IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,019,061
Granted Patent B2
US 12,019,061 · App. 17/277,865 · Granted Jun 25, 2024

Toilet seat apparatus and excrement detection apparatus

Inventors: Masayuki Nagaishi (Fukuoka, JP); Yuta Sakai (Fukuoka, JP); Satoko Kizuka (Fukuoka, JP); Ryo Oi (Fukuoka, JP); Takeshi Takaki (Fukuoka, JP); Naoya Takeuchi (Fukuoka, JP); Hitoaki Higuchi (Fukuoka, JP); Masamichi Tosaki (Fukuoka, JP)
Assignee: TOTO LTD.
G01N33/4833E03D11/13E03D9/08
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,019,061
App. No.
17/277,865
Granted
Jun 25, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A toilet seat apparatus according to an embodiment includes: a toilet seat on which a user sits; a light emitting unit including a light emitting element that emits light; a light receiving unit including a light receiving element that receives light; and a control unit that controls energization of the light emitting element and application of voltage to the light receiving element, in which the control unit performs light reception control including transmitting a control instruction to open an electronic shutter to the light receiving element and energizing the light emitting element so as to permit reception of the reflected light from feces, and performs control of setting an interval from a start of execution of one light reception control to execution of light reception control subsequent to the one light reception control, to 0.2 milliseconds or more.

Claims (37)

1. A toilet seat apparatus to be placed on an upper part of a toilet bowl having a bowl unit that receives excrement, the toilet seat apparatus comprising:

a toilet seat on which a user sits;

a light emitting unit including a light emitting element that emits light;

a light receiving unit including a light receiving element that receives light; and

a control unit that controls energization of the light emitting element and application of voltage to the light receiving element, wherein

the light emitting unit emits light toward falling feces discharged by the user,

the light receiving unit receives the reflected light from the feces corresponding to the light emitted by the light emitting unit, and

the control unit

performs light reception control including transmitting a control instruction to open an electronic shutter to the light receiving element and energizing the light emitting element so as to permit reception of the reflected light from feces, and

performs control of setting an interval from a start of execution of one light reception control to execution of light reception control subsequent to the one light reception control, to 0.2 milliseconds or more and 600 milliseconds or less.

2. The toilet seat apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the control unit performs control of setting an interval from a start of execution of the one light reception control to execution of the subsequent light reception control, to 300 milliseconds or less.

3. The toilet seat apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the control unit performs control of setting an interval from a start of execution of the one light reception control to execution of the subsequent light reception control, to 100 milliseconds or less.

4. The toilet seat apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the control unit performs control of setting an interval from a start of execution of the one light reception control to execution of the subsequent light reception control, to 50 milliseconds or less.

5. The toilet seat apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the control unit performs control of setting an interval from a start of execution of the one light reception control to execution of the subsequent light reception control, to 10 milliseconds or less.

6. The toilet seat apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

the light emitting unit includes a plurality of light emitting elements each of which emits light,

the plurality of light emitting elements is capable of emitting beams of light of different wavelengths,

the control unit

energizes only one light emitting element among the plurality of light emitting elements in the one light reception control, changes the light emitting element to be energized in the subsequent light reception control every time the one light reception control is completed, and

performs control of setting the interval from the start of execution of one light reception control to the execution of the subsequent light reception control to 1.6 milliseconds or less.

7. The toilet seat apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the control unit sets energization time of the light emitting element to be different for each of wavelengths emitted by the light emitting element in the light reception control.

8. The toilet seat apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a seating sensor that detects seating of the user on the toilet seat, wherein

based on the detection by the seating sensor, the control unit performs the light reception control only while the user is seated.

9. An excrement detection apparatus to be disposed on a toilet bowl having a bowl unit that receives excrement, the excrement detection apparatus comprising:

a light emitting unit including a light emitting element that emits light;

a light receiving unit including a light receiving element that receives light; and

a control unit that controls energization of the light emitting element and application of voltage to the light receiving element, wherein

the light emitting unit emits light toward falling feces discharged by the user,

the light receiving unit receives the reflected light from the feces corresponding to the light emitted by the light emitting unit, and

the control unit

performs light reception control including transmitting a control instruction to open an electronic shutter to the light receiving element and energizing the light emitting element so as to permit reception of the reflected light from feces, and

performs control of setting an interval from a start of execution of one light reception control to execution of light reception control subsequent to the one light reception control, to 0.2 milliseconds or more and 600 milliseconds or less.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 26, 2021
From: NAGAISHI, MASAYUKI; SAKAI, YUTA; KIZUKA, SATOKO; OI, RYO; TAKAKI, TAKESHI; TAKEUCHI, NAOYA; HIGUCHI, HITOAKI; TOSAKI, MASAMICHI
To: TOTO LTD.
Reel/Frame 056039/0799 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP 2019-159040 · Aug 30, 2019 · national
JP 2020-120710 · Jul 14, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220178907A1 · Jun 9, 2022
Cited By (2)
US 1,065,471 US 1,089,574