Global Patent Index - EP 1579136 A4

EP 1579136 A4 20091209 - OPTICAL SENSORS AND ALGORITHMS FOR CONTROLING AUTOMATIC BATHROOM FLUSHERS AND FAUCETS

Title (en)

OPTICAL SENSORS AND ALGORITHMS FOR CONTROLING AUTOMATIC BATHROOM FLUSHERS AND FAUCETS

Title (de)

OPTISCHE SENSOREN UND ALGORITHMEN ZUR STEUERUNG VON BADEZIMMER-SPÜLVORRICHTUNGEN UND -WASSERHÄHNEN

Title (fr)

CAPTEURS OPTIQUES ET ALGORITHMES PERMETTANT DE COMMANDER LES CHASSES D'EAU ET ROBINETS D'UNE SALLE DE BAIN AUTOMATIQUES

Publication

EP 1579136 A4 20091209 (EN)

Application

EP 03808568 A 20031226

Priority

  • US 0341303 W 20031226
  • US 0241576 W 20021226
  • US 0320117 W 20030624
  • US 51372203 P 20031022
  • US 0338730 W 20031204

Abstract (en)

[origin: WO2004051011A1] A passive optical sensor includes a light detector sensitive to ambient (room) light for controlling, for example, the operation of automatic faucets (10, 10A, 10B, 10C) or automatic bathroom flushers (100, 100A). The passive optical sensors provide signals to flow controllers, including control electronics (400) and flow valves (38, 140) and require only very small amounts of electrical power for sensing users of bathroom facilities, and thus enable battery operation for many years. To control the operation of automatic faucets or automatic bathroom flushers based on ambient light, the controller executes novel algorithms (600, 900).

IPC 8 full level

E03C 1/05 (2006.01); E03D 5/10 (2006.01); F16K 31/02 (2006.01)

CPC (source: EP US)

E03C 1/057 (2013.01 - EP US); E03D 5/105 (2013.01 - EP US)

Citation (search report)

Designated contracting state (EPC)

AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IT LI LU MC NL PT RO SE SI SK TR

DOCDB simple family (publication)

WO 2004051011 A1 20040617; AT E328164 T1 20060615; AU 2003297994 A1 20040623; AU 2003297994 B2 20100121; AU 2003303592 A1 20040729; CA 2507504 A1 20040617; CA 2507504 C 20150127; CA 2511809 A1 20040722; DE 60305732 D1 20060706; DE 60305732 T2 20070531; EP 1567730 A1 20050831; EP 1567730 B1 20060531; EP 1579136 A1 20050928; EP 1579136 A4 20091209; JP 2006509200 A 20060316; JP 2011242384 A 20111201; JP 4999273 B2 20120815; JP 5580229 B2 20140827; WO 2004061343 A1 20040722

DOCDB simple family (application)

US 0338730 W 20031204; AT 03796714 T 20031204; AU 2003297994 A 20031204; AU 2003303592 A 20031226; CA 2507504 A 20031204; CA 2511809 A 20031226; DE 60305732 T 20031204; EP 03796714 A 20031204; EP 03808568 A 20031226; JP 2004557614 A 20031204; JP 2011039611 A 20110225; US 0341303 W 20031226