JP7574704B2 - Toilet seat device and excrement detection device - Google Patents

Description

The disclosed embodiments relate to a toilet seat device and an excrement detection device.

Conventionally, toilet seat devices equipped with sensors capable of detecting feces (hereinafter also referred to as excrement) excreted in a toilet bowl have been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

The sensor used in the toilet seat device in the above-mentioned conventional technology has a light-emitting section that can irradiate the excrement with infrared light and a light-receiving section that can receive the light reflected from the excrement, and can obtain biometric information about the user's health condition based on the excrement.

JP 2018-143269 A

However, the above-mentioned conventional technology had the problem that when the user sat down, the emitted light was reflected by the human body and the reflected light was received, reducing the accuracy of detecting the stool properties (stool properties) and the like.

The disclosed embodiment aims to provide a toilet seat device and an excrement detection device that suppresses a decrease in detection accuracy due to light reflected from the human body.

The toilet seat device according to one aspect of the embodiment is a toilet seat device that is placed on top of a toilet bowl that has a bowl portion for receiving excrement, and is characterized by having a toilet seat on which a user sits, a light-emitting portion provided with one or more light-emitting elements that irradiates light forward toward the excrement excreted by the user, a light-receiving portion provided with light-receiving elements that receive the light irradiated by the light-emitting portion and reflected from the excrement, and a shielding portion that is disposed in front of and above the light-emitting portion and that shields the light that travels from the light-emitting portion toward the opening of the toilet seat.

According to a toilet seat device according to one aspect of the embodiment, the light directed from the light emitting unit to the opening of the toilet seat is blocked by the shielding unit. When a user sits on the toilet seat, the user's buttocks are positioned so as to cover the opening of the toilet seat. Therefore, the light directed from the light emitting unit to the opening may be irradiated to the buttocks of the user sitting on the toilet seat. The human body often has a color with high reflectivity, and if the light receiving unit receives the light reflected from the human body, it will affect the light reflected from the excrement, making it difficult to accurately grasp the stool properties. Therefore, the toilet seat device can block the light irradiated to the buttocks by providing a shielding unit to block the light directed from the light emitting unit to the opening of the toilet seat. Therefore, the toilet seat device can suppress a decrease in detection accuracy due to reflected light from the human body. In addition, by providing a shielding unit in front of and above the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit, it is possible to suppress liquids such as excrement and splashes of water from the buttocks washing from adhering to or staining the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit. Therefore, it is possible to improve maintainability.

In one embodiment of the toilet seat device, the shielding portion does not shield the central axis of the light-emitting portion, but shields the light emitted toward the assumed buttocks position, which is the assumed position of the user's buttocks when the user sits on the toilet seat.

According to a toilet seat device according to one aspect of the embodiment, the shielding portion blocks the emitted light directed toward the expected buttocks position. In order to grasp the stool properties, such as the shape and color of the excrement, light from the light emitting portion is irradiated onto the excrement and the reflected light from the excrement is received. However, the light from the light emitting portion may be irradiated onto the sunken buttocks of a user sitting on the toilet seat. If the light receiving portion receives the light reflected from the human body, it will affect the received light reflected from the excrement, making it difficult to accurately grasp the stool properties. Therefore, the toilet seat device can block the light irradiated onto the buttocks by providing a shielding portion that blocks the light from the light emitting portion toward the expected buttocks position. In addition, the toilet seat device can irradiate strong light onto the excrement by not blocking the central axis of the light emitting portion, and can accurately obtain the reflection of the excrement, thereby accurately grasping the stool properties. Therefore, the toilet seat device can suppress a decrease in detection accuracy due to the reflected light from the human body.

In a toilet seat device according to one aspect of the embodiment, the light-emitting unit is provided behind the center of the bowl portion and is disposed with the central axis of the light-emitting unit inclined downward from the horizontal, and the light-receiving unit is provided behind the center of the bowl portion and is disposed with the central axis of the light-receiving unit inclined downward from the horizontal.

According to a toilet seat device according to one aspect of the embodiment, by providing the light-emitting unit and the light-receiving unit behind the center of the bowl unit, the cleft of the buttocks is located in front of the light-emitting unit and the light-receiving unit, and the sinking (length of the buttocks in the vertical direction) is reduced, thereby reducing the influence of reflection from the human body. As a result, the toilet seat device does not need to block a large amount of light with the shielding unit, and the shielding unit can be shortened. In addition, by directing the light-emitting unit and the light-receiving unit downward, the toilet seat device can avoid most of the half-value angle from the human body, and the influence of reflection from the human body can be reduced. As a result, the toilet seat device does not need to block a large amount of light with the shielding unit, and the shielding unit can be shortened. In addition, by shortening the shielding unit, the toilet seat device can make it difficult for dirt such as excrement to adhere to the shielding unit.

In one embodiment of the toilet seat device, the shielding portion is arranged so that the surface facing the light-emitting portion faces downward from the horizontal.

According to a toilet seat device according to one aspect of the embodiment, the length of the shielding portion can be shortened, which can reduce the design and the cost of the shielding portion. In addition, by shortening the shielding portion, the toilet seat device can make it difficult for dirt such as excrement to adhere to the shielding portion.

In one embodiment of the toilet seat device, the shielding portion does not shield light that spreads in the left-right direction when viewed from the front along which the central axis of the light-emitting portion extends.

According to a toilet seat device according to one aspect of the embodiment, the light emitting unit can reliably irradiate light onto the detection area. Furthermore, even if the position where the excrement falls varies (e.g., laterally), the toilet seat device can irradiate light onto the excrement and receive the light reflected from the excrement.

In one embodiment of the toilet seat device, at least a portion of the shielding portion is black in area where light from the light emitting portion is irradiated.

According to a toilet seat device according to one aspect of the embodiment, the influence of reflection from the shielding portion can be reduced, and the light receiving portion can be prevented from detecting light other than the light reflected from the stool, i.e., light that becomes noise. This allows the toilet seat device to accurately obtain reflection data from the stool, and prevents a decrease in detection accuracy.

The toilet seat device according to one embodiment has a light-transmitting window provided between the light-emitting unit, the light-receiving unit, and the shielding unit.

The toilet seat device according to one aspect of the embodiment can further prevent the light-emitting unit and the light-receiving unit from being contaminated or stained by liquids such as excrement or splashes of water from rear washing, thereby further improving maintainability. In addition, the toilet seat device can prevent foreign objects (unwanted objects) such as insects from entering the light-emitting unit and the light-receiving unit.

The toilet seat device according to one embodiment has a seat sensor that detects a user sitting on the toilet seat, and the shielding part can be opened and closed freely, and is in an open state during the period when the seat sensor detects a user sitting on the toilet seat, during the period when the light-emitting part emits light, and during the period when the light-receiving part receives the reflected light.

According to a toilet seat device according to one aspect of the embodiment, the shielding portion is in an open state while the user is seated, and in a closed state when the user is not seated. Therefore, since the light receiving portion and the light emitting portion are arranged to cover the light receiving portion and the light emitting portion except when the user is seated (when data is being acquired), it is possible to prevent the light receiving portion and the light emitting portion from being stained or stained by liquids caused by urinating while standing or by water splashing from flushing the toilet. In addition, the toilet seat device can prevent the light receiving portion and the light emitting portion from being damaged during cleaning, improving maintainability. In addition, although the shielding portion is not visible when the user is seated, the toilet seat device is in a closed state when the user is not seated and can see the shielding portion, so that the light receiving portion, the light emitting portion, and the shielding portion are not noticeable, it is possible to prevent a decrease in design compared to when the toilet seat device is always in an open state.

In one embodiment of the toilet seat device, the shielding portion blocks light from the light emitting portion that is emitted between 70 mm and 119 mm forward from the rear end of the opening of the toilet seat, between 59 mm on both sides from the center of the toilet seat in the left-right direction, and above a plane that is 67 mm downward from the top end of the center of the toilet seat in the front-to-rear direction.

According to a toilet seat device according to one embodiment, the lowest point of the user's buttocks is assumed to be between 70 mm and 119 mm from the rear end of the toilet seat opening in the front-rear direction, between 59 mm from the center of the toilet seat on both sides in the left-right direction, and above 67 mm from the top end of the toilet seat in the up-down direction. Therefore, if the light emitted to this area is blocked, the possibility of reflection from the user's buttocks can be reduced. Therefore, the toilet seat device is arranged so as to block light from the light emitting unit that is emitted between 70 mm and 119 mm forward from the rear end of the toilet seat opening, between 59 mm on both sides from the center of the toilet seat in the left-right direction, and above a plane 67 mm below the top end of the center of the toilet seat in the front-rear direction. This allows the toilet seat device to suppress a decrease in detection accuracy due to light reflected from the human body.

An excrement detection device according to one aspect of the embodiment is disposed in a toilet bowl having a bowl portion for receiving excrement, and is characterized by having a toilet seat on which a user sits, a light-emitting portion provided with one or more light-emitting elements that irradiates light forward toward the excrement excreted by the user, a light-receiving portion provided with light-receiving elements that receive the light irradiated by the light-emitting portion and reflected from the excrement, and a shielding portion disposed in front of and above the light-emitting portion that blocks the light from the light-emitting portion toward the opening of the toilet seat.

According to an excrement detection device according to one aspect of the embodiment, the light directed from the light-emitting unit to the opening of the toilet seat is blocked by the shielding unit. When a user sits on the toilet seat, the user's buttocks are positioned so as to cover the opening of the toilet seat. Therefore, the light directed from the light-emitting unit to the opening may be irradiated to the buttocks of the user sitting on the toilet seat. The human body often has a color with high reflectivity, and if the light-receiving unit receives the light reflected from the human body, it affects the light reflected from the excrement, making it difficult to accurately grasp the stool properties. Therefore, the excrement detection device can block the light irradiated to the buttocks by providing a shielding unit to block the light directed from the light-emitting unit to the opening of the toilet seat. Therefore, the excrement detection device can suppress a decrease in detection accuracy due to reflected light from the human body. In addition, by providing a shielding unit in front of and above the light-emitting unit and the light-receiving unit, it is possible to suppress the adhesion or dirt of liquids such as excrement and splashes of water from the buttocks washing to the light-emitting unit and the light-receiving unit. This improves maintainability.

According to one aspect of the embodiment, it is possible to suppress a decrease in detection accuracy due to reflected light from the human body.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a configuration of a toilet system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the toilet seat device according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a main part showing a part of the configuration of the toilet seat device according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a front view showing a part of the configuration of the toilet seat device according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a main part showing a part of the configuration of the toilet seat device according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing a part of the configuration of the toilet seat device according to the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a main part showing a part of the configuration of the toilet seat device according to the embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a toilet seat used to derive the assumed buttocks position. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a buttocks measuring device used to derive the assumed buttocks position. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the scanning method used to derive the estimated buttock position. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an image of the data used to derive the assumed buttocks position. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the parts measured to derive the assumed buttock position. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the parts measured to derive the assumed buttock position. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the measurement results used to derive the assumed buttocks position. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing the derived numerical values of the assumed buttocks position. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing the derived numerical values of the assumed buttocks position. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of coloring the shielding surface. FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of a window provided in a toilet seat apparatus. FIG. 19 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a toilet seat apparatus according to a modified example. FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of the opening and closing operation of the shielding portion. FIG. 21 is a diagram showing an example of a timing chart illustrating the relationship between the opening and closing of the shielding portion and detection. FIG. 22 is a side view showing an example of an optical unit according to a modified example. FIG. 23 is a perspective view showing an example of an optical unit according to a modified example.

Below, with reference to the attached drawings, an embodiment of the toilet seat device and excrement detection device disclosed in the present application will be described in detail. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described below. Below, the process related to the collection of information on excrement by users of the toilet room (hereinafter also referred to as "excrement information collection") and the configuration for carrying out this process will be described, but first various configurations of the toilet system and other components that are the premise of the process will be described.

<1. Configuration of the toilet system>
First, the configuration of a toilet system according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a toilet system according to an embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, the toilet system 1 includes a toilet seat device 2 and an operating device 10. As shown in FIG. 1, a Western-style toilet bowl (hereinafter referred to as "toilet bowl") 7 is installed on a floor surface F in a toilet room R. In the following, the direction facing the space of the toilet room R from the floor surface F is described as "up." The toilet seat device 2 is provided above the toilet bowl 7.

The toilet bowl 7 is made of, for example, ceramic. The toilet bowl 7 is formed with a bowl portion 8. The bowl portion 8 is concave downwards and is the portion that receives the user's waste. The toilet bowl 7 is not limited to a floor-standing type as shown in the figure, and may be of any type as long as the toilet system 1 is applicable, such as a wall-mounted type. The toilet bowl 7 is provided with a rim portion 9 around the entire edge of the opening that faces the bowl portion 8. In the toilet room R, for example, a flush water tank that stores flush water may be installed near the toilet bowl 7, or a so-called tankless type in which no flush water tank is installed may be used.

For example, when a user operates a flushing operation unit (not shown) provided in the toilet room R, a toilet flush is performed by supplying flush water to the bowl portion 8 of the toilet 7. The flushing operation unit may be an operation lever or a touch operation on a toilet flushing object displayed on the operation device 10. Note that the flushing operation unit is not limited to an operation lever or the like that allows the toilet to be flushed manually by the user, but may also be one that allows the toilet to be flushed by a sensor that detects the user, such as a seating sensor.

The toilet seat device 2 is attached to the top of the toilet bowl 7 and comprises a main body 3, a toilet lid 4, a toilet seat 5, and a cleaning nozzle 6. The toilet seat device 2 is placed on top of the toilet bowl 7, which is formed with a bowl portion 8 that receives excrement. The toilet seat device 2 is placed on top of the toilet bowl 7 so that the cleaning nozzle 6 advances into the bowl portion 8 before spraying cleaning water. The toilet seat device 2 may be attached removably to the toilet bowl 7, or may be attached so as to be integrated with the toilet bowl 7.

As shown in FIG. 1, the toilet seat 5 is formed in a ring shape with an opening 50 in the center, and is positioned along the rim portion 9 so that it overlaps with the opening of the toilet bowl 7. A user sits on the toilet seat 5. The toilet seat 5 functions as a seating portion that supports the buttocks of a seated user. Also, as shown in FIG. 1, the toilet lid 4 and toilet seat 5 are each pivotally supported at one end by the main body portion 3, and are attached so that they can rotate (be opened and closed) around the pivot portion of the main body portion 3. The toilet lid 4 is attached to the toilet seat device 2 as necessary, and the toilet seat device 2 does not have to have a toilet lid 4.

The cleaning nozzle 6 is a nozzle for discharging water for cleaning. The cleaning nozzle 6 is capable of spraying cleaning water. The cleaning nozzle 6 is capable of spraying cleaning water toward the user. The cleaning nozzle 6 is a nozzle for cleaning the private parts. The cleaning nozzle 6 is configured to be movable forward and backward relative to the main body cover 30, which is the housing of the main body 3, by driving a driving source such as an electric motor (such as the nozzle motor 61 in FIG. 2). The cleaning nozzle 6 is also connected to a water source such as a water pipe (not shown). Then, when the cleaning nozzle 6 is in a position advanced relative to the main body cover 30, which is the housing of the main body 3, as shown in FIG. 1 (hereinafter also referred to as the "advanced position"), it sprays water from the water source onto the user's body to clean the private parts.

Figure 1 shows the cleaning nozzle 6 in the advanced position. The cleaning nozzle 6 may also be used to clean the inside of the toilet bowl 7 (bowl portion 8, etc.). The cleaning nozzle 6 may be used to switch between a private parts cleaning mode for cleaning the private parts of the user and a toilet bowl cleaning mode for spraying water inside the toilet bowl 7. For example, the cleaning nozzle 6 may be used to switch between the private parts cleaning mode and the toilet bowl cleaning mode according to the control by the control unit 34 (see Figure 2) of the toilet seat device 2.

The operating device 10 is provided in the toilet room R. The operating device 10 is provided in a position where it can be operated by a user. The operating device 10 is provided in a position where it can be operated when the user is seated on the toilet seat 5. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the operating device 10 is provided on a wall surface W on the right side as seen from a user seated on the toilet seat 5. Note that the operating device 10 may be provided in various ways, not limited to on a wall surface, as long as it is usable by a user seated on the toilet seat 5. For example, the operating device 10 may be provided integrally with the toilet seat device 2.

The operating device 10 is connected to the toilet seat device 2 via a predetermined network so as to be able to communicate with each other via a wired or wireless connection. For example, the toilet seat device 2 and the operating device 10 may be connected in any manner as long as they are able to send and receive information, and may be connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via a wired connection or a wireless connection.

The operation device 10 accepts various operations from the user via a display surface (e.g., display screen 11) using, for example, a touch panel function. The operation device 10 may also be equipped with switches and buttons, and accept various operations via the switches and buttons. The display screen 11 is, for example, a display screen of a tablet terminal or the like realized by a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display, and is a display device for displaying various information. In other words, the operation device 10 accepts input from the user via the display screen 11, and also outputs to the user. The display screen 11 is a display device that displays various information.

The operation device 10 accepts a user's operation to stop control being performed by the toilet seat device 2. The operation device 10 accepts a user's operation to start the execution of local washing by the toilet seat device 2. The operation device 10 accepts an instruction from the user to the washing nozzle 6. The operation device 10 accepts a user's operation to cause the toilet seat device 2 to output a predetermined sound. The operation device 10 accepts a user's operation to perform a sterilization process to sterilize the washing nozzle 6 (see FIG. 1) of the toilet seat device 2 with disinfectant water. The operation device 10 accepts a user's operation to adjust the force of the water discharged during local washing by the toilet seat device 2. The operation device 10 accepts a user's operation to adjust the volume of the sound output by the toilet seat device 2. The operation device 10 accepts a user's operation to select a language when information regarding toilet use is displayed on the operation device 10 or output as audio.

For example, the operation device 10 may display an object that accepts the above-mentioned user's operation on the display screen 11, and execute various processes in response to the user's touch on the displayed object. For example, the operation device 10 may have a switch, button, etc. that accepts the above-mentioned user's operation, and execute various processes in response to the user's touch on the switch, button, etc. Note that the above is an example, and the operation device 10 may accept an operation by a user that executes various processes.

The toilet system 1 detects various properties of the user's waste (feces), such as the shape, size, quality, and color, through various configurations and processes described below. The toilet system 1 detects the user's defecation using an optical method. In other words, the toilet system 1 is a toilet system that can detect information about the waste (feces) using optical means. The toilet system 1 may provide information to a terminal device such as the user's smartphone based on the measurement results.

2. Functional configuration of the toilet seat device
Next, the functional configuration of the toilet seat device 2 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the toilet seat device according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 2, the toilet seat device 2 includes a human body detection sensor 32, a seating detection sensor 33, a control unit 34, an electromagnetic valve 71, a nozzle motor 61, a cleaning nozzle 6, and an optical unit 100. Note that Fig. 2 omits illustration of some of the configuration of the toilet seat device 2 described in Fig. 1 (such as the main body 3, the toilet seat 5, and the toilet bowl 7).

For example, the human body detection sensor 32, the seating detection sensor 33, and the control unit 34 are provided in the main body 3 of the toilet seat device 2. Although not shown, the toilet seat device 2 has a communication unit that communicates with the operation device 10. For example, the communication unit is realized by a communication circuit or the like. The communication unit is connected to a predetermined network by wire or wirelessly, and transmits and receives information between the communication unit and an information processing device such as the operation device 10. The main body 3 may also have a storage unit outside the control unit 34. In this case, the toilet seat device 2 may transmit data from the control unit 34 to the storage unit and store the data in the storage unit.

The human body detection sensor 32 has a function of detecting a human body. For example, the human body detection sensor 32 is realized by a pyroelectric sensor using an infrared signal. For example, the human body detection sensor 32 may be realized by a μ (micro) wave sensor. Note that the above is just an example, and the human body detection sensor 32 may detect the human body by various means, not limited to the above. For example, the human body detection sensor 32 detects a person (such as a user) who has entered the toilet room R (see FIG. 1). The human body detection sensor 32 outputs a detection signal to the control unit 34.

The seating detection sensor 33 has the function of detecting a person sitting on the toilet seat device 2. The seating detection sensor 33 detects when a user sits on the toilet seat 5. The seating detection sensor 33 can detect when the user sits on the toilet seat 5. The seating detection sensor 33 also functions as a leaving detection sensor that detects when the user leaves the toilet seat 5. The seating detection sensor 33 detects when the user is sitting on the toilet seat 5.

For example, the seating detection sensor 33 detects that a user has sat on the toilet seat 5 using a load sensor. For example, the seating detection sensor 33 may be an infrared light emitting/receiving distance measuring sensor, and may detect a human body near the toilet seat 5 just before the person (user) sits on the toilet seat 5, or the user sitting on the toilet seat 5. Note that the above is just one example, and the seating detection sensor 33 may detect a person sitting on the toilet seat device 2 by various means other than the above. The seating detection sensor 33 outputs a seating detection signal to the control unit 34.

The control unit 34 may be, for example, a control device that controls various configurations and processes. The control unit 34 controls the nozzle motor 61, the solenoid valve 71, and the optical unit 100. The control unit 34 controls the nozzle motor 61, the solenoid valve 71, and the optical unit 100 based on a signal transmitted from the operation device 10. The control unit 34 controls the nozzle motor 61 based on a control instruction signal for local cleaning transmitted from the operation device 10. The control unit 34 controls the nozzle motor 61 to advance and retract the cleaning nozzle 6. The control unit 34 controls the opening and closing of the solenoid valve 71. The control unit 34 transmits control information to the optical unit 100 for controlling the turning on and off of the light emitting unit 120.

The control unit 34 transmits control information to the optical unit 100 for controlling the function of the electronic shutter of the light receiving unit 130. The electronic shutter of the light receiving unit 130 is a shutter type that electronically controls the light receiving element 132 (image sensor) to read out the exposure, unlike a mechanical shutter such as a so-called lens shutter. In other words, the electronic shutter of the light receiving unit 130 is a so-called electronic shutter or electronically controlled shutter. The control unit 34 transmits control information to the nozzle motor 61, the solenoid valve 71, and the optical unit 100 by wire. The control unit 34 may also transmit control information to the nozzle motor 61, the solenoid valve 71, and the optical unit 100 by wireless.

The control unit 34 causes the optical unit 100 to emit light and receive light. The control unit 34 controls the optical unit 100 to cause the light emitting unit 120 to emit light and the light receiving unit 130 to receive light. The control unit 34 causes the optical unit 100 to emit light and receive light during the period when the seating detection sensor 33 detects that the user is sitting on the toilet seat 5.

The control unit 34 controls the emission of light by the light emitting unit 120. The control unit 34 controls the supply of electricity to the light emitting element 121 and the application of voltage to the light receiving element 132. The control unit 34 sends a control instruction to the light receiving element 132 to open the electronic shutter, and performs light receiving control to enable reception of reflected light from the stool by supplying electricity to the light emitting element 121. After starting execution of one light receiving control, the control unit 34 controls the interval until the next light receiving control is executed to an arbitrary time (e.g., 0.2 milliseconds or more) within the range in which control processing is possible. Note that the above is merely an example, and the control mode by the control unit 34 may be any mode as long as the optical unit 100 is capable of desired light emission and reception.

The control unit 34 also controls the toilet lid 4 and toilet seat 5 as shown in FIG. 1. The control unit 34 controls the toilet lid 4 and toilet seat 5 based on a signal transmitted from the operating device 10. The control unit 34 controls the toilet lid 4 based on a control instruction signal transmitted from the operating device 10 regarding opening and closing of the toilet lid. The control unit 34 controls the toilet seat 5 based on a control instruction signal transmitted from the operating device 10 regarding opening and closing of the seat. The control unit 34 transmits control information to the toilet lid 4 and toilet seat 5 via a wired connection. The control unit 34 may also transmit control information to the toilet lid 4 and toilet seat 5 wirelessly.

The control unit 34 determines whether the human body detection sensor 32 detects the entry of a user into the toilet room R. The control unit 34 determines whether the human body detection sensor 32 detects the entry of a user into the toilet room R. The control unit 34 determines whether the seating detection sensor 33 detects the user sitting down. The control unit 34 determines whether the seating detection sensor 33 detects the user sitting down on the toilet seat 5. The control unit 34 has various components such as a calculation unit and a memory unit that perform calculations related to the above-mentioned control. For example, the control unit 34 is realized by various means such as a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), MPU (Micro Processing Unit), or ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or an integrated circuit such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

Here, an example of the configuration of the control unit 34 will be described. The control unit 34 has an AD converter, a processing unit, a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a first memory.

The AD Converter is a so-called A/D converter (analog-digital conversion circuit) and has an A/D conversion function that converts an analog signal into a digital signal. The AD Converter may be an analog-digital conversion circuit. For example, the AD Converter converts analog data received (detected) by the light receiving unit 130 into digital data. The AD Converter may convert analog data from which a predetermined range of data has been deleted into digital data. For example, the AD Converter may leave only data corresponding to pixels in a preset range (e.g., a predetermined central range) and delete data corresponding to pixels in the remaining range. Note that when a dedicated sensor such as a line sensor with a pixel count set for excrement detection is used as the light receiving element 132, the AD Converter converts the entire analog data into digital data without deleting data in the predetermined range.

The arithmetic processing device is realized by various means such as a CPU or a microcomputer, and executes various processes. For example, the arithmetic processing device executes various processes using digital data converted by an AD Converter. The arithmetic processing device executes various processes by programs stored in ROM (for example, various programs related to detection processes such as a program for determining stool characteristics). For example, the arithmetic processing device is realized by executing programs stored in ROM using a temporarily used memory area or the like within the arithmetic processing device as a working area.

The arithmetic processing unit analyzes the data. The arithmetic processing unit analyzes the data temporarily stored in the first memory. The arithmetic processing unit transfers the data received by the light receiving unit 130 to the first memory, and analyzes and deletes the data stored in the first memory.

The ROM stores various programs related to the detection process, such as a program for determining stool characteristics.

The first memory is an internal memory (storage device) that temporarily stores various data. The first memory stores data received by the light receiving unit 130. The first memory stores digital data converted by the AD converter. For example, the first memory is a static random access memory (SRAM). Note that the first memory is not limited to an SRAM, and other random access memories (RAMs) such as dynamic random access memories (DRAMs) or programmable read only memories (PROMs) capable of high-speed processing may be used.

The first memory stores data according to control by the arithmetic processing unit. For example, a storage device with a storage capacity of 96 kilobytes or 512 kilobytes is used as the first memory. The data received by the light receiving unit 130 and temporarily stored in the first memory includes raw data (analog data) detected by the light receiving unit 130 and data processed by A/D conversion (digital data).

The configuration of the control unit 34 described above is merely an example, and the control unit 34 may have any configuration as long as it is capable of performing the desired processing. The toilet seat device 2 also has a second memory. The toilet seat device 2 stores data acquired by the control unit 34 in the second memory.

For example, the second memory is an external memory (storage device) that stores various data. The second memory stores digital data acquired from the control unit 34. For example, the second memory may be an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory) or the like. The second memory may also be various storage devices (memories) such as an SD (Secure Digital) card memory or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory.

The second memory is capable of transferring data stored in the first memory. The second memory has a larger storage area than the first memory. For example, the second memory is a storage device with a larger storage capacity than the first memory, such as 4 gigabytes. The data stored in the second memory may be transmitted to an external device. The toilet system 1 may wirelessly transmit the data stored in the second memory to an external device, such as a terminal device used by the user, using a communication device of the toilet seat device 2 or the like.

The second memory may be provided either inside or outside the toilet seat device 2. For example, the second memory may be a MicroSD inside the toilet seat device 2, or may be an external memory outside the toilet seat device 2 that communicates with the toilet seat device 2 via Wi-Fi (registered trademark) (Wireless Fidelity) or the like. In this case, the arithmetic processing device transfers data temporarily stored in the first memory to the second memory, which is an external memory with a larger storage area than the first memory, by communicating with the second memory. The communication between the second memory and the toilet seat device 2 is not limited to Wi-Fi (registered trademark), and may be communication according to various communication standards, such as ZigBee (registered trademark) or Bluetooth (registered trademark).

The solenoid valve 71 functions as a valve that controls the flow of a fluid by electromagnetic means. The solenoid valve 71 switches between supplying and stopping tap water from a water supply pipe, for example. The solenoid valve 71 controls opening and closing in response to instructions from the control unit 34.

The nozzle motor 61 is a drive source (motor) that drives the cleaning nozzle 6 to move forward and backward. The nozzle motor 61 controls the cleaning nozzle 6 to move forward and backward relative to the body cover 30 of the main body 3. The nozzle motor 61 controls the cleaning nozzle 6 to move forward and backward in response to instructions from the control unit 34.

The optical unit 100 includes a light-emitting unit 120 and a light-receiving unit 130. The optical unit 100 functions as an excrement detection device (excrement measurement device). The excrement detection device is not limited to the optical unit 100, and may include the optical unit 100 and a toilet seat 5.

The light-emitting unit 120 emits light. The light-emitting unit 120 has a light-emitting element 121 that emits light. The light-emitting unit 120 emits light onto excrement excreted by the user. The light-emitting unit 120 emits light onto stool excreted by the user. The light-emitting unit 120 emits light onto stool as it falls.

The light-emitting unit 120 is provided with a light-emitting element 121 that emits light. The light-emitting unit 120 is provided with a light-emitting element 121 that emits light forward. The light-emitting unit 120 is provided with a light-emitting element 121 that emits light forward toward excrement excreted by the user. For example, the light-emitting element 121 is an LED (Light Emitting Diode). Note that the light-emitting element 121 is not limited to an LED, and various elements may be used.

The light-emitting unit 120 emits light forward. The light-emitting unit 120 emits light forward toward the stool excreted by the user. The light-emitting unit 120 includes a plurality of light-emitting elements 121. The light-emitting unit 120 includes a plurality of light-emitting elements 121 that emit light. The light-emitting unit 120 emits light toward the falling stool excreted by the user. The light-emitting unit 120 includes a plurality of light-emitting elements 121 for emitting light of different wavelengths. Note that the above is merely an example, and the number and emitted wavelength of the light-emitting elements 121 of the light-emitting unit 120 can be arbitrarily configured as long as the desired light emission is possible.

The light receiving unit 130 receives light. The light receiving unit 130 has a lens 131 and a light receiving element 132 that receives light. The light receiving unit 130 receives light reflected from excrement in response to the light irradiated by the light emitting unit 120. The light receiving unit 130 receives light reflected from stool in response to the light irradiated by the light emitting unit 120. The light receiving unit 130 receives light reflected from falling stool in response to the light irradiated by the light emitting unit 120.

The light receiving unit 130 is provided with a light receiving element 132 that receives light. For example, the light receiving element 132 is a line sensor. For example, the light receiving element 132 is a line sensor in which a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor is arranged in a row. Note that the light receiving element 132 is not limited to a line sensor (one-dimensional image sensor), and various sensors such as an area sensor (two-dimensional image sensor) may be used.

The light receiving unit 130 includes a lens 131 for focusing light in front of the light receiving element 132. A case is provided around the light receiving element 132 as a cover to prevent light from entering the light receiving element 132 from any direction other than the front. A case is provided around the light receiving element 132 as a cover to prevent light other than that passing through the lens 131 arranged in front from entering the light receiving element 132. A case is provided around the light receiving element 132 as a cover to prevent light from entering the light receiving element 132 from the side direction.

The case functions as an incidence suppression cover that blocks or attenuates light from any direction other than the front of the light receiving element 132. The case is colored in a color that is difficult for light to transmit, such as black. Note that the case may be made of various materials, such as resin, as long as it can be formed into the desired shape. The light receiving unit 130 receives light reflected from the stool in response to the light irradiated by the light emitting unit 120. The light receiving unit 130 receives light reflected from the stool as it falls in response to the light irradiated by the light emitting unit 120. The light receiving unit 130 receives light reflected from the stool in response to the light irradiated by the light emitting unit 120.

3. Configuration of the toilet seat device
Next, the configuration of the toilet seat device 2, mainly the configuration related to the relationship between the light emitted by the optical unit 100 and the shielding portion 310 that shields the light directed toward the opening 50 of the toilet seat 5, will be described with reference to Figs. 3 to 5. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a main part showing a part of the configuration of the toilet seat device according to the embodiment. The upper, lower, front, and rear directions shown by the arrows in Fig. 3 indicate the directions as seen by a user sitting on the toilet seat 5. Fig. 4 is a front view showing a part of the configuration of the toilet seat device according to the embodiment. For example, Fig. 4 is a front cross-sectional view of a plane that passes through the opening 50 of the toilet seat 5 and is perpendicular to the front-rear direction. The left-right direction shown by the arrows in Fig. 4 indicates the left-right direction as seen from the front where the central axis of the light emitting portion 120 extends. Figs. 3 and 4 show an overview of the shielding portion 310 shielding the light directed toward the opening 50 of the toilet seat 5.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the essential parts showing part of the configuration of the toilet seat device according to the embodiment. The upward, downward, forward, backward, and left-right directions indicated by arrows in Figure 5 are the same as those shown in Figure 3 or Figure 4. Figure 4 is a diagram showing only a part of the toilet seat 5 as viewed from below the toilet seat 5. Note that in Figures 3 and 5, the assumed position of the user's buttocks when the user sits on the toilet seat 5 (also called the "assumed buttocks position") is virtually shown by the assumed buttocks position EG.

As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the shielding portion 310 is disposed along the upper end of the opening 31 of the main body cover 30 so as to shield the light from the light emitting portion 120 toward the opening 50 of the toilet seat 5. The shielding portion 310 is formed from a material that has no (low) transparency. For example, the shielding portion 310 is formed from the same material as the main body cover 30.

The irradiation area ER indicates the area where the light from the light-emitting element 121 is irradiated. The optical axis BL1 indicates the central axis of the light-emitting element 121 (the light-emitting element 121 marked with a symbol in FIG. 6). The light-receiving area LR indicates the area where the light-receiving element 132 receives light. The central axis CA1 indicates the central axis of the light-receiving element 132. For example, the central axis CA1 passes through the center of the light-receiving area LR. In addition, in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, in order to avoid overlapping of lines, the optical axis BL1 is illustrated only in FIG. 4, and the central axis CA1 is illustrated only in FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 4, the shielding portion 310 is positioned above the light-emitting element 121, so that the light from the light-emitting element 121 toward the opening 50 of the toilet seat 5, i.e., the light directed upward, is shielded. For example, the shielding portion 310 is positioned above the light-emitting element 121 so that the range of the opening 50 of the toilet seat 5 is not included in the irradiation area ER. This allows the toilet seat device 2 to prevent light from being emitted from the light-emitting element 121 to the opening 50 of the toilet seat 5. In addition, the central axis of the light-emitting element 121 (e.g., optical axis BL1) is an axis that extends in the direction in which light is emitted from the light-emitting element, and the central axis of the light-receiving element 132 (e.g., central axis CA1) is an axis that extends in the direction in which the light-receiving element receives reflected light from the stool.

As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the shielding portion 110 shields light from the light-emitting element 121 directed toward the assumed buttocks position EG. For example, the shielding portion 110 shields light from the light-emitting portion 120 that is emitted between 70 mm and 119 mm forward from the rear end of the opening 50 of the toilet seat 5, between 59 mm on both sides from the center of the toilet seat 5 in the left-right direction, and above a plane that is 67 mm downward from the top end of the center of the toilet seat 5 in the front-to-rear direction.

This allows the toilet seat device 2 to prevent the light from the light emitting element 121 from being irradiated onto the assumed buttocks position EG. The assumed buttocks position EG corresponds to the following values: between 70 mm and 119 mm forward from the rear end of the opening 50 of the toilet seat 5, between 59 mm on both sides from the center of the left-right direction of the toilet seat 5, and 67 mm downward from the top end of the center of the front-rear direction of the toilet seat 5. The experiments that derived these values will be described later.

Here, the arrangement of the light emitting unit 120 and the shielding unit 310 will be described with reference to Figs. 6 and 7. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing a part of the configuration of a toilet seat device according to an embodiment. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a main part showing a part of the configuration of a toilet seat device according to an embodiment. Specifically, Figs. 6 and 7 are diagrams showing the shielding of light from the light emitting element 121 by the shielding unit 310. Note that in Figs. 6 and 7, in order to avoid overlapping lines, the optical axis BL1 indicating the central axis of the light emitting element 121 is shown only in Fig. 6, and the central axis CA1 indicating the central axis of the light receiving element 132 is shown only in Fig. 7.

The shielding portion 310 does not shield the central axis of the light emitting portion 120, and shields the light emitted from the light emitting portion 120 toward the opening 50 of the toilet seat 5. The shielding portion 310 does not shield the optical axis BL1, which is the central axis of the light emitting element 121 marked with a symbol in FIG. 6, and shields the light emitted from the light emitting element 121 marked with a symbol in FIG. 6 toward the opening 50 of the toilet seat 5. Note that the relationship between the light emitting portion 120 and the shielding portion 310 is similar for the light emitting elements 121 other than the light emitting element 121 marked with a symbol in FIG. 6, so detailed explanations are omitted. For example, the shielding portion 310 is disposed at a position where it does not shield the central axis of each light emitting element 121, and shields the light emitted from each light emitting element 121 toward the opening 50 of the toilet seat 5. As a result, the shielding portion 310 does not shield the central axis of each light emitting element 121, and shields the light emitted from each light emitting element 121 toward the opening 50 of the toilet seat 5. The shielding portion 310 blocks light directed toward the assumed buttocks position EG. For example, the central axis of the light-emitting portion 120 may be the central axis of each light-emitting element 121 that the light-emitting portion 120 has.

As shown in Figures 3 to 7, each light-emitting element 121 of the light-emitting unit 120 is provided behind the center of the bowl portion 8, and is arranged with the central axis (optical axis BL1, etc.) of the light-emitting unit 120 tilted downward from the horizontal. Note that the horizontal here may mean parallel to the seating surface of the toilet seat 5. The direction along (parallel to) this horizontal is also referred to as the "horizontal direction." In addition, the light-receiving unit 130 is provided behind the center of the bowl portion 8, and is arranged with the central axis CA1 of the light-receiving unit 130 tilted downward from the horizontal. For example, the central axis CA1 of the light-receiving unit 130 is an axis that passes through the center of the light-receiving region LR of each light-receiving unit 130.

The shielding section 310 is arranged with its surface facing the light-emitting section 120 (corresponding to the shielding surface 3101 in FIG. 17) facing downward from the horizontal. The shielding section 310 does not shield the light radiated by the light-emitting section 120 that spreads in the left-right direction when viewed from the front along which the central axis of the light-emitting section 120 extends. The left-right direction here refers to, for example, the left-right direction (horizontal direction) of the central axis of the light-emitting section 120 when viewed from the direction in which the central axis (e.g., optical axis BL1) of the light-emitting section 120 extends. As described above, the shielding section 310 is located above the light-emitting section 120 and is a plate-like shape that extends horizontally, and therefore does not shield the light radiated by the light-emitting section 120 that spreads in the left-right direction when viewed from the front along which the central axis of the light-emitting section 120 extends.

＜4. Expected hip position＞
Here, the derivation of the numerical value of the assumed buttocks position will be described. First, the measurement mode (experiment mode) of the buttocks for deriving the numerical value of the assumed buttocks position will be described with reference to Figs. 8 to 13. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing a toilet seat used for deriving the assumed buttocks position. The toilet seat TS shown in Fig. 8 has an opening OP with a maximum size of 300 mm in the front-rear direction and a maximum size of 200 mm in the lateral direction (left-right direction). The size of the opening OP is large, and it is assumed that the larger the size, the greater the buttocks will fall into the opening OP.

Figure 9 is a diagram showing the buttocks measuring device used to derive the assumed buttocks position. In the buttocks measuring device ET shown in Figure 9, a toilet seat TS is placed so that the opening OP of the toilet seat TS overlaps with the opening on the top surface. The buttocks measuring device ET has dimensions of 380 mm in height, 450 mm in width, and 770 mm in depth, allowing the toilet seat TS to be placed on the top surface. A scanning device SD is placed at the bottom of the buttocks measuring device ET. The scanning device SD scans the buttocks of a user (subject) seated on the toilet seat TS and measures the user's buttocks.

Figure 10 is a diagram showing the scanning method used to derive the estimated buttocks position. The scanning device SD scans the user's buttocks 12 times while the user is seated on the toilet seat TS, measuring the user's buttocks. The X direction in Figure 10 corresponds to the lateral direction (left-right direction), and the Y direction in Figure 10 corresponds to the front-back direction. Note that the direction perpendicular to the X and Y directions in Figure 10 corresponds to the up-down direction. Also, (1) to (4) shown in Figure 10 indicate the scanning method (sequence).

Figure 11 is a diagram showing an image of the data used to derive the assumed buttocks position. Figure 10 is a schematic diagram showing an image of the actual buttocks when the user is seated on the toilet seat TS. The scanning distance is 250 mm in the horizontal direction (left and right direction), and the data recording range is 230 mm where the user's buttocks and the toilet seat TS are located. No data is recorded for 10 mm on both ends in the horizontal direction where the buttocks measuring device ET is located. For example, the scanning device SD starts recording data with 0 mm (e.g., the position of the bottom surface of the toilet seat TS) as the measurement start position. The size of the opening OP is 200 mm in the horizontal direction (left and right direction), while the data recording range is 230 mm, so the user's buttocks located at the opening OP can be properly measured.

Figures 12 and 13 are diagrams showing the areas measured to derive the expected buttocks position. In Figures 12 and 13, the expected buttocks position EG is illustrated to indicate the area to be measured, and three numerical values of measurement targets A to C are measured to derive the expected buttocks position.

As shown in Figure 12, measurement object A is the vertical dimension of the lowest point of the buttocks. Measurement object A is the numerical value of the vertical length from the seating surface (upper surface) of the toilet seat TS to the lowest point of the buttocks. Also, as shown in Figure 12, measurement object B is the front-to-back dimension between the rear end of the toilet seat opening and the lowest point of the buttocks. Measurement object B is the numerical value of the front-to-back length from the rear end of the opening OP of the toilet seat TS to the lowest point of the buttocks. Also, as shown in Figure 13, measurement object C is the left-to-right dimension of the lowest point of the buttocks. Measurement object C is the numerical value of the horizontal length from the horizontal center of the opening OP to the lowest point of one buttocks.

The measurements performed under the above conditions and the numerical values of the assumed buttocks position derived based on the measurements will now be explained using Figures 14 to 16. First, Figure 14 shows the measurement results (experimental results) used to derive the assumed buttocks position. Figure 14 shows the measurement results used to derive the assumed buttocks position.

In the measurements used to derive the expected buttocks position, the buttocks of five subjects, subjects (1) to (5), were measured while they were seated on the toilet seat TS, as shown in Figure 14. The "Height" item in Figure 14 indicates the height of each subject, and the "Weight" item in Figure 14 indicates the weight of each subject. Additionally, the "A" item in Figure 14 indicates the measurement value of measurement object A for each subject, the "B" item in Figure 14 indicates the measurement value of measurement object B for each subject, and the "C" item in Figure 14 indicates the measurement value of measurement object C for each subject.

Of the measurement results in FIG. 14, for measurement object A, the measurement value "67 mm" of subject (2) is the maximum value. Furthermore, of the measurement results in FIG. 14, for measurement object B, the measurement value "119 mm" of subject (2) is the maximum value. Of the measurement results in FIG. 14, for measurement object B, the measurement value "70 mm" of subject (3) is the minimum value. Of the measurement results in FIG. 14, for measurement object C, the measurement value "59 mm" of subject (4) is the maximum value.

Based on the above measurement results, the numerical value of the assumed buttocks position EG is derived as shown in FIG. 15 and FIG. 16. FIG. 15 and FIG. 16 are diagrams showing the numerical value of the derived assumed buttocks position. The part corresponding to the measurement object A of the assumed buttocks position EG is set to "67 mm", which is the maximum measurement value. The front-back variation range of the part corresponding to the measurement object B of the assumed buttocks position EG is set between "119 mm", which is the maximum measurement value, and "70 mm", which is the minimum measurement value. The part corresponding to the measurement object C of the assumed buttocks position EG is set to "59 mm", which is the maximum measurement value. As a result, the assumed buttocks position EG is 67 mm downward from the upper end of the center in the front-back direction of the toilet seat, which is the lowest point of the buttocks in the vertical direction. The assumed buttocks position EG is also between 70 mm and 119 mm forward from the rear end of the opening (opening) of the toilet seat, which is the range of front-back variation of the lowest point of the buttocks. Additionally, the expected buttocks position EG is 59 mm to the left and right of the center of the toilet seat in the left-right direction, which is the lowest point of the buttocks in the horizontal direction.

From the above measurements, it is estimated that the lowest point of the user's buttocks is between 70 mm and 119 mm from the rear end of the toilet seat opening in the front-to-back direction, between 59 mm from the center of the toilet seat in the left-right direction, and above a plane 67 mm from the top end of the toilet seat in the up-down direction. Therefore, if the light emitted to that area (estimated buttocks position EG) is blocked, the possibility of reflection from the user's buttocks can be reduced. Therefore, the toilet seat device 2 positions the shielding portion 310 so as to block the light from the light emitting portion 120 to the estimated buttocks position EG derived from the above measurements. This allows the toilet seat device to suppress a decrease in detection accuracy due to light reflected from the human body.

5. Modifications
The configuration of the toilet seat device 2 is not limited to the above. Various modified examples in this regard will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following modified examples, the shielding portion 310 is also disposed so as to shield the light from the light emitting portion 120 toward the opening of the toilet seat 5.

<5-1. Shielding part>
For example, the shielding portion 310 may be colored in a desired color. This point will be described with reference to FIG. 17. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of coloring the shielding surface. The shielding portion 310 has a shielding surface 3101, which is the surface facing the light emitting portion 120, formed in black. For example, the shielding surface 3101 may be colored with black paint. As a result, in the toilet seat device 2, even if the light irradiated by the light emitting portion 120 hits the shielding portion 310, it is difficult for the light to be reflected, so that the influence of the light receiving portion 130 receiving the reflected light from the shielding portion 310 can be reduced, and the light receiving portion can be prevented from detecting light other than the reflected light from the stool, that is, light that becomes noise.

<5-2. Windows>
For example, a window may be provided between the light emitting unit 120 and the light receiving unit 130 and the shielding unit 310. FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of a window provided in a toilet seat device. In the example of FIG. 18, a light-transmitting window 311 is provided between the light emitting unit 120 and the light receiving unit 130 and the shielding unit 310. The window 311 is provided along the opening 31. The window 311 may be made of any material as long as it transmits the light emitted by the light emitting unit 120 and the light received by the light receiving unit 130. Note that the light referred to here is not limited to visible light, but also includes invisible light such as infrared light. This allows the toilet seat device 2 to suppress the attachment or dirt of excrement, liquid, etc. to the optical unit 100, and to prevent foreign matter (unwanted objects) such as insects from entering.

<5-3. Toilet seat device with movable shielding part>
In the above example, the toilet seat device 2 uses the shielding part 310 whose position and orientation do not change, but the position and orientation of the shielding part may change. This point will be described below with reference to Figures 19 and 20. Note that descriptions of the same configuration as the toilet seat device 2 will be omitted as appropriate.

<5-3-1. Functional configuration of the toilet seat device>
First, the functional configuration of a toilet seat device 2A according to a modified example will be described with reference to Fig. 19. Fig. 19 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a toilet seat device according to a modified example. As shown in Fig. 19, the toilet seat device 2A includes a human body detection sensor 32, a seating detection sensor 33, a control unit 34A, an electromagnetic valve 71, a nozzle motor 61, a cleaning nozzle 6, and an optical unit 100A. The toilet seat device 2A differs from the toilet seat device 2 in that it includes a shielding unit 110 and an actuator 111 instead of the shielding unit 310.

The control unit 34 controls the optical unit 100A. The control unit 34 controls the optical unit 100A to open and close the shielding unit 110. The control unit 34 transmits control information to the optical unit 100A for opening the shielding unit 110. The control unit 34 transmits control information to the optical unit 100A for closing the shielding unit 110. The control unit 34 transmits control information to the optical unit 100A for controlling the turning on and off of the light emitting unit 120. The control unit 34 controls the shielding unit 110 to the open state while it is detected that the user is seated.

The control unit 34 controls the opening and closing of the shielding unit 110. The control unit 34 controls the shielding unit 110 to open upward when placed on the toilet bowl 7. The control unit 34 opens the shielding unit 110 when the seating detection sensor 33 detects that the user is seated, and closes the shielding unit 110 when the seating detection sensor 33 detects that the user has left the seat.

The control unit 34 may close the shielding unit 110 in response to an instruction from the user to the operating device 10 to operate the cleaning nozzle 6. The control unit 34 may close the shielding unit 110 based on the light receiving unit 130 receiving reflected light from the cleaning nozzle 6 that has advanced into the bowl unit 8.

When controlling the opening of the shielding portion 110, the control portion 34 opens the shielding portion 110 to a position where it blocks the light irradiated by the light emitting portion 120 toward the opening 50 of the toilet seat 5. The control portion 34 opens the shielding portion 110 to a position where it blocks the light from the light emitting portion 120 irradiated between 70 mm and 119 mm forward from the rear end of the opening 50 of the toilet seat 5, between 59 mm to both sides from the center of the left-right direction of the toilet seat 5, and above a plane 67 mm downward from the upper end of the center of the front-rear direction of the toilet seat 5. The control portion 34 opens the shielding portion 110 to a position that is preset to satisfy the above conditions based on the arrangement of each component of the toilet seat device 2A. The control portion 34 opens the shielding portion 110 to a position that is preset to satisfy the above conditions based on the position and size of the shielding portion 110 and the opening 50 of the toilet seat 5. The control unit 34 rotates the shielding unit 110 to a preset angle and opens the shielding unit 110.

The optical unit 100A includes a shielding section 110, an actuator 111, a light emitting section 120, and a light receiving section 130.

For example, the shielding part 110 is a plate-like member (see FIG. 20) made of the same material as the shielding part 310 of the toilet seat device 2. The shielding part 110 is disposed at the position of the opening 31 of the main body part 3. For example, the shielding part 110 opens and closes between a position that blocks the opening 31 (closed position) and a position similar to that of the shielding part 310 (open position) by performing an opening and closing operation on the main body cover 30 with one end side adjacent to the upper end of the opening 31 of the main body cover 30 as an axis. That is, the shielding part 110 performs an opening and closing operation in the vertical direction with one end side adjacent to the upper end of the opening 31 as an axis, thereby transitioning between a state in which the opening 31 is closed (hereinafter also referred to as the "closed state") and a state in which the opening 31 is opened and the light from the light emitting part 120 toward the opening 50 of the toilet seat 5 is blocked (hereinafter also referred to as the "open state"). The shielding section 110 can be opened and closed freely, and is in the open state during the period when the seating detection sensor 33 detects that the user is seated, during the period when the light-emitting section 120 emits light, and during the period when the light-receiving section 130 receives reflected light.

The shielding part 110 can be positioned in front of the light emitting part 120 and the light receiving part 130, and functions as a lid. The shielding part 110 can be positioned on the side (front) where the light emitting surface of the light emitting part 120 faces. The shielding part 110 can be positioned on the side (front) where the light receiving surface of the light receiving part 130 faces. For example, in the open state, the shielding part 110 is positioned in the same position as the shielding part 310 of the toilet seat device 2. As a result, the shielding part 110 can block light toward the opening 50 of the toilet seat 5 in the open state. In addition, in the open state, the shielding part 110 can block light from the light emitting part 120 that is irradiated between 70 mm and 119 mm forward from the rear end of the opening 50 of the toilet seat 5, between 59 mm to both left and right from the center in the left-right direction of the toilet seat 5, and above a plane 67 mm downward from the upper end of the center in the front-rear direction of the toilet seat 5.

The shielding unit 110 can transition between an open state and a closed state by an actuator 111, and is positioned in front of the light-emitting unit 120 and the light-receiving unit 130, or exposes the light-emitting unit 120 and the light-receiving unit 130. The shielding unit 110 is in a closed state when light emission or reception is not required, such as when the user is not seated. This allows the shielding unit 110 to suppress a decrease in the detection accuracy of the light-receiving unit 130 due to dirt.

The actuator 111 is a drive source (motor) that sets the shielding unit 110 in an open or closed state. The actuator 111 executes control to set the shielding unit 110 in an open or closed state in response to an instruction from the control unit 34. The actuator 111 sets the shielding unit 110 in a closed state when light emission or reception is not required.

When the shielding part 110 is in an open state, the actuator 111 fixes the position of the shielding part 110 at a position that blocks light from the light emitting part 120 toward the opening 50 of the toilet seat 5. For example, when the shielding part 110 is in an open state, the actuator 111 fixes the position of the shielding part 110 at a position that blocks light from the light emitting part 120 that is irradiated between 70 mm and 119 mm forward from the rear end of the opening 50 of the toilet seat 5, between 59 mm on both sides from the center of the left-right direction of the toilet seat 5, and above a plane that is 67 mm downward from the upper end of the center of the front-rear direction of the toilet seat 5. The actuator 111 fixes the position of the shielding part 110 at a position that is set in advance based on the positions and sizes of the light emitting part 120, the shielding part 110, and the opening 50 of the toilet seat 5.

<5-3-2. Opening and closing the shielding part>
Here, the opening and closing of the shielding part 110 of the optical unit 100A will be described with reference to FIG. 20. FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of the opening and closing operation of the shielding part. Specifically, FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the shielding part 110 transitioning between an open state and a closed state. The shielding part 110 transitions between an open state and a closed state by the driving of the actuator 111. In FIG. 20, the shielding part 110 in the closed state will be described as the shielding part 110-1, and the shielding part 110 in the open state will be described as the shielding part 110-2, but will be simply referred to as the "shielding part 110" unless a special distinction is made. In addition, in FIG. 20, in order to show the opening and closing of the shielding part 110, only a part of the main body cover 30 is illustrated, and the nozzle cover 60 covering the opening 31b for the cleaning nozzle 6 and the like are also omitted from the illustration. 20, the main body cover 30 is provided with two openings, an opening 31 for the optical unit 100A and an opening 31b for the cleaning nozzle 6. The opening 31 for the optical unit 100A can be covered with a shielding portion 110. The opening 31b for the cleaning nozzle 6 can be covered with a nozzle cover 60. For example, the opening 31b is provided in the center of the rear side of the toilet bowl 7, and the opening 31 is provided in a position adjacent to the opening 31b.

Shielding section 110-1, which represents shielding section 110 in the closed state, is located in front of light-emitting section 120 and light-receiving section 130. Shielding section 110-1 is approximately flush with body cover 30, and covers the front of light-emitting section 120 and light-receiving section 130. In this way, body cover 30, which is the housing, is located in front of light-emitting section 120 and light-receiving section 130.

The shielding section 110 is located at the position of shielding section 110-1 and in a closed state before the user of the toilet room R sits on the toilet seat 5, when the cleaning nozzle 6 is operating, when defecation detection is completed, etc. In this way, the shielding section 110 prevents the light-emitting section 120 and the light-receiving section 130 from being exposed, and prevents the light-emitting section 120 and the light-receiving section 130 from being visible to the user when entering the toilet room R, and prevents the light-emitting section 120 and the light-receiving section 130 from being splashed with water, etc.

The shielding section 110 is located at the position of shielding section 110-1 and enters a closed state under the control of the actuator 111 by the control section 34. Then, the shielding section 110 transitions from the closed state to an open state under the control of the actuator 111 by the control section 34. For example, in response to detection of a user of the toilet room R sitting on the toilet seat 5, the shielding section 110 transitions from the closed state of shielding section 110-1 to the open state of shielding section 110-2.

The shielding part 110 opens and closes with respect to the body cover 30, with one end side adjacent to the upper end of the opening 31 of the body cover 30 as an axis. The shielding part 110 rotates with one end side as an axis, thereby moving the position of the other end opposite the one end from bottom to top. Thus, in the example of FIG. 20, the shielding part 110 transitions from the closed state shielding part 110-1 to the open state shielding part 110-2 by rotating with respect to the body cover 30. In this way, the other end of the shielding part 110 moves upward, exposing the light emitting element 121 of the light emitting part 120, the lens 131 of the light receiving part 130, etc. from the opening 31 of the body cover 30.

The shielding unit 110 also transitions from an open state to a closed state by the control of the actuator 111 by the control unit 34. The transition from the open state to the closed state is the reverse of the transition from the closed state to the open state described above, and a detailed explanation will be omitted, but the shielding unit 110 rotates around one end side as an axis to move the position of the other end from top to bottom. For example, the shielding unit 110 transitions from the open state shielding unit 110-2 to the closed state shielding unit 110-1 after the user of the toilet room R leaves the toilet seat 5, when the cleaning nozzle 6 is in operation, or when detection of defecation is completed.

<5-3-3. Control flow example>
An example of a control flow based on the relationship between the opening and closing of the shielding portion and detection will be described with reference to Fig. 21. Fig. 21 is a diagram showing an example of a timing chart showing the relationship between the opening and closing of the shielding portion and detection.

The waveform LN1 in FIG. 21 indicates the detection result of the seat sensor (seat detection sensor 33) detecting a user sitting on the toilet seat 5. The waveform LN2 in FIG. 21 indicates the lighting of the LED (light-emitting unit 120) and the reception of light by the sensor (light-receiving unit 130). The waveform LN3 in FIG. 21 indicates the opening and closing of the shielding unit (shielding unit 110).

In the example of FIG. 21, as shown by waveform LN1, at time t1, the seat sensor detects a user sitting on the toilet seat 5. For example, at time t1, the detection result of the seat detection sensor 33 changes from "OFF", indicating that a user sitting on the toilet seat 5 has not been detected, to "ON", indicating that a user sitting on the toilet seat 5 has been detected. Note that before time t1 when the user sitting on the toilet seat 5 is detected, the LED is not lit and the sensor is not receiving light, and the shielding portion is in a closed state.

In response to the seat sensor detecting that a user is seated on the toilet seat 5, the shielding portion transitions from a closed state to an open state, as shown by waveform LN3. For example, the shielding portion 110 goes into the state of shielding portion 110-2 shown in FIG. 20.

In addition, in response to the seating sensor detecting that a user is sitting on the toilet seat 5, the LED starts to light up and the sensor starts to receive light, as shown in waveform LN2. For example, in response to the detection of a user sitting on the toilet seat 5, the light-emitting unit 120 emits light and the light-receiving unit 130 receives light. For example, while it is detected that a user is sitting on the toilet seat 5, the LED lights up and the sensor receives light, and the shielding unit remains open.

After that, as shown in waveform LN1, at time t4, the seat sensor detects that the user has left the toilet seat 5. For example, at time t4, the detection result of the seat detection sensor 33 changes from "ON", which indicates that sitting on the toilet seat 5 has been detected, to "OFF", which indicates that sitting on the toilet seat 5 has not been detected.

In response to the seat sensor detecting that the user has left the toilet seat 5, the shielding portion transitions from an open state to a closed state as shown in waveform LN3. For example, the shielding portion 110 becomes the state of shielding portion 110-1 shown in FIG. 20. In addition, in response to the seat sensor detecting that the user has left the toilet seat 5, the LED stops lighting and the sensor stops receiving light as shown in waveform LN2. In FIG. 21, the period from time t1 to time t2 is the period TM1 during which the toilet is waiting for stool to fall, the period from time t2 to time t3 is the period TM2 during which defecation is detected and data is acquired, and the period from time t3 to time t4 is the period TM3 during which the toilet is waiting for stool to fall.

<5-4. Optical unit>
The configuration of the optical unit including the light emitting section and the light receiving section is not limited to the optical unit 100, and may be various configurations. This point will be described with reference to Figs. 22 and 23. Fig. 22 is a side view showing an example of an optical unit according to a modified example. Fig. 23 is a perspective view showing an example of an optical unit according to a modified example. Note that, in the optical unit 100A, the description of the same points as those of the optical unit 100 will be omitted as appropriate. The optical unit 100A differs from the optical unit 100 in that it has a light emitting section 120A.

As shown in FIG. 23, the light-emitting section 120A of the optical unit 100A has a cylindrical lens 122 placed in front of the light-emitting element 121A to focus light in the vertical direction. Note that the optical units 100 and 100A are merely examples, and the optical unit may have any configuration as long as it can emit the desired light.

The above-described embodiments and variations can be combined as appropriate to the extent that they do not cause inconsistencies in the processing content.

Further advantages and modifications may readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described above. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

R Toilet room 1 Toilet system 2 Toilet seat device 3 Main body 30 Main body cover 31 Opening 310 Shielding part 32 Human body detection sensor 33 Sitting detection sensor 34 Control part (control device)
4 Toilet lid 5 Toilet seat 6 Cleaning nozzle 60 Nozzle cover 7 Western-style toilet bowl (toilet bowl)
71 Solenoid valve 8 Bowl portion 9 Rim portion 10 Operation device 11 Display screen 100 Optical unit 120 Light emitting portion 121 Light emitting element 130 Light receiving portion 131 Lens 132 Light receiving element

Claims (9)

A toilet seat device that is placed on top of a toilet bowl having a bowl portion for receiving excrement,
A toilet seat on which a user sits;
a light emitting unit provided with one or more light emitting elements that emits light forward toward the excrement excreted by the user;
a light receiving section including a light receiving element that receives light reflected from the excrement in response to light emitted by the light emitting section;
a shielding portion disposed in front of and above the light emitting portion and configured to block light from the light emitting portion toward an opening of the toilet seat;
a light-transmitting window provided between the light-emitting unit, the light-receiving unit, and a shielding unit;
A toilet seat device comprising: The shielding portion is
The toilet seat device according to claim 1, characterized in that the central axis of the light emitting part is not blocked, and light emitted toward an assumed buttocks position, which is the assumed position of the user's buttocks when the user sits on the toilet seat, is blocked. The light emitting unit includes:
The light emitting unit is provided behind the center of the bowl portion, and the center axis of the light emitting unit is tilted downward from the horizontal,
The light receiving unit is
The toilet seat apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the light receiving unit is provided rearward of the center of the bowl portion, and the central axis of the light receiving unit is inclined downward from the horizontal. The shielding portion is
The toilet seat apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the surface facing the light emitting unit is oriented downward from the horizontal. The shielding portion is
The toilet seat device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the light radiated by the light emitting unit does not block light that spreads in the left and right directions when viewed from the front along which the central axis of the light emitting unit extends. The shielding portion is
The toilet seat apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that at least a part of the area onto which the light from the light emitting portion is irradiated is black. A seating sensor that detects a user sitting on the toilet seat;
having
The toilet seat device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the shielding portion can be opened and closed freely, and is in an open state during a period in which the seating sensor detects a user being seated, during which the light-emitting portion emits light, and during which the light-receiving portion receives the reflected light. The shielding portion is
The toilet seat device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it blocks light from the light-emitting element that is irradiated between 70 mm and 119 mm forward from the rear end of the opening of the toilet seat, between 59 mm on both sides from the left- right center of the toilet seat, and above a plane that is 67 mm downward from the upper end of the center of the front-to-rear direction of the toilet seat. An excrement detection device that is disposed in a toilet having a bowl portion for receiving excrement,
A toilet seat on which a user sits;
a light emitting unit provided with one or more light emitting elements that emits light forward toward the excrement excreted by the user;
a light receiving section including a light receiving element that receives light reflected from the excrement in response to light emitted by the light emitting section;
a shielding portion disposed in front of and above the light emitting portion and configured to block light from the light emitting portion toward an opening of the toilet seat;
a light-transmitting window provided between the light-emitting unit, the light-receiving unit, and a shielding unit;
An excrement detection device comprising:

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