Automatic water faucet
An automatic water faucet includes: a water faucet; an imaging unit provided in a water discharge port of the water faucet and that images light reflected from a measure-distance target; a distance measurement unit that measures a distance from the imaging unit to the measure-distance target based on image data; a threshold setting unit that sets a threshold for distance; a detection unit that detects the measure-distance target as a detection object if the distance is shorter than the threshold set by the threshold setting unit; and a water supply control unit that causes the water faucet to discharge water in response to the detection unit detecting a detection object and causes the water faucet to stop supplying water in response to the detection unit not detecting a detection object. The threshold setting unit increases the threshold setting in response to the detection unit detecting a detection object.
1. An automatic water faucet comprising:
a water faucet;
an imaging unit provided in a water discharge port of the water faucet and that images light reflected from a measure-distance target;
a distance measurement unit that measures distance from the imaging unit to the measure-distance target, based on image data captured by the imaging unit;
a threshold setting unit that sets a threshold for distance;
a detection unit that detects the measure-distance target as a detection object if the distance that the distance measurement unit measures is shorter than the threshold set by the threshold setting unit; and
a water supply control unit that causes the water faucet to discharge water in response to the detection unit detecting a detection object, and causes the water faucet to stop supplying water in response to the detection unit not detecting a detection object; wherein
the threshold setting unit increases the threshold setting in response to the detection unit detecting a detection object.
2. The automatic water faucet according to claim 1 , wherein:
the detection unit does not detect a detection object if the distance that the distance measurement unit measures is equal to or greater than the threshold set by the threshold setting unit; and
the threshold setting unit decreases the threshold setting in response to the detection unit not detecting a detection object.
3. The automatic water faucet according to claim 1 , wherein the threshold setting unit:
(1) sets a first threshold during intervals when the detection unit is not detecting a detection object;
(2) sets a second threshold greater than the first threshold during intervals when the detection unit is detecting a detection object;
(3) when the detection unit no longer detects a detection object having been under detection, sets a third threshold greater than the first threshold and equal to or less than the second threshold during an interval until a predetermined period of time elapses; and
(4) sets the first threshold after the predetermined period of time elapses.
4. The automatic water faucet according to claim 1 , wherein the threshold setting unit:
(1) sets a first threshold during intervals when the detection unit is not detecting a detection object;
(2) sets a second threshold greater than the first threshold during intervals when the detection unit is detecting a detection object; and
(3) when the detection unit no longer detects a detection object having been under detection, sets the threshold varying it from the second threshold until it reaches the first threshold.
5. The automatic water faucet according to claim 2 , wherein the threshold setting unit sets as the first threshold a value smaller than distance from an overflow edge of a sink in which water discharged from the water faucet accumulates to the water discharge port, and sets as the second threshold a value greater than the distance from the overflow edge to the water discharge port.