IP Library Granted Patent US 12,249,072
Granted Patent B2
US 12,249,072 · App. 17/991,486 · Granted Mar 11, 2025

Imaging device

Inventors: Toshihide Mori (Osaka, JP); Hirofumi Kanai (Osaka, JP); Yuka Yamada (Nara, JP)
Assignee: PANASONIC HOLDINGS CORPORATION
G06T7/0012G06T7/80
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,249,072
App. No.
17/991,486
Granted
Mar 11, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An image capturing device which captures an image of excrement is provided at a toilet having a bowl and includes a sensor unit including an image capturing sensor. A view angle and an attachment position of the sensor unit are set so that a detection area presumed to receive dropping excrement in the bowl falls within a view field of the sensor unit.

Claims (30)

1. An image capturing device that captures an image of excrement, comprising:

a sensor unit attached to a fringe part of a toilet having a bowl, the fringe part being located at a top of the bowl, the sensor unit including an image capturing sensor, wherein

a view angle and an attachment position of the sensor unit are set so that a detection area presumed to receive dropping excrement in the bowl falls within a view field of the sensor unit, wherein

the fringe part defines an opening section,

a center line of the opening section extending in a front-rear direction bears, in a top view of the opening section,

a first position being a predetermined position between a first intersection of a front intersection of the center line and the opening section and a second intersection of a front intersection of the center line and the detection area, and

a second position being a predetermined position between a third intersection of a rear intersection of the center line and the detection area and a fourth intersection of a rear intersection of the center line and the opening section, and

the view angle and the attachment position of the sensor unit are set so that the first position and the second position fall within the view field.

2. The image capturing device according to claim 1 , wherein

the first position is at the first intersection, and

the second position is at the fourth intersection.

3. The image capturing device according to claim 1 , wherein

the attachment position is to the rear of the detection area, at an inflection point of the contour of the opening area, and

the view angle is 83 degrees or more.

4. The image capturing device according to claim 1 , wherein

the attachment position is in front or in the rear of the detection area, and

the view angle is 101 degrees or more.

5. The image capturing device according to claim 1 , wherein

the view angle is 105 degrees or more.

6. The image capturing device according to claim 1 , further comprising an attachment part for removably attaching the sensor unit to the toilet.

7. The image capturing device according to claim 1 , further comprising a calibration execution part that

acquires, from the image capturing sensor, image data containing an image of a mark provided at a specific position of the toilet,

detects a position of the mark from the acquired image data, and

calibrates setting of an area corresponding to the detection area to the image data based on the detected position.

8. The image capturing device according to claim 1 , further comprising a gender determination part that

detects a drop position of urine in the bowl from the image data captured by the image capturing sensor, and

determines, based on the detected drop position, a gender of an excreter.

9. The image capturing device according to claim 8 , wherein the gender determination part determines that the excreter is a male when the drop position falls within a first region, and determines that the excreter is a female when the drop position falls within a second region in the rear of the first region.

10. The image capturing device according to claim 9 , wherein

the gender determination part detects a sitting position of the excreter, and changes, based on a determination result of the gender determination part, the first region and the second region.

Assignments (2)
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Mar 17, 2026
From: PANASONIC HOLDINGS CORPORATION
To: PANASONIC HOUSING SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 074093/0361 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 28, 2023
From: MORI, TOSHIHIDE; KANAI, HIROFUMI; YAMADA, YUKA
To: PANASONIC HOLDINGS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 063782/0216 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2020-204230 · Dec 9, 2020 · national
Continuity (3)
Continuation PCTJP2021001173 · Jan 15, 2021
Provisional Application 63030630 · May 27, 2020
Related Publication 20230085953A1 · Mar 23, 2023
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