U.S. patent application number 09/944429 was filed with the patent office on 2002-01-24 for smart bathroom fixtures and systems.
Invention is credited to Mann, W. Stephen G..
Application Number | 20020007510 09/944429 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 27427476 |
Filed Date | 2002-01-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020007510 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Mann, W. Stephen G. |
January 24, 2002 |
Smart bathroom fixtures and systems
Abstract
Image sensors, processors, and control systems facilitate
automatic sensor operated bathroom fixtures, systems for
controlling bathroom fixtures, and methods of bathroom fixture
design, control, and management, as well as the control and
management of hygiene and water resources. The networked plumbing
systems also help facility managers and law enforcement personnel
monitor the operation of various bathrooms in a facility or at
remote facilities. Image sensors are used for controlling several
showers, faucets, urinals, or water closets in large bathroom
complexes. Image based intelligent bathroom fixtures and systems
help enhance the privacy of users by ensuring that law abiding
users need not be disturbed by police foot patrols into the
restroom areas, or by security guards entering simply to make
inspections. An aquionics bathroom control system of the invention
maintains the cleanliness, safety, security, and privacy of the
occupants in a smart bathroom environment. Additionally, in some
embodiments, a bathroom facility of the invention may be used for
mass decontamination during times of emergency for processing
victims of a nuclear, biological, or chemical incident. Once
ubiquitously installed for routine control of fixtures, the
apparatus facilitates a secondary usage such as monitoring by
triage staff, medical personnel, decontamination officers, or law
enforcement officers during times of terrorist consequence
management.
Inventors: |
Mann, W. Stephen G.;
(Toronto, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
W. Stephen G. Mann
Suite 701
284 Bloor Street West
Toronto
ON
M5S 3B8
CA
|
Family ID: |
27427476 |
Appl. No.: |
09/944429 |
Filed: |
September 4, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
4/300 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E03C 1/057 20130101;
E03D 5/105 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
4/300 |
International
Class: |
E03D 003/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 29, 1998 |
CA |
2,248,473 |
Dec 31, 1998 |
CA |
2,256,922 |
Mar 15, 1999 |
CA |
2,264,973 |
Jul 28, 1999 |
CA |
2,280,022 |
Claims
What I claim as my invention is:
1. A bathroom control system for controlling one or more bathroom
fixtures, said system comprising: one or more image sensors, said
one or more image sensors being arranged to detect subject matter
within a detection zone in a bath environment; optics for producing
one or more watertight seals and for allowing light from said
detection zone to pass toward said one or more image sensors. one
or more image capture devices responsive to one or more inputs from
said one or more image sensors, and for producing one or more
picture signals containing one or more pictures of subject matter
within said detection zone; one or more image processors responsive
to said one or more picture signals, and containing one or more
picture storage devices; a controller to receive an output from
said one or more image processors; and one or more actuators
responsive to an output from said controller, said one or more
actuators coupable to one or more bathroom fixtures.
2. The bathroom control system as described in claim 1 for
controlling a toilet, in a toilet stall, in which one or more of
said image sensors is an infrared array sensor system having an
infrared light source, said one or more processors being an image
processor for creating an image mask for reducing sensitivity of
said bathroom control system to reflections from a door of said
toilet stall, said image mask formed by accumulating images from
said door at various angles of openness.
3. The bathroom control system as described in claim 1 for
controlling decon showers, in a decon facility, said one or more
processors being an image processor for creating a probability map
of probabilities of each subject in said decon facility being
sprayed from each controllable dimension of an array of separately
controllable shower dimensions., said controllable dimensions
comprising said actuators being responsive to said probability
map.
4. The bathroom control system as described in claim 1 for
controlling at least one water spraying device, said controller
being less responsive to subject matter in said detection zone
during a time interval when said spraying device is active.
5. A bathroom control system for controlling one or more bathroom
fixtures, said system comprising: one or more image sensors, said
one or more image sensors being arranged to detect subject matter
within a detection zone in a bath environment; optics for producing
one or more watertight seals and for allowing light from said
detection zone to pass toward said one or more image sensors. one
or more image capture devices responsive to one or more inputs from
said one or more image sensors, and for producing one or more
picture signals containing one or more pictures of subject matter
within said detection zone; image processing means for determining
whether or not said one or more picture signals corresponds to
usage of a bathroom fixture; a controller to receive an output from
said one or more image processors; and one or more actuators
responsive to an output from said controller, said one or more
actuators coupable to one or more bathroom fixtures, said one or
actuators being actuated when one of: said usage is detected; after
said usage has been detected but is no longer presently
detected.
6. The bathroom control system of claim 5 wherein one or more video
cameras include said image sensors, said video cameras responsive
to a getting of lesser biological sensitivity.
7. The bathroom control system of claim 6 where said getting of
lesser biological sensitivity is a responsiveness to infrared
light.
8. The bathroom control system of claim 6 where said optics
includes one or more viewports that are relatively transparent to a
getting of high camera sensitivity, and much less transparent to a
getting of biological sensitivity.
9. The bathroom control system of claim 8 where said getting of
lesser biological sensitivity is a responsiveness to infrared
light, such that said viewports are relatively transparent in the
infrared and much less transparent in the visible portion of the
spectrum of light.
10. The bathroom control system of claim 9 wherein said image
sensor is incorporated into said viewport, said combination of
image sensor and viewport being a vitrionic device.
11. The bathroom control system of claim 9 wherein said image
sensor is incorporated into a vitrionic material.
12. A bathroom control system for controlling one or more bathroom
fixtures, said system comprising: user detection means comprising
at least one video camera having a field of view that includes
subject matter within a detection zone in a bath environment said
at least one video camera borne by a wall, ceiling, or bath fixture
of said bathroom in order to scan at least a fraction of the bath
environment, said video camera being adapted to provide, in the
form of output signals, images of bodies in the bathroom; means for
capturing the output signals which are obtained from said at least
one video camera; means for temporary and permanent storage of data
pertaining to said images at successive times; means for comparing
the digitized images pertaining to the same body at successive
times; means for assessing the nature of a body as to whether it is
a human body, and for assessing the actions and changes in
position, orientation, or movement of the body on the basis of said
images; p1 means for determining usage patterns of one or more
bathroom fixtures located in said bathroom; storage means for
storage of at least one mathematical function for each of at least
some of said said usage patterns; comparison means for comparison
of a mathematical function of a current usage of at least one
bathroom fixture with mathematical functions of past usage of the
same fixture; decision means adapted to operate one or more
actuators in response to said comparison means, said decision means
responsive to said body being observed by said camera, said one or
more actuators coupable to one or more bathroom fixtures.
13. A bathroom control system for controlling one or more bathroom
fixtures, said system comprising: user detection means comprising a
plurality of video cameras each of which has a field of view that
includes subject matter within a detection zone in a bath
environment each of said plurality of video cameras borne by a
wall, ceiling, or bath fixture of said bathroom in order to scan at
least a fraction of the bath environment, said video cameras having
overlapping fields of view, said video camera being adapted to
provide, in the form of output signals, images of bodies in the
bathroom; picture capture means for obtaining pictures from said
video cameras; means for storage of the pictures captured from said
video cameras at successive times; means for comparing the pictures
pertaining to the same body at successive times; means for
calculation of the position, orientation, or movement of a body and
to determine whether it is a human body, and for determining
changes in attitude of the body on the basis of these successive
images; decision means adapted to operate one or more actuators in
response to said comparison means, said decision means responsive
to said body being observed by said cameras, said one or more
actuators coupable to one or more bathroom fixtures.
14. A bathroom control system for controlling a plurality of
bathroom fixtures, said bathroom control system including all the
features of claim 12 where said video camera is a sensor which is
borne by a ceiling above said fixtures, said sensor having a field
of view that includes space for being occupied by users of said
fixtures, said bathroom control system including a map of said
fixtures, said system also including means for determining which of
said fixtures is in use, and for automatically actuating one or
more of said fixtures by way of said actuators, in response to a
usage pattern of a user of said one or more of said fixtures.
15. A bathroom control system for controlling a plurality of
urinals, said bathroom control system including the features of
claim 12 where said video camera is a sensor which is housed on a
ceiling above said urinals, said sensor having a field of view that
includes space in front of said urinals, said bathroom control
system including means for determining which of said urinals are in
use, and for automatically flushing one or more of said urinals by
way of said actuators.
16. The bathroom control system of claim 15, wherein said sensor is
positioned to acquire a view into the bowl of each of said urinals,
said bathroom control system further including visual means for
determining which of said bowls contains waste matter, and for
determining an approximate concentration of waste matter in each of
said bowls, said bathroom control system also including means for
actuation of any combination of said respective actuators in
response to the respective presence of waste matter in each of said
bowls.
17. A bathroom control system for controlling two toilets, said
bathroom control system including the features of claim 12 where
said video camera is a sensor which is borne by one of: a wall
behind said toilets; ceiling above said toilets; said sensor having
a center of projection approximately in a plane of a toilet stall
partition between said at two toilets, said sensor having a field
of view that includes space in front of each of said toilets, said
bathroom control system including means for determining which of
said toilets are in use, and for automatically flushing one or both
of said toilets by way of said actuators.
18. The bathroom control system of claim 17., wherein said sensor
is positioned to acquire a view into the bowl of each of said
toilets, said bathroom control system further including visual
means for determining which of said bowls contains waste matter,
and for determining an approximate concentration of waste matter in
each of said bowls, said bathroom control system also including
means for actuation of any combination of said respective actuators
in response to the respective presence of waste matter in each of
said bowls.
19. A bathroom control system for controlling a plurality of
lavatories, said bathroom control system including the features of
claim 12 where said video camera is a sensor which is borne by a
ceiling above said lavatories, said sensor having a field of view
that includes space in front of said lavatories, said bathroom
control system including means for determining which of said
lavatories are in use, and for automatically turning on water to
whichever one or more of said lavatories is in use, by way of said
actuators.
20. A bathroom control system for controlling a plurality of jets
in a bath, said bathroom control system including the features of
claim 12 where said video camera is a sensor which is borne by one
of: a ceiling above said bath; behind an at least partially
transparent portion borne by said bath; within said bath, said
sensor having a field of view of one or more bathers in said bath,
said actuator for actuation of at least some of said plurality of
jets, in response to proximity of one or more users to said at
least some of said plurality of jets.
21. The bathroom control system of claim 20 where said bath is made
of transparent material, said sensor being disposed behind said
transparent material.
22. A bathroom control system for controlling a shower, said
bathroom control system including the features of claim 12 where
said video camera is a sensor which is one of: housed in a shower
stall in which said shower is housed; borne by a nozzle of said
shower; borne by a wall behind said shower; borne by a ceiling
above said shower, said sensor having a field of view that includes
space in front of said shower, said bathroom control system
including means for determining when said shower is occupied, and
for automatically turning on water, by way of said actuators,
whenever said shower is occupied.
23. A bathroom control system for controlling a plurality of
showers in a shower room, said bathroom control system including
the features of claim 12 where said video camera is a sensor which
is borne by a ceiling of said shower room, said sensor having a
field of view that includes space in front of said showers, said
bathroom control system including means for determining which of
said showers is occupied, and for automatically turning on water,
by way of said actuators, to whichever one or more of said showers
is occupied.
24. The bathroom control system of claim 23, further including a
body recognition system for identifying who is using one or more of
said showers, said bathroom control system also including means for
billing a user of said shower for an amount of a resource consumed
by respective users of said system.
25. The bathroom control system of claim 23, further including a
body recognition system for identifying who is attempting to use
one or more of said showers, said bathroom control system also
including means for preventing unauthorized users from using said
one or more showers.
26. The bathroom control system of claim 23, further including a
comfort mode for providing a more pleasant shower experience to a
first class of users, and a discomfort mode for providing a less
pleasant shower experience to a second class of users, said
bathroom control system including a body recognition system for
identifying whether or not a given user of said system has enrolled
in a first class of users, said bathroom control system providing a
discomfort mode for users not recognized as belonging to said first
class of users.
27. The bathroom control system of claim 26 where said discomfort
mode is achieved by spraying a user with cold water, and said
comfort mode is achieved by spraying a user with warm water.
28. The bathroom control system of claim 26 where said body
recognition system comprises an analysis of pictures captured from
said sensor.
29. The bathroom control system of claim 26 where said body
recognition system includes a pushbutton comprised of a fingerprint
scanner for a user to press in order to start one of said showers,
wherein said sensor causes said one of said showers to stop
automatically when said user steps away from said one of said
showers.
30. A bathroom control system for controlling a column shower, said
column shower having a plurality of stations extending radially
outward from a central shower column, said bathroom control system
including all the features of claims 12 where said video camera is
a sensor which is borne by said shower column, said sensor having a
field of view that includes a portion of each of said stations,
said bathroom control system including means for determining which
of said stations is occupied, and for automatically turning on
water, by way of said actuators, to whichever one or more spray
heads corresponds to whichever one or more stations is
occupied.
31. The bathroom control system of claim 30, said column shower for
providing up to N stations, said column having N viewports around
an outside surface of said column, said system including optics
inside said column for directing light collected from each of said
viewports into a single video camera.
32. The bathroom control system of claim 30, said column shower for
providing up to N stations, said column having N viewports around
an outside surface of said column, said system including N video
cameras inside said column, each responsive to light collected from
each corresponding viewport.
33. The bathroom control system of claim 32, said column shower
being a six station column shower for being installed in a
hexagonal shower room.
34. The bathroom control system of claim 33 where said video camera
is a sensor which has at least two uses, a first use being a
utilitarian use, for being a sensor for said system to provide
touchless automatic operation of said actuator, and a second use
being a safety and security use for providing a security system,
said security system providing one of: transmission of images
depicting bathroom activity to at least one remote monitoring
station; storage, for evidence, of images depicting bathroom
activity; automated monitoring means to automatically determine any
unusual activity patterns and decision means adapted to operate
alarm means should the activity or movement being observed give
cause for concern.
35. The bathroom control system of claim 34 for use in a bath, said
automated monitoring means to automatically determine if a bather
is at risk of drowning in said bath.
36. The bathroom control system of claim 35 said automated
monitoring means including means for determining if at least one
bather is present in said bath during a time in which no head is
visible above a waterline of said bath, said control system
activating an alarm.
37. The bathroom control system of claim 36 for controlling a bath,
said actuator responsive to light transmitted through an at least
partially transparent portion of said bath.
38. The bathroom control system of claim 37 where said bath
comprises a bath tub made of at least partially transparent
material.
39. The bathroom control system of claim 38 where said bath tub is
made of a material comprising at least one of: smoked acrylic;
smoked polycarbonate; mirrored acrylic; mirrored polycarbonate;
glass.
40. The bathroom control system of claim 33 said hexagonal shower
room for being a men's shower room installed in a mass
decontamination facility having seven hexagonal shaped rooms,
another of said seven hexagonal shaped rooms being a women's shower
room, each of said men's and women's shower rooms having one of
said six station column showers, wherein said sensors are transmit
live video picture signals to emergency personnel for remotely
operating said mass decontamination facility.
41. A method of providing safety and security in a bathroom
environment, without compromising privacy, said method comprising
the steps of: installing the bathroom control system of claim 40 in
a variety of bathrooms in a bathroom network; capturing images from
an output from at least one sensor said sensor being said video
camera, in each of said bathrooms; recording said images in an
encrypted archive; maintaining two separate archives, one
corresponding to men's bathrooms and another corresponding to
women's bathrooms; providing investigatory access to security
officers, or other officials who may help ensure bathroom safety;
ensuring that male officials can only view images captured from
men's bathrooms, and that female officials can only view images
captured from women's bathrooms.
42. A method of bathroom control for controlling one or more
bathroom fixtures, said method comprising the steps of: capturing,
through optics for allowing light from a detection zone to pass
toward one or more image sensors, one or more images, from said one
or more image sensors, said image sensors being arranged to detect
subject matter within a detection zone in a bath environment;
obtaining one or more pictures from one or more image capture
devices responsive to one or more inputs from said one or more
image sensors, said pictures depicting subject matter within said
detection zone; processing and storing said one or more pictures;
activating a controller receiving an output from said one or more
image processors; and actuating one or more actuators coupled to
one or more bathroom fixtures in response to an output from said
controller.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention pertains generally to automatic sensor
operated bathroom fixtures, systems for controlling bathroom
fixtures, and methods of bathroom fixture design, control, and
management, as well as the control and management of hygiene and
water resources.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] First impressions are lasting ones and when someone visits a
company's public bathroom, a perception of the entire company is
immediately formed. Thus many businesses are realizing the need to
make sure the impression is a positive one.
[0003] Fully automated bathroom fixtures will function without
wasting unnecessary water and energy which otherwise results with
the use of conventional manually operated fixtures. Thus touchless
automatic sensor operated bathroom fixtures have become very
popular, and are beginning to replace older manually operated
fixtures.
[0004] Additionally, these new fixtures offer a high degree of
hygiene by creating an atmosphere where the user completely avoids
any direct physical contact with the unit. As a result, the risks
of spreading of infectious diseases are greatly reduced.
[0005] The new fixtures are quick and easy to install and require
minimal maintenance.
[0006] Networked plumbing systems also help facility managers
monitor the operation of various bathrooms in a facility or at
remote facilities. Control boxes controlling several showers,
faucets, urinals, or water closets are commonly used in large
bathroom complexes.
[0007] Various kinds of infrared sensors, such as those
manufactured by Sloan Valve, and radar sensors as described in U.S.
Pat. No. 6,206,340, "Radar devices for low power applications and
bathroom fixtures" are known in the art. These sensors typically
measure the total amount of light returned by an infrared light
source, or the Doppler shift of a radar signal.
[0008] Faucets (See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,868,311) and
urinals (See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,061,843) are among the
most commonly controlled fixtures. Some toilets are also controlled
automatically but these are less common than urinals, because of
some of the technical difficulties that have been encountered with
stall doors causing false triggering.
[0009] Showers are very seldom controlled automatically because of
certain difficulties with previous approaches.
[0010] Additionally, each fixture usually has its own sensor and
plumbing systems operate separately from other systems such as
security systems, sensors to automate lighting, and sensors for
heating, ventillation and air conditioning. Therefore much of the
sensory apparatus in a building is duplicated for various different
reasons.
[0011] Other fixtures such as bath tubs, where the usage patterns
are varied and more complicated (e.g. standing up for a shower
versus sitting down for a bath) are not controlled
automatically.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] A "bathroom" refers to an environment that contains bathing
or sanitary fixtures. Therefore the term "bathroom" shall include,
for example, a toilet room, or a room that has a toilet and sink,
even if no bath tub is present in this room. A bathroom may be a
room intended for individual users, or it may be a communal
bathroom for use by more than one person at the same time. For
example, a bathroom may be a room that contains a plurality of
urinals, toilets, sinks, or the like, for use by one or more
persons. The term bath is taken to include various forms of baths,
including a showerbath, steam bath, sauna bath, or swimming bath.
Thus a room containing only one or more showers will still be
considered to be a bathroom even if there is no bath tub or other
form of basin in this room. Similarly, a mass decontamination
facility, a washdown facility, a mass delousing center, a cleansing
station, or the like, is considered to be a bathroom. Likewise, an
environment containing a whirlpool, jacuzzi, swimming pool, or the
like, will be considered to be a bathroom even if the fixture is
not located within the boundaries of an explicitly defined room.
For example, the environment around an outdoor bath will still be
considered to be a bathroom, and to thus fall within the scope of
this invention. For example, the environment around an outdoor pool
will be considered to be a bathroom. Other outdoor bathroom
fixtures, such as the outdoor urinals sometimes found in european
contries such as France, will also be considered to fall within the
scope of this invention, wherein the environment around one of
these urinals will still be considered to be a bathroom.
[0013] Likewise, the term "bath environment" refers to the space
around one or more bathroom fixtures, such as sinks, urinals,
toilets, soap dispensers, shampoo dispensers, towel dispensers, hot
air hand drying fixtures, hair drying fixtures, bath tubs,
whirlpools, jacuzzis, hot tubs, swimming pools, or the like, as
well as the space within or around other bathing spaces such as
steam baths, sauna baths, or the like.
[0014] A "getting" is a region of a space, such as a polarization
space, time-polarization space, time-frequency space,
time-frequency-polarizatio- n space, or the like, or a region of
time such as a time interval or periodic train of time intervals or
random or pseudorandom time variations, or a region of frequency
such as a frequency spectrum, frequency band, frequency region, or
the like.
[0015] The concept of "getting" generalizes the concept of
"setting" (time and place, more commonly known as "time-space") and
emphasizes the capture, obtaining, manipulating, display, or the
like, of visual information.
[0016] The term "biological" refers to a response of a biological
vision system such as a human biological vision system, or the
like.
[0017] It is desired that a sensor system either passively observe
the bath environment or if it is an active vision system, that the
active element of its vision system appear invisible to the user of
the bathroom. Ideally even the passive element of the system is
also concealed from users, to prevent vandalism or experimentation
with the sensors, or to prevent the user from reverse engineering
the sensors to learn how they work.
[0018] For example, the sensors may be built into or behind
materials where the sensors have a getting of greater machine
sensitivity and lesser biological sensitivity. In this way,
bathroom users cannot see the sensors but the sensors can see the
bathroom users.
[0019] A shiny vitreous material that a user can not see through
may at the same time gather some light to at least one camera or
other optical imaging system. Camera based sensors can provide a
much more intricate and sophisticated form of control, because they
can detect user behaviour, usage patterns, traffic flow patterns,
and other attributes not evident in simple binary present/absent
occupancy sensors. However, since sensors often become the target
of vandalism or reverse-engineering by hackers trying to understand
how they work, concealment is often desirable.
[0020] Many bathroom surfaces are made of shiny glasslike materials
such as ceramic. Thus viewing windows can be easily built into or
concealed in bathroom fixtures, walls, or other surfaces. Such
viewing windows might include some or all of the following:
[0021] sapphire windows, ceramics, and vitrionic devices;
[0022] sapphire (alumina) infrared viewing windows;
[0023] optical ceramics;
[0024] glass, fiberglass;
[0025] vitreous china.
[0026] Such viewing windows will have a normal appearance to
bathroom users.
[0027] It may also be desirable that this normal appearance be
preserved even though users may be looking through instruments such
as video eyeglasses worn by visually impaired users, or hand-held
video cameras carried by users. Such devices can detect currently
used infrared sensor operated flush valves, and sometimes even
allow users to see into the viewing windows through which they are
being watched by these flush valve systems, because these devices
often allow users to see in the infrared to some degree.
[0028] In one embodiment, the sensors of the invention are
concealed by a synchronized electrochromic viewport which is
preferably not synchronized, or easily synchronizable by bathroom
users attempting to reverse engineer the bathroom control
system.
[0029] Preferably the viewport will therefore appear more
transmissive to the sensors than to the biolotical instruments of
bathroom users.
[0030] In some preferred embodiments of the invention, there is an
electrically controlled temporal variation in the optical
properties of a viewport. This results in a temporal getting.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0031] The invention will now be described in more detail, by way
of examples which in no way are meant to limit the scope of the
invention, but, rather, these examples will serve to illustrate the
invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in
which:
[0032] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an intelligent bathroom
containing intelligent bathroom fixtures with image sensors.
[0033] FIG. 2 shows an intelligent bathroom controller with two
sensors housed in an intelligent light fixture mounted above a row
of four urinals.
[0034] FIG. 2A shows details of an intelligent light fixture.
[0035] FIG. 3 shows an intelligent light fixture with sensor
concealed in a hemispherical mirror that also serves to make the
light fixture produce indirect illumination.
[0036] FIG. 4 shows an intelligent vitrionic light fixture ceiling
tile.
[0037] FIG. 5 shows intelligent bathroom tiles, along with an
example in which the intelligent tiles function as sensors for
three urinals in the bathroom.
[0038] FIG. 5A shows a closeup view a bathroom tile for use in an
intelligent bathroom.
[0039] FIG. 5B shows an alternative embodiment of a bathroom tile
for use in an intelligent bathroom.
[0040] FIG. 5C shows an intelligent urinal suitable for ensuring
privacy during drug tests.
[0041] FIG. 6 shows an intelligent bath tub.
[0042] FIG. 7 is a flowchart for a secondary function that provides
safety and security in an intelligent bath tub.
[0043] FIG. 8 shows how two toilets can become intelligent bathroom
fixtures through the use of a single image sensor.
[0044] FIG. 8A shows an intelligent sensor in a stall with a
leftward swinging door.
[0045] FIG. 8B shows an intelligent sensor in a stall with a closed
door.
[0046] FIG. 8C shows an intelligent sensor in a stall with a
rightward swinging door.
[0047] FIG. 8A' shows an image from an intelligent sensor in a
stall with a leftward swinging door.
[0048] FIG. 8B' shows an image from an intelligent sensor in a
stall with a closed door.
[0049] FIG. 8C' shows an image from an intelligent sensor in a
stall with a rightward swinging door.
[0050] FIG. 8A" shows an image mask from an intelligent sensor in a
stall with a leftward swinging door.
[0051] FIG. 8B" shows an image mask from an intelligent sensor in a
stall with a closed door.
[0052] FIG. 8C" shows an image mask from an intelligent sensor in a
stall with a rightward swinging door.
[0053] FIG. 9 shows an intelligent bath tub that can be adapted to
being a swimming bath.
[0054] FIG. 10 shows an intelligent shower system comprised of a
shower column with six stations, each station having an image
sensor for providing visual intelligence to an embedded computer
inside the shower column.
[0055] FIG. 10A shows a typical display configuration for
monitoring of an intelligent column shower by triage staff, medical
personnel, decontamination officers, or law enforcement officers
during times of terrorist consequence management, or for diagnostic
purposes to make sure the machine vision system is operating
correctly.
[0056] FIG. 10B shows a coordinate transformed display
configuration for monitoring of an intelligent column shower by
triage staff, medical personnel, decontamination officers, or law
enforcement officers during times of terrorist consequence
management, or for diagnostic purposes to make sure the machine
vision system is operating correctly.
[0057] FIG. 11A shows an alternate embodiment using a single smoked
polycarbonate viewing window.
[0058] FIG. 11B shows the alternate embodiment of the column shower
in which a single camera sensor observes up to six shower users, so
that the touchless sensor operation of the six shower stations can
be controlled from a single sensor.
[0059] FIG. 12 shows a multi-user shower for being suspended from a
ceiling in the center of a room.
[0060] FIG. 13 shows a multiuser row shower in which shower heads
are borne by a smoked polycarbonate pipe that also houses camera
sensors for detecting users of the shower and automating the
process of controlling the water flow and temperature.
[0061] FIG. 14 shows a decon shower facility that can be used as a
recreational spray park when not being used for mass
decontamination.
[0062] FIG. 15 shows timing diagrams for a sensor operated shower
incorporating a feedback preventer.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0063] While the invention shall now be described with reference to
the preferred embodiments shown in the drawings, it should be
understood that the intention is not to limit the invention only to
the particular embodiments shown but rather to cover all
alterations, modifications and equivalent arrangements possible
within the scope of appended claims.
[0064] FIG. 1 depicts an intelligent bathroom with various image
sensors, some within fixtures, some being part of actuators for
fixtures, some not in fixtures, and various possible connections
and arrangements. This figure is not meant to limit the scope of
the invention, but to merely serve as an example of how the
invention might work. Image sensor 100 is concealed behind optics
110. Image sensor 100 may be a video camera, or may be contained
inside a video camera. Ordinarily video cameras contain an infrared
blocking filter. Preferably, however, image sensor 100 does not
contain such an infrared blocking filter, and is therefore
preferably sensitive to infrared light. Additionally, optics 110,
or other optics, preferably blocks visible light and passes
infrared light, so that sensor 100 is sensitive to the infrared. In
this way, sensor 100 can be an active sensor, or can be part of an
active sensor system in which infrared light is used to illuminate
subject matter in the bathroom. Optics 110 may take various forms.
In a preferred embodiment, optics 110 comprises a dark smoked glass
tile cemented to the wall of the bathroom, together with other
smoked glass tiles. Such tiles have an appearance of ordinary black
bathroom tiles, but afford a sensor 100 with a view of a detection
zone in the bathroom. In another embodiment, optics 110 is a camera
lens, which also provides a watertight seal. In another embodiment,
optics 110 is a camera lens and a cavity filling material such as
an optical epoxy, so that there is no air gap in the camera between
the lens and an image sensor. In this way the camera, comprised of
sensor 100 and optics 110 is sealed and completely water tight.
Preferably the epoxy encapsulates the sensor 100 as well as some
processing circuits such as part of a capture device 120.
[0065] Other sensors such as sensor 101 may also be present in the
bathroom. Some of these sensors may use planar optics, whereas
others may use different kinds of optical elements. Optics 111 may,
for example, be a ceiling dome that provides sensor 101 with a wide
field of view. Such a wide field of view is useful for controlling
a large number of bathroom fixtures with just one sensor. For
example, sensor 101 and optics 111 may comprise a camera system
with fisheye lens, such that when placed on the ceiling of a shower
room, the system can monitor the entire shower room.
[0066] Users will enjoy a nice hot shower, without having to adjust
the temperature, or even touch anything at all. Users simply step
into the viewing area, or detection zone, and the shower turns on.
Instantly, out comes water at the perfect temperature! When a user
steps away, the water turns off. Process control systems ensure
that water is circulated in the pipes at the right temperature,
even when none of the showers are actually running. With face
recognition software, users can receive their own preferred shower
settings. Additionally, multiple spray heads at each station can
spray a user with water in such a way that very little is wasted. A
beam pattern of spray can adapt to the position and orientation of
the user's body.
[0067] Pictures obtained by way of capture device 130 are then
directed to processor 150 which provides a signal to controller
170. Controller 170 activates one or more actuators 185, 190, and
195. A shower room containing a dozen shower spray heads, each
controlled by its own actuator comprised of a solenoid activated
valve, may therefore be controlled by a single sensor 101 on the
ceiling of the shower room. Such a single sensor is out of the way
of vandalism, soap scum buildup, or other problems that would arise
if a dozen sensors were distributed throughout the room, one for
each shower. Moreover, maintenance and installation are simplified
by having one image sensor controlling various shower spray heads.
Additionally, the one image sensor may provide other features such
as automatically warning building staff if a person has slipped and
fallen, or automatically recognizing faces of users, and providing
each user with water tempered to the preference of each individual
user. Users could also be billed for the exact amount of hot water
that they use, assuming that users have previously enrolled in a
shower program. Users who have not enrolled may be either locked
out of the system so that they cannot use the showers, or they may
be provided with limited capability (such as less hot water,
cold-only showers, or limited runtime). This would provide users
with an incentive to enroll in the shower program.
[0068] The multishower sensor will also act as a deterrent to crime
and vandalism in the shower room.
[0069] Sensors may be incorporated into a housing together with
actuators, and the housing may be, or may include, optics. For
example, sensor 102 is contained in optics 112, together with
actuator 195. An example of such a system would include a retrofit
sensor operated flush system for a urinal or toilet. The entire
system is enclosed in a housing, the top portion of which is optics
112 in the form of an infrared dome that passes infrared light but
blocks visible light. A standard hemispherical security dome,
approximately 10 centimeters in diameter, may be used to house
sensor 102, together with actuator 195 and sufficient control
circuits such as image capture device 140 and image processor 160.
A controller 170 may also be housed inside the security dome, or
the controller may exist at a remote location. In either case, the
dome affords an optically transparent housing for sending data,
optically, to other similar fixtures or other devices. Moreover,
the sensor 102 or other sensors contained in the housing may assist
adjacent fixtures. For example, in a row of retrofitted urinals,
sensor 102 may detect the presence of user of an adjacent urinal. A
sensor at a given urinal together with sensors of adjacent urinals
may provide combined networked intelligence to better serve the
user of the given urinal. Interprocessor communication may be
facilitated along a row of urinals, by data being passed optically
from one sensor to the next. Thus information such as usage
statistics may propagate optically throughout the bathroom
environment, passing from one fixture to the next, even though not
all of the fixtures necessarily have wiring connected thereto.
[0070] An actuator 185 and sensor 103 may be separately housed in
the same housing comprised of or including optics 113.
Alternatively or additionally, actuators such as actuator 190 may
be separately controlled by other sensors, the other sensors either
monitoring the overall bathroom environment, or being associated
with other fixtures. For example, in a row of six urinals, only two
of the six urinals might require sensors. Each urinal that has a
sensor, for example, mounted inside a hemispherical security dome,
can see the user of that urinal as well as users of the urinal to
the right and left of that urinal, and decisions to actuate the
flush valve of that urinal, as well as the ones to the left and
right, can all be made by way of the sensor in that one urinal.
[0071] A client/server model may be implemented for all of the
sensors in the smart bathroom or a global network of smart
bathrooms. Each sensor may be implemented through Java aplets. This
permits any level of sophistication desired. While many
installations are quite simple (e.g. little interprocess
communication), the degree of interprocess and interfixture
communication can be controlled remotely over the Internet. This is
useful for monitoring usage patterns for generating statistics
(e.g. identifying areas of congestion in the restroom environment).
By identifying areas of possible congestion, these problems can
often be resolved with software. Systems can be reprogrammed to
respond to users in slightly different ways, and therefore user
behaviour can be modified slightly. Through slight modifications in
user behaviour, efficiency and restroom throughput can be
increased. For example, the system might detect that, in a row of
hand faucets, the furthest one is used excessively during certain
times of day. It might be determined that a homeless person is
using it for hair washing purposes, especially if it is somewhat
hidden from view. The system can detect this pattern of deviant
use, and correct it by adjusting the timing on that particular
fixture so that it will time out sooner than the others. This would
effectively move that user to another faucet. Thus slight changes
in system parameters can be used to effect slight changes in user
behaviour.
[0072] Software, such as Java aplets, allow restroom fixtures to
communicate with each other, and to communicate with remote sites.
Whether the building owner wants to delight users with responsive,
predictive fixtures, or please users by keeping the restroom
crime-free, the owner can be sure that everyone will be happier,
and profits will increase. If crime ever does become a problem,
sensors can transmit crime statistics back to your central law
enforcement facility. Using VitriView (TM) ceramics for the optics
110, or other system optics can ensure outstanding image quality,
and will provide excellent greyscale rendition and tonal fidelity,
even in poor light. If crime is a problem, CeramiView(TM) tiles can
be replaced with SafetyGlass (TM) tiles (from EXISTech
Corporation's public safety products devision), which are known for
their color rendition. Proper white balancing of the sensors to
compensate for the greenish color cast of fluorescent lights or
other bathroom fixtures will ensure forensic quality of the images
for use in courtroom proceedings. As with all video-based machine
vision technology, accurate color reproduction in the presence of
mixed lighting (as when natural daylight entering through windows
mixes with fluorescent lights) may be addressed with ATW (Auto
Tracking White) sensors. Hair colour, eye colour, and even the
colour of clothing are important identifiers of those who might,
whether through vandalism or recklessness, reduce profits and the
satisfaction of other users. Rapid apprehension of suspects is
important to maintaining a crime-free airport, shopping mall,
arena, or other establishment. Drug use will fall, and everyone
will be happier, except terrorists, theives, or those engaged in
other forms of criminal activity.
[0073] Additionally, the intelligent bathroom fixtures and systems
will help enhance the privacy of users. Privacy enhancing fixtures
and bathroom control systems ensure that normal users need not be
disturbed by police foot patrols into the restroom areas, or by
security guards entering simply to make inspections. Thus the
aquionics bathroom control system of the invention will maintain
the cleanliness, safety, security, and privacy of the occupants in
a smart building. Aquionics refers to this kind of electronic
control of water in plumbing systems.
[0074] FIG. 2 depicts two sensors 201 and 202 mounted in a light
fixture above a row of urinals 200. Sometimes urinals have dividers
200D but regardless of whether or not dividers 200D are present,
sensors 201 and 202 are positioned so that they have a clear view
of a detection zone where bathroom users might be standing in front
of the four urinals. Sensors 201 and 202 are preferably cameras
that can see through optics 210 in the lamp housing 210H. Housing
210H may actually be made of material that is transparent in the
portion around lamp 299 and around sensors 201 and 202. Since
bathroom light fixtures are often made waterproof (especially the
kinds of fixtures used in shower rooms), the technology to make the
lamp housing waterproof can be used to accommodate the sensors and
additional waterproofing is not needed for the sensors since they
can be place right in the lamp housing. Moreover, because the lamp
is generally hot, the heat will tend to drive out any small amount
of moisture present, or at least will lower the relative humidity
since relative humidity decreases with increasing temperature.
[0075] Moreover, because of heat in the lamp housing, optics 210
will not fog up due to bathroom moisture. Optics 210 may in fact be
or include part of housing 210H, so that no modifications are
necessary to the lamp fixture. For example, cameras can simply be
installed into the inside of the lamp fixture to look down upon the
bathroom users.
[0076] Manufacture of such an intelligent light fixture provides
the advantage that the two cameras will be spaced an exactly known
distance apart, and have an exactly known relative orientation. In
this way, the epipolar geometry may be known or determined in
advance of installation. Thus the light fixture provides a
conveniently calibrated stereo rig.
[0077] A typical lamp such as a fluorescent light has a convenient
length that allows the two cameras to have a good baseline distance
between them, so that they are nicely separated, yet the distance
and orientation between them remain fixed by the intelligent light
fixture.
[0078] Additionally, since the light from the light fixture is
known in relation to the sensors 201 and 202, the stereo rig is
also photocalibrated, in the sense that the light source
distribution and orientation, etc., are known with respect to the
sensors.
[0079] In one embodiment of the invention processor 250 which
receives input from capture devices 230 and 240 also controls the
light source of lamp 299 by way of a light controller 298. Light
controller 298 modulates lamp 299 in a known fashion. In one such
embodiment, light controller 298 reduces the output of lamp 299
slightly in every odd numbered frame of video captured from camera
sensor 201 and 202. Light controller 298 increases the output of
lamp 299 slightly in every even numbered frame. Over a time period,
with signal averaging, the response of the bathroom due to only
lamp 299 is considered. This arrangement provides a lock-in camera
system wherein the response of the bathroom to an individual light
source such as lamp 299 is determined.
[0080] In some embodiments, other similar light sources are used,
and communicate with one another, so that a lightspace of images is
produced, either as photometric stereo, or as a set of lightvectors
characterizing the response of the bathroom to a plurality of
different light sources, for each of one or more sensors in the
bathroom.
[0081] In one embodiment, even if only one such intelligent light
fixture is used, the light fixture also contains infrared
communications equipment, so that it can communicate wirelessly
with the actuators 290, 291, 292, and 293. In a preferred
embodiment, capture devices 230 and 240, as well as processor 250
and light controller 298, are housed inside the intelligent light
fixture together with lamp 299 and sensors 201 and 202. The
intelligent light fixture thus observes the users of the bathroom
fixtures. For example, a user of the urinal second from the right
is detected and when the user departs, as determined by sensors 201
and 202, in overlapping fields of view from 201L to 201R and 202L
to 202R respectively, the intelligent light fixture then wirelessly
sends a signal to actuator 292 to flush that urinal.
[0082] An additional function of the intelligent light fixture can
be provided, such as to reduce crime, or to detect abnormal
activity. The additional function may also be simply to automate
the function of the light fixture itself, or to automate the
function of other light fixtures in the facility. In one preferred
embodiment, each intelligent light fixture communicates with other
intelligent light fixtures and, based on a map of where people are
located in the bathroom, the light fixture outputs are gradually
raised and lowered so that a lightspace is present around the
persons in the bathroom, but light is not wasted. This system also
avoids the abrupt start and stop of lights that might startle the
bathroom user. Instead the lights gradually rise and fall in
output, to track the user, so that the user is not even aware they
are being tracked. In a large bathroom facility such as a locker
room complex, the benefit in light savings is provided together
with intelligent control of many fixtures throughtout the facility.
The bathroom ventillation systems can also be incorporated into
this system to provide for an intelligent energy-efficient
facility.
[0083] FIG. 2A depicts an intelligent light fixture suitable for
use in various rooms of a smart building, including bathrooms. Two
sensors 201 and 202 are mounted at either end in a light fixture
housing 210H in which the lower half of the housing is made of
partially transmissive and partially reflective mirror comprising
optics 210. Baffles 210B keep light from lamp 299 from shining
directly into the sensors, so that light must bounce off subject
matter in the room before going into the sensors. Preferably the
mirror is approximately 10% transmissive so that a small amount of
direct light such as in light ray 270 illuminates the room. Most of
the light, such as ray 271, however, reflects off the mirror as ray
271 which bounces off a ceiling surface 260 or a ceiling reflector
surface 260, to generate soft light rays 272. The fixture is
suspended from the ceiling by four wires. Wires 261 and 262 provide
a 12 volt D.C. power source, whereas wires 263 and 264 provide data
communications and networking to other light fixtures, bathroom
fixtures, controllers, actuators, or the like.
[0084] Soft light is commonly used in photographic and film/video
studios to obtain better lighting. However, such soft indirect
light has recently also become fashionable in buildings and homes.
Thus the light fixture of the invention can be used throughout
homes, offices, bathrooms, and the like to provide pleasant soft
light. The camera sensors 201 and 202 can also detect people and
adjust the lights to suit their needs. Preferably there is
inter-fixture communication so that the fixtures can work together
to build a map of the entire building occupancy patterns, and
intelligent decisions can be made about which fixtures should be
on. Thus, for example, fixtures outside a bathroom can see that a
person is heading toward the bathroom, and can then turn on the
bathroom lights before the person gets to the bathroom. Once in the
bathroom, the lights in the bathroom might see that the person is
undressing, and the bathroom control system can therefore make an
intelligent inference that the person is likely to take a shower.
Thus the intelligent bathroom control system turns on the lights in
the shower room before the person arrives there. Thus the lights
themselves operate in an intelligent user-friendly way to maintain,
for the users, an illusion that the lights are always on. Thus the
user is not startled by having to walk into a dark bathroom and
have the lights suddenly come on, as would be the case with motion
detectors of the prior art.
[0085] Moreover, the bathroom control system preferably brings the
lights up slowly rather than having sudden switching on and off.
Lighting control is anticipatory, in the sense that the lights will
switch on in the bathroom every time a person walks toward the
bathroom door, whether or not the person uses the bathroom. In this
way, because the changes are gradual, and because the changes are
anticipatory (e.g. lights come on before a person can see the
lights) occupants of the smart building do not notice the effects
of the energy savings measures inherent in such a lighting system.
Thus energy is saved without inconveniencing the user.
[0086] With the intelligent light fixtures of the invention,
suppose, for example, that a user approaches the entrance to the
men's room, and prior to the user entering far enough to see into
the room, the lights turn on just before he enters, so that he is
not startled by the sudden onset of light, but electricity is still
saved by not illuminating an empty restroom. The user approaches a
urinal and there is a courtesy flush to freshen the bowl prior to
use. After the user urinates and steps away, the urinal flushes
automatically. Meanwhile, in anticipation of the user's eventual
desire to wash his hands, nice warm water begins to circulate
through the lavatories before the user is finished urinating. By
the time the user walks over to one of the lavatories and puts his
hands under the faucet, where the water turns on automatically, the
water is already at the right temperature, even though it was not
running yet. Merely anticipating the user's arrival, warm water has
been already circulating in the pipes, before the water is actually
switched on. The user is delighted to find the water at just the
perfect temperature. Meanwhile, electricity is already flowing
through the heating elements in the hand dryer, in anticipation of
the blower fan that will soon be activated automatically by the
smart bathroom control system. Thus the intelligent plumbing system
of the invention can monitor patters of behaviour and anticipate
the user's actions. In this way, user satisfaction can be maximized
while costs can be minimized.
[0087] Additionally, because the intelligent light fixtures are
present in all areas of the building, including the bathrooms,
other fixtures such as ventillation, heating, and bathroom
fixtures, can be controlled by the smart light fixtures.
[0088] Moreover, the bathroom fixtures can contain additional
sensors that affect the lights. For example, when a toilet sees
that a user is occupying the toilet, it can tell the lights to stay
on, even if the lights cannot see the user of the toilet who is
inside a toilet stall.
[0089] Thus the intelligent bathroom control system can include
smart fixtures, smart lighting, and other sensors that all
communicate with one another to create a user-friendly
environment.
[0090] Additional features include user safety and security, by way
of watching the user to make sure that the user is attended to when
encountering danger through tripping and falling, such as when
slipping on a soapy shower room floor. Additional benefits to the
occupants of such a building include reduced crime, reduced danger,
and improved safety, security, and efficiency.
[0091] FIG. 3 depicts an alternate embodiment of an intelligent
bathroom light fixture, where camera sensor 301, having field of
view defined between rays 301L and 301R, is for being installed
above a detection zone of the bathroom. Hemispherical partially
mirrored optics 310 allow the camera to see out through the partial
silvering. Such partial silvering is typical of light bulbs made
for indirect "soft light" in which half of the bulb housing 310H is
silvered optics 310 to be reflective so that it reflects light
upward to the ceiling, where the light rays such as rays 310L and
310R bounce off the ceiling to produce a nice soft light suitable
for a pleasant bathroom environment where ceilings are often
painted white.
[0092] Such a silvering produces an opportunity for concealment of
camera 301 because auxiliary optics 310A reflect the light inside
the bulb in the same way, while protecting camera sensor 301 from
stray light. Additionally, concealment of camera sensor 301 in a
light fixture makes it hard to detect because the light is too
bright for users to look at directly, and therefore the same light
that helps the camera 301 see better makes it harder for vandals to
detect the presence of sensor 301.
[0093] In another embodiment of the invention, optics 310 is
comprised of a hemispherical partially reflecting and partially
transmitting mirror approximately thirty centimeters in diameter,
suspended from three wires connected to points equally spaced
around the circumference of optics 310. One wire is a ground, and
another provides power to a light source in the mirror, so that
indirect light is nicely bounced off the ceiling. The third wire
provides communications signals with respect to the ground wire. In
this embodiment, a number of sensors and communications systems are
concealed in the mirror, including one or more cameras to
completely monitor a large detection zone below the bathroom light
fixture.
[0094] FIG. 4 shows a vitrionic light fixture ceiling tile, with
sensors 401, 402, 403, and 404 near the four corners of the ceiling
tile. Visible light sources 499 provide light in the bathroom. A
satisfactory visible light source 499 is a white LED. Sensors
401-404 are preferably flat board cameras embedded into the ceiling
tile. Preferably the ceiling tile is made of transparent material
so that the four cameras can see down from the ceiling, and so that
light sources can be embedded in the tile material. A vitrionic
light source is a light source in which electronic devices are
embedded in a transparent glasslike material such as plastic,
polycarbonate, or glass.
[0095] Thus using vitrionics, the entire light fixture can be made
into a flat ceiling tile for low voltage operation suitable for use
in shower rooms, or above bath tubs, etc.. One or more vitrionic
ceiling tiles may be placed into a drop ceiling as one or more of
the ceiling tiles, or the vitrionic tile may be cemented in place.
For residential use, a version with adhesive backing can be used to
install on the ceiling of a shower stall, or the like, to provide
good lighting therein.
[0096] A light controller modulates the output of the various
lights, in conjunction with image capture from the sensors 401-404,
so that a lightspace is produced. A three dimensional model of the
bathroom is automatically generated over time, as a time-averaged
signal that is assumed to represent the empty bathroom. Users of
the bathroom can thus be tracked by way of photometric stereo, or
lightspace processing methods.
[0097] Optionally, interspersed with these visible light sources
are some infrared light sources 490. A satisfactory visible light
source 490 is an infrared LED. Using at least some infrared light
sources allows the light sources to be modulated more aggressively
without being noticable to users of the bathroom. Some of the light
sources 490 and 499 can also be used to modulate information
bearing signals, to be sent to intelligent fixtures in the
bathroom. Additionally, other sensors may be installed in the
vitrionic ceiling tile.
[0098] Alternatively the vitrionic ceiling tile may embody a
mixture of vitrionics and materials placed behind the tile. Thus,
for example, the light sources may be vitrionic whereas the sensors
may be located behind the tile, looking through it.
[0099] Similar tiles may be construced for walls, to create some
pleasing lighting effects, or to display messages in the bathroom
environment. The lighting, messages, or the like, can also be
responsive to the identity of bathroom users. For example, the
intelligent bathroom can recognize particular persons and display a
message or produce a lighting environment tailored to that
individual. Targeted marketing advertisements or health warnings
thus become possible.
[0100] FIG. 5 shows the use of CeramiView (TM) tiles in an
intelligent bathroom. CeramiView(TM) tiles manufactured by EXISTech
Corporation, are available in black, chrome, gold, and copper, and
add a nice accent to a tiled wall, such as a bathroom wall. The
aesthetics of an otherwise stark wall of solid white tile is much
improved with, for example, one or two rows of CeramiView black
tiles.
[0101] EXISTech Corporation's FiberFix (TM) backing makes
installation much simpler. Tiles come pre-attached to a fiberglass
and/or fiber-optic backing strip. Tiles are permanently affixed to
the FiberFix backing, so that they can be quickly and easily
cemented to any wall during installation. FiberFix is available in
50 foot and 100 foot rolls. This makes it easy for the distributor
to sell by the foot (three tiles per running foot).
[0102] The benefits will be immediately apparent, whether in a
small restaurant kitchen, or a large food processing plant. Here
are just a few of the possible applications:
[0103] Process control;
[0104] Food processing security;
[0105] Secure mass decontamination shower facilities or cleansing
stations;
[0106] Public safety/security;
[0107] Occupancy detectors for heating, ventillation, and air
conditioning applications;
[0108] Electronic plumbing;
[0109] Privacy enhancement.
[0110] In FIG. 5 it is assumed that there is behind-the-wall
access. At the time of construction, a row of CeramiView (TM) tiles
is run around the outside of the bathroom. The tiles comprise
optics 510 and viewport 510V. Normal tiles 510N can be plain white
bathroom tiles, which will look nice together with the CeramiView
tiles, or the normal tiles 510N can be made of the same material as
the CeramiView tiles but not be view tiles. In the latter case, for
example, the entire bathroom can be tiled in shiny black tiles, but
only some of the shiny black tiles are viewtiles.
[0111] Prior to installation of any tiles, it is decided at what
height a row of CeramiView tiles will be installed. Alternatively,
especially if the viewtiles are to be mixed with ordinary white
bathroom tile, two rows of CeramiView tiles can be run for a better
aesthetic, even if only one row of the tiles is going to be used
for monitoring the bathroom environment. A double row creates a
sense of visual balance.
[0112] In a typical installation, for example, over a row of
urinals, there may be one row of CeramiView that runs just above
where the urinals will be installed. This is the active row where
the sensors are contained. A second row, a couple of tiles further
up, is often placed simply for aesthetics (e.g. none of these tiles
need be used for viewing users of the urinals).
[0113] Once it has been decided where to place the view tiles,
viewing holes are drilled in the bathroom wall. It is preferable
that the view tiles then be cemented to the wall before cementing
the other tiles to the wall. Preferably, before cementing the
viewtiles to the wall, the wall, especially where the holes have
been drilled, is cleaned and painted black.
[0114] After the viewtiles are cemented to the wall, regular tile
(from another vendor, or from EXISTech Corp.) is installed around
the viewtiles.
[0115] Alternatively, workers can tile all the way up to just under
where the first row of CeramiView tiles are to be placed. Then the
workers mark off squares on the wall for where they plan for each
CeramiView tile to go. They locate the center of each square, and
mark this point.
[0116] The workers can either decide which squares require a
viewport, and drill into the wall at these points, or they can
drill for every tile, or every second tile. Generally it is
sufficient to drill for every second tile.
[0117] Rolls of CeramiView will be available for every second tile,
in which only every second tile is a view tile. In this case the
intermediate tiles can match the normal tiles 510N and this
provides a nice appearance in which the accent tiles (the black,
gold, or chrome viewtiles) are spaced 8 inches (approximately 20
centimeters) apart with the standard 4 inch (approximately 10
centimeter) CeramiView tile.
[0118] There are two kinds of viewtiles, the vitrionic viewtiles
that have sensors already built in. and the viewtiles for later
sensor installation. Each drilled hole defines a viewing area.
Assuming the latter kind of tile, sensors will later be mounted,
from behind. Depending on the size of sensor, the hole size may
vary. However, it is better to err on making the holes too large,
as the sensor can always be inserted and stuffed with extra padding
from behind. Also, if it is unknown exactly where the fixtures will
be located, or of it is expected the fixtures will be moved, extra
holes should be drilled. The extra holes don't need to be used, but
that way if fixtures need to be moved (e.g. as when a water closet
is moved to convert an installation to ADA standards with
enlargement of one stall for wheelchair access) the sensors can
simply be moved from behind the wall. All that is required is to
install the sensors into different viewing holes, from behind the
wall.
[0119] For each fixture, installers simply round off the location
to the nearest tile unit, so that viewtile optics 511 is used since
it is closest to the fixture with actuator 591. Likewise viewtile
optics 512 is selected being nearest the urinal with actuator 592.
Finally, viewtile optics 513 is selected as being closest to
actuator 593. For each of the selected viewtiles, sensors are
installed from behind the wall into corresponding viewports 511V,
512V, and 513V.
[0120] FIG. 5A shows a shrouded version of the viewtile, in which a
square viewpipe 510P is attached to the back of the viewtile optics
510 at time of manufacture. Thus viewport 510V is co-located with a
viewpipe. Typically the viewpipe is 2 inches square (approximately
5 cm by 5 cm).
[0121] FIG. 5B shows a low cost embodiment in which view tile
optics 510 is simply a dark glass tile having transmissivity
typically being less than 10%. A hole 510H drilled into the wall
510W forms the viewpipe into which sensors are installed.
[0122] The viewtile aspect of the invention allows for a simple
upgrade path in which standard electronic plumbing sensors and
control systems such as those manufactured by Sloan Valve
corporation may be used initially. Over time, the sensors can be
easily upgraded from behind the wall, so that there is no need for
construction or expensive repairs when it comes time to service or
update the sensors.
[0123] Additionally, the viewtiles may be expanded so that
television screens can be inserted behind the walls, in which
urinal users can see advertisements through the viewtiles. This
arrangement prevents vandalism, and maximizes efficiency because
apparatus installed behind the walls can watch users, as well as
inform users.
[0124] Electronic Plumbing has ushered in a new wave of reduced
cost and reduced waste, together with increased efficiency.
However, as with any new technology, there is a very small portion
of the user-population who do not appreciate the benefits of
increased cleanliness, safety, security, and privacy that the
viewtiles can provide. Vandalism has always been a problem,
especially with new technologies that call attention to themselves.
All it takes to cost a building owner or a company is for the
occasional user to tamper with a fixture or sensor. Even so-called
"tamperproof" sensor fixtures invite vandals to deface the exposed
lenses either by deliberately scratching them, or by covering them
with chewing gum, duct tape, or defacing them with markers, paint,
or similar materials. Even mild scratches on these lenses can make
the intelligent bathroom algorithms see blurry pictures. Even
slight blurring of the system's vision seriously reduces its
ability to see the user clearly. If the system cannot obtain a
clear view of the user, it cannot serve the user. Thus CeramiView's
vandal resistant viewing windows are clearly an answer to improved
accuracy of intelligent bathroom systems.
[0125] With CeramiView, the sensors are completely hidden from
view. Moreover, with CeramiView, the users will not know which
tiles have sensors behind them. Vandalism, whether arising from
malicious hate of a better future, or simply arising from
curiosity, costs us all. Through complete concealment of all
sensory apparatus, vandalism is eliminated, resulting in increased
savings, and increased profits. Moreover, in shower room
applications, soap and shampoo that often splashes onto the wall
and runs down the wall, will not get clogged into exposed lenses.
Sensor products from other vendors quickly clog with soap residue,
due to the inset lenses. Again, soapy lenses produce blurry images.
A sharp clear view of bathroom users will keep them happy by
delivering the utmost in user-satisfaction.
[0126] Large orders for OEM applications can be
custom-manufactured. Each CeramiView tile can be fitted with a
custom sensor. Alternatively, the sensory tiles can be interleaved
every third or sixth tile, with non-sensing tiles. For example, the
manufacturer can outfit every sixth tile with a sensor, so that the
sensor-equipped tiles can each be lined up to where fixtures will
go, on standard 24 inch (approximately 61 centimeter) spacing. The
manufacturer can outfit every third tile, for use in a shower room,
where every sixth tile has a sensor suitable for shower operation,
while the tiles in between have sensors suitable for automatic
touchless soap or shampoo dispensers. However, as sensor technology
costs go down, it is expected that in the future, CeramiView will
be provided with sensors in every tile. Thus the bathroom designer
will simply connect to the sensors to be used, and leave the others
disconnected.
[0127] Special sensors can also be installed for controlling costs
by monitoring shampoo and soap usage at a central remote site. By
monitoring restroom usage patters, facility managers can help
reduce or eliminate deviant behaviour such as excessively long
showering, shaving in the shower room, vagrancy, the washing of
clothes in the shower room. Using the appropriate software, with
artificial intelligence, management can be sure to maximize user
satisfaction by making certain one inconsiderate user does not
decrease the user-satisfaction of other users.
[0128] Additionally, a dense lattice of image sensors in the
bathroom environment can have a large range of secondary uses.
Web-based client/server software can ensure maximum efficiency,
optimal traffic flow, and increased user-satisfaction. Users will
appreciate the efforts taken to make their experience pleasant.
[0129] Moreover, dummy tiles can be installed, or viewtiles can be
installed and never used, so that users will never know whether or
not they are being watched by the intelligent building, The use of
CeramiView tile simply because if its outstanding appearance and
durability, thus provides additional safety and security. Thus, for
example, the use of CeramiView black as an accent on an otherwise
stark white tiled wall, can provide added benefits even if there
are no sensors installed behind the wall.
[0130] Thus even when not taking advantage of the optical
transparency of CeramiView, kitchen staff, restaurant clerks, or
bathroom users will never be sure whether or not the wall has eyes.
In many establishments, simply installing CeramiView, with no
sensors whatsoever, will put an end to petty locker room pilfering,
vandalism, or graffiti in bathrooms.
[0131] In this case it is preferable to keep a couple of extra
tiles around to show to employees of an establishment where the
tiles are being used. Seeing is believing, and once they've seen
the light (through a scrap piece of CeramiView) they will think
twice before pilfering from the employee locker room, or
vandalizing a valuable business establishment.
[0132] FIG. 5C shows a privacy protecting urinal 520. The urinal
has a viewing material 530 through which a sensor 540 can operate
the flushing of the fixture. Sensor 540 is preferably an infrared
video camera, using a video motion detection program such as the
one called "motion" that comes with the standard GNU Linux (TM)
Debian distribution. Viewing material 530 is preferably transparent
in a getting of high sensitivity to sensor 540, and less
transparent in a getting of human vision. For example, material 530
may be transparent in the infrared but not transparent in the
visible portion of the light spectrum.
[0133] Such an automatic flush fixture may therefore provide a
secondary usage as a privacy protector for drug testing. Rather
than requiring the subject of the test to strip down and urinate in
the presence of a guard, the apparatus of the invention allows the
subject to urinate in private while the delivery of the sample is
documented by way of a video recording apparatus.
[0134] FIG. 6 shows a smart bath tub. Bath tubs and shower
enclosures are often made of acrylic, or of polycarbonate. In a
preferred embodiment the tub is made of smoked polycarbonate, or
smoked acrylic, so that it forms optics 610. Such a tub will have a
black appearance to a user of the tub, but image sensors 603 and
604 concealed under the tub will be able to see the user of the
tub. Additional image sensors 601 and 602 may also be concealed
behind the dark transparent bath tub material in such a way that
they provide a field of view 622 of the bather above the waterline
650 during typical usage.
[0135] The intelligent bath tub has no knobs, or other adjustments,
and is therefore much easier to use. The user simply strips down,
and sits in the tub, and then the tub fills with water by way of
activation of actuator 190 (see FIG. 1). Sensors 601 and 602 also
monitor the amount of water in the tub, and as the tub gets close
to full, the water flow is gradually reduced. A sophisticated
control system is possible without much cost, since the sensors and
processors and controllers are already present.
[0136] Preferably software running on processor 150 or controller
170 (see FIG. 1) determines if the user is clothed (e.g. when a
user is cleaning the tub) and only fills the tub when the user is
not clothed (indicating that the user wishes to have a bath). In
some embodiments, a single image sensor 600 is sufficient to see
into the entire tub, as well as up and out of the tub when the
water is still, up to and including a critical angle of
approximately 41.81 degrees (an angle of approximately 0.73).
[0137] Additionally, if the system sees that the user is standing
naked in the tub, shower 699 is turned on automatically.
[0138] Thus the intelligent bath tub serves users of the tub by way
of control of an actuator in response to user activity.
[0139] The explanation of this tub has assumed that there is only
one user, but the invention can also be applied to multi user baths
such as whirlpools, jacuzzis, steam rooms, and other bathing
environments. For example, a bath can begin to fill when a user
sits in the tub, and then jets can massage the user's body. If
another user enters the tub, other jets can be activated for that
other user. A pattern of jets can operate for optimal user
satisfaction, given the distribution of users in the bath.
[0140] In a sauna bath, heat flow can be directed in response to
the occupants of the sauna, so that the majority of users
experience the best sauna bath that the bathroom environment can
provide, through intelligent control of air jets, heaters, and
ventillation systems.
[0141] The partially transparent material of the plumbing fixture
of the invention is not limited to baths, but also includes other
fixtures such as urinals and water closets. For example, a
Securinal (TM) privacy-protecting drug testing urinal is made of
smoked glass, and contains camera sensors to provide the automatic
flush functionality, with a secondary concomitant function of
protecting privacy. Privacy is a problem with drug testing because
it is often necessary for persons to urinate in the presence of a
supervisory staff member who ensures that the subject of the drug
test does not cheat by using other urine smuggled into the test
center. With the Securinal (TM), however, the subject can enjoy
complete privacy while urinating into a drug analysis urinal that
also keeps a video record of the urine delivery process. In this
way the subject can be completely alone while urinating, and this
will serve useful especially for subjects suffering from shy
bladder syndrome. Privacy is the right to be left alone, and thus
Securinal greatly protects the privacy of individuals undergoing
drug testing.
[0142] FIG. 7 shows a concomitant function possible with the
intelligent bathroom control of the invention. It is assumed that
the automation of fixtures will cause sensors to be installed in
virtually all bathroom fixtures of the future. It is also expected
that the most economical sensors will be video cameras, which now
only cost $10 in mass production, whereas other sensors such as
specialized infrared position sensing devices now used in
electronic plumbing systems cost much more because they are
specialized devices. Similarly radar and sonar systems commonly
used for occupancy detection (for automatic door openers, lighting
control, etc.) cost much more. Therefore once these cameras are
installed in most fixtures, new uses can emerge.
[0143] What is meant by "concomitant function", or "concomitant
use" is a secondary (or tertiary, etc.) function or secondary (or
tertiary, etc.) use for an additional capability. Thus having
cameras in the bath will allow, for example, caregivers to remotely
monitor the elderly, and come to their rescue or dispatch emergency
services should there be danger encountered.
[0144] Since a processor is already present to operate the
intelligent bathroom fixture(s), additional software can run in the
background to ensure safety in the bathroom. For example, the bath
tub that is sensor operated, can also detect drowning, and sound an
alarm. A method of providing concomitant services includes the
steps of data or image capture 700, followed by detection,
estimation, and decision of flesh below water. If a decision 711 is
made that there is no flesh below water, the image capture is
repeated. If there is a decision 712 that there is flesh below
water, it is assumed that one or more persons are using the bath.
The most dangerous situation is when a user is alone in the tub,
and sinks down into the water. Since a hot bath induces relaxation
it is possible for the bather to fall down into the water and
drown. If there is flesh below the water, it is decided, by way of
sensors 701 and 702, whether there is the head of at least one
bather above water. If the decision 721 that there is at least one
head above water, the process continues. If the decision 722 that
there is no head above water is made, an alarm is sounded after a
short time interval.
[0145] The example of drowning detection is not meant to limit the
scope of the concomitant function aspect of the invention but
merely to illustrate one possibility. Security, safety, and remote
monitoring are other examples of concomitant functions possible
with the invention.
[0146] FIG. 8 shows an embodiment of the invention for controlling
two toilets 800 in stalls with dividers 800D that are monitored by
a single sensor 801 on the wall in the plane of the diveder between
the two toilets. The sensor has a field of view from 801L to 801R.
A satisfactory sensor is a video camera equipped with a wide angle
or fisheye lens. Preferably the sensor is housed in a security
dome, to seal it from moisture. Preferably the sensor is mounted
high enough that it also has a view into the bowls of the toilets
800 so that it can see how much, if any, waste is present in the
bowls, and whether the waste is solid waste or liquid waste.
Preferably the actuator 190 of the invention can actuate different
strengths of flushing based on a visual inspection of the bowl
contents.
[0147] Sensor 801 thus watches users of the toilets to determine
when they are finished using the toilets, and flushes each of the
toilets when its respective user is finished using it. Thus in a
long row of, for example, a dozen toilets, only six sensors are
needed.
[0148] Sensor 801 preferably also sees bowl contents, and the
flushing of each of the toilets is preferably responsive to the
respective contents of the bowl of that toilet. Alternatively,
additional sensors may be installed in the bowls so that an
overhead or wall mounted sensor detects users, and the bowl sensor
examines the contents of the bowl. Such a system also provides
concomitant features, such as reports to medical staff of the
health of users. A wall mounted sensor 801 running face detection
identifies users, and the bowl sensors examine health, so that
automated reports to physicians may be made. Additionally, a
defecography feature can be included in the concomitant features of
the invention. Thus the automatic flush toilet of the invention can
automatically assist in health care, thus reducing health care
costs. Accordingly, these new toilets could be required by
insurance companies, and government grants could also be applied as
incentives to upgrade from the old manual flush toilets.
[0149] Alternatively, bowl sensors may operate in the infrared to
observe blood vessel patterns in the posterior portion of the user,
and thus provide positive identification of the user. Even users
trying to hide from face recognition by wearing disguises, will
thus eventually be identified by toilets with the bowl sensors,
since it is almost impossible to stay completely covered and use a
toilet. Criminals could be automatically found because sooner or
later they would need to use a public toilet. Since defecation out
on the street is a socially unacceptable behaviour, the concomitant
function aspect of the intelligent bathroom fixtures of the
invention can therefore help ensure identification of criminals if
these toilets are used widely.
[0150] FIG. SA depicts an automatic flush toilet having an active
infrared sensor 800A. Automatic flush toilets are less commonly
used than automatic flush urinals because toilets are usually in
stalls, and stalls sometimes have stainless steel doors (especially
when situated near shower areas in order to avoid being corroded by
high moisture). The doors typically reflect light straight back to
the sensors, causing reduction in sensitivity and reliability.
Sensor 800A being an active sensor (e.g. preferably an infrared
video camera with infrared light sources around the camera lens)
shines light rays such as ray 822A straight ahead which returns
rays such as ray 823A, not likely to be a problem. However, some
rays such as ray 820A will return rays such as rays 821A back to
the sensor.
[0151] FIG. 8A' shows an image 810A displayed from sensor 800A in
which a large blob or bright spot of light 830A together with
vertical and horizontal smearing of bright light 831A saturates
portions of the sensor array of sensor 800A.
[0152] FIG. 8A" shows an image mask 840A in which a region 850A is
masked out, or made less sensitive in the calculation of video
motion sensing or total returned light.
[0153] Thus the remaining areas of the image provide an accurate
measure of activity or occupancy at the toilet. When activity or
occupancy has ended, the toilet can therefore be flushed
automatically. Additionally there is enough image area not masked,
to distinguish, for example, in a men's toilet, between a person
standing, and a person sitting, so that a standing use can be
followed by a brief flush, whereas a sitting use can be followed by
a stronger flush.
[0154] FIG. 8B depicts the situation when the stall door is closed,
in which ray 820B emerges from sensor 800B and returns as rays 821B
saturating the middle portion of the sensor 800B.
[0155] FIG. 8B' shows the image 810B of sensor 800B with blob of
light 830B in the center. The center rows and colums of the sensor
array will also typically be washed out, so that only the image
area in the four corners of the sensor array will be reliable.
[0156] FIG. 8B" shows the appropriate image mask 840B with region
850B being ignored or considered with lesser sensitivity.
[0157] The system is preferably an intelligent system that learns
over time, the pattern of the swinging door. In actual fact, the
blob of light will move from the center when the door is closed to
the left, by varying degrees, depending on how far the door happens
to be left ajar. Thus the system will learn to mask out or at least
reduce the its sensitivity when considering the left side of the
image. The system will preferably automatically weight the right
side of the image higher in a probabilistic model formulation.
[0158] Likewise when the system is installed in stalls where the
doors swing the other way, it will also adapt there.
[0159] FIG. 8C shows a stall door that swings the other way.
[0160] FIG. 8C' shows the corresponding image 810C with light blob
830C to the right of center.
[0161] FIG. 8C" shows the appropriate image mask 840C with a region
850C being weighted down in the processing of the images for
further decision making and machine vision tasks.
[0162] FIG. 9 shows a system in which actuator 190 is a
proportional rather than binary actuator. An important aspect of
the invention is proportional control that becomes possible when
more information is known about bathroom users and their
activities. An adaptive lavatory, for example, can spray all the
water on the user's hands and waste none missing the user's hands,
if it can see the user's hands and control the beam shape in the
beam of water. Likewise in FIG. 9, a bather 660 is seen by sensor
600 which can see exactly where the bather is and which way the
bather is facing. In this example, the bath is used as a swimming
bath where a pump motor 990 is for pumping a large flow of water
against the direction that the bather 660 is swimming in.
[0163] Baths that pump water against the direction of a bather are
known in the art, such as the product with trade name SwimEX (TM),
but such systems have a control panel to adjust the flow, such that
the bather needs to swim up to the front of the bath tub, in order
to control the flow. Thus if the bather cannot keep up, the bather
cannot get to the front of the tub to turn down the intensity of
the flow. Although a safety crash bar may be located at the back of
the tub as emergency shutoff, the embodiment of the intelligent
bath shown in FIG. 9 allows a more graceful and gradual
proportional control of bather position. Sensor 600 watches bather
660 and captures pictures with capture device 130. Processor 150
determines bather position in the bath tub, and increases the
intensity of the pump 990 by actuator 190 whenever the bather swims
toward the front of the tub, and reduces the intensity when the
bather drifts back to the back of the tub. In this way the bather
can relax in the tub, and swim at whatever rate is desired by the
bather, and the bath tub will actively help the bather avoid
crashing into the front or back walls of the tub.
[0164] FIG. 10 shows a sensor operated column shower 1000C. In this
example, six stations are used, but this number of stations in no
way is meant to limit the scope of the invention. Optics 1010 is
comprised of a single sheet of smoked polycarbonate that is heated
and bent around the outside circumference of the round sheet metal
(stainless steel) column, and then inserted inside the column,
after six round viewing holes are drilled through the metal. A
typical installation of this invention uses optics 1010 with
approximately 15% transmissivity, so that the degree of light
coming back from light that first passes into the viewing window
and back out is 2.25%, which falls nicely below the 4% or so level
of light reflected from typical such material. This allows color
cameras to be used in the column. When the column is used as a
regular shower in a typical locker room setting, it can also double
as a mass decontamination facility in times of emergency, thus
having full color video feeds assists remote decon officers in
determining, for example, if a powder on a patient's body is grey
powder such as might indicate anthrax, or some other color of
powder. In a typical installation, one such column is placed in the
hexagonal men's shower room of a mass decontamination facility as
described in Canadian Patent 02303611, whereas another is placed in
the women's shower room. Since there are six cameras in each shower
and six cameras in the central triage room described in Canadian
Patent 02303611, there are a total of 18 cameras, which can be
displayed on two television sets as a 3 by 3 mosaic of images (a
9-up image on each TV). This allows two TV sets to be used, one for
the men's side and the other for the women's side. Privacy is thus
guaranteed, by having one television display for being viewed by
male decon officers, and another for being viewed by female decon
officers. Similarly video archives saved for training purposes, or
for evidence, may be viewed on the appropriate televisions in this
configuration, to maintain privacy of users of these facilities. A
square lattice (e.g. a 3 by 3 "9-up") of images ensures the same
aspect ratio of any one image, so that the images efficiently use
the TV screen real estate at each of the respective male and female
decon officer's stations.
[0165] In column 1000C an adhesive sealant makes the inside of the
column water tight. Six video cameras are installed in the column
with a 45 degree mirror on each one. Every second camera is
pointing up from underneath, while the other three point down from
above. The cameras are shown in dashed lines in the figure (hidden
lines) since they are inside the column and not in view. The three
that are toward the front are shown as heavy dashed lines, and
denoted as sensors 1001F, whereas the ones toward the back are
shown in thin dashed lines and are denoted as sensors 1001B. A
PC104 computer embodies video capture devices 1050 and processor
1070. Actuators 1091, 1092, 1093, 1094, 1095, and 1096 are
comprised of solenoid activated valves that control the flow of
water to showerheads 1000H. Appropriate software in processor 1070
detects the presence of users, and turns on the appropriate
showerheads where flesh is detected. In this way no water is
wasted. The array of showerheads may also be made more dense, so
that a more finely tuned beam control can be attained, where the
position and orientation of all flesh in the shower environment is
determined and flesh in a target zone is sprayed with water, where
little or no water is directed in directions where no flesh is
present to receive the spraying.
[0166] Because of the high cost of capturing and processing decon
runoff, this embodiment of the invention can help to minimize the
amount of wastewater produced, as well as minimize the use of water
(or decon solution).
[0167] FIG. 10A depicts images of four bathers using four stations
of a six station column shower, along with an image of a fifth
bather approaching one of the stations. A decon officer may
remotely monitor the facility by way of six television screens 1020
or similar displays showing motion picture images M1, M2, M3, M4,
M5, and M6. Images M1, M4, and M5 depict bathers standing at their
stations each right under a nozzle of the column shower. Image M3
depicts a bather approaching a station.
[0168] An automatic face recognition system indicates if any of the
bathers are previously enrolled. An enrollment condition is
indicated for bathers in image M1 and M5 by way of enrollment
indicators E1 and E5 respectively.
[0169] FIG. 10B depicts a better way of showing the same data on a
single television screen 1040. Images M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, and M6
undergo a coordinate transformation to become images 1099M1,
1099M2, 1099M3, 1099M4, 1099M5, and 1099M6 respectively. Each of
these undergoes a coordinate transformation from Cartesian
coordinates to polar coordinates, so that, for example, rectangular
motion picture image M1 becomes a pie-shaped piece denoted as
motion picture image 1099M1 in the field of view of television
screen 1040.
[0170] Polar to Cartesian coordinate transformations are well
known, and provide an image space somewhat like a Plan Position
Indicator (PPI) familar in radar theory. Thus a decon officer
trained in the use of radar systems will be quite familiar with a
PPI display format, and thus quickly adapt to understanding the
manner in which the motion picture images are arrayed and how they
relate to the actual positions of bathers around the column.
[0171] The dead zone 1000 in the center of the PPI display format
can be put to good use by displaying a pie chart. The pie chart may
show, for example, how much time remains for each bather, if the
showers incorporate a timeout feature. Alternatively the pie chart
may show for how long each bather has been present, or how much hot
water ration remains in an account of each enrolled bather. A line
around the periphery of zone 1000 indicates which showers are
actually running. A solid line indicates a warm or hot shower and a
dotted line indicates a cold shower.
[0172] Enrolled bathers may be entitled to hot showers, whereas
bathers who are not enrolled may receive cold-only showers.
[0173] The lack of enrollment of the bather in motion picture image
1099M4 is denoted as a dashed line around the periphery of the zone
1000.
[0174] In this display format, a technician or official can quickly
verify proper functioning of the unit. Thousands of units around
the world may be monitored at a small number of remote locations,
and a machine vision system can automatically detect problems and
display any unusual activity for a human observer. The unified PPI
display format with pie chart makes it very easy for the human
observer to see all six bathers along with the machine's
interpretation of their states in the pie chart, to confirm that
the machine vision system is operating correctly.
[0175] FIG. 11A shows an alternate embodiment of the sensor
operated column shower in which the sensor optics 1110 is
continuous around the periphery of the column, being comprised of a
complete viewing window all the way around rather than behind
drilled holes. Alternatively, the entire column of the shower
column may be made of smoked polycarbonate to hide the plumbing but
allow the sensors to see out.
[0176] FIG. 11B shows a closeup view of an N position mirror 1110M
made of N segments that are substantially more than 360/N degrees
in angle, so that they will raise up and be angled up. A camera
sensor 1101 looks down on the N position mirror, so that it can see
each of the N stations as a detection zone, where processor 1050
detects which shower stations are in use and actuates the
appropriate shower head.
[0177] FIG. 12 shows a multiuser dome shower in which optics 1210
is comprised of a hemispherical dome of the kind typically used for
ceiling mounted video surveillance applications. The dome is fitted
with showerheads as well as a light source 1299, so that it becomes
a smart light fixture as well as a smart shower. The dome of optics
1210 may be of dark smoked acrylic, or it may be chrome plated, or
aluminized, or copper plated or gold plated acrylic or
polycarbonate. Preferably it is metallized so that it reflects most
of lamp 1299 up to the ceiling to produce a nice soft indirect
light, while at the same time concealing the apparatus inside. The
dome watches from above, and monitors the location, orientation,
and arrangement of users below, and sprays them with an optimal
spray pattern to conserve water. The device provides shower
services and lighting services in response to user needs.
[0178] FIG. 13 shows a multiuser row shower in which shower heads
1300H are borne by a smoked polycarbonate pipe comprising optics
210 that also houses camera sensors 202 for detecting users of the
shower and automating the process of controlling the water flow and
temperature. The shower pipe is suspended from the ceiling 260 by
way of wires 261, 262, 263, and 264.
[0179] Other embodiments of smart piping may also be used. Smart
pipes are made of smoked acrylic, or smoked polycarbonate, and
carry both water, and electricity. The electricity provides power
for elements in the smart pipe, as well as carries information
along the pipe. Alternatively, fiber optic communications may be
used in the smart pipe, to carry the data.
[0180] Smart pipes may be mixed with regular PVC plumbing, so that
portions of the pipe can "see" users of the plumbing fixtures and
respond to their needs.
[0181] Cameras such as infrared video motion detection sensors in
the pipes can view users and respond back to a central building
intelligence system to provide users with services such as hot
showers, as well as lighting, air conditioning, and safety by way
of remote monitoring for security.
[0182] Additionally, users will not be able to easily see the
sensors, nor will users know where, along the pipes, the sensors
are located. Therefore vandalism of the sensory apparatus is
unlikely.
[0183] Showers, sinks, urinals, toilets, bath tubs, and other
bathroom fixtures connected by way of exposed piping will therefore
benefit from this embodiment of the invention.
[0184] Intelligent piping may also be used for fire sprinkler
systems, or for emergency mass decontamination. For example, smart
pipes on the ceiling of any building, or even an outdoor overhang,
can be quickly turned into mass decon showers by having a tarp drop
down to form a separation between men and women, so that there are
visually separated areas for setting up two parallel decon
lines.
[0185] FIG. 14 shows an outdoor system built on a rubberized cement
ground surface 1400 using smart pipes 1401 as well as various
sensors and intelligent controls.
[0186] An outdoor decon shower facility may be designed as a
waterpark, spray park, or recreational sprinkler system or
waterplay area so that it can have another usage when it is not
being used for emergency decon use. In this way, the facility will
continue to be maintained, and its existence, space usage,
maintenance costs, etc., can be justified without calling excessive
attention to its real purpose of emergency preparedness. Moreover,
the proliferation of such facilities will help to accustom the
population to their presence, so that there would be less
resistance of people to being required to use them during a time of
emergency decon.
[0187] In addition to the smart pipes 1401 which contain nozzles,
valves, valve controls, wiring, and sensors, there may be
additional sensors overlooking the park such as sensor 1420. These
various sensors are connected to an image processor 1430 for
recognizing motion in various areas of the park.
[0188] A subject 1410 is detected by one or more camera sensors
1420 and the location of the user is determined in processor 1430.
From this location information probabilistic weighing coefficients
are calculated for each of the spray heads in the park. Spray heads
1401H having a high degree of probability of getting a large amount
of water on subject 1410 are activated fully. Spray heads 1410M
having a mid level probability of getting water on subject 1410 are
readied, but not necessarily fully engaged. Spray heads 1410L
having a low probability of getting large amounts of water on
subject 1410 are set to very low or zero output.
[0189] Intelligent spray heads may also track subject 1410 based on
image data from sensors 1420.
[0190] FIG. 15 shows a timing diagram suitable for the spray park
of FIG. 14 or for other bathroom fixtures such as sensor operated
showers, sensor operated faucets, or the like, in which a feedback
preventer is required.
[0191] A feedback preventer is required whenever motion induced by
the spray would trigger the sensor. Toilets and urinals do not
require such a feedback preventer. Showers and faucets however, can
benefit from the feedback preventer system shown in FIG. 15 by way
of a timing diagram.
[0192] Plot MOTION in FIG. 15 shows, abstractly, the degree of
motion. Without limiting the scope of the invention, plot MOTION
could also depict a degree of occupancy, or a degree of closeness
to a plumbing fixture, or other similar quantity.
[0193] When the degree of motion or closeness or occupancy or a
combination of these exceeds a certain threshold THRESH, then a
valve is switched on to deliver water spray. The valve has two
states, an on state ON, and an off state OFF. These states are
shown in plot VALVE, where it is seen that the valve switches to
the state ON, once motion MOTION exceeds threshold THRESH.
[0194] The spraying of water might itself keep the motion sensor on
even after the subject 1410 has left the area. Therefore, to avoid
this feedback problem, the sensitivity, denoted in plot
SENSITIVITY, is reduced as soon as the valve is switched on.
Reduction of sensitivity is accomplished by simply raising the
threshold THRESH required to reactivate the water spray valve.
[0195] However, a certain time period, called the open time,
t.sub.o, is provided. During this time, the valve will stay open
regardless of the amount of motion indicated in plot MOTION.
[0196] After this timeout period, e.g. after open time, t.sub.o,
the valve will close if the motion is below the much higher
threshold corresponding to the reduced sensitivity. After the valve
is closed, there is a certain time period, called the demistifying
time, t.sub.d for the mist in the air to clear. Once the mist has
cleared, e.g. after time t.sub.d, the sensitivity of the motion
detector can be increased. This increase may be gradual, if
desired, to match the degree of mistiness in the air, as indicated
in plot SENSITIVITY with the ramp up during time t.sub.d.
[0197] In some embodiments the sensitivity is binary, such that the
sensitivity is zero during time t.sub.o. In such an embodiment the
increased threshold is infinity. Also, multiple spray heads are
typical.
[0198] In some binary embodiments (e.g. for mass decon, spray
parks, waterplay, etc.) there are dozens of spray heads and various
persons using them.
[0199] Thus the system first watches the space and if it sees any
activity, it turns on the showers in the vicinity of the activity
for a short time, t.sub.o. It then ignores motion during a time
interval of t.sub.o+t.sub.d. After that time, it becomes ready for
another blast of water.
[0200] Additionally, mistifiation zones are calculated, so that the
system knows what zones to mask out for each possible combination
of spray heads being turned on. Thus it can still remain sensitive
to motion in one area of the facilitly while another is
activated.
[0201] In a large shower room, for example, leading from a men's
locker room to a pool, men are sprayed with water as they step in
front of a shower station and the water stays on for 30 seconds.
After this amount of time the water shuts off and the system
becomes sensitive to motion again. A person standing at a station
for a long time will simply receive a series of 30 second bursts of
water interrupted by short (e.g. a few seconds) system viewing
intervals.
[0202] This embodiment can also be used in jacuzzis and whirlpools
where the jets are shut down on time intervals to allow for system
viewing. This feature is useful for detection of drowning, as well
as operation of the fixture automatically.
[0203] In other embodiments where shower spray clears rapidly the
system may speed up to a pulsating jet in which the pulses of water
are interleaved with viewing intervals.
[0204] With far infrared cameras the viewing intervals may be
reduced and the sensitivity during time t.sub.o may be increased
owing to the haze penetrating ability of the far infrared
cameras.
[0205] In all aspects of the present invention, references to
"camera" mean any device or collection of devices capable of
simultaneously determining a quantity of light arriving from a
plurality of directions and or at a plurality of locations, or
determining some other attribute of light arriving from a plurality
of directions and or at a plurality of locations.
[0206] References to "processor", or "computer" shall include
sequential instruction, parallel instruction, and special purpose
architectures such as digital signal processing hardware, Field
Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices, as
well as analog signal processing devices.
[0207] From the foregoing description, it will thus be evident that
the present invention provides a design for an intelligent
bathroom, or bath environment equipped with intelligent fixtures
and intelligent fixture control system. As various changes can be
made in the above embodiments and operating methods without
departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, it is intended
that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the
accompanying drawings should be interpreted as illustrative and not
in a limiting sense.
[0208] Variations or modifications to the design and construction
of this invention, within the scope of the invention, may occur to
those skilled in the art upon reviewing the disclosure herein. Such
variations or modifications, if within the spirit of this
invention, are intended to be encompassed within the scope of any
claims to patent protection issuing upon this invention.
[0209] The embodiments of the invention in which I claim an
exclusive property or privilege are defined as follows:
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