which shows the outline of the toilet room provided with the remote control apparatus and toilet bowl body which concern on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the external appearance structural example of the remote control apparatus in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the functional block of the remote control apparatus and toilet bowl body in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of a transition of the screen displayed on a display part in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the setting data which concerns on the conditions which determine the timing of refresh operation in this embodiment, and the content displayed at the time of refresh operation. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the process which concerns on the refresh operation which a remote control apparatus performs in this Embodiment.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a toilet room provided with a remote control device and a toilet body according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the drawing, the remote control device 10 is provided on the right wall surface as viewed from the user seated on the toilet body 50. The toilet main body 50 is a flush toilet, and has a function of washing the inside of the toilet by flowing water manually or automatically. The toilet body 50 may further be provided with a nozzle or a deodorizing fan that ejects cleaning water toward the human body part.

  In order to automatically activate these functions of the toilet main body 50, a seating sensor 54 for detecting the seating and separation of the user is provided at the rear of the toilet seat. The remote control device 10 is an input device for manually operating various functions of the toilet body 50. In response to a user operation, the remote control device 10 transmits a radio signal such as infrared rays or radio waves indicating the content of the operation from the communication interface 12 to the toilet body 50. A communication interface 56 for receiving the radio signal is provided on the upper surface of the rear part of the toilet body 50.

  As will be described later, according to the embodiment, the remote control device 10 not only transmits a radio signal to the toilet main body 50 but also receives a radio signal transmitted from the toilet main body 50 and representing a detection result by the seating sensor 54 and the like. You may do it. That is, the communication interface 12 of the remote control device 10 and the communication interface 56 of the toilet body 50 may function as a bidirectional communication interface, and each may include a wireless signal transmission unit and a reception unit. However, the remote control device 10 and the toilet body 50 may transmit and receive signals by wire.

  A control mechanism that interprets the operation content based on the radio signal acquired by the communication interface 56 and activates a function corresponding to the operation content is provided inside the toilet body 50. A main body switch 58 is provided on the left side surface of the toilet body 50 so that the toilet cleaning function can be activated without using the remote control device 10. The appearance shape of the toilet body 50, the positions of the sensors and switches, the appearance shape and the installation location of the remote control device 10 are examples, and are not intended to limit the present embodiment.

  FIG. 2 shows an example of the external configuration of the remote control device 10, (A) is a front view, and (B) is a right side view. In this example, the remote control device 10 has a horizontally long casing, and the front surface is an operation surface as shown in FIG. Further, as shown in (B), a groove 19 is provided on the side surface of the remote control device 10, and a rail 21 provided on the inner side surface of the holder member 20 fixed to the wall surface 22 as shown on the right side of the figure. The remote control device 10 can be detachably attached to the wall surface 22 by being slid from the upper side and inserted.

  A battery box and a microcomputer (not shown) are provided in the casing of the remote control device 10. The microcomputer performs various processes using the battery stored in the battery box as a power source. The power from the battery is also consumed for switching the display on the display unit 16, which will be described later, transmitting and receiving wireless signals, playing music from a speaker (not shown), and the like.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, operation button portions 14a and 14b, a display portion 16, and an allocation change button 18 are provided on the front of the remote control device. The operation button portions 14 a and 14 b are composed of a plurality of buttons for operating the operation of the toilet body 50 and the display on the display unit 16. Any of various functions is assigned in advance to the buttons provided in the operation button portions 14a and 14b. Therefore, the remote control device 10 specifies a function corresponding to the button pressed by the user, and transmits a radio signal from the communication interface 12 or switches the display on the display unit 16 accordingly.

  For example, the operation button portion 14a is provided with a toilet seat opening / closing button, a toilet cleaning button, a human body local cleaning button, and a button for stopping it. The operation button unit 14 b is provided with a power button of the remote control device 10 and an operation button for display contents of the display unit 16. The display unit 16 is a display device for providing necessary information to the user, and changes the display content according to the situation at that time and the operation of the user. In the present embodiment, the display unit 16 is a non-volatile display device that maintains display even when power is not supplied.

  Non-volatile display devices have been put into practical use in the form of electronic paper and electrophoretic displays, and various techniques such as electrophoresis and powder transfer have been proposed. For example, an electrophoretic method using microcapsules is a display method in which microcapsules in which white and black particles positively and negatively charged are encapsulated together with a fluid are used as pixels. By applying voltage to the upper and lower electrodes, the particles are microscopically displayed. The color of particles that migrate inside the capsule and collect on the surface is controlled to be white or black. Even if voltage application is stopped after collecting particles of a desired color on the surface, the state is maintained, so that non-volatile display can be performed.

  As described above, the non-volatile display device has a characteristic that power is consumed only when the display content is changed, and the display content is maintained even when the power supply is cut off, regardless of the method. In the present embodiment, by introducing a non-volatile display technique as the display unit 16, power consumed for display is suppressed. Note that the detailed configuration of the nonvolatile display device can be variously considered depending on the method as described above, and thus the description thereof is omitted here.

  The allocation change button 18 is a button that can change the function allocation according to the operation content and the situation of the toilet body 50. On the screen of the display unit 16, the function assigned at that time is displayed immediately above each button so that the user can recognize the correspondence between the button and the function. The remote control device 10 specifies the function corresponding to the button pressed by the user based on the assignment at that time, and transmits a radio signal from the communication interface 12 or switches the display of the display unit 16 accordingly. .

  As described above, when the display unit 16 is realized by a non-volatile display device, the power consumption time is limited, and the power consumption of the display unit 16 is reduced compared to a remote control device having a general display function that requires power continuously. Consumption is reduced. In particular, since the remote control device 10 for a toilet room as in the present embodiment tends to have limited time and timing seen by a person, it is a special effect that power consumption can be suppressed during other periods. On the other hand, in a non-volatile display device, depending on the method, the content displayed immediately before the display may remain thin despite the display being updated.

  Therefore, in order to keep the display easy to see at all times, it is common to perform a refresh operation such as displaying a black or white filled image for a short period of time at a predetermined timing such as when switching the display content, and to erase the afterimage. is there. However, assuming a remote control device, the following problems may occur depending on the timing of the refresh operation. That is, during the refresh operation, at least a part of the original functions of the remote control device cannot be performed. Therefore, if the refresh operation is being performed when attempting to operate, the user needs to wait for the completion of the operation. You may feel stress due to not staying.

  In addition, a user who sees that the screen has changed from the normal state cannot grasp the cause or the state of the apparatus, and may suspect a failure in some cases. Therefore, in this embodiment, the refresh operation is performed while displaying characters or pictures representing predetermined information. That is, instead of making the colors of all the pixels uniform at the time of the refresh operation, the color is changed between the pixels constituting the character or picture and the other pixels, and the screen is refreshed by changing each color over time. This reduces the user's anxiety and stress and makes it possible to provide necessary information even during the refresh operation.

  FIG. 3 shows functional block configurations of the remote control device 10 and the toilet body 50. Each block shown here can be realized in hardware by an element including a CPU of a computer, a communication interface, a display device, and a mechanical device, and is realized by a computer program or the like in software. The functional block realized by those cooperation is drawn. Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that these functional blocks can be realized in various forms by a combination of hardware and software.

  The remote control device 10 includes an operation receiving unit 24, a communication unit 26, a refresh control unit 28, a display control unit 32, and a setting data storage unit 31. The operation accepting unit 24 is realized by the buttons constituting the operation button units 14a and 14b shown in FIG. 2, the allocation change button 18, an internal microcomputer, and the like, and the function corresponding to the button pressed by the user. After specifying the operation content, the communication unit 26, the refresh control unit 28, and the display control unit 32 are notified of the information.

  The communication unit 26 is realized by a microcomputer and the communication interface 12 shown in FIG. 1, etc., and generates a radio signal indicating the operation contents of the user based on the notification from the operation reception unit 24 and transmits the radio signal to the toilet body 50. . Moreover, the radio signal which inquires the state of the toilet main body 50 and the detection result of a human body as needed is transmitted, or the radio signal which shows the answer transmitted from the toilet main body 50 according to it is received. However, depending on the embodiment, the function of receiving a signal from the toilet body 50 may not be provided.

The refresh control unit 28 is realized by a microcomputer or the like, and determines the timing for starting the refresh operation based on a predetermined condition. Conditions are set from the following viewpoints, for example.
1. Time elapsed 2. 2. Operation for remote control device The presence / absence of people around the toilet body

  The above 1 is a case where the refresh operation is periodically performed at a set time interval, for example. The above 2 is a case where, for example, when the user presses any button on the operation button unit 14a, a refresh operation is performed in response to the button. At this time, the display contents being refreshed may be determined in consideration of the state of the toilet body 50. The above 3 is, for example, when it is detected that a person has arrived around the toilet body 50, and a refresh operation is performed to respond to it, or during a period when it is determined that there is no person around the toilet body 50 For example, when performing an operation.

  These conditions are examples, and various settings can be made from one viewpoint. One or more conditions may be actually applied. One condition may be set by combining a plurality of viewpoints. In any case, by using functions originally possessed by the remote control device 10 such as a user operation reception function and a human body detection function in the toilet body 50, introduction at a low cost becomes possible. Note that the refresh control unit 28 includes a timer for measuring elapsed time as necessary.

  When the operation by the user is a condition, the refresh control unit 28 acquires the content of the operation when the operation receiving unit 24 receives the operation. When the state of the toilet main body 50 is reflected in the display content, or when the presence / absence of a person is used as a condition for the refresh operation, the refresh control unit 28 sends the state of the toilet main body 50 to the current state via the communication unit 26. Or the detection result of the human body detection sensor, or the response transmitted from the toilet body 50 is acquired accordingly.

  However, in order to determine the presence / absence of a person, in addition to acquiring the human body detection result from the toilet body 50, the presence / absence of the operation by the user, the elapsed time from the previous operation, or the like may be used. A standard for determining the presence / absence of such a person is set separately. The conditions for starting the refresh operation are stored in the setting data storage unit 31 in association with the identification information assigned thereto. When the set condition is satisfied and the start of the refresh operation is determined, the refresh control unit 28 notifies the display control unit 32 of the identification information of the condition and requests the refresh operation.

  The display control unit 32 is realized by a microcomputer and the display unit 16 shown in FIG. 2 and the like, and changes the display content according to the operation content by the user notified from the operation reception unit 24. By configuring the display unit 16 with a non-volatile display device as described above, power consumption related to display occurs only when the contents are changed. Information to be displayed and data such as the screen configuration are stored in the setting data storage unit 31 in association with the assumed situation.

  The display control unit 32 also refreshes the display screen according to a request from the refresh control unit 28. Here, when the display content is changed according to the condition that determines the refresh operation, data in which each identification information is associated with the display content so that the display content corresponding to the identification information notified from the refresh control unit 28 can be acquired. Is also stored in the setting data storage unit 31. In some cases, the time for displaying the refresh screen, the color of the pixels, and the like may be set for each condition.

  The toilet body 50 includes a communication unit 60, an operation control unit 62, and a human body detection unit 64. The communication unit 60 is realized by the communication interface 56 shown in FIG. 1 and a microcomputer built in the toilet main body 50, and receives a radio signal transmitted from the remote control device 10 to the user with respect to the toilet main body 50. Identify the operation. Further, radio signals indicating the state of the toilet body 50 and the result of human body detection are collected and transmitted to the remote control device 10 in response to an inquiry. The operation control unit 62 is realized by a microcomputer and a mechanical device that is under the control of the microcomputer and implements each function of the toilet body 50, and operates the mechanical device so as to correspond to the operation content specified by the communication unit 60. Note that the operation control unit 62 may appropriately operate the mechanical device also by an operation on the main body switch 58 shown in FIG.

  The human body detection unit 64 is realized by the seating sensor 54 or the microcomputer shown in FIG. 1, detects the state where the user is seated on the toilet seat, and notifies the operation control unit 62 of the result. The operation control unit 62 operates the corresponding mechanical device according to the detection result of the human body detection unit 64, for example, when the user is seated, activates the deodorizing fan, and when the user stands up, cleans the toilet bowl. In addition, the operation control unit 62 causes the communication unit 60 to transmit a signal indicating the detection result of the human body detection unit 64 when an inquiry about the detection result is made from the remote control device 10.

  The sensor that detects the human body in the toilet body 50 is not limited to the seating sensor 54. For example, in the case of a toilet equipped with a function that automatically opens the toilet lid according to the approach of the person or a function that automatically lowers the toilet seat when a person moves away, the upper surface of the lid or the lower surface of the toilet seat is used for these functions. The provided sensors can be used as well. Specific human body detection methods using these sensors can appropriately employ a technique that has been put to practical use, and thus description thereof is omitted here.

  FIG. 4 shows a transition example of the screen displayed on the display unit 16. In the figure, for easy understanding, four allocation change buttons 18 provided on the lower side of the display unit 16 are also shown. First, the screen 70 is an example of a screen displayed in a normal state such as when the remote control device 10 is turned on. The screen 70 includes a “cleaning strength” display unit 100 indicating the strength (momentum) of the cleaning water ejected from the nozzle, a current time display unit 102, and an allocation display unit 104 of the allocation change button 18.

  The “cleaning strength” display unit 100 represents six levels of strength of the cleaning water with six circles, and represents the current setting with the number of filled circles. The number of filled circles is increased or decreased in response to pressing of a button for adjusting the cleaning strength in the operation button unit 14a shown in FIG. The current time display unit 102 displays the current time measured by a clock built in the remote control device 10. The assignment display unit 104 displays the function currently assigned to each of the assignment change buttons 18 in the form of characters or symbols immediately above each button. In the case of the figure, it can be seen that “drying”, “deodorization”, “music”, and “care” are assigned in order from the left button.

  If any of the allocation change buttons 18 is pressed in this state, the operation screen specialized for only the corresponding function and the case where the toilet main body 50 is operated by transmitting a radio signal indicating the corresponding function by the button. When switching to the display. In the latter case, a new function is assigned to the allocation change button 18 as necessary to correspond to the operation screen, and as a result, the display of the allocation display unit 104 also changes. Note that the illustrated functions are merely examples, and various functions can be assigned according to the functions provided in the remote control device 10 or the toilet body 50.

  Here, when the home screen displayed when no operation is performed is the screen 70, the lower the frequency of use of the toilet, the longer it takes to display the screen 70. If the remote control device 10 is operated by the user after being left in such a state and the display is updated as described above, the updated screen may become unclear due to the afterimage of the screen 70. In addition, the setting status and button assignment may be difficult to understand.

  Therefore, when the preset condition is satisfied and the refresh control unit 28 determines to start the refresh operation, the display control unit 32 refreshes the screen with characters displayed as shown in the refresh screens 72 and 74. In the example shown in the figure, a white character “Please wait for a while” is first displayed on a black background (refresh screen 72), and then the color is reversed between the character and the background (refresh screen 74). Since the refresh operation basically changes the color of the pixels so that a specific color does not remain on the surface of the screen, even if the characters and background colors are different in this way, they can be changed with time. Can fulfill its purpose.

  The display control unit 32 returns the display to the original screen 70 after displaying the refresh screens 72 and 74 for a predetermined time. Here, the predetermined time may be, for example, a short time of about 1 second, or may be set longer than that depending on the situation. By performing such a refresh operation at a suitable timing based on the above-described conditions, it is difficult for the screen 70 to remain as an afterimage even when the operation screen is changed during normal operation.

  The content to be displayed during the refresh may be one that allows the user to recognize that the refresh is in progress, or may appear to be consistent with the original operation of the remote control device 10 without being aware of the refresh operation itself. The illustrated refresh operation is an example, and the background and character color, the number of times the refresh screen is switched, and the like may be appropriately set according to the characteristics of the display device.

  FIG. 5 shows a structural example of setting data stored in the setting data storage unit 31 according to the conditions for determining the timing of the refresh operation and the contents displayed during the refresh operation. The refresh control table 80 includes an identification number column 82, a refresh condition column 84, and a display content column 86. A specific condition is set in the refresh condition column 84 in association with each identification number described in the identification number column 82, and a character string to be displayed during the refresh in association with each condition is displayed in the display content column 86. Set to In this example, “operation target” such as a button pressed by the user, “toilet state” that is the state of the toilet body 50 when the button is pressed, and “human state” related to the presence / absence of a person. Conditions are set from three viewpoints. Here, “-” indicates that no condition is set for the corresponding viewpoint.

  As described above, further conditions may be set from the viewpoint of elapsed time such as the period of the refresh operation as necessary, or the refresh control unit 28 separately holds a set value such as using a fixed value for the period. It may be. The refresh control unit 28 refers to the refresh control table 80 and notifies the display control unit 32 of the corresponding identification number when any of the conditions is satisfied. The display control unit 32 refers to the refresh control table 80 based on the notified identification number, and performs a refresh operation while displaying the character string set in the display content column 86 in association therewith.

  In the figure, the identification number “1” is on condition that the user has pressed the “stop button” for stopping the local cleaning in the operation button portion 14a. In this case, the display control unit 32 starts the refresh operation while displaying the characters “Please wait for a while” as shown in FIG. At the same time, a signal requesting the stop of the local washing is transmitted from the remote control device 10 to the toilet main body 50, and the toilet main body 50 accordingly stops water ejection and stores the nozzle. When the refresh operation is completed and the storage of the nozzle is completed at the same timing as when the display is returned to the screen 70 for accepting the operation in FIG. 4, the display appears as if the display is changed as a part of the operation of the cleaning stop. be able to. For this reason, the display time of the refresh screen may be set so as to match the required time until the nozzle is accommodated.

  The identification number “2” is on condition that the user has pressed the “toilet bowl washing button” in the operation button portion 14a. In this case, the display control unit 32 starts the refresh operation while displaying the characters “washing toilet bowl”. At the same time, a signal requesting toilet cleaning is transmitted from the remote control device 10 to the toilet main body 50, and the toilet main body 50 starts cleaning the toilet bowl accordingly. In this case as well, if the toilet flushing is completed at the same timing as the refresh operation is completed and the display returns to the screen for accepting the operation, the display may appear to change as if the toilet flushing operation was consistent. it can. For this reason, the display time of the refresh screen may be set so as to match the time required to complete toilet flushing.

  It should be noted that the refresh operation displaying “toilet bowl cleaning” displays the same effect even if it is performed under different conditions at the same timing as the toilet bowl wash. For example, when the toilet body 50 automatically cleans the toilet after a predetermined time has elapsed after detecting the person's sitting, the refresh operation may be performed at the same timing as the automatic cleaning. In this case, the refresh control unit 28 receives a signal indicating that separation has been detected from the toilet body 50, and then performs a refresh operation on condition that a predetermined time has elapsed. Alternatively, the refresh operation may be performed on condition that a signal indicating that toilet cleaning has been started is received from the toilet body 50. Due to the latter condition, in addition to the user's operation on the remote control device 10, the above-described automatic cleaning and the user's operation on the main body switch 58 can be included in the refresh operation.

  The identification number “3” is based on the condition that the user presses the “local cleaning button” in the operation button portion 14a in the “toilet bowl cleaning” state in which the toilet bowl cleaning is not completed in the toilet body 50. This mode assumes that on the toilet body 50 side, exclusive control is performed such that the local cleaning is not operated during the toilet cleaning operation period. In this case, even if a signal requesting local cleaning is transmitted from the remote control device 10, the toilet body 50 does not activate the local cleaning function. Then, a signal indicating that the toilet bowl is being washed is returned to the remote control device 10.

  The refresh control unit 28 acquires the signal, detects that the condition of the identification number “3” is satisfied, and notifies the display control unit 32 of it. In response to this, the display control unit 32 starts the refresh operation while displaying the characters “Other operations cannot be performed because the toilet bowl is being washed”. Then, if the refresh operation is completed at the same timing as the toilet bowl cleaning is completed and the display is returned to the screen for accepting the operation, the user can perform local cleaning without being aware of the refresh operation. You can recognize the timing.

  For this reason, the display time of the refresh screen may be adjusted according to the time until toilet bowl cleaning is completed. For example, the completion time may be acquired from the toilet body 50, such as including an estimated time until completion in the signal indicating that the toilet bowl is being washed first transmitted from the toilet body 50. However, the embodiment is not limited to this, and the local cleaning function is activated without the user being aware that the refresh operation has been performed by displaying at least the information as described above according to the button operation. The cause of failure can be recognized, and there will be no doubt or anxiety of malfunction. Such an embodiment is not limited to local washing and toilet bowl washing, and the same effect can be obtained as long as the function is exclusively controlled.

  If the “Local cleaning button” is pressed during a period other than “Toilet bowl cleaning”, that is, if local cleaning is performed, “Nozzle in operation” is displayed as in the case of the identification number “2”. A refresh operation may be performed. In addition, identification numbers “1” to “3” in the same figure do not set conditions for “person status”, but as a user operating the remote control device 10, the presence of a person is also confirmed at the same time. become.

  The identification number “4” is based on the condition that the person “enters the detection range” of the toilet body 50. “Entering the detection range” refers to a state in which a person is newly confirmed within an area that can be detected by the human body detection sensor included in the toilet body 50, and the area varies depending on the arrangement and number of sensors such as seating sensors. Become. The human body detection sensor is not limited to the one provided in the toilet main body 50, but may be one installed in the remote control device 10 main body or any place in the toilet space. The refresh control unit 28 periodically inquires of the toilet body 50 via the communication unit 26 about the detection result of the human body, and when a reply indicating that a person has been newly detected is acquired, the refresh control unit 28 has the identification number “4”. It is determined that the condition is satisfied, and the display control unit 32 is notified.

  In response to this, the display control unit 32 performs the refresh operation while displaying the characters “being activated”. For example, when the user is seated on the toilet main body 50, such a display change can cause the user to recognize that the seating has been detected and that the remote control device 10 is in the operation reception state. . Also in this case, it is possible to make the display appear to have changed as the original operation of the remote control device 10.

  In this aspect, after the refresh operation, a standard screen for accepting an operation is displayed as shown in the screen 70 of FIG. 4. However, before the refresh operation, that is, during the period when the presence of a person is not detected, the standard screen is displayed. May display different simple screens. At the same time, the remote control device 10 may be in a state where operation acceptance is suspended. In this case, the remote control device 10 performs the refresh operation while displaying the characters “being activated” and actually “activates” the operation reception function. In this way, the same effect as described above can be obtained.

  The identification number “5” is based on the condition that the “absent” state in which no person is present around the toilet body 50 is determined. In order to determine the absence of a person as described above, a determination criterion that an operation on the remote control device 10 does not occur for a predetermined time or a human body is not detected in the toilet body 50 is set separately. In the former case, the refresh control unit 28 sets the time when the operation has not occurred for a predetermined time as the absence start and the time when the operation is performed next as the absence end. In the latter case, the refresh control unit 28 periodically inquires of the toilet body 50 about the detection result of the human body via the communication unit 26, and sets the absence period as the absence period.

  In the absence period thus determined, the refresh control unit 28 determines that the condition of the identification number “5” is satisfied, for example, at a predetermined time interval, and notifies the display control unit 32 of it. In response to this, the display control unit 32 performs the refresh operation while displaying the characters “rewriting”. By doing so, it becomes clear that the refresh operation is being performed. Therefore, a person newly entering the toilet room or a person outside the detection range of the toilet body 50 accidentally sees the refresh operation. , You can avoid being surprised by sudden screen changes and suspecting device failure or abnormality.

  In addition to “rewriting”, words such as “refreshing” and “please wait” may be displayed. Note that such a wording gives a sense of security to the user who sees the remote control device 10 by clearly indicating that the remote control device 10 is performing a refresh operation. Even if the display is performed in such a manner that the refresh operation is performed, the same effect can be obtained. Moreover, although the example of the display content shown in FIG. 5 was all a character string, you may display the picture and figure which can grasp | ascertain the same content at a glance, or may combine with a character string.

  Next, the operation of the remote control device 10 realized by the configuration described so far will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure related to a refresh operation performed by the remote control device 10 in the present embodiment. However, the illustrated procedure is an example, and a part of the refresh operation may be omitted, or another refresh operation opportunity may be provided. Further, processing that is not directly related to the refresh operation, such as a processing request for the toilet body 50, which is an original function of the remote control device 10, is omitted as appropriate.

  In this flowchart, as an example, a state in which a person enters the toilet room is in an initial state. During a period in which the absence of a person continues (N in S10), the refresh control unit 28 waits until a predetermined time elapses while measuring the elapsed time from the start of the absence period (N in S12). Each time a predetermined time elapses (Y in S12), the display control unit 32 is caused to perform a refresh operation while displaying “rewriting” (S14). On the other hand, when a person is detected by the human body detection unit 64 of the toilet body 50 such as when the user is seated (Y in S10), the refresh control unit 28 acquires the information from the toilet body 50 and sends a “start” to the display control unit 32. The refresh operation is performed while displaying “middle” (S16).

  When the refresh operation is completed, the display control unit 32 displays a screen for accepting operations such as the screen 70 of FIG. 4 (S18). In this state, some operation is performed by the user (Y in S20), and if it matches the condition of the refresh operation (Y in S22), the refresh control unit 28 gives the display control unit 32 the contents according to each operation and situation. A refresh operation is performed while displaying (S24). After the refresh operation, the display control unit 32 returns the display to the screen for accepting the operation (S18). If the performed operation does not match the condition of the refresh operation (N in S22), the screen for accepting the operation is switched as necessary without performing the refresh operation (S18).

  Even if no operation is performed by the user, the screen for accepting the operation is displayed until the predetermined time has elapsed, and the processing of S20 to S24 is performed according to the operation (N of S20, N of S26). When a predetermined time has elapsed since the last operation (N in S20, Y in S26), the refresh control unit 28 determines the absence of a person (S28). As a result, the flow returns to the initial state of the flowchart, and the refresh operation is performed while displaying “rewriting” at predetermined time intervals until another person is detected, or other refresh operations are appropriately performed according to the movement of the person. Or

  As described above, according to the present embodiment described above, the non-volatile display device is provided in the remote control device. In addition, a refresh operation for erasing an afterimage peculiar to the nonvolatile display device is performed while displaying characters, pictures, and the like. For example, the user suspects a failure or abnormality even if the user sees the screen color suddenly changing by displaying a word or picture that indicates that the device is in the refresh operation or that the device is operating normally. There is no need. In addition, when the user understands such a situation, it is possible to reduce the stress caused by the ineffective operation. As a result, it is possible to maintain the visibility of the display without causing the user to feel discomfort and inconvenience while suppressing the power consumption as the remote control device.

  In addition, by appropriately controlling the display contents according to the user's operation status, toilet body status, and the presence / absence of a person, necessary information is provided without making the user aware of the refresh operation. be able to. In particular, by using a period in which the user has to wait due to the original function of the toilet, the afterimage can be erased naturally without giving the consciousness of waiting for the end of the refresh operation. Also in this case, it is possible to maintain the visibility of the display without the user being conscious while suppressing the power consumption.

  The remote control device according to the embodiment has been described above. This embodiment is an exemplification, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made to combinations of the respective components, and such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Remote control apparatus, 12 Communication interface, 16 Display part, 24 Operation reception part, 26 Communication part, 28 Refresh control part, 32 Display control part, 50 Toilet body, 56 Communication interface, 60 Communication part, 64 Human body detection part.

Claims (4)

A remote control device that controls the operation of the main unit by transmitting a signal in response to an operation by a user,
A non-volatile display for displaying information related to the operation;
A refresh control unit for causing the display unit to perform a refresh operation for changing the display color over time at a predetermined timing;
With
Wherein the display unit, when an operation for the remote control device is made, the information corresponding to the contents of the operations in the background with a different color, implement the refresh operation while displaying by changing the respective display colors time This is a remote control device for toilets. A communication unit that acquires information on the state of the main body device by communicating with the main body device;
The toilet remote control device according to claim 1 , wherein the display unit determines information to be displayed according to a state of the main body device. A remote control device that controls the operation of the main unit by transmitting a signal in response to an operation by a user,
A non-volatile display for displaying information related to the operation;
A refresh control unit for causing the display unit to perform a refresh operation for changing the display color over time at a predetermined timing;
With
The refresh control unit obtains a detection result by a human body detection sensor provided inside or outside the remote control device,
When the human body is detected by the human body detection sensor, the display unit displays information indicating that the remote control device has entered an operation accepting state in a color different from the background, and changes each display color over time. remote control device for characteristics and to belt toilets to implement the refresh operation while displaying. A remote control device that controls the operation of the main unit by transmitting a signal in response to an operation by a user,
A non-volatile display for displaying information related to the operation;
A refresh control unit for causing the display unit to perform a refresh operation for changing the display color over time at a predetermined timing;
With
The refresh control unit determines the absence of a person based on a predetermined criterion,
The display unit displays information indicating that the refresh operation is being performed in a color different from the background while the display control unit determines that the absence of a person is present while changing the display color over time. remote control device for characteristics and to belt toilets to implement the refresh operation.

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