Smart electronic faucet system

Abstract

The disclosed smart electronic faucet system uses voice commands to control the flow of water dispensed. The disclosed smart electronic faucet system is a hybrid system that uses computing resources locally available within the faucet itself for time-sensitive commands and computing resources of a network-connected server system or computing device for commands that do not have time-sensitivity. Upon receiving a voice command, the disclosed smart electronic faucet system analyzes the command to determine whether the command is time-sensitive and, if the command is time-sensitive, uses the computing resources located within the faucet to process the command to determine a control action to be taken by the faucet. Otherwise, the faucet sends the command to a server computer or computing device that is remotely located but communicatively connected to the faucet, which then processes the command and returns a control action to be taken by the faucet.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 086886, filed October 2, 2020, entitled SMART ELECTRONIC FAUCET SYSTEM, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Priority to the aforementioned U.S. Provisional Patent Application is claimed to the extent appropriate. Background Technology

[0003] A faucet typically includes mechanical parts for controlling the temperature and flow of water. In many cases, the mechanical valve controls the hot and cold water inlets via one or more faucet handles. Typically, the user operates the mechanical valve to regulate the hot / cold mixing and water flow by manipulating one or more faucet handles. However, the user's hands may be preoccupied and may not always be able to manipulate the handles to regulate the flow of water being dispensed by the faucet. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Generally speaking, this disclosure pertains to intelligent electronic faucet systems.

[0005] In one example aspect, a method is provided for controlling water dispensed from a faucet in response to receiving a voice command. The method includes: receiving a voice command associated with operation of the faucet at the faucet; comparing the received voice command with a list of one or more predetermined local commands to determine whether the voice command is one of one or more predetermined local commands to be processed at the faucet for determining a control action, or whether the voice command is not one or more predetermined local commands and is to be transmitted to a server for remotely determining a control action; if it is determined that the received voice command includes at least one of one or more predetermined local commands: analyzing the voice command at the faucet to determine a control action to be taken by the faucet in response to the voice command; and causing the faucet to perform the control action; if it is determined that the received voice command does not include at least one or more predetermined local commands: sending the voice command from the faucet to a server communicatively connected to the faucet; receiving from the server the control action to be taken by the faucet in response to the voice command; and causing the faucet to perform the control action.

[0006] In a second aspect, an electronically voice-controlled faucet system is disclosed. The system includes: a faucet comprising: a microphone configured to receive a voice command from a user; an electronic flow control system for regulating the flow of water being dispensed by the faucet; and a controller including a processor and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: receive a voice command from the microphone; compare the received voice command with a list of one or more predetermined local commands; upon determining that the received voice command includes at least one of one or more predetermined local commands: analyze the received voice command to identify a control action to be taken by the faucet in response to the voice command; and cause the electronic flow control system to regulate the flow of water being dispensed based on the identified control action associated with the received voice command.

[0007] In a third aspect, a faucet is disclosed. The faucet includes: a controller comprising a processor and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: receive a voice command from a user via a microphone embedded in the faucet; compare the received voice command with a list of one or more predetermined local commands to determine whether the voice command is one of one or more predetermined local commands to be processed at the faucet for determining a control action, or whether the voice command is not one or more predetermined local commands and is to be transmitted to a remote server for remotely determining a control action; when it is determined that the received voice command is one or more predetermined local commands: analyze the received voice command to identify a control action to be taken by the faucet in response to the voice command; and cause an electronic flow control system associated with the faucet to regulate the flow of water dispensed from the faucet based on the identified control action associated with the received voice command. Attached Figure Description

[0008] Figure 1 An example smart electronic faucet system according to an example implementation of the present disclosure is shown.

[0009] Figure 2 An example smart electronic faucet system according to one possible implementation is shown.

[0010] Figure 3A A perspective view of an example faucet according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0011] Figure 3B A perspective view of an example faucet according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0012] Figure 3C It shows including Figure 3BAn example smart electronic faucet system is shown in perspective, which further shows an exploded view of the faucet handle.

[0013] Figure 3D This is a front view of an example faucet according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0014] Figure 3E This is a perspective view of an example voice-controlled kitchen faucet according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 4 An embodiment of the faucet components under the countertop is shown for close-up observation.

[0016] Figure 5 An embodiment showing a detailed view of a faucet handle;

[0017] Figure 6 A front view showing the degree of rotation of a faucet handle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, demonstrating the extent to which the faucet handle can rotate along one axis of the faucet handle.

[0018] Figure 7 A side view showing the degree of rotation of a faucet handle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, demonstrating the extent to which the faucet handle can rotate along another axis of the faucet handle.

[0019] Figure 8 A simplified diagram showing the water discharge values ​​from two water inlet hoses with a given faucet handle position, according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0020] Figure 9 A flowchart illustrating an example of faucet operation is shown.

[0021] Figure 10 A flowchart illustrating another example of faucet operation is shown.

[0022] Figures 11A to 11D Example icons are shown for use with faucets.

[0023] Figure 12 A perspective view of some components of the needle valve flow control box is shown;

[0024] Figure 13 yes Figure 12 A cross-sectional view of the flow control box;

[0025] Figure 14A , Figure 14B and Figure 14C The components of an example flow control box with servo motor controls are shown.

[0026] Figure 15A flowchart illustrating an example method for operating a faucet is shown.

[0027] Figure 16 A perspective view of an example smart electronic faucet system is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The accompanying drawings and descriptions provided herein have been simplified to illustrate aspects relevant to a clear understanding of the apparatuses, systems, and methods described herein, while other aspects that may be found in typical apparatuses, systems, and methods have been omitted for clarity. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other elements and / or operations may be desired and / or necessary for implementing the apparatuses, systems, and methods described herein. Since such elements and operations are well known in the art and do not contribute to a better understanding of this disclosure, a discussion of such elements and operations may not be provided herein. However, this disclosure is intended to inherently include all such elements, variations, and modifications to the described aspects that will be known to those skilled in the art.

[0029] References to "one embodiment," "implementation," "illustrative embodiment," etc., in the specification indicate that the described embodiment may include specific features, structures, or characteristics; however, each embodiment may or may not include those specific features, structures, or characteristics. Furthermore, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Additionally, when a specific feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is assumed that, whether explicitly described or not, its influence on such feature, structure, or characteristic in conjunction with other embodiments is within the knowledge of those skilled in the art. Furthermore, it should be understood that items included in a list in the form of "at least one A, B, and C" may mean (A); (B); (C); (A and B); (A and C); (B and C); or (A, B, and C). Similarly, items listed in the form of "at least one of A, B, or C" may mean (A); (B); (C); (A and B); (A and C); (B and C); or (A, B, and C).

[0030] In the accompanying drawings, some structural or methodological features may be shown in a specific arrangement and / or order. However, it should be understood that such a specific arrangement and / or order may not be necessary. Rather, in some embodiments, such features may be arranged in a different manner and / or order than those shown in the illustrative drawings. Furthermore, the inclusion of structural or methodological features in a particular drawing does not imply that such features are required in all embodiments, and in some embodiments, such features may be omitted or may be combined with other features.

[0031] Typically, a faucet includes one or more handles or levers that can be manipulated to regulate the flow of water dispensed from the faucet. However, a user's hands may be preoccupied or otherwise busy, and they may not always be able to physically manipulate one or more faucet handles to control the flow of water. At least in the case of kitchen faucets, some examples of situations where a user might prefer to control the water flow without physically adjusting the faucet handles include: the user's hands may be unclean or have food on them, and the user may not want to soil the faucet by touching it; the user may want to fill a pot with water while busy with another kitchen task and may want to turn off the water flow without having to stop their current task; the user may want to change the water temperature when their hands are occupied, etc. In addition to these situations, being able to control the volume of water dispensed, the duration of water dispensing, the temperature of the dispensed water, etc., can also be beneficial.

[0032] While smart faucets exist that connect to computing devices or servers using voice recognition technology to control the flow of water dispensed from the tap, the latency in transmitting control signals and data between the faucet and the remote server / computing device introduces a significant lag that makes this feature impractical in many situations. For example, a user trying to fill a pot with water might express a command such as "turn off the tap" when the water level is satisfactory. However, the time it takes for the computing device (e.g., an Amazon Echo device) to receive the command, relay it to a server computer, receive a response with the faucet's control action from the server computer, send the control action back to the faucet, and then for the faucet to interpret and execute the control action creates a sufficient lag that the faucet might not stop the flow of water for several seconds. This latency could cause the pot to overflow and result in waste. The severe and sometimes unpredictable lag caused when sending and retrieving data between the faucet and the remote computing device / server using a network connection makes such a system impractical for such situations.

[0033] Furthermore, processing all commands locally within the faucet is impractical due to the sheer amount of storage and processing power required for a computing device to interpret the user's language. A network connection is useful for accessing the internet to identify and interpret user commands. Therefore, in the example embodiments described herein, a hybrid system is provided that uses local computing resources for a short list of time-sensitive commands and the larger resources of a network-connected server for commands that are not time-sensitive, potentially resulting in a more practical and usable smart faucet system.

[0034] For example, commands such as "turn on the tap" or "turn off the tap" might be time-sensitive and processed locally using computing resources integrated within the tap itself. Other commands, such as "dispense 8 ounces of water" or "dispense water for 30 seconds," might not be as time-sensitive and could be authorized to be processed using computing resources remotely located and communicatively connected to the tap. Furthermore, frequently used commands and / or commands requiring minimal latency can be stored in or updated within the tap's local computing resources, while rarely used commands can be stored remotely. Thus, the specific commands implemented locally at any given tap may change over time, for example, due to user preferences, ensuring low latency for time-sensitive and / or frequently used commands while preserving a large, scalable library of remote commands that can also be used.

[0035] In one implementation, the smart electronic faucet system can receive voice commands from a user. Upon receiving a command, the faucet can first determine whether the command is time-sensitive. This determination can be made by comparing the received command with a database of time-sensitive commands stored locally within the faucet. If the received command matches one of the commands in the local command database, the command is classified as a "local command" and processed locally using computing resources integrated into the faucet. If the received command does not match any of the commands in the local command database, the command is classified as a "scalable command" and transmitted to a computing device, such as an IoT device or server computer, communicatively connected to the faucet via a network connection. The command is then processed at a remotely located computing device or server, and the control action to be taken by the faucet is relayed back to the faucet from the computing device or server.

[0036] Figure 1 An example intelligent electronic faucet system 100 is shown. The intelligent electronic faucet system 100 includes a faucet 120 communicatively linked to a computing device 130, which in turn is communicatively connected to a server computer 140. The faucet 120 uses a microphone associated with the faucet 120 to receive voice commands from a user 110. Upon receiving a voice command, a controller associated with the faucet 120 analyzes the voice command to determine the presence of one or more key phrases. If the controller determines that the voice command includes a key phrase, then the operation of the faucet 120 is controlled based on the voice command. Alternatively, if the controller determines that the voice command does not include any key phrases, then the voice command can be transmitted to the computing device 130 via a communication link. The computing device 130 can then access the server computer 140 to determine what action to take based on the received voice command. Components associated with the intelligent electronic faucet system 100 are described below. Figure 2To describe in more detail.

[0037] Figure 2 A detailed example 200 of an intelligent electronic faucet system 100 is shown. The faucet system 200 includes an electronic control system 210 for controlling the dispensing of water from a faucet 120. Figure 1 In the example shown, the control system 210 includes a controller 240, which includes a processor 242 and a memory 246. The processor 242 processes signals received from the faucet circuit system 230 to send signals to the flow control box 250, and the memory 246 stores instructions to be executed by the processor 242. The control system also includes a power supply 260 connected to the controller 240 and the flow control box 250.

[0038] In some embodiments, the control system 210 additionally or alternatively includes a faucet handle 220 as part of the faucet 120, wherein the faucet handle 220 receives information from... Figure 5 The input of at least one of the gyroscope 222, magnetometer 224 and accelerometer 226 of the described sensor PCBA.

[0039] In one embodiment, the faucet handle 220 is positioned above the countertop, and the controller 240, flow control box 250, and power supply 260 are positioned below the countertop. Components of the control system can be suitably arranged above and below the countertop. The power supply 260 supplies power to the faucet handle 220 via the controller 240. In another embodiment, the power supply 260 can be directly connected to the faucet handle 220. The power supply 260 can be power supplied from a socket and converted as needed for use by the controller 240, flow control box 250, and faucet handle 220. The flow control box 250 may have a separate power supply 260 compared to the controller 240. The power supply 260 can be any power source used to supply power for the functions of the faucet handle 220, controller 240, and flow control box 250.

[0040] In one embodiment, the faucet handle 220 detects its spatial orientation using at least one of a gyroscope 222, a magnetometer 224, and an accelerometer 226. In another embodiment, the faucet handle 220 may use other sensors to detect its spatial orientation. The faucet handle 220 may transmit signals received from sensors 222, 224, and 226 to a controller 240 to use an algorithm to determine the water temperature and the flow rate of water to be discharged from the nozzle 320 (about...). Figure 3A(To be discussed in further detail). In another embodiment, controller 240 may use a lookup table to determine the water temperature and the flow rate of water to be discharged from sprinkler head 320. After determining the water temperature and flow rate, controller 240 may send signals to flow control box 250 to control servo motors 1 252 and servo motor 2 254 to regulate the temperature and flow rate of water distributed from sprinkler head 320. Flow control box 250 receives hot and cold water from water supply inlet hose 350 to output water at the desired temperature and flow rate to sprinkler head 320 via pull-down hose 340.

[0041] In some embodiments, faucet 120 may include faucet circuitry 230, which includes a microphone 232 and / or a speaker 234 for enabling voice communication. In other embodiments, faucet circuitry 230 may also include networking circuitry 236 (e.g., Bluetooth, WiFi, mesh networking, ZigBee, etc.) to communicatively couple faucet 120 to other components. In still other embodiments, circuitry 230 may also include control circuitry (e.g., a microcontroller, processor, or other embedded system), sensors and sensor circuitry (e.g., inertial motion units or IMUs, flow, pressure, temperature, Hall effect, etc.), or other circuitry 238.

[0042] In some embodiments, one or more components of the faucet circuit system 230 or the faucet circuit system 230 itself may be located within the faucet handle 220. In other embodiments, one or more components of the faucet circuit system 230 and / or the faucet circuit system 230 itself may be located in other areas of the faucet 120, such as the faucet body or other areas.

[0043] In some implementations, faucet 120 may additionally or alternatively be communicatively coupled (e.g., via links 2 and 3) to computing device 130, which in turn is communicatively coupled to server 140 or a cloud network service. In one implementation, faucet 120 may be communicatively coupled to computing device 130, such as a commercially available consumer device (e.g., an Internet of Things device, such as Amazon Echo). TM Or Google Home TM The computing device 130 can also be communicatively coupled to the server 140 (e.g., an Amazon Web Services server), the Internet, or other computing devices. See reference... Figure 15 As further described, the faucet 120 can use the functions of the computing device 130 (e.g., voice recognition capabilities, network capabilities, programmable functions, etc.) to upgrade its own functions.

[0044] In some implementations, after receiving a voice command from a user using a voice-enabled microphone 232 associated with the circuitry 230, the faucet 120 can transmit the voice command to the controller 240. Stored instructions in the memory 246 of the controller 240 assist the processor 242 in analyzing the voice command and determining whether it includes one or more predetermined key phrases. If the processor 242 detects one or more key phrases within the voice command, it further analyzes the voice command and uses the flow control box 250 to control the operation of the faucet 120 based on the received voice command.

[0045] In other embodiments, after receiving a voice command, the processor 242 may determine that the voice command does not include any of the predetermined key phrases. In such cases, the circuit system 230 communicates with other computing devices via a communication link (e.g., the Internet), or with a server or another component (e.g., a networked computing device or cloud network service), to determine what action to take based on the received voice command.

[0046] In some implementations, the faucet 120 may have more than one microphone. For example, the microphones may be positioned adjacent to each other or at separate points on the faucet body. As an example, the faucet may have one microphone on the front of the faucet body (facing the sink) and another microphone on the back (facing the back panel). As another example, the faucet 120 may have one microphone on the front of the faucet body (facing the sink) and another microphone on the top of the spout (facing the ceiling). In yet another example, one or more microphones may be positioned on the faucet handle 220. Many variations in positioning may be used depending on the situation.

[0047] The control system 210 also includes a flow control box 250, which includes servo motors 1 252 and 2 254 for controlling the output of water received from the water supply inlet hose 350 (not shown) to a determined flow rate and temperature based on the spatial orientation of the faucet handle 220. Servo motor 1 252 may be a servo motor for controlling the entry of cold water into the system. Servo motor 2 254 may be a servo motor for controlling the entry of hot water into the system. In some embodiments, the flow control box 250 may use more than two servo motors to control the temperature and flow rate of the water. The flow control box 250 may also use a series of solenoids, needle valves, stepper motors, etc., to control the temperature and flow rate of the water as needed.

[0048] In one implementation, networking more than one faucet provides additional functionality and metrics. For example, a household may include more than one faucet with the functionality described herein, enabling the tracking of total household water consumption through the faucet (as well as other metrics such as temperature, time, etc.). This data can be beneficial for predictive metrics and save time and money. For example, a household may be better able to predict when and how much hot water will be needed, so that the required amount of water is heated only at the right time.

[0049] Figures 3A to 3E Example kitchen faucets are shown according to different embodiments of this disclosure.

[0050] Figure 3A A perspective view of an example faucet 120 according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. Although this disclosure will discuss kitchen faucets for illustrative purposes, the control system described herein can be implemented in any type of faucet, including bathroom faucets, whether the faucet has a single handle or two handles. Although faucet 120 is shown as a pull-down kitchen faucet for illustrative purposes, this disclosure includes other types of faucets, including but not limited to pull-out faucets. In the example shown, faucet 120 includes a faucet body 310, a faucet handle 220, and a spray head 320 that can be detached or disengaged from the faucet body 310. The faucet body 310 can be of different shapes to provide different connections to the faucet handle 220 or the spray head 320. For example, in another embodiment, the faucet body 310 may be flush with the faucet handle 220 to provide a more streamlined appearance that reduces the space required by the faucet 120. In another embodiment, the faucet handle 220 does not need to be directly connected to the faucet body 310 but can be located away from the faucet body 310.

[0051] As shown, the faucet 120 can be manually controlled (e.g., temperature, water flow, and on / off) using the handle 220. In some cases, the faucet 120 can be manually adjusted electronically, such as using a hands-free sensor, touch activation, a button, or other interface. As discussed further below, the handle 220 can detect its spatial orientation and send a signal via signal line 330 to the controller 240 to control the water flow using the flow control box 250.

[0052] As further discussed herein, faucet 120 may also be electronically controlled using voice and / or speech control. The terms “voice control” and “speech recognition” are used interchangeably to broadly refer to features of a faucet used to identify a user based on their spoken words. Regarding speech recognition, for example, a faucet may use speech recognition to have user-based presets regarding temperature, flow, volume, filtration, and / or other faucet controls based on user identification. In one embodiment, for example, the faucet may have a user-based preset regarding the volume of water dispensed into a container. For example, a first user may have a preset of 20 ounces in response to the command “Dispense water into my glass,” while a second user may have a preset of 32 ounces for the same command. The faucet may include speech recognition to identify which user stated the command and dispense the volume of water consistent with that user’s preset. Faucet 120 may also include speech recognition for resolving a user’s spoken words into commands to be performed by the faucet. For example, the faucet’s speech recognition may interpret commands such as “Dispense 8 ounces of water” and “Dispense water at 150 degrees.” In some cases, speech recognition and spoken language recognition can be used in conjunction. For example, a faucet can use speech recognition to understand a preset volume of water for the command "Dispense water into my teacup," while spoken language recognition will parse spoken words into commands that the faucet can recognize. Throughout this specification, for the purpose of simplifying this disclosure, examples may describe only speech recognition or only spoken language recognition; however, it should be understood that in each of these examples, the faucet may include both speech recognition and spoken language recognition, depending on the circumstances.

[0053] exist Figure 3A In the illustrated embodiment, the flow control box 250 is connected to a pull-down hose 340 to provide fluid communication from the water supply inlet hose 350 to the sprinkler head 320. Typically, the water supply inlet hose 350 can supply both cold and hot water to be discharged from the sprinkler head 320.

[0054] Figure 3B A perspective view of an example faucet according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. Figure 3C It shows including Figure 3B An example smart electronic faucet system 300 is shown in perspective view, which further shows an exploded view of the faucet handle.

[0055] exist Figure 3B and Figure 3CIn the example shown, faucet 120 includes a faucet body 310, a faucet handle 220, and a nozzle 320 that can be detached or disengaged from the faucet body 310. The faucet handle 220 may be substantially or completely integrated into the faucet body 310. The handle 220 can detect its spatial orientation and transmit a signal via signal line 330 to a controller 240 to control water flow using a flow control box 250. Additionally or alternatively, as shown by the cut-off portion of the faucet handle 220, faucet 120 may include a circuit system 230, such as a control circuit system (e.g., a microcontroller, processor, or other embedded system), a networking circuit system 236, sensors and sensor circuit systems (e.g., an IMU, a microphone 232, a speaker 234, flow, pressure, temperature, Hall effect, etc.), or other circuit systems 238. The circuit system 230 may be coupled to the signal line 330, which in turn may be coupled to the controller 240 or other control circuit systems.

[0056] Return to reference Figure 2 The faucet 120 is communicatively connected to the server 140 via a network. In some examples, the faucet 120 can be directly connected to the server 140 via a network. In some examples, the faucet 120 may first be communicatively connected to a computing device 130. For example, the computing device 130 may include a commercially available consumer device (e.g., Amazon Echo). TM Or Google Home TM The computing device 130 can also be communicatively coupled to the server 140 (e.g., an Amazon Web Services server), the Internet, or other computing devices. In some cases, the faucet 120 can use the capabilities of the computing device 130 (e.g., voice recognition capabilities, networking capabilities, programmable functions, etc.) to upgrade its own functionality.

[0057] In some embodiments, faucet 120 receives voice commands from user 110. Faucet 120 uses microphone 232 or another device capable of receiving voice commands to receive them. In some embodiments, microphone 232 is built into faucet handle 220. In other embodiments, the microphone may be located in other areas of faucet 120, including faucet body 310. Upon receiving a voice command, faucet 120 uses a processor to analyze the voice command.

[0058] In some cases, the faucet 120 can be controlled by speaking a pre-defined voice command, which can be triggered by a predetermined and recognized voice such as "faucet" or "computer". A microphone 232, along with a microcontroller circuit or processing unit located within the faucet 120 and communicatively connected to the microphone, continuously or periodically listens for voice triggers. Upon hearing a trigger word, the microphone 232 is activated to record any word or phrase following the trigger word that forms the voice command.

[0059] In some implementations, voice commands may include one or more control actions that the user wants the faucet 120 to perform. The control actions described herein are not intended to be limiting and include, for example, turning the water flow on and off, adjusting the flow, temperature, rate, volume, and duration of water dispensed by the faucet. It should be noted that the examples of control actions and voice triggers discussed above are intended as exemplary rather than limiting. For example, one or more safety actions may also be included in association with the faucet actuation control action. For example, in some cases where the control action includes actuating or opening the faucet valve to dispense water, further control actions may be preset to occur, for example, within a predetermined amount of time or based on sensing conditions detected by sensors around the faucet (e.g., water rising above a predetermined level) to turn the faucet off or shut it off. Furthermore, other safety checks may be included in the control action, for example, to determine the user's proximity before dispensing water, or to gradually adjust the water flow over time such that the water flow gradually decreases near the end of the dispensing control action.

[0060] In some embodiments, the processor for analyzing voice commands may include a processor 242 located within controller 240. In such a case, the voice command is transmitted to the processor 242 included in controller 240 using signal line 330. Processor 242 analyzes the voice command using instructions stored in memory 246 to determine the presence of one or more keywords or phrases. In other embodiments, the processor for analyzing voice commands is a microcontroller circuitry that may be included in faucet circuitry system 230. In such a case, the voice command is received by microphone 232 and transmitted to the microcontroller circuitry included in faucet circuitry system 230. The microcontroller circuitry analyzes the voice command to determine the presence of one or more keywords or phrases. Other types of processing units located in other locations associated with the faucet may also be used to analyze the received voice commands.

[0061] In some implementations, the analysis of a voice command includes determining whether the voice command can be processed locally (meaning within the faucet or the nearest circuitry system) or whether it can be processed remotely using server 140 or computing system 130. This determination is based on the analysis of words or phrases included in the voice command. For example, the voice command is parsed, and it is determined whether the words or phrases included in the voice command are from a predetermined list of words or phrases. If the voice command includes one or more keywords or phrases, then the voice command is classified as a local command, and the voice command is processed locally within the faucet 120 itself. On the other hand, if the voice command does not include any keywords or phrases from the predetermined list of keywords, then the voice command is classified as an extensible command, and the voice command is transmitted to server 140 or computing device 130 for further processing. In such a case, computing device 130 or server 140 further processes the voice command and sends one or more instructions back to faucet 120 regarding what action to take for the faucet to follow.

[0062] In some implementations, any action taken by the faucet 120 that requires reduced time delay is typically performed locally to avoid the longer time delays associated with transmitting and receiving instructions from a remote server and / or computing device. For example, commands to turn the faucet on and off or change the faucet's dispensing mode may require immediate action from the faucet. Therefore, commands such as "turn on the faucet," "turn off the faucet," "change the dispensing mode," etc., may be included in a list of predetermined keywords and phrases. On the other hand, commands to dispense a certain amount of water or change the water to a certain temperature may be more tolerable in terms of time delay. Therefore, commands such as "dispense ... ounces of water" or "set the water to ... degrees" may not be included in the list of predetermined keywords and phrases.

[0063] In some implementations, the list of predetermined keywords or phrases that trigger local actions may be stored in memory 246 or in microcontroller circuitry that may be included in the faucet circuitry 230. The list of predetermined keywords or phrases may be updated manually over time, for example, by the user selecting a specific command, or automatically based on the frequency of use of a specific command, using the networked circuitry 236.

[0064] Figure 3D This is a front view of an example faucet according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 3D In the example shown, the faucet 120 includes a faucet body 310, a faucet handle 220, and a nozzle 320 that can be separated from or detached from the faucet body 310.

[0065] Figure 3EThis is a perspective view of an example voice-controlled kitchen faucet according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 3E In the example shown, the faucet 120 includes a faucet body 310, a nozzle 320 that can be separated or detached from the faucet body 310, and an interface 360. In such... Figure 3E In some embodiments of the illustrated example, the faucet 120 does not include a faucet handle 220 because the faucet 120 is controlled in other ways (e.g., via voice command). In some embodiments, the interface 360 ​​is integrated within the faucet body 310. For illustrative purposes, Figure 3E An interface 360 ​​is shown with two illuminated icons (a sink icon and a logo icon). When the interface 360 ​​is not illuminated, the faucet body 310 may appear as a single integrated piece without any interface 360. Therefore, the interface 360 ​​is only visible when one or more parts of it are illuminated or otherwise actuated. As an example, when the interface 360 ​​is not illuminated or actuated, the faucet body 310 may appear as a single piece of matte chrome. In some implementations (e.g., when the faucet 120 receives an instruction or voice command), LEDs may be illuminated on the interface 360, and light may pass through the faucet body 310 as in a one-way display (e.g., in the shape of an icon).

[0066] Figure 4 An embodiment 400 of the components of the faucet 120 under the countertop (not shown) is illustrated with a close-up view. As mentioned above, in this embodiment, the controller 240 is connected to the flow control box 250 via a signal line 330 to analyze signals transmitted from the faucet handle 220 to control the flow of water from the water inlet hose 350. The flow control box 250 can mix the water from the water inlet hose 350 to provide a user-selected flow of water to be discharged from the nozzle 320. The flow control box 250 is positioned under the countertop of the faucet 120 as shown. The flow control box 250 can be positioned elsewhere as appropriate to receive signals from the controller 240 via the signal line 330 and to supply water to be discharged from the nozzle 320 via a pull-down hose 340. The flow control box 250 can be positioned in different locations depending on the situation to provide more space under the countertop of the faucet 120.

[0067] In the example shown, controller 240 is located outside the flow control box 250. In another embodiment, controller 240 may also be located inside the flow control box 250. In yet another embodiment, controller 240 may be located above the countertop of faucet 120. Controller 240 may also be located inside the faucet handle 220.

[0068] The connection between the faucet handle 220, the controller 240, and the flow control box 250 is shown as a wired connection via signal line 330. In another embodiment, communication between the faucet handle 220, the controller 240, the interface 360, and / or the flow control box 250 can be wireless.

[0069] Figure 5 Embodiment 500 is shown with close observation of the faucet handle 220. In some embodiments, the flow of water can be controlled using the faucet handle without using voice commands. In other embodiments, the flow of water dispensed by the faucet 120 can be controlled using voice commands without needing to adjust the faucet handle 220.

[0070] Figure 5 The embodiment shown describes a faucet handle 220 and how the handle 220 can be adjusted to control the flow of water. Figure 5 The handle 220 shown includes a cutaway to reveal components inside the faucet handle 220. In the example shown, the faucet handle 220 includes a sensor printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) 510 connected to signal line 330. As shown, the faucet handle 220 is connected to the faucet body 310 via a fixed faucet handle seat 520 and a movable faucet handle seat 530. The fixed faucet handle seat 520 is connected to the faucet body 310. The fixed faucet handle seat 520 may be part of the faucet body 310. The movable faucet handle seat 530 is movably connected to the fixed faucet handle seat 320. The movable faucet handle seat 530 is also connected to the faucet handle 220. The movable faucet handle seat 530 may be part of the faucet handle 220. The connection between the fixed faucet handle seat 520 and the movable faucet handle seat 530 allows the faucet handle 220 to rotate rotatably along at least two axes of rotation. In one embodiment, one axis of rotation may represent the water flow being discharged from the nozzle 320, while another axis of rotation may represent the temperature of the water being discharged from the nozzle 320. Although in the example shown, the fixed faucet handle base 520 and the movable faucet handle base 530 extend from the faucet body 310, these components may be integral with the faucet body 310 to provide greater flexibility in the shape and size of the faucet body 310.

[0071] In one embodiment, the faucet handle 220 can be movably connected to the faucet body 310 without a fixed faucet handle seat 520 and a movable faucet handle seat 530. The faucet handle 220 can also be movably connected to the spray head 320. As discussed above, the faucet handle 220 can be completely separated from the faucet body 310 and movably connected to a surface for movement along two axes of rotation.

[0072] In some embodiments, sensor PCBA 30 is configured to detect the spatial orientation of the faucet handle 220. In one embodiment, sensor PCBA 510 is an inertial motion unit (IMU) sensor 510. Sensor PCBA 510 can transmit signals to controller 240 via signal line 330 for interpretation. After controller 240 determines the spatial orientation of the faucet handle 220 based on the signals provided by sensor PCBA 510, controller 240 can transmit signals to flow control box 250 and control the water temperature and flow rate to be discharged from nozzle 320.

[0073] When using voice commands instead of the position of the faucet handle 220 to adjust the water flow, according to... Figure 2 The process described further involves analyzing the received voice command, and the processor 242 converts the recognized control action into a signal sent to the flow control box 250 to control the water flow. For example, the processor 242 can convert the control action of "setting the water temperature to 100 degrees" into a signal sent to the flow control box 250 in the same way that a signal from the sensor PCBA indicating that the faucet handle has been set to hot is converted into a signal sent to the flow control box 250.

[0074] Figure 6 An example of stepwise movement 600 of the faucet handle 220 from an initial position with no water flow to a fully extended position with maximum water flow is shown. In the example shown, the faucet body 310 is connected to a fixed faucet handle seat 520. A movable faucet handle seat 530 is movably connected to the fixed faucet handle seat 520. The faucet handle 220 is connected to the movable faucet handle seat 530, so that a user can manipulate the faucet handle 220 along an axis about the faucet body 310 as shown.

[0075] In the illustrated embodiment, the faucet handle 220 has three distinct positions, as shown in the phantom, from the initial position to the fully extended position. In another embodiment, the faucet handle 220 may have multiple positions that can be achieved between the initial position and the fully extended position. In one embodiment, when the faucet handle 220 is in a certain position... Figure 6When rotated as shown, faucet handle 220 sends a signal to controller 240 to control flow control box 250 to discharge more water at a determined temperature as discussed below. In one embodiment, faucet 120 does not discharge any water when faucet handle 220 is in the initial position. As faucet handle 220 rotates from the initial position, faucet 120 begins to discharge a variable amount of water depending on the position of faucet handle 220. Sensor PCBA 30 uses gyroscope 222, magnetometer 48, and / or accelerometer 226 to detect position and sends a signal to controller 240 to determine how much water to discharge. Controller 240 then sends a signal to flow control box 250 to discharge a determined flow rate of water leaving pull-down hose 340 to nozzle 320 using servo motors 252, 254.

[0076] Figure 7 An example rotation 700 of the faucet handle 220 from its initial position to one side and from its initial position to the other side is shown. In the example shown, the faucet handle 220 is connected to a movable faucet handle seat 530, which is connected to... Figure 5 The discussion concerns a fixed faucet handle holder 520, which is connected to the faucet body 310. These connections allow the faucet handle 220 to rotate as shown. There is an initial position for the faucet handle 220 and four positions shown in phantom view. In another embodiment, the faucet handle 220 can be in multiple positions between a fully extended left position and a fully extended right position.

[0077] In one embodiment, as the faucet handle 220 rotates along the axis of rotation, the temperature of the water discharged from the flow control box 250 to the pull-down hose 340 connected to the shower head 320 changes. The faucet handle 220 uses a sensor PCBA 510 to detect its position and sends a signal to the controller 240. The controller 240 determines the temperature of the water to be discharged from the shower head 320 based on the spatial orientation of the faucet and sends a signal to the flow control box 250 to output water of a certain temperature and flow rate to the shower head 320 via the pull-down hose 340 as discussed above. The flow control box 250 can control servo motors 252, 254 to discharge specific amounts of cold and hot water from the water supply inlet hose 350 to achieve the desired temperature of the water discharged from the pull-down hose 340 to the shower head 320.

[0078] In one embodiment, the fully extended left position of the faucet handle 220 can be used to dispense the hottest available water. The fully extended right position of the faucet handle 220 can be used to dispense the coldest available water. The initial position of the faucet handle 220 can be used to dispense a uniform mixture of hot and cold water. The position between the fully extended left and right positions of the faucet handle 220 can be a variable mixture of hot and cold water to achieve relatively cold or relatively hot water. Depending on which direction the faucet handle 220 is rotated, the water can gradually become colder or hotter. In another embodiment, the cold and hot directions can be switched, so the fully extended left position of the faucet handle 220 can be used to dispense the coldest available water, while the fully extended right position of the faucet handle 220 can be used to dispense the hottest available water.

[0079] Figure 8 A table 800 is shown illustrating an example distribution of water discharged from the water supply inlet hose 350 through the flow control box 250. The table covers the available range of motion of the faucet handle 220. The sections are labeled with section number 810 and located along a spectrum of percentage water flow 820 and temperature torsion value 830. These sections also include values ​​840 for the servo motor 1 inlet and 850 for the servo motor 2 inlet. In one embodiment, value 840 for the servo motor 1 inlet may represent a cold water value, and value 850 for the servo motor 2 inlet may represent a hot water value. In another embodiment, the values ​​840 and 850 for the servo motor inlets can be switched such that value 840 for the servo motor 1 inlet represents a hot water value, and value 850 for the servo motor 2 inlet represents a cold water value. In the example shown, the percentage of water flow 820 ranges from 0 to 100%, with four dividing lines. In one embodiment, the percentage of water flow 820 may be 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%. In another embodiment, the percentage 820 of the water flow can be divided in any way between 0 and 100%.

[0080] The temperature torsion value 830 can represent the amount of rotation achieved with respect to the faucet handle 220. For example, P can represent the right-hand position of the fully extended faucet handle 220, while -P can represent the left-hand position of the fully extended faucet handle 220. In another embodiment, the positions can be switched, so P can represent the left-hand position of the fully extended faucet handle 220, while -P can represent the right-hand position of the fully extended faucet handle 220. In the example shown, there are five partitions along the spectrum of the temperature torsion value 830. In another embodiment, any number of partitions can exist. In another embodiment, P can be divided into quarters and sixths. The temperature torsion value 830 can be divided into multiple partitions.

[0081] like Figure 8 As shown, the table is divided into several sections. Each section represents a position where the faucet handle 220 can be positioned during operation. If the faucet handle 220 is positioned within one of the sections, then the faucet 120 will discharge water according to the values ​​840, 850 within that section. For example, if the faucet handle 220 has been extended between 75% and 100% of the water flow percentage 820, and the faucet handle 220 has been twisted to a value between 2P / 3 and P of the temperature twist value 830, then the faucet 120 will discharge 100% (or the maximum amount) of water from the servo motor 254, but not from the servo motor 252.

[0082] In another embodiment, Figure 7 The table shown can be divided into multiple sections so that as the faucet handle 220 changes position along the spectrum of water flow percentage 820 and temperature torsion value 830, a continuous variation of water flow from the water inlet hose 350 through servo motors 252 and 254 can be achieved. In the example shown, the values ​​have a fixed maximum value depending on where the faucet handle 220 is positioned along the spectrum of water flow percentage 820. The side of the servo motor 252 or 254 below which the faucet handle 220 is positioned has the maximum water flow percentage 820 for the servo motor inlet value 840 or 850, while another value 840 or 850 for the servo motor inlet decreases downwards to zero at the far end, depending on how many zones exist for the temperature torsion value 830. In the example shown, there are five zones, and in the first zone on each side, both the servo motor inlet values ​​840 and 850 are at their maximum, depending on the location along the spectrum of water flow percentage 820 along the faucet handle 220. In the next zone, the value 840 or 850 of the servo motor inlet on the side where the faucet handle 220 is located remains at its maximum value, while the other value 840 or 850 of the servo motor inlet drops to half of its maximum value. In the last zone, the value 840 or 850 of the servo motor inlet on the side where the faucet handle 220 is located remains at its maximum value, while the other value 840 or 850 of the servo motor inlet drops to zero.

[0083] In another embodiment, the values ​​840 and 850 at the servo motor inlet can decrease in different ways. In another embodiment, the values ​​840 and 850 can decrease by one-third. The partition settings can be changed according to user preferences. More partitions can result in more continuous changes in water temperature and flow. Fewer partitions can lead to energy savings because the servo motors 252 and 254 will not need to be changed frequently during operation.

[0084] The controller 240 can receive signals from the sensor PCBA 510 to detect the spatial orientation of the faucet handle 220. The controller 240 can use an algorithm to calculate the location of the faucet handle 220 within the spectrum of water flow percentage value 820 and temperature torsion value 830 based on the signals received from the sensor PCBA 510. Once a threshold of water flow percentage value 820 or temperature torsion value 830 is exceeded, the controller 240 can send a signal to the flow control box 250 to operate servo motors 252 and 254 to discharge water with updated temperature and flow according to the spatial orientation of the faucet handle 220.

[0085] In another embodiment, controller 240 can use a lookup table to see what values ​​controller 240 should set for the servo motor inlet values ​​840 and 850. Controller 240 determines the spatial orientation of faucet handle 220 and determines which part faucet handle 220 is positioned in. If faucet handle 220 is positioned in part number 16 810, then controller 240 sends a signal to flow control box 250 to close the water supply inlet hose 350 of servo motor 1 252 and open the water supply inlet hose 350 of servo motor 2254 to its maximum, so that the value 840 of servo motor 1 inlet is 0 and the value 850 of servo motor 2 inlet is 100.

[0086] Figure 9 A flowchart illustrating an example operation of faucet 120 is shown. In the example shown, faucet 120 uses interrupt method 900 to control the operation of flow control box 250. In the example shown, interrupt method 900 begins with operation 910, in which controller 240 is in a sleep state to conserve energy waiting to receive an interrupt from sensor PCBA 510 or inertial motion unit (IMU) sensor 510 or waiting to receive a voice command from the user. After operation 910, the process continues to operation 920, in which there is a check for an interrupt from IMU sensor 510. If an interrupt is received from IMU sensor 510, then the process continues to operation 930. If no interrupt is received, then the process returns to operation 910 for controller 240 to sleep. In embodiments where the controller has received a voice command from the user rather than a movement of the faucet handle 220, operation 920 is skipped, and the process continues to operation 930 when the controller 240 itself recognizes a control action or receives a control action from a server 140 or computing device 130 communicatively connected to the faucet 120.

[0087] After the process continues to operation 930, controller 240 reads the position of IMU sensor 510 or the identified control action to determine the spatial orientation of faucet handle 220 or identify the expected spatial orientation of faucet handle 220 corresponding to the identified control action. After controller 240 reads the IMU sensor 510 or the identified control action, the process continues to operation 940, in which controller 240 uses an algorithm to calculate the positions of servo motors 252, 254 or a lookup table for the positions of servo motors 252, 254 based on the determined spatial orientation of the faucet handle. After controller 240 determines the positions of servo motors 252, 254, the process continues to operation 950, in which controller 240 sends a signal to flow control box 250 to change the position of servo motors 252 or 254, thereby changing the amount of cold water being discharged to nozzle 320 through pull-down hose 340. After the position of servo motor 252 or 254 is changed, the process continues to operation 960, in which controller 240 sends a signal to flow control box 250 to change the position of servo motor 252 or 254, thereby changing the hot water value being discharged to shower head 320 through pull-down hose 340. After the positions of the two servo motors 252, 254 are updated, the process returns to operation 910. In another embodiment, the hot water value may be changed before the cold water value, and therefore the corresponding servo motor 252 or 254 will change.

[0088] In another embodiment, after receiving an initial interrupt or another voice command from the IMU sensor 510, the controller 240 may also wait for another interrupt to update the position of the servo motors 252 or 254. This delay may be to wait for the user to position the faucet handle 220 to its final position. This delay may be a predetermined time period set for the controller 240 to wait for receiving additional interrupts. Therefore, the faucet 120 will only need to undergo this process once instead of multiple times, depending on how many sections the faucet handle 220 traverses.

[0089] Figure 10A flowchart illustrating an example operation of faucet 120 is shown. In the example shown, faucet 120 uses a polling method 1000 to control the operation of flow control box 250. In the example shown, polling method 1000 begins at operation 1010, in which controller 240 starts and turns on. After controller 240 turns on, the process continues to operation 1020, in which controller 240 reads the position of IMU sensor 510 to determine the spatial orientation of faucet handle 220 and / or checks to see if any voice command has been issued. After controller 240 reads the IMU sensor 510, the process continues to operation 1030, in which controller 240 uses an algorithm to calculate the positions of servo motors 252, 254 or a lookup table of servo motor positions 252, 254 based on the determined spatial orientation of faucet handle 220 or the identified control action. After controller 240 determines the positions of servo motors 252 and 254, the process continues to operation 1040, in which controller 240 sends a signal to flow control box 250 to change the position of servo motor 252 or 254, thereby changing the cold water value being discharged to shower head 320 through pull-down hose 340. After the position of servo motor 252 or 254 is changed, the process continues to operation 1050, in which controller 240 sends a signal to flow control box 250 to change the position of servo motor 252 or 254, thereby changing the hot water value being discharged to shower head 320 through pull-down hose 340. After the positions of the two servo motors 252 and 254 are updated, the process returns to operation 1010. In another embodiment, the hot water value may change before the cold water value, and therefore the corresponding servo motor 252 or 254 will change.

[0090] Compared to interruption method 900, polling method 1000 allows for more continuous changes in water flow and temperature because there is no waiting for interruptions from the IMU sensor 510. However, polling method 1000 consumes more energy due to the continuous update process. In one embodiment, the user can set the operating method of the faucet 120. For example, a switch (not shown) may be provided that can be used to change the operating method of the faucet 120.

[0091] Figure 11A , Figure 11B , Figure 11C and Figure 11D Example icons for use with faucet 120 according to embodiments of this disclosure are shown. Figure 11A An example pot icon is shown. In some implementations, interface 360 ​​may display [the command] when faucet 120 receives a command to fill the pot with water. Figure 11AThe faucet 120 can receive voice commands such as "faucet, fill the pot with 6 quarts of water," and the interface can light up to display the pot icon after receiving the command and / or during faucet operation. Figure 11B An example sink icon is shown that can be displayed by Interface 360 ​​after receiving a command (e.g., “faucet, fill sink”) or during operation. Figure 11C Example cup icons that can be displayed by Interface 360 ​​after receiving a command (e.g., “faucet, fill cup” or “faucet, fill 8 ounces”) or during operation are shown. Figure 11D Example filter icons are shown that can be displayed by Interface 360 ​​after receiving a command (e.g., “tap, 8 ounces of filtered water”) or during operation.

[0092] Figure 12 A perspective view of some components of a needle valve flow control box according to some embodiments is shown. Figure 13 yes Figure 12 A cross-sectional view of the flow control box. Figure 12 and Figure 13 Some components of the flow control box 1200 are shown, including a linear stepper motor 1260, a needle valve 1262, a water supply inlet connector 1264, a mixed water outlet connector 1266, and a sensor 1268. The flow control box 1200 can be connected to other components, such as control circuitry, networking circuitry, embedded systems, or other components. For example, the linear stepper motor 1260 and sensor 1268 can be connected to a controller 240, circuitry 230, and / or signal lines 330.

[0093] During operation according to some embodiments, hot and cold water supply inlet hoses are connected to the water supply inlet connector 1264. A needle valve 1262 is coupled to a linear stepper motor 1260, allowing the linear stepper motor 1260 to move the needle valve to increase or decrease the water flow to the faucet. Based on the desired water output (e.g., water output received from voice commands, spatial orientation commands, or mechanical commands), the controller can actuate one or both of the linear stepper motors 1260, which in turn move the needle valve and increase or decrease the amount of cold or hot water supplied to the faucet via the mixing water outlet connector 1266.

[0094] The faucet 120 and / or flow control box 1200 may include one or more sensors 1268. For example, a flow sensor (e.g., a Hall effect sensor) may be included to measure or determine the amount of water. This can be advantageous if a desired amount of water is required. For example, a voice-controlled faucet may be able to receive commands such as “faucet, fill a cup of water” or “faucet, fill 3 quarts of water” and use a flow sensor to dispense that specific volume of water or close to that specific volume. Other sensors 1268 may also be used. For example, the flow control box 1200 may include a temperature sensor. This can be advantageous if a desired temperature of water is required. For example, the faucet may receive commands such as “faucet, dispense at 200 degrees” and use a temperature sensor to mix an appropriate amount of hot and cold water to dispense water at the required temperature. Similarly, the faucet 120 and flow control box 1200 may work in conjunction with other components (e.g., controller 240, circuitry 230) or with custom or user-defined programming (e.g., IFTTT). For example, a faucet can receive commands such as "Faucet, fill a cup of filtered water for green tea," find the correct temperature for steeping green tea (e.g., 175 degrees Fahrenheit), and dispense 8 ounces of water at 175 degrees Fahrenheit.

[0095] Figure 14A , Figure 14B and Figure 14C Some components of a flow control box 1400 with servo motor controllers according to an example embodiment are shown. Figure 14A and Figure 14C Some components of the flow control box 1400 are shown, including a servo motor 1460, a servo motor gear 1461, a valve 1462, a valve gear 1463, and an inlet supply connector 1464. The flow control box 1400 can be connected to other components, such as control circuitry, networking circuitry, embedded systems, sensors, or other components, as described elsewhere herein for other flow control boxes.

[0096] Still refer to Figures 14A to 14CTwo servo motors 1260 are coupled to valve 1262 via servo motor gears 1461, which mesh with corresponding valve gears 1463. In operation, the servo motors 1260 drive the position of valve 1262. In some embodiments, valve 1262 may be a cartridge valve. For example, one valve may be connected to a cold supply line, and the other to a hot water line. Thus, a first servo motor can be used to control the flow of cold water, and a second servo motor can be used to control the flow of hot water. Provided there are no obstructions or mechanical failures, servo motor 1260 will drive its servo motor gear 1461 (via its output shaft) to the position of the control pulse. Therefore, a faucet (e.g., via controller 240, circuitry 230, or other circuitry) can safely maintain the position of valve 1262. As an additional monitoring measure, and to help minimize errors, position feedback can be used so that servo motor 1260 can monitor the position of its output shaft, and therefore the position of its servo motor gear. Examples of position feedback include adding feedback lines to potentiometers or rotary encoders used with servo motor drivers.

[0097] Figure 15 A flowchart illustrating an example method 1500 for operating a faucet 120 is shown. In the example shown, the faucet 120 determines whether a voice command needs to be processed locally or remotely with the assistance of a computing device 130 or a server 140. At operation 1510, the faucet 120 receives a voice command. The faucet 120 may use a microphone 232 or another device capable of receiving commands, wherein the device is embedded in the faucet handle 220 or some other part of the faucet 120 to receive voice commands.

[0098] In some cases, the faucet 120 can be controlled by speaking pre-defined voice commands. These commands can be triggered by pre-defined and approved voice prompts, such as "faucet" or "computer." The voice commands include one or more control actions that the user wants the faucet 120 to perform.

[0099] At operation 1520, upon receiving a voice command, faucet 120 sends the voice command to processor 242, located in controller 240 and communicatively connected to microphone 232, or to another type of processing unit or microcontroller circuitry located within faucet 120 itself. This processing unit helps parse and analyze the received voice command to determine the control action to be taken by faucet 120. In some embodiments, a voice recognition and processing application may be included as part of the processing unit. In other embodiments, the voice recognition and processing application may be included in a separate processing unit within faucet 120. When the microphone associated with the faucet receives a voice command, the voice command is processed locally within the faucet by the voice recognition and processing application to parse the command. If the voice recognition and processing application embedded in the faucet cannot recognize one or more parts of the received voice command, or otherwise has difficulty parsing the command, the voice command may be transmitted to computing device 130 or server 140 for further processing. In some embodiments, the voice command may first be translated into a digital representation of the command by locally installed voice recognition and processing software before being sent to computing device 130. In other embodiments, a recording of the voice command received from the user or an audio signature of the voice command is sent to computing device 130 or server 140 for further translation, parsing, and processing by a speech recognition and processing application available at computing device 130 or server 140. Other methods of processing voice commands locally or remotely are also possible.

[0100] The processing unit determines whether a voice command is a local command or an expandable command by determining whether it includes at least one of a predetermined keyword or phrase. The processing unit makes this determination by comparing the voice command with a database of voice commands. In some embodiments, the database of voice commands is stored in memory 246.

[0101] At operation 1530, a decision is made regarding whether the received voice command includes at least one of the predetermined key phrases. For example, when comparing the voice command with a database of predetermined voice commands, if the voice command wholly or partially matches one or more voice commands included in the database of predetermined voice commands, then the voice command is classified as a "local" voice command. A local voice command is a voice command that can be analyzed locally using computing resources located within the faucet itself. Once a command is classified as a local command, it is not sent to a remote server for analysis. The analysis related to the command is performed within the faucet itself.

[0102] Alternatively, if the voice command is not included in the list of voice commands included in the voice command database, then the received voice command will not be recognized as a "local" voice command, and the voice command will be classified as a "scalable command." A scalable command is a voice command that can be remotely analyzed using a computing device or server located outside of faucet 120 and communicatively connected to faucet 120 via networking circuitry 236. If the voice command is classified as a "local" voice command at operation 1530, then operations 1540 and 1570 follow operation 1530. If the voice command is conversely classified as a "scalable" voice command at operation 1530, then operations 1550, 1560, and 1570 follow operation 1530.

[0103] At operation 1540, the voice command is locally analyzed to determine the control action required by faucet 120. A processor 242 located in faucet controller 240, a microcontroller circuit located in faucet circuitry 230, or some other computing device located within faucet 120 analyzes the received voice command and compares it to a database of voice commands and associated control actions. In some embodiments, the database of voice commands and associated control actions may be stored in memory 246 and may be the same as the database of predetermined voice commands discussed above with respect to operation 1530. In other embodiments, the database of voice commands and associated control actions may be different from the database of predetermined voice commands.

[0104] The control actions described herein are not intended to be restrictive and include, for example, turning water flow on and off, and regulating the flow, temperature, rate, volume, and duration of water dispensed by a faucet.

[0105] It is important to note that the examples of control actions and voice triggers discussed above are intended as illustrative rather than restrictive. For instance, one or more safety actions may also be included in conjunction with a faucet actuation control actions. For example, in some cases where the control action includes actuating or opening the faucet valve to dispense water, further control actions may be pre-programmed to occur, such as closing or turning off the faucet within a predetermined time period or based on sensing conditions detected by sensors around the faucet (e.g., water rising above a predetermined level). Furthermore, other safety checks may be included in the control action, such as determining the user's proximity before dispensing water, or gradually adjusting the water flow over time so that the water flow gradually decreases near the end of the dispensing control action.

[0106] Alternatively, if the command is determined to be a "scalable" command at operation 1530, then in operation 1550 the voice command is sent to a remote computing system 130 or a remote server communicatively connected to faucet 120. In some examples, the received voice command is processed locally at faucet 120 using a voice recognition and processing application, and a digital representation of the command is sent to remote computing system 130 or remote server 140. In other examples, an audio signature or a recording of the voice command itself is sent to computing system 130 or remote server 140 for voice recognition and processing.

[0107] In some examples, after the voice command is classified as a "scalable" command in operation 1530, it is transmitted to a computing device 130 communicatively connected to faucet 120. In some examples, computing device 130 may be communicatively connected to server 140, and the voice command received by computing device 130 may subsequently be sent to server 140 for analysis. In other examples, the voice command may be transmitted directly from faucet 120 to server 140. Server 140 determines the control action to be taken by faucet 120 based on a comparison of the voice command with a database of recognized voice commands stored in a server connected to another computing device or communicatively connected to server 140.

[0108] At operation 1560, server 140 sends and faucet 120 receives identified control actions to be performed by faucet 120, the sending and receiving being performed directly or via computing device 130.

[0109] At operation 1570, processor 242 causes one or more components of faucet 120 to perform control actions. The control actions to be performed by faucet 120 are determined locally within processor 242 itself in the case of "local" commands, or received from remote computing system 130 or server 140 in the case of "expandable" commands, as further described with respect to operations 1520 through 1560. For example, processor 242 may transmit electronic signals to flow control box 250 to control the flow and temperature of water dispensed from faucet 120 based on the identified control actions. In some examples, controller 240 is configured to receive input from one or more sensors integrated within faucet 120 and adjust the water flow and temperature based on the control actions and the input from the sensors. The operation of controller 240 and flow control box 250 in dispensing water is described with respect to... Figures 9 to 10 and Figures 12 to 1 4. Further detailed discussion.

[0110] Figure 16A perspective view of an example smart electronic faucet system 1600 is shown. In some embodiments, the faucet 120 includes space for storing a fixed number of local commands. For example, Figure 16 It is shown that up to ten local commands can be stored within the faucet 120 itself. Other examples may allow more or fewer commands to be stored locally, depending on the memory space and processing power of the processing unit embedded within the faucet 120. Typically, frequently used commands and commands that need to be executed without significant time delays are stored locally. Other commands can be stored remotely in a server 140 and connected to the faucet 120 via a network connection. Accordingly, the storage space in the faucet can remain at a limited capacity, and scalable commands can be provided to the faucet 120 by accessing such commands from the server 140.

[0111] In some examples, one or more time-sensitive local commands, such as "turn on the tap" and "turn off the tap," may be locked as local commands because these commands require short execution latency and therefore always need to be stored locally. However, other locations in the list of local commands can be changed manually or automatically periodically based on the frequency of such commands' usage. In other words, scalable commands that are typically stored remotely can be moved to be stored as local commands based on their usage frequency. For example, if a user fills a drinking glass with 8 ounces of water each time, the command "split 8 ounces of water" might be issued multiple times a day. Therefore, even if the command "split 8 ounces of water" is initially stored as a scalable command, it can be moved to the list of local commands due to its frequent use.

[0112] In one example, the evaluation of whether to reorganize and update the local and (v.) extensible command lists can be performed periodically (e.g., daily or weekly) during periods that are not too intrusive to the user. The evaluation and updates can be performed automatically by the exposed system or can be manually triggered by the user. For example, a user can connect to a remote application installed on a personal computer or smartphone and trigger the evaluation and / or update process. The command can be received by faucet 120 via networked circuitry system 236. Manual commands can include adding to the list of local commands, deleting commands from the list of local commands, moving commands categorized as extensible commands to the list of local commands, updating the desired language of commands, and triggering manual updates of speech analysis software and / or user preferences, as well as other commands.

Claims

1. A method for controlling water dispensing from a tap in response to receiving a voice command, the method comprising: Receive the voice command associated with the operation of the faucet at the faucet; The received voice command is compared with a list of one or more predetermined local commands to determine whether the voice command is one of the one or more predetermined local commands to be processed at the faucet to determine a control action, or whether the voice command is not one of the one or more predetermined local commands and is to be transmitted to the server to remotely determine the control action; and When it is determined that the received voice command includes at least one of the one or more predetermined local commands: Analyze the voice command at the faucet to determine the control action to be taken by the faucet in response to the voice command; and To cause the faucet to perform the control action; or When it is determined that the received voice command does not include at least one of the one or more predetermined local commands: The voice command is sent from the faucet to a server connected to the faucet. Receive from the server the control action to be taken by the faucet in response to the voice command; as well as The faucet is made to perform the control action.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The analysis of the voice commands includes: The voice command is compared with a database of one or more recognized voice commands and associated control actions; and The control action is selected by associating the received voice command with an approved voice command that matches the approved voice command in the database of one or more approved voice commands.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The voice command is received at the faucet using a microphone integrated into the faucet.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The voice command is analyzed at the faucet using a computing device integrated into the faucet.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Making the faucet perform the control action includes, based on the control action, causing an electronic flow control system associated with the faucet to regulate the flow of water dispensed from the faucet.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The control actions include one of the following: turning on the faucet, turning off the faucet, adjusting the water flow, adjusting the water temperature, adjusting the volume of water dispensed, and adjusting the duration of water dispensing.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The voice command is first sent from the faucet to a computing device communicatively connected to the faucet, and then from the computing device to the server.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The faucet and the server are connected using at least one of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, mesh networking, and ZigBee connections.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The one or more predefined local commands include commands associated with response time-sensitive control actions.

10. An electronically voice-controlled faucet system, comprising: A faucet, which includes: A microphone configured to receive voice commands from the user; An electronic flow control system for regulating the flow of water dispensed by the faucet; and A controller including a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the following operations: Receive the voice command from the microphone; The received voice command is compared with a list of one or more predefined local commands; When it is determined that the received voice command includes at least one of the one or more predetermined local commands: Analyze the received voice commands to identify the control actions to be taken by the faucet in response to the voice commands; and The electronic flow control system regulates the flow of the allocated water based on control actions associated with received voice commands; and When it is determined that the received voice command does not include at least one of the one or more predetermined local commands: The received voice commands are sent from the faucet to the server; In response to sending the received voice command from the faucet to the server, the server receives the control action to be taken by the faucet; and The electronic flow control system performs the control action associated with the received voice command.

11. The electronic voice-controlled faucet system according to claim 10, further comprising: The server is communicatively connected to the faucet.

12. The electronic voice-controlled faucet system according to claim 10, wherein, The control actions include one of the following: turning on the faucet, turning off the faucet, adjusting the water flow, adjusting the water temperature, adjusting the volume of water dispensed, and adjusting the duration of water dispensing.

13. The electronic voice-controlled faucet system according to claim 10, further comprising: Faucet handle; as well as An inertial motion unit sensor is installed in the faucet handle, the inertial motion unit sensor being used to sense the spatial orientation of the faucet handle; The controller is also configured to receive signals from the inertial motion unit sensor and control the electronic flow control system to adjust the flow of the dispensed water based on the position of the faucet handle.

14. The electronic voice-controlled faucet system according to claim 10, wherein, The controller is configured to use a lookup table to convert the control action into an electronic signal, which is then transmitted to the electronic flow control system for regulating the flow of the water.

15. The electronic voice-controlled faucet system according to claim 10, wherein, The electronic flow control system includes at least two servo motors, wherein one of the at least two servo motors is connected to a cold water supply line, and the other of the at least two servo motors is connected to a hot water supply line.

16. The electronic voice-controlled faucet system according to claim 11, wherein, The voice command is first sent from the faucet to an Internet of Things (IoT) device communicatively connected to the faucet, and then from the IoT device to the server.

17. A faucet, comprising: A controller including a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the following operations: The faucet receives voice commands from the user via a microphone embedded in it. The received voice command is compared with a list of one or more predetermined local commands to determine whether the voice command is one of the one or more predetermined local commands to be processed at the faucet to determine a control action, or whether the voice command is not one of the one or more predetermined local commands and is to be transmitted to a remote server to remotely determine the control action. as well as When it is determined that the received voice command is one of the one or more predefined local commands: Analyze the received voice command to identify the control action to be taken by the faucet in response to the voice command; and The electronic flow control system associated with the faucet regulates the flow of water dispensed from the faucet based on the control action associated with the received voice command.

18. The faucet according to claim 17, further comprising: When it is determined that the received voice command is not one of the one or more predefined local commands: The received voice commands are sent from the faucet to the remote server; In response to sending the received voice command from the faucet to the remote server, the faucet receives the control action to be taken by the faucet. as well as The electronic flow control system associated with the faucet performs the control action associated with the received voice command.

19. The faucet according to claim 18, wherein, Sending the received voice command from the faucet to the remote server includes sending the received voice command to a remote IoT device, which then forwards the received voice command to the remote server.

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