IP Library Granted Patent US 12,473,728
Granted Patent B2
US 12,473,728 · App. 18/224,743 · Granted Nov 18, 2025

Information processing device, information processing method, and non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing information processing program

Inventors: Hirofumi Kanai (Osaka, JP); Yuka Yamada (Nara, JP); Hideyuki Maehara (Osaka, JP)
Assignee: PANASONIC HOLDINGS CORPORATION
E03D9/08E03C1/057G06T7/70G06V40/103
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,473,728
App. No.
18/224,743
Granted
Nov 18, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A notification device includes: an image data acquisition part that acquires image data captured by a camera which is provided to photograph buttocks of a user sitting on a toilet seat; a sitting position detection part that detects a sitting position of the user sitting on the toilet seat provided on a toilet by image recognition of the image data; and a guidance information output part that outputs, on the basis of the detected sitting position, guidance information to guide the user to an appropriate sitting position.

Claims (50)

1 . An information processing device, comprising:

an image data acquisition part that acquires image data captured by a camera which is provided to photograph buttocks of a user sitting on a toilet seat;

a sitting position detection part that detects a sitting position of the user sitting on the toilet seat by image recognition of the image data; and

a guidance information output part that outputs, on the basis of the detected sitting position, guidance information to guide the user to an appropriate sitting position, wherein

the sitting position detection part detects whether a pixel at a lowest position among pixels comprising an image of the buttocks in the image data falls within a first region including a water pool part of the toilet, a second region in front of the water pool part, or a third region to the rear of the water pool part, and

the guidance information output part outputs

first guidance information indicating that the sitting position of the user is appropriate when the pixel at the lowest position among the pixels constituting the image of the buttocks in the image data falls within the first region,

second guidance information indicating that the sitting position of the user is in a front portion of the toilet seat when the pixel at the lowest position among the pixels constituting the image of the buttocks in the image data falls within the second region, or

third guidance information indicating that the sitting position of the user is in a rear portion of the toilet seat when the pixel at the lowest position among the pixels constituting the image of the buttocks in the image data falls within the third region.

2 . The information processing device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an excretion determination part that determines whether the user has started excretion; and

a signal generation part that generates a control signal to reduce a pressure of cleansing water being sprayed out of a cleansing nozzle to cleanse the buttocks of the user, or to suspend the cleansing water from being sprayed out of the cleansing nozzle when it is determined that the user has started excretion.

3 . The information processing device according to claim 2 ,

further comprising an image data acquisition part that acquires image data captured by a camera which is provided to photograph an inner part of the toilet, wherein

the excretion determination part

calculates a difference image between reference image data indicating a state of the inner part of the toilet without excrement and the acquired image data,

determines whether the image data includes an image of the excrement on the basis of the luminance of each of the color components of the difference image, and

determines that the user has started the excretion when it is determined that the image data includes the image of the excrement.

4 . An information processing device comprising:

a sitting position detection part that detects a sitting position of a user sitting on a toilet seat provided on a toilet;

a guidance information output part that outputs, on the basis of the detected sitting position, guidance information to guide the user to an appropriate sitting position;

a sinking determination part that determines whether buttocks of the user sink into the toilet; and

a warning information output part that outputs warning information about a warning of the sinking of the buttocks of the user into the toilet when the buttocks are determined to sink into the toilet.

5 . The information processing device according to claim 4 , further comprising an image data acquisition part that acquires image data captured by a camera which is provided to photograph the buttocks of the user sitting on the toilet seat, wherein

the sinking determination part determines the sinking of the buttocks into the toilet when a distance from an upper end of the image data to a pixel being at a lowest position among pixels constituting an image of the buttocks in the image data is a predetermined distance or longer.

6 . The information processing device according to claim 4 , wherein the warning information includes information for encouraging use of an auxiliary toilet seat attachable onto the toilet seat and having an opening narrower than an opening of the toilet seat.

7 . An information processing device comprising:

a sitting position detection part that detects a sitting position of a user sitting on a toilet seat provided on a toilet;

a guidance information output part that outputs, on the basis of the detected sitting position, guidance information to guide the user to an appropriate sitting position;

a cleansed position determination part that determines, on the basis of the detected sitting position, a cleansed position of buttocks of the user;

a nozzle position determination part that determines, on the basis of the determined cleansed position, a position of a cleansing nozzle to cleanse the buttocks of the user; and

a signal generation part that generates a control signal to control the cleansing nozzle to come to the determined position of the cleaning nozzle.

8 . An information processing method performed by a computer, comprising:

acquiring image data captured by a camera which is provided to photograph buttocks of a user sitting on a toilet seat;

detecting a sitting position of the user sitting on the toilet seat by image recognition of the image data; and

outputting, on the basis of the detected sitting position, guidance information to guide the user to an appropriate sitting position, wherein

the detecting operation detects whether a pixel at a lowest position among pixels comprising an image of the buttocks in the image data falls within a first region including a water pool part of the toilet, a second region in front of the water pool part, or a third region to the rear of the water pool part, and

the outputting operation outputs

first guidance information indicating that the sitting position of the user is appropriate when the pixel at the lowest position among the pixels constituting the image of the buttocks in the image data falls within the first region,

second guidance information indicating that the sitting position of the user is in a front portion of the toilet seat when the pixel at the lowest position among the pixels constituting the image of the buttocks in the image data falls within the second region, or

third guidance information indicating that the sitting position of the user is in a rear portion of the toilet seat when the pixel at the lowest position among the pixels constituting the image of the buttocks in the image data falls within the third region.

9 . A non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing an information processing program for causing a computer to function as:

an image data acquisition part that acquires image data captured by a camera which is provided to photograph buttocks of a user sitting on a toilet seat;

a sitting position detection part that detects a sitting position of the user sitting on the toilet seat by image recognition of the image data; and

a guidance information output part that outputs, on the basis of the detected sitting position, guidance information to guide the user to an appropriate sitting position, wherein

the sitting position detection part detects whether a pixel at a lowest position among pixels comprising an image of the buttocks in the image data falls within a first region including a water pool part of the toilet, a second region in front of the water pool part, or a third region to the rear of the water pool part, and

the guidance information output part outputs

first guidance information indicating that the sitting position of the user is appropriate when the pixel at the lowest position among the pixels constituting the image of the buttocks in the image data falls within the first region,

second guidance information indicating that the sitting position of the user is in a front portion of the toilet seat when the pixel at the lowest position among the pixels constituting the image of the buttocks in the image data falls within the second region, or

third guidance information indicating that the sitting position of the user is in a rear portion of the toilet seat when the pixel at the lowest position among the pixels constituting the image of the buttocks in the image data falls within the third 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 Dec 19, 2023
From: KANAI, HIROFUMI; YAMADA, YUKA; MAEHARA, HIDEYUKI
To: PANASONIC HOLDINGS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 065903/0899 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-164549 · Oct 6, 2021 · national
Continuity (3)
Continuation PCTJP2021038435 · Oct 18, 2021
Provisional Application 63141700 · Jan 26, 2021
Related Publication 20230358027A1 · Nov 9, 2023
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