JP5906375B2 - Toilet equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a toilet apparatus that detects the operation of a user who uses a toilet and performs various controls on the toilet.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a toilet device that includes a human body detection sensor, detects that a user has approached a toilet, and automatically opens the toilet lid is well known. By doing so, the user who cares about hygiene has the effect of ensuring comfort by touching things as much as possible in the toilet space.

  However, for the toilet seat, it is common to start up when a man uses it for small use, and to sit down when not using it, so it is difficult to detect only that male use, It is common to directly lift or lower by hand, or there is a type in which a toilet seat button is provided in an operation unit to control the raising and lowering of the toilet seat by the user's operation.

  However, the user who cares about hygiene wants to avoid touching the operation section as well as touching the toilet seat.

  In order to automatically control the toilet seat, for example, using special footwear, whether or not the footwear can be detected from the toilet seat, if it can be detected, the footwear faces the toilet seat, which means that the user The toilet seat is launched as if it is facing. If it is not detected, there is a method in which the footwear does not face the toilet seat, and the user puts the toilet seat down as if the user is turning his back to the toilet bowl (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  Also, as a means to raise or lower the toilet seat without touching the toilet seat or the operation unit, connect a motor that drives the opening / closing of the toilet seat to the detection unit that detects that an object is approaching, and bring the hand close to the detection unit There is a method for controlling the raising and lowering of the toilet seat (for example, see Patent Document 2).

JP 2006-61361 A Registered Utility Model No. 3153196

  However, in the first conventional method, there is an annoyance that special footwear must be put on. And even if it wears the footwear for exclusive use, it cannot necessarily detect correctly depending on the positional relationship of a toilet seat and footwear, and may cause a malfunction.

  Furthermore, even if it can correctly detect that the footwear is facing the toilet bowl, the user does not necessarily want to raise the toilet seat, but there is an inconvenience that the toilet seat rises up even though the user wants to sit down. For this reason, it is difficult to automatically determine whether the user wants to use the toilet seat by raising it or whether it wants to sit down.

  In the second conventional method, the user's casual movement is detected as proximity, and the toilet seat is likely to perform an operation not intended by the user.

  In other words, the toilet space is generally small at home, and the user is likely to squat down, stand up, take off clothes, and move, so a part of the body may approach the detection unit. is there. When the proximity is detected and the operation of the toilet seat is controlled, the operation of the toilet seat unintended by the user is likely to occur.

  The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and detects the user's intentional operation without contact, thereby judging the user's intention and controlling the raising / lowering operation of the toilet seat as intended. For the purpose.

  The toilet apparatus according to the present invention includes a toilet seat, a motor for rotating the toilet seat, operation detection means for detecting a part of the human body, and control for controlling the motor in response to the operation detected by the operation detection means. It is set as the structure which has a means.

  With this configuration, the motion detection means detects a part of the human body and controls the motor in response to the motion detected by the control means to rotate the toilet seat. Thus, the operation of the toilet seat can be controlled as intended by the user.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it becomes possible to detect the operation | movement which a user performs with an intention, and to control the raising / lowering operation | movement of a toilet seat as a user's intention.

The block diagram of the toilet apparatus in Embodiment 1 of this invention The figure which shows the time change of the output of the several infrared detector in the embodiment Flow chart for explaining the operation of the signal processing circuit in the same embodiment The block diagram of the remote control apparatus of the toilet apparatus in Embodiment 2 of this invention The figure which shows the time change of the output of the some infrared detector in the same embodiment, a light emitting element, and a light receiving element Flow chart for explaining the operation of the signal processing circuit in the same embodiment The block diagram of the remote control apparatus of the toilet apparatus in Embodiment 3 of this invention The figure which shows the time change of the output of the infrared detector in the same embodiment, a light emitting element, and several light receiving elements Flow chart for explaining the operation of the signal processing circuit in the same embodiment The block diagram of the remote control apparatus of the toilet apparatus in Embodiment 4 of this invention The circuit diagram explaining the structure of the signal processing circuit in the same embodiment The figure which shows the time change of the output of the several infrared detector in the embodiment

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a toilet seat, a toilet seat motor for rotating the toilet seat, operation detection means for detecting an operation of at least a part of a human body, and the toilet seat motor corresponding to the operation detected by the operation detection means. Motor control means for controlling is provided.

  According to the present invention, the motion detection means detects at least a part of the human body and controls the toilet seat motor to rotate the toilet seat in response to the motion detected by the motor control means. The movement of the toilet seat can be controlled as intended by the user.

The second invention further comprises a main body including the toilet seat and the toilet seat motor, and a remote control device provided separately from the main body, wherein the remote control device includes the motion detecting means, the remote control device, and the remote control device. Communication means for communicating with the main body.

  According to the present invention, by installing the remote control means in a place different from the main body where the user performs operations such as attaching and detaching clothes at a close distance, only the operation that the user performs with intention is detected. It becomes possible to control the operation of the toilet seat as intended by the user.

  In a third aspect of the invention, the motion detection means has a plurality of proximity detectors that detect that at least a part of the human body is close. According to the present invention, it is possible to determine the moving direction of at least a part of the human body according to which of the plurality of proximity detectors is first approached, and the motor control unit controls the driving of the toilet seat according to the moving direction. it can.

  A fourth invention is a configuration in which a plurality of proximity detectors have a plurality of infrared detectors for detecting infrared rays, and the infrared detectors can detect infrared rays emitted from a part of a human body, and a plurality of them are arranged. It is a thing. According to the present invention, the moving direction of at least a part of the human body can be determined, and the motor control unit can control the driving of the toilet seat according to the moving direction.

  According to a fifth aspect of the invention, the plurality of proximity detectors include a light emitting element, a light receiving element that receives light emitted from the light emitting element, and a plurality of infrared detectors that detect infrared light in the vicinity of the light emitting element and the light receiving element. It has a vessel.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to determine the direction of movement by detecting infrared rays emitted from at least a part of the human body with a plurality of infrared detectors, and light emitted from light emitting elements in the vicinity of the infrared detectors at that time. It is possible to confirm whether the user has operated in the vicinity of the infrared detector by checking whether the light is reflected by a part of the light receiving element, and only the operation that the user performs intentionally is detected. It is possible to correctly detect some moving directions and control the operation of the toilet seat as intended by the user.

  In a sixth aspect of the invention, the plurality of proximity detectors include an infrared detector that detects infrared rays, a light emitting element, and a plurality of light receiving elements that receive the light emitted from the light emitting element. The proximity of at least a part of the human body is detected by a vessel, and light emitted from the light emitting element at that time is reflected by a part of the human body and received by a plurality of light receiving elements.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to correctly detect the moving direction of at least a part of the human body with light emission only when necessary, and the motor control means can control the driving of the toilet seat according to the moving direction.

  In the seventh invention, the plurality of infrared detectors are pyroelectric infrared detectors, which are connected in series with the directionality of each pyroelectric infrared detector reversed, and the operation detecting means detects outputs at both ends thereof. It is equipped with an electronic circuit.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to detect the moving direction of at least a part of the human body from the phase of the outputs at both ends connected in series with the directionality of each pyroelectric infrared detector reversed, and control means depending on the moving direction Can control the driving of the toilet seat.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a filter circuit having an electronic circuit whose operation detecting means processes the outputs of a plurality of infrared detectors, and having high sensitivity at a frequency corresponding to a speed sufficiently higher than a speed at which a person walks in the electronic circuit. It is equipped with.

According to the present invention, since the filter circuit has a high sensitivity to a frequency corresponding to an operation speed sufficiently faster than a slow frequency at which a person walks, a movement such as unintended movement or a long distance movement is detected. This makes it easier to detect movements that are intentionally moved near the motion detection means, and can accurately detect the direction of movement of at least a part of the human body. Can be controlled.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the overall configuration of a toilet apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The toilet apparatus is attached to the upper surface of a toilet 1. The toilet lid 2 is opened and used, and is closed when not in use. The toilet lid motor 3 is a stepping motor for rotating the toilet lid 2 to perform an opening / closing operation.

  The toilet seat 4 is used by being lowered as shown in the figure when seated, and is used by standing when using the toilet 1 as in the case of a male use. The toilet seat motor 5 is a stepping motor for rotating and driving the toilet seat 4 to perform the startup and shutdown operations.

  The first light receiving element 6 is a photodiode that receives an infrared signal from a remote controller to be described later. The motor control means 7 is constituted by a microcomputer, and controls the driving of the toilet lid motor 3 and the toilet seat motor 5 by the signal from the remote controller received by the first light receiving element 6 to open / close the toilet lid 2 and raise / lower the toilet seat 4. Control. The main body 8 includes the toilet lid 2, the toilet lid motor 3, the toilet seat 4, the toilet seat motor 5, the first light receiving element 6, and the motor control means 7.

  When the first remote controller 9 detects that a person is approaching, the first remote controller 9 wirelessly transmits a signal to the first light receiving element 6. The first remote controller 9 includes a first infrared sensor 10, a first signal processing circuit 11, and a first light emitting element 12, and is in front of the toilet 1 in the toilet space where the toilet 1 is installed. It is attached to a wall.

  The first infrared sensor 10 is a pyroelectric infrared sensor and generates an output in response to a temperature change within the visual field range. When no one is present, walls such as a toilet space where the toilet 1 is installed are in the field of view, and the temperature within the field of view is stable. When a person enters, the temperature of the wall and the temperature of the human skin are different, and in many cases the human skin temperature is higher. Generates output.

  The first signal processing circuit 11 includes an amplifying circuit that amplifies the output of the first infrared sensor 10 and a determination circuit that includes a microcomputer that determines that a person has approached the signal. When it is determined from the output of the infrared sensor 10 that a person has entered the toilet space where the toilet is installed and has approached the toilet 1, the first light emitting element 12 is blinked, and a signal indicating that the person has approached is To the light receiving element 6. The first light emitting element 12 is an infrared light emitting diode.

  When the first light receiving element 6 receives from the first light emitting element 12 that a person has approached the first remote controller 9, the motor control means 7 opens the toilet lid motor 3 in the direction of opening if the toilet lid 2 is closed. Is rotated and the toilet lid 2 is opened.

  The motor control means 7 rotates the toilet lid motor 3 to close the toilet lid 2 when a predetermined time has elapsed since the toilet lid motor 3 was driven to open the toilet lid 2. Here, the predetermined time is set to be sufficiently longer than the time required for normal urination and defecation, for example, 10 minutes.

  The second remote controller 13 which is a remote control device transmits a signal wirelessly to the first light receiving element 6 when detecting a vertical movement of a human hand.

  The second remote controller 13 includes an operation detection unit 14 for detecting the vertical movement of the hand and a second light emitting element 15, and the operation detection unit 14 includes a second infrared sensor 16 and a third infrared sensor. 17 and the second signal processing circuit 18, and the second light emitting element 15 is an infrared light emitting diode. The second remote controller 13 is attached to a wall or the like within the reach of the user at the side of the toilet 1 in the toilet space where the toilet 1 is installed, or a little behind.

  The second light emitting element 15 and the first light receiving element 6 function as a transmitting means and a receiving means of a set of communication means, respectively, and the second infrared sensor and the third infrared sensor have a plurality of Functions as a proximity detector.

  The second infrared sensor 16 and the third infrared sensor 17 are installed side by side, both of which are pyroelectric infrared sensors similar to the first infrared sensor, and with respect to temperature changes within the visual field range. Output.

  The output characteristics of the second infrared sensor 16 and the third infrared sensor 17 will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 2, V16 is a time change of the output of the second infrared sensor 16, and V17 is a time change of the output of the third infrared sensor 17.

  FIG. 2A shows a case where the user swings his hand up from the bottom in front of the second infrared sensor 16 and the third infrared sensor 17. First, the third infrared sensor 17 attached to the lower side. Generates an output for the temperature change, and then the second infrared sensor 16 mounted thereon generates an output for the temperature change.

  On the other hand, FIG. 2B shows the case where the user swings his hand down from the top in front of the second infrared sensor 16 and the third infrared sensor 17. The infrared sensor 16 generates an output with respect to a temperature change, and the third infrared sensor 17 attached below generates an output with respect to the temperature change.

  The second signal processing circuit 18 includes a second infrared sensor 16, a third infrared sensor 17, a respective amplification circuit, and a microcomputer that reads the amplified signal and processes the signal, and the second infrared sensor 16. It is determined which of the third infrared sensors 17 has generated the output first, that is, the pattern of FIG. 2A or the pattern of FIG. 2B, and the second light emitting element 15 blinks based on the determination result. And transmitted to the first light receiving element 6.

  When the first light receiving element 6 receives the signal from the second light emitting element 15, the third infrared sensor 17 generates an output first, and the second infrared sensor 16 generates an output later. In this case, the motor control means 7 drives the toilet seat motor 5 to start up if the toilet seat 4 is in a lowered state, assuming that the user swings his hand up from below.

  If it is determined that the second infrared sensor 16 generates the output first and the third infrared sensor 17 generates the output later, it is assumed that the user swings his hand down from the top, and the motor control is performed. The means 7 drives the toilet seat motor 5 so as to be lowered when the toilet seat 4 is in a raised state.

  The second signal processing circuit 18 includes a timer 19. For example, the output of the third infrared sensor 17 does not occur within a predetermined time after the second infrared sensor 16 generates an output, or the third infrared sensor 17. If the output of the second infrared sensor 16 is not generated within a predetermined time after the output of the camera is generated, the user does not move up or down to drive the toilet seat. It is determined that there is no signal, and no signal is sent from the second light emitting element 15.

  The predetermined time usually adds a certain amount of time to the time required to pass between the second infrared sensor 16 and the third infrared sensor 17 when a person swings his hand up or down. Within 3 seconds.

  For example, after the second infrared sensor 16 generates an output, the second signal processing circuit 18 outputs the third infrared sensor 17 within a predetermined time too early, or the third infrared sensor 17 outputs the output. If the output of the second infrared sensor 16 is generated within a predetermined time too early after the occurrence of spilling, the user does not move up or down to drive the toilet seat. It is determined that there is no signal, and no signal is sent from the second light emitting element 15.

  The predetermined time is normally a time sufficiently shorter than the time required to pass between the second infrared sensor 16 and the third infrared sensor 17, for example, 0.05 seconds when a person raises or lowers his hand. It is a grade of within.

  When the second signal processing circuit 18 determines that the outputs of the second infrared sensor 16 and the third infrared sensor 17 are generated within a predetermined time range, and the hand is raised or lowered, and transmits a signal. The timer 19 provides a time during which sensor output detection for a predetermined time is not accepted.

  That is, when the user raises his / her hand up, the user naturally shakes his / her hand down as an act of returning it, which is swung down in front of the second infrared sensor 16 and the third infrared sensor 17. This is so that even if it is returned, it is not detected as an act for lowering the toilet seat.

  The predetermined time here is about 0.5 seconds or more, but it is not necessary to perform the next toilet seat drive for the time required for the toilet seat to stand up from the standing state or to fall from the standing state. In order to meet the required time, it may be about 1.5 seconds or more.

  The motor control means 7 receives a signal that the hand is swung up from the bottom while the toilet seat is standing up, or a signal that the hand is swung down from the top while the toilet seat is standing down. The toilet seat motor 5 is not driven.

  Next, the operation of the second signal processing circuit 18 will be described based on the flowchart of FIG.

  In FIG. 3, the second signal processing circuit 18 first determines whether or not there is an output in which the second infrared sensor 16 has detected a hand in step S1, and if not, the process proceeds to step S2 where there is a change in the output and the hand If detected, the process proceeds to step S3. In step S3, the timer 19 starts counting the waiting time and proceeds to step S4.

  In step S4, it is next determined whether or not there is an output in which the third infrared sensor 17 has detected a hand. If not, the process proceeds to step S5, and if there is a change in output and a hand is detected, the process proceeds to step S6. In step S5, it is determined whether or not the waiting time when the counting is started in step S3 has passed a predetermined time t1. When t1 is passed, it is determined that the user has not moved the hand up and down, and the process returns to step S1.

On the other hand, if t1 has not passed yet in step S5, the process returns to step S4 and waits for the third infrared sensor 17 to detect the hand. Here, the predetermined time t1 usually has a certain amount of time required to pass between the second infrared sensor 16 and the third infrared sensor 17 when a person shakes his hand up or down as described above. In addition, for example, about 0.3 seconds.

  In step S6, it is confirmed whether or not the third infrared sensor 17 has detected the hand too early, but it is determined whether or not the waiting time at which the counting is started in step S3 has exceeded a predetermined time t2. If t2 has passed, the process proceeds to step S7. If t2 has not been reached, it is determined that the user has not moved the hand up and down, and the process returns to step S1.

  Here, the predetermined time t2 is usually sufficiently shorter than the time required to pass between the second infrared sensor 16 and the third infrared sensor 17 when a person swings his hand up or down as described above. For example, about 0.05 seconds.

  In step S7, since the output which detected the hand within the range of the predetermined time in order of the 2nd infrared sensor 16 and the 3rd infrared sensor 17 generate | occur | produced, it is assumed that the user swung the hand down from the top The signal is transmitted from the second light emitting element 15. Then, the process proceeds to step S13.

  In step S2, it is determined whether or not there is an output from which the third infrared sensor 17 has detected a hand. If there is an output, the process returns to step S1. In step S8, the timer 19 starts counting the waiting time and proceeds to step S9.

  In step S9, it is next determined whether or not there is an output that the second infrared sensor 16 has detected a hand. If not, the process proceeds to step S10. If a hand is detected due to a change in output, the process proceeds to step S11. In step S10, it is determined whether or not the waiting time at which the counting is started in step S8 has passed a predetermined time t1. When t1 is passed, it is determined that the user has not moved the hand up and down, and the process returns to step S1.

  On the other hand, if t1 has not passed yet in step S10, the process returns to step S9 and waits for the second infrared sensor 16 to detect the hand. Here, the predetermined time t1 usually has a certain amount of time required to pass between the second infrared sensor 16 and the third infrared sensor 17 when a person shakes his hand up or down as described above. In addition, for example, about 0.3 seconds.

  In step S11, it is confirmed whether or not the second infrared sensor 16 has detected the hand too early. Whether or not the waiting time at which the counting was started in step S8 has exceeded a predetermined time t2 is determined. If t2 has passed, the process proceeds to step S12. If t2 has not been reached, it is determined that the user has not moved the hand up and down, and the process returns to step S1.

  Here, the predetermined time t2 is usually sufficiently shorter than the time required to pass between the second infrared sensor 16 and the third infrared sensor 17 when a person swings his hand up or down as described above. For example, about 0.05 seconds.

  In step S12, an output is generated in which the hand is detected within a predetermined time range in the order of the third infrared sensor 17 and the second infrared sensor 16, and it is assumed that the user swings his hand up from below. A signal is transmitted from the second light emitting element 15. Then, the process proceeds to step S13.

In step S13, the timer 19 is once reset, the waiting time is counted again, and the process proceeds to step S14. In step S14, it is determined whether or not the waiting time that started counting in step S13 has passed a predetermined time t3. If not, the process returns to step S14 and waits for the elapse. If it passes, it will return to step S1 and will repeat checking the output of the 2nd infrared sensor 16 again.

  Here, the reason for waiting for the predetermined time t3 is to prevent the detection of the up / down movement for returning from the right / left movement immediately after the vertical movement of the hand is confirmed. In accordance with the time required for falling, for example, about 1.5 seconds.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, since the plurality of proximity detectors are pyroelectric infrared sensors, the output due to the temperature change caused by the user's hand entering the field of view of the infrared sensor. It is possible to determine whether the hand has been swung down from the top to the bottom, or from the bottom to the top, depending on the order in which the change occurs. The drive can be controlled.

  Although the pyroelectric infrared sensor is used as the proximity detector in the first embodiment, the same effect can be obtained even when the thermopile infrared sensor is used. In addition, two electrodes are provided. There is also a method of detecting that the hand is approaching by measuring the capacitance of the electrode in the signal processing circuit with the above configuration.

  Capacitance measurement using an infrared sensor or an electrode can be performed with a small amount of current consumption, and there is an effect that the remote controller can be wirelessly controlled by a battery power source.

(Embodiment 2)
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the second embodiment, the difference from the first embodiment is the part of the motion detection means 14, and FIG. 4 illustrates the configuration of the second remote control 13 that is a remote control device including the motion detection means 14. It is a figure to do. 4 having the same functions as those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  In FIG. 4, both the third light emitting element 20 and the second light receiving element 21 are photodiodes, and when the infrared light output by turning on the third light emitting element 20 is reflected by an object in front thereof, Two light receiving elements 21 receive light and generate an output.

  The output of the second light receiving element 21 is related to the distance between the third light emitting element 20 and the object in front of the second light receiving element 21, and the output is larger as the distance is shorter, and the output of the human body is increased to a distance of about 10 cm. If a part, for example, the user's hand is close, it can be detected.

  It is the first proximity determination unit 22 that determines the proximity. If the output of the second light receiving element 21 is equal to or higher than a predetermined level, the first proximity determination unit 22 determines that some object has approached. The second proximity determination unit 23 monitors the output of the second infrared sensor 16 and the third proximity determination unit 24 monitors the output of the third infrared sensor 17, and determines that the temperature change, that is, a part of the human body is approaching. .

  This is a pyroelectric infrared sensor, such as the second infrared sensor 16 and the third infrared sensor 17, even when a large object moves in a relatively distant place, for example, 1 to 2 m away, a similar output is obtained. Therefore, in order to confirm whether or not there is an object at a distance of about 10 cm, it is also determined whether the output of the second light receiving element 21 when the third light emitting element 20 is turned on is distinguished. doing.

The light emission control unit 25 controls turning on and off of the third light emitting element 20. In order to light the 3rd and 3rd light emitting element 20, this must flow many electric currents. Therefore, it is not always lit, but only when it is determined whether or not a hand is approaching about 10 cm, the current consumption is suppressed.

  For this purpose, the light emission control unit 25 is configured to accept inputs from the second proximity determination unit 23 and the third proximity determination unit 24, and when any of the proximity determination units determines proximity, The third light emitting element 20 is caused to emit light.

  The motion direction determination unit 26 moves, for example, a hand of a part of the human body in the direction from the top to the bottom or from the bottom to the top of the determination order of the second proximity determination unit 23 and the third proximity determination unit 24. The movement direction is determined together with the confirmation that the hand has moved in a place closer than the determination of the first proximity determination unit 22 at that time.

  The third light emitting element 20 and the second light receiving element, and the second infrared sensor 16 and the third infrared sensor 17 disposed in the vicinity of the third light emitting element 20 and the second light receiving element are provided. Functions as a plurality of proximity detectors.

  FIG. 5 shows the case where the user swings his hand up from the bottom in front of the second infrared sensor 16 and the third infrared sensor 17 and the third light emitting element 20 and the second light receiving element 21, respectively. It is a timing chart which shows the time change of the output of this element.

  As in FIG. 2A, V16 is a time change of the output of the second infrared sensor 16, V17 is a time change of the output of the third infrared sensor 17, and I20 is the third light emitting element 20. , V21 is the time change of the output of the second light receiving element 21.

  As shown in FIG. 5, when the hand is swung up from the bottom, as in FIG. 2A, first, the third infrared sensor 17 attached below generates an output with respect to the temperature change. The third proximity determination unit 24 determines that it is close, and the light emission control unit 25 blinks the third and third light emitting elements 20 in a predetermined pattern. The light emitted from the third light emitting element 20 is reflected by the hand and received by the second light receiving element 21.

  The second light receiving element 21 generates an output that matches the blinking pattern of the third light emitting element 20. The second infrared sensor 16 mounted on the top generates an output with respect to a temperature change.

  Thus, if the output is generated in the order of the third infrared sensor 17 and the second infrared sensor 16, and the second light receiving element 21 has the same output as the flashing of the third light emitting element 20, The movement direction determination unit 26 determines that the hand is swung up from the bottom. If there is no output from the second light receiving element 21 in response to the blinking of the third light emitting element 20, the operation direction determination unit 26 determines that the hand is not moved up.

  When the user swings his hand down from the top, the order of the outputs of the second infrared sensor 16 and the third infrared sensor 17 is reversed, and the second infrared sensor 16 generates the output first. Later, the third infrared sensor 17 generates an output.

  Here, the reason why the light emission control unit 25 blinks the third and third light emitting elements 20 is to distinguish the second light receiving element 21 from outputting other natural light, for example. This is for confirming that the second light-receiving element 21 receives light by reflecting the light emitted from the third light-emitting element 20 because the output has the same pattern as the predetermined blinking pattern.

  The operation of the second signal processing circuit 18 in the second embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In FIG. 6, the same operations as those in FIG. 3 of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

  If it is determined in step S1 that the second infrared sensor 16 has detected an output from the hand, the process proceeds to step S3, the timer 19 starts counting the waiting time, and the process proceeds to step S101. In step S101, the third and third light emitting elements 20 blink in a predetermined pattern as shown in FIG. 5, for example. Then, the process proceeds to step S102.

  In step S102, it is determined in step S101 whether or not the third pattern of light emitted from the third light emitting element 20 has been received. If there is the same pattern, the process proceeds to step S4. If not, the process returns to step S1.

  If it is determined in step S2 that the third infrared sensor 17 has detected an output from the hand, the process proceeds to step S8, the timer 19 starts counting the waiting time, and the process proceeds to step S103. In step S103, the third and third light emitting elements 20 blink in a predetermined pattern as shown in FIG. 5, for example. Then, the process proceeds to step S104.

  In step S104, it is determined in step S103 whether or not the third pattern of light emitted from the third light-emitting element 20 has been received. If there is the same pattern, the process proceeds to step S9. If not, the process returns to step S1.

  Thus, according to the second embodiment, the third light emitting element 20 and the second light receiving element are used in addition to detecting the proximity of the hand and the moving direction by the second infrared sensor 16 and the third infrared sensor 17. 21 confirms whether or not the hand is close to about 10 cm, so it is not an operation for the user to raise or lower the toilet seat, such as a large movement in a place 1 to 2 m away. Can be determined more reliably without being erroneously determined.

  Further, since the third light emitting element is turned on only when the proximity of the hand is detected by the second infrared sensor 16 or the third infrared sensor 17, current consumption can be suppressed, and the battery is mounted on a remote controller for battery power. You can also.

(Embodiment 3)
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the third embodiment, the difference from the first and second embodiments is a part of the motion detection means 14, and FIG. 7 shows the second remote control 13 that is a remote control device including the motion detection means 14. It is a figure explaining a structure. 7, components having the same functions as those in FIGS. 1 and 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  In FIG. 7, the third light emitting element 20 is an infrared light emitting diode, and there are two light receiving elements made of photodiodes. The third light receiving element 27 is disposed above the third light emitting element 20, and the fourth light receiving element 28 is disposed below the third light emitting element 20.

  The third light receiving element 27 and the fourth light receiving element 28 are arranged with a certain distance from the third light emitting element 20, respectively, and the distance is, for example, about 5 cm. Then, when the infrared light output when the third light emitting element 20 is turned on is reflected by the object in front of it, the third light receiving element 27 and the fourth light receiving element 28 receive and generate an output.

  The outputs of the third light receiving element 27 and the fourth light receiving element 28 can detect a part of a human body, for example, a user's hand, when the distance to the object in front is about 10 cm. it can.

On the other hand, the second infrared sensor 16 which is a pyroelectric type has a sufficiently wide viewing angle, for example, 90 degrees or more, and outputs with respect to a temperature change to a relatively wide range, or a place about 1 to 2 m away. The second proximity determining unit 23 determines that a person or a part of the human body has approached the vicinity of the second remote controller 13 based on the output of the second infrared sensor 16.

  When the second proximity determination unit 23 determines that a person has approached from the output of the second infrared sensor 16, the light emission control unit 25 blinks the third light emitting element 20 in a predetermined pattern. When a part of the human body, for example, a hand is approaching, the third light receiving element 27 or the fourth light receiving element 28 generates an output in accordance with the blinking pattern.

  The motion direction determination unit 26 determines whether, for example, a hand of a part of the human body has moved in the direction from the top to the bottom or from the bottom to the top of the output order of the third light receiving element 27 and the fourth light receiving element 28. Judgment is made to determine the direction of motion.

  This is because a large amount of current needs to flow in order to emit light from the third and third light emitting elements 20, and in order to suppress this, the second infrared sensor 16 causes the second proximity determination unit 23 to The third light-emitting element 20 is caused to emit light only when it is determined that there is a high possibility that a person or a part of the human body has approached.

  The second infrared sensor 16, the third light emitting element 20, and the third light receiving element 27 and the fourth light receiving element that receive light emitted from the third light emitting element 20 have a plurality of proximity. Functions as a detector.

  FIG. 8 shows the case where the user swings his hand up from the bottom in front of the second infrared sensor 16, the third light emitting element 20, and the third light receiving element 27 and the fourth light receiving element 28, respectively. It is a timing chart which shows the time change of the output of this element.

  V16 is the time change of the output of the second infrared sensor 16, I20 is the output of the third light emitting element 20, V27 is the output of the third light receiving element 27, and V28 is the time of output of the fourth light receiving element 28. It is a change.

  As shown in FIG. 8, first, when a person approaches the approaching hand, the second infrared sensor 16 detects a temperature change within the visual field range and generates an output. The second proximity determination unit 23 determines this as proximity. The output of the second infrared sensor 16 does not change greatly while the hand is within the field of view.

  When the first proximity determination unit 22 determines proximity, the light emission control unit 25 blinks the third and third light emitting elements 20 in a predetermined pattern. When the user's hand approaches the vicinity of the fourth light receiving element 28, the light emitted from the third light emitting element 20 is reflected by the hand and is received by the fourth light receiving element 28.

  The fourth light receiving element 28 generates an output that matches the blinking pattern of the third light emitting element 20. Thereafter, when the user's hand approaches the vicinity of the third light receiving element 27 mounted on the light, the light emitted from the third light emitting element 20 is reflected by the hand and is received by the third light receiving element 27. The third light receiving element 27 generates an output that matches the blinking pattern of the third light emitting element 20.

  As described above, when the output is generated in the order of the fourth light receiving element 28 and the third light receiving element 27, the operation direction determination unit 26 determines that the hand is swung up from the bottom. Then, the flashing of the third light emitting element 20 is stopped by the light emission control unit 25.

Here, even if the first proximity determination unit 22 determines proximity based on the output of the second infrared sensor 16, if there are no outputs from the third light receiving element 27 and the fourth light receiving element 28 after that, it is not possible. The third light emitting element 20 stops blinking because it is determined that the movement is not performed by moving it closer.

  When the user swings his / her hand down from the top, the order of the outputs of the third light receiving element 27 and the fourth light receiving element 28 is reversed, and the third light receiving element 27 generates the output first. Thereafter, the fourth light receiving element 28 generates an output.

  The operation of the second signal processing circuit 18 in the third embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 9, the same operations as those in FIG. 3 of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  In FIG. 9, the second signal processing circuit 18 first turns off the third and third light emitting elements 20 by the light emission control unit 25 in step S201. Next, in step S202, the second proximity determination unit 23 determines whether there is a proximity of a person or a part of the human body from the signal of the second infrared sensor 16.

  If it is determined that there is proximity, the process proceeds to step S203, and if it is not determined that there is proximity, the process returns to step S201 to repeat the processing. In step S203, the timer 19 starts counting the waiting time. In step S204, the light emission controller 25 starts blinking the third and third light emitting elements 20 in a predetermined pattern.

  In step S205, it is determined whether or not the waiting time that started counting in step S203 has passed the predetermined time t4. If not, the process proceeds to step S206, and if it has already elapsed, the process returns to step S201.

  This is a case where a predetermined time t4 has elapsed without detection of a predetermined pattern by a third light receiving element 27 or a fourth light receiving element 28, which will be described later. When the second infrared sensor 16 outputs an output such as proximity detection, the third and third light emitting elements 20 are turned off and the second infrared sensor 16 waits for the proximity detection output again. . The predetermined time t4 here is, for example, 1 minute.

  In step S206, it is determined whether or not the third light receiving element 27 has detected a predetermined blinking pattern. If not detected, the process proceeds to step S207. If detected, the process proceeds to step S3, and the timer 19 starts counting the waiting time again. In step S208, it is determined whether or not the fourth light receiving element 28 has detected a predetermined blinking pattern. To do.

  If not detected, the process proceeds to step S5, and if a predetermined blinking pattern is detected, the process proceeds to step S6. In step S5, it is determined whether or not the waiting time has passed the predetermined time t1, and if t1 has passed, the process returns to step S201.

  If t1 has not yet passed in step S5, the process returns to step S208 to wait for the fourth light receiving element 28 to detect a predetermined pattern.

  In step S6, it is determined whether or not the waiting time has passed a predetermined time t2, and if t2 has passed, the process proceeds to step S209. If t2 has not yet been reached, the user has moved his / her hand up and down. It judges that there is no, and it returns to step S201.

In step S209, the third and third light emitting elements 20 are turned off, and the process proceeds to step S7. In step S7, the second infrared sensor 16 detects the proximity and detects blinking of a predetermined pattern within a predetermined time range in the order of the third light receiving element 27 and the fourth light receiving element 28. The signal is transmitted from the second light emitting element 15 as if the hand was swung down from the top. Then, the process proceeds to step S13.

  In step S207, it is determined whether or not the fourth light receiving element 28 has detected a predetermined blinking pattern. If not, the process returns to step S205. If a predetermined blinking pattern is detected, the process proceeds to step S8. Counting is started and the process proceeds to step S210.

  In step S210, it is next determined whether the third light receiving element 27 has detected a predetermined blinking pattern. If not detected, the process proceeds to step S10, and if a predetermined blinking pattern is detected, the process proceeds to step S11.

  In step S10, it is determined whether or not the waiting time has passed a predetermined time t1. If t1 has passed, the process returns to step S201. If t1 has not yet passed in step S10, the process returns to step S210 and waits for the third light receiving element 27 to detect a predetermined blinking pattern.

  In step S11, it is determined whether or not the waiting time has passed a predetermined time t2, and if t2 has passed, the process proceeds to step S211. If not yet t2, the user has moved his / her hand up and down. If not, the process returns to step S201.

  In step S211, the third and third light emitting elements 20 are turned off, and the process proceeds to step S12. In step S12, the second infrared sensor 16 detects the proximity and detects blinking of a predetermined pattern within a predetermined time range in the order of the fourth light receiving element 28 and the third light receiving element 27. The signal is transmitted from the second light emitting element 15 as if the hand was swung up from the bottom. Then, the process proceeds to step S13.

  In step S13, the timer 19 starts counting the waiting time again, and proceeds to step S14. In step S14, it is determined whether or not the waiting time that started counting in step S13 has passed a predetermined time t3. If not, it returns to S14 and waits for it to elapse. If it passes, it will return to step S201.

  As described above, according to the third embodiment, after the proximity of a person or a part of the human body is detected by the pyroelectric second infrared sensor 16, the third and third light emitting elements 20 are blinked. Since the third light receiving element 27 and the fourth light receiving element 28 detect the approaching and moving directions, the current consumption required to emit light from the third and third light emitting elements 20 is minimized. Suppressing and moving the hand seat around 10cm without causing the user to mistakenly judge another action that is not an action for the user to raise or lower the toilet seat, such as a large movement at a distance of 1 to 2 m. Only movement can be determined reliably, and it can also be installed in a battery-powered remote control.

  The second infrared sensor 16 that is a pyroelectric type for detecting proximity is mounted on the second remote controller 13, which is the same as the third light emitting element 20, the third light receiving element 27, and the fourth light receiving element 28. It may be installed in another place.

  For example, the first infrared sensor 10 that detects that a person mounted on the first remote controller described in the first embodiment is approaching may be used instead. In this case, it can be realized by providing means for directly communicating human proximity detection from the first remote controller to the second remote controller or means for communicating with the second remote controller via the main body 8.

(Embodiment 4)
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a configuration of a second remote controller as a remote control device. Components having the same functions as those in FIGS.

  In the fourth embodiment, the proximity detector is two pyroelectric infrared sensors as in the first embodiment, and includes a second infrared sensor 16 and a third infrared sensor 17 as shown in FIG. . The two pyroelectric infrared sensors are integrated by bringing the elements close together and housed in one package, and the two pyroelectric infrared sensors are connected in series with their directions reversed.

  The pyroelectric infrared sensor generates an output in response to a change in temperature difference between the temperature of the sensor itself and the temperature of the target object in the first place, and the sensor itself outputs an output when the temperature changes suddenly. It is what happens. Therefore, the influence of the temperature fluctuation of the sensor itself is canceled by connecting the two sensors in reverse and connecting them in series.

  FIG. 11 shows a configuration of an electronic circuit 29 that performs signal processing of the infrared sensor connected in series. The DC power supply 30 is a battery, for example, and supplies 3V, for example. The power supply IC 31 receives the power supply of the DC power supply 30 and outputs a lower voltage, for example, 1.5V.

  The second infrared sensor 16 and the third infrared sensor 17 have two pyroelectric infrared sensors connected in series with opposite directions. When the temperature of the field of view of any one of the infrared sensors changes, an output current is generated, flows through the resistor 32, and supplies current to the FET 33.

  The FET 33 amplifies the current and flows through the resistor 34, and the voltage at both ends thereof is amplified by the filter circuit 35 around a specific frequency component.

  The filter circuit 35 is a band-pass filter composed of an operational amplifier 36, a resistor 37, a resistor 38, a capacitor 39, and a capacitor 40. The gain is determined by the resistor 37 and the resistor 38. The filter characteristics are determined by an integrating circuit and a differentiating circuit comprising a resistor 37, a resistor 38, and a capacitor 40.

  By combining them, the filter circuit 35 has a frequency characteristic and an amplification factor of about 1000 times that have a peak at about 30 Hz. In general, if it is detected that a person is moving, it is easy to detect if a filter circuit with a frequency characteristic having a peak of about 1 Hz is used, but the speed of moving the hand up and down in the vicinity of the sensor is It is much faster.

  Here, the frequency characteristic has a peak of about 30 Hz, so that the vertical movement of the hand can be detected efficiently, and the output of the sensor is hardly amplified when the person moves away, etc. So that there is no false detection of factors other than the vertical movement of

  The output characteristics of the sensor in which the second infrared sensor 16 and the third infrared sensor 17 are connected in series will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 2, V36 is a time change of the output voltage of the operational amplifier 36 of the filter circuit 35. FIG. 2A shows the case where the user swings his hand up from the bottom in front of the second infrared sensor 16 and the third infrared sensor 17, and FIG. 2B shows the case where the user raises his hand. It is a case where it swings down from.

  In FIG. 2A, when the user swings his hand up from below, the user's hand first enters the field of view of the third infrared sensor 17. Since the third infrared sensor 17 is connected so that the ground side is negative as shown in FIG. 11, first, a positive voltage is generated. When the user's hand goes out of the field of view of the third infrared sensor 17, an output is generated on the minus side.

  The user's hand enters the field of view of the second infrared sensor 16 at almost the same time as the user's hand goes out of the field of view of the third infrared sensor 17. Since the second infrared sensor 16 is connected so that the ground side is positive as shown in FIG. 11, a negative voltage is first generated. Then, when the user's hand goes out of the field of view of the second infrared sensor 16, an output is generated on the plus side.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 12A, the output on the minus side when the user's hand goes out from the field of view of the third infrared sensor 17 and the minus side when the hand enters the field of view of the second infrared sensor 16. The outputs are generated in the order of plus, minus, and plus.

  In FIG. 2B, when the user swings his / her hand down from the top, the user's hand first enters the field of view of the second infrared sensor 16 and first a negative voltage is generated. Then, when the user's hand goes out of the field of view of the second infrared sensor 16, an output is generated on the plus side.

  The user's hand enters the field of view of the third infrared sensor 17 almost at the same time as the user's hand goes out of the field of view of the second infrared sensor 16, and a positive voltage is first generated. . When the user's hand goes out of the field of view of the third infrared sensor 17, an output is generated on the minus side.

  As shown in FIG. 12B, the plus side output when the user's hand goes out of the field of view of the second infrared sensor 16 and the plus side when the hand enters the field of view of the third infrared sensor 17. Outputs overlap and output occurs in the order of minus, plus, minus.

  That is, when the user swings his hand up from the bottom and swings down from top to bottom, the output is completely opposite, so the direction of movement of the hand up and down can be determined by determining which waveform is Can be easily determined.

  In this way, according to the fourth embodiment, the operation is detected from the output in which two pyroelectric infrared sensors are brought close to each other and connected in series with the directionality reversed. In addition to canceling the output to prevent false detection, the signal processing filter circuit suppresses the output of slow motion, so that only the motion intended by the user such as hand movement can be detected. The accuracy can be improved.

  Note that the configuration in which two pyroelectric infrared sensors are brought close to each other and connected in series with their directions reversed can also be applied to the second embodiment of the present invention, that is, two in series. The detection accuracy can be further improved by detecting the operation with the connected pyroelectric infrared sensor, light emitting element, and light receiving element.

  Further, in the first to fourth embodiments described above, the plurality of infrared sensors and the plurality of light receiving elements have been described above and below, and in this way, the movement of raising and lowering the toilet seat, This is because it is possible to make the operation easy to understand by combining the up and down movements of the hand.

  However, this does not limit the present invention, and even if a plurality of infrared sensors and a plurality of light receiving elements are arranged side by side or arranged obliquely, the moving direction of a part of the human body such as a hand can be changed. It can be detected in the same way, and has the same effect of driving the toilet seat as intended by the user without touching the toilet seat.

  As described above, the present invention detects the vertical movement of at least a part of the human body by the movement detection means, and controls the motor in response to the vertical movement detected by the control means to rotate the toilet seat. It is possible to control the toilet seat movement as the user intends by detecting the up / down movement performed with the hand, so that it can be applied to the toilet device, and also when the hand is dirty or wet It can also be used for such devices.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Toilet bowl 2 Toilet lid 3 Toilet lid motor 4 Toilet seat 5 Toilet seat motor 6 1st light receiving element 7 Motor control means 8 Main body 9 1st remote control 10 1st infrared sensor 11 1st signal processing circuit 12 1st light emitting element 13 Second remote controller 14 Operation detection means 15 Second light emitting element 16 Second infrared sensor 17 Third infrared sensor 18 Second signal processing circuit 19 Timer 20 Third light emitting element 21 Second light receiving element 22 Second 1 proximity determination unit 23 second proximity determination unit 24 third proximity determination unit 25 light emission control unit 26 operation direction determination unit 27 third light receiving element 28 fourth light receiving element 29 electronic circuit 30 DC power supply 31 power supply IC
32, 34, 37, 38 Resistance 33 FET
35 Filter circuit 39, 40 Capacitor

Claims (5)

A toilet seat, a toilet seat motor that rotates the toilet seat, an operation detection unit that detects an operation of at least a part of a human body, and a motor control unit that controls the toilet seat motor in response to the operation detected by the operation detection unit. Prepared ,
The motion detection means has a plurality of proximity detectors for detecting that at least a part of the human body is in proximity,
Toilet device in which the plurality of proximity detectors include a light emitting element, a light receiving element that receives light emitted from the light emitting element, and a plurality of infrared detectors that detect infrared light in the vicinity of the light emitting element and the light receiving element. . A toilet seat, a toilet seat motor that rotates the toilet seat, an operation detection unit that detects an operation of at least a part of a human body, and a motor control unit that controls the toilet seat motor in response to the operation detected by the operation detection unit. Prepared,
The motion detection means has a plurality of proximity detectors for detecting that at least a part of the human body is in proximity,
The toilet apparatus in which the plurality of proximity detectors include an infrared detector that detects infrared rays, a light emitting element, and a plurality of light receiving elements that receive light emitted from the light emitting element . A main body including the toilet seat and the toilet seat motor; and a remote control device provided separately from the main body, wherein the remote control device communicates with the motion detection means, the remote control device, and the main body. The toilet device according to claim 1, further comprising a communication unit. The plurality of infrared detectors are pyroelectric infrared detectors, and are connected in series with the directionality of each pyroelectric infrared detector reversed, and the operation detecting means includes an electronic circuit that detects outputs at both ends. The toilet device according to claim 1. The motion detection means includes an electronic circuit that processes the outputs of the plurality of infrared detectors, and a filter circuit that provides high sensitivity to a frequency corresponding to a speed sufficiently faster than a speed at which a person walks in the electronic circuit. Item 5. The toilet device according to item 1 or 4.

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