Toilet system and toilet management method

Abstract

To provide a toilet system and a toilet management method for notifying a user who exits from a toilet booth of presence of a lost article when occurrence of the lost article in the toilet booth is detected.SOLUTION: In a toilet system, a control device 50 comprises: an entrance / exit detection part 501 which detects that a user exits from a toilet booth; a lost article detection part 502 which detects objects inside the toilet booth other than those originally provided in the toilet booth as lost articles when the exit of the user is detected; a notification unit 20 which is provided outside the toilet booth to notify the user of occurrence of the lost article upon detecting the lost article; and a notification control part 503 which changes a form of notification made by the notification unit according to lapsed time after detecting that the user exits and / or position information of the user.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a toilet system and a toilet management method. [Background technology]

[0002] A system has been proposed for use in highway parking areas, in which a sensor installed on the ceiling of a private toilet detects the silhouette of a person or object, and in conjunction with the door opening and closing signals, determines whether an item has been left behind (Non-Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-113958 A [Non-patent literature]

[0004] [Non-Patent Document 1] Central Nippon Expressway Co., Ltd. and Central Nippon Highway Engineering Nagoya Co., Ltd., "Full-scale introduction of sensors to quickly detect customers who have left something behind in the restroom or who have suddenly fallen ill ~ Improved accuracy of identification using AI ~", [online], February 27, 2020, news release, [Retrieved June 1, 2020], Internet <URL: https: / / www.c-nexco.co.jp / corporate / pressroom / news_release / 4746.html> Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In conventional systems, when an item is found left behind in a toilet cubicle (also called a toilet booth), a message is output from a speaker installed in the toilet booth to inform the user that the item has been left behind. In this case, the user who left the item has already opened the toilet booth door and is about to leave, so their attention is directed outside the toilet booth and they may leave without noticing the message inside the booth. In particular, the toilet is often flushing when the user leaves the toilet, and the sound of flushing water overlaps with the message to inform the user that the item has been left behind, making it difficult to hear the message.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a technique for, when it is detected that an item has been left behind in a toilet booth, notifying a user who has left the toilet booth that an item has been left behind. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the toilet system according to the present invention comprises: an exit detection unit that detects when a user leaves the toilet booth; a lost property detection unit that detects an object other than toilet booth fixtures in the toilet booth as a lost property when the exit of the user is detected; a notification unit that is provided outside the toilet booth and that notifies the user that the item has been left behind when the item has been detected; a notification control unit that changes a form of the notification by the notification unit according to an elapsed time from when it is detected that the user has left the room and / or location information of the user; A toilet system comprising:

[0008] The toilet system comprises: The notification unit issues the notification by sound, The notification control unit is configured to, in accordance with the elapsed time, increase the volume of the notification sound as the elapsed time increases. The form of the notification may be changed to be larger.

[0009] The toilet system comprises: An identification unit is further provided for determining a type of the detected left behind item, The notification control unit may change the form of the notification by the notification unit depending on the type of the lost item.

[0010] The toilet system comprises: The notification unit is installed at a plurality of positions within the facility in which the toilet booth is provided, The notification control unit may cause the notification to be made from the notification unit installed at a location corresponding to the location where the user is located, depending on the user's location information, and may change the form of the notification in accordance with the user's movement.

[0011] In order to solve the above problems, the toilet management method according to the present invention comprises the steps of: Detecting that a user is leaving the toilet booth; When detecting the exit of the user, detecting an object other than the toilet booth fixtures in the toilet booth as a left behind item; When the left-behind property is detected, a notification unit provided outside the toilet booth is controlled to notify the user that the left-behind property has occurred; changing a form of the notification by the notification unit according to an elapsed time since the user left the toilet booth and / or location information of the user; may be executed by the control unit.

[0012] The present invention may also be a toilet management program for causing a computer to execute the toilet management method described above. Furthermore, the toilet management program may be recorded on a computer-readable storage medium.

[0013] Here, a computer-readable storage medium refers to a storage medium that can store information such as data and programs non-temporarily by electrical, magnetic, optical, mechanical, or chemical action and can be read by a computer. Examples of such storage media that can be removed from a computer include flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs, CD-R / Ws, DVDs (registered trademark), DATs, 8mm tapes, memory cards, etc. Also, examples of storage media that are fixed to a computer include hard disks and ROMs (read-only memories). Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to the present invention, a technique can be provided that, when it is detected that an item has been left behind in a toilet booth, notifies a user who has left the toilet booth that the item has been left behind. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a toilet system according to a first embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a toilet facility. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a toilet booth equipped with a toilet bowl. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the toilet booth with the door closed. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the toilet booth with the door open. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display unit. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a control device. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 shows a toilet booth equipped with toilet facilities such as a urinal for men. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the processing of a toilet management method executed by a control device. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a configuration of a control device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 11]FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the processing of a toilet management method according to a second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a top view of a toilet booth and a hanging-support type sliding door device in a third embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a toilet booth and a hanging-support type sliding door device in a third embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a drive unit and a notification unit in a third embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a configuration of a control device according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a toilet facility according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 17] 5 is an explanatory diagram of a detection method by a position detection unit. FIG. [Figure 18] A diagram showing the processing of a toilet management method according to the fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] First Embodiment DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the preferred embodiments are merely examples of the present invention, and the configuration of the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[0017] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of the toilet system according to this embodiment. The toilet system 100 according to this embodiment has notification units 12 and 20, an entry / exit sensor 30, an object detection unit 40, and a control device 50, which are communicably connected via a network N. When an item is left behind in a toilet booth, the toilet system 100 notifies the user who has left the toilet booth of the occurrence of the forgotten item by sound or light. At this time, since the user leaves the toilet booth and moves away from the toilet booth, the toilet system 100 changes the form of the notification according to the user's behavior after leaving the toilet booth, such as gradually increasing the volume of the notification sound. In this way, the toilet system 100 of this embodiment can reliably notify the user who has left the toilet booth of the occurrence of the forgotten item. The form of notification refers to the state of the notification sound or light, and specifically includes the volume, sound quality, pitch of the sound, content of the voice message, light amount, color of the light, blinking pattern, display content, and the like.

[0018] The toilet facility 10 is a public toilet used by an unspecified number of users (public) at, for example, a service area on a highway, a station, an airport, etc. The toilet facility 10 of this embodiment has a plurality of toilet booths 14.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a toilet facility 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the toilet facility 10 is surrounded by a wall 105 except for an entrance 104. That is, a user who uses the toilet facility 10 enters and exits the toilet facility 10 through the entrance 104. The entrance 104 is not limited to one location, and may be provided in multiple locations. In FIG. 2, the toilet facility 10 has an area on the right side as viewed from the entrance 104 as a men's area, and an area on the left side as a women's area. The men's area is provided with multiple toilet booths 141 each equipped with a toilet bowl 41 and multiple toilet booths 142 each equipped with a urinal 49. The women's area is provided with multiple toilet booths 141 each equipped with a toilet bowl 41. In addition to the toilet bowl 41, the toilet facility 10 may also have a toilet booth (multipurpose toilet) 143 equipped with ostomate equipment and a baby bed. There may be multiple multi-purpose toilets 143, and one each in the men's area and the women's area.

[0020] As described above, the toilet facility 10 of this embodiment has, as toilet booths 14, toilet booth 141 equipped with a toilet bowl 41, toilet booth 142 equipped with a urinal 49, and multi-purpose toilet 143. Here, the toilet booth 14 is a space (room) surrounded by a door, a wall, etc., in which toilet equipment such as toilet bowls 41, 49 are provided, usually for one person to relieve themselves at the same time. Note that the toilet booth is not strictly limited to being used by one person, and may be one in which a caregiver or infant can enter at the same time as the user. Also, the toilet booth may be a small space for infants, etc. It may also be a space that is not completely enclosed, such as a space equipped with a toilet or urinal 49.

[0021] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of a toilet booth 141 equipped with a toilet bowl 41, FIG. 4 is a front view showing the toilet booth 141 with the door 9 closed, and FIG. 5 is a front view showing the toilet booth 141 with the door 9 open. The toilet booth 141 is surrounded on three sides by a pair of left and right side walls 14L, 14R and a rear wall 14B, and has a front wall 14M including the door 9 at the front. The toilet bowl 41 is installed in the toilet booth 141 surrounded by these side walls 14L, 14R, rear wall 14B, and front wall 14M. The walls 14L, 14R, 14B and front wall 14M surrounding the toilet booth 14 may be at a height reaching from the floor 14F to the ceiling 14C, but in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, a space is provided between the left and right side walls 14L, 14R, and the front wall 14M and the ceiling 14C to allow air to circulate. A part of the front wall 14M is a wall M1 fixed to one of the side walls 14L, 14R (side wall 14R in the example of FIG. 3), and an opening between the wall M1 and the side walls 14L, 14R forms an entranceway 4. A door 9 is attached to the entranceway 4 so as to be able to open and close by a hinge (not shown), and the wall M1 and the door 9 form the front wall 14M. The side walls 14L, 14R of adjacent toilet booths 141 may be shared, for example, the left side wall 14L of a certain toilet booth 141 may be the right side wall of the adjacent toilet booth 141 on the left side.

[0022] Here, left and right refer to the left and right sides when facing the entrance 4 from outside the toilet booth 141, and front and rear refer to the direction from the toilet 41 to the entrance (forward) and the direction opposite the entrance (rear) from the toilet 41. Additionally, the ceiling 14C side is referred to as the upper side, and the installation surface (floor) 14F side of the toilet 41 is referred to as the lower side. These directions, particularly the front and rear and left and right, are for the convenience of explaining this embodiment and may be changed as appropriate.

[0023] A lock 91 is provided on the inner wall surface of the wall M1 near the center in the vertical direction on the door side, and can be operated by a user in the toilet booth to lock and unlock the door. When locked, the lock 91 engages with a receiving device (not shown) of the door 9 to prevent the door from being opened. The lock 91 is not limited to being provided on the wall M1 side, but may be provided on the door 9 and engage with a receiving device of the wall M1 to prevent the door from being opened. The lock 91 may have any configuration as long as it closes the door 9 while the toilet booth 141 is in use, and may be provided on the floor 14F or the ceiling 14C, for example. Note that the lock 91 may be omitted if it is provided with a mechanism for driving the door 9 to open and close in response to the operation of an opening / closing switch by the user, and the door 9 is kept closed until the user operates the door to open. The door 9 is also provided with an opening / closing sensor 92 for detecting whether the lock 91 is locked or not, or whether the door 9 is closed or not.

[0024] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the toilet booth 141 is provided with toilet equipment 1 including a toilet bowl 41, a toilet seat device 42, a display unit 43, an object detection unit 40, and the like.

[0025] The toilet seat device 42 is provided on a Western-style toilet 41, and has a function of heating the seat surface on which the user sits and a washing function of discharging warm water to wash the user's anus and private parts. The toilet seat device 42 also has a seating sensor 42A that detects whether the user is seated or not, and controls whether or not to discharge the warm water based on the detection result of the seating sensor 42A so that when the user is seated and a hot water discharge button (not shown) is pressed, the hot water is discharged, and when the user is not seated and the hot water discharge button (not shown) is pressed, the hot water is not discharged. The toilet seat device 42 also has a function of controlling the opening and closing of a flush valve, and when the user is no longer detected as seated after detecting the user's seating based on the detection result of the seating sensor 42A, it is determined that the user has used the toilet and left the seat surface, and the flush valve is opened for a predetermined time to discharge washing water. The toilet 41 is not limited to a Western-style toilet, and may be a Japanese-style toilet, and when a Japanese-style toilet 41 is provided, the toilet seat device 42 may be omitted. In addition, when a Japanese-style toilet 41 is provided, the toilet seat device 42 Alternatively, a device having a function of controlling opening and closing of the flush valve based on the presence or absence of a user may be provided. For example, a human presence sensor detects whether or not a user is present in a position to sit half-squat on Japanese-style toilet 41 (also simply referred to as sitting) and defecate, that is, in a position to use toilet 41 (hereinafter also referred to as the usage position), and if the user is no longer detected as sitting after being detected as sitting, it is determined that the user has done the business and left the usage position, and the flush valve is opened for a predetermined time to release flush water.

[0026] The display unit 43 is provided on the wall surrounding the toilet bowl 41, in this example, on the left wall 14L, and has an operation panel 431 for operating the toilet seat device 42, such as setting the temperature and flush position, as shown in Fig. 6. The display unit 43 also has a display section 432, a speaker 433, and a flush button 434.

[0027] The display unit 432 displays the set temperature of the toilet seat, the temperature of the hot water for washing, the washing position, as well as information received from the control device 50.

[0028] Speaker 433 outputs operation sounds when operation panel 431 is operated, sounds such as voice messages described below, and sounds simulating the sound of flush water flowing to flush the toilet bowl.

[0029] Flush button 434 is an operation button that is operated by the user when flushing water is to be released into toilet bowl 41. When display unit 43 detects that flush button 434 has been pressed, it opens a flush valve (not shown) of toilet bowl 41 to release flush water.

[0030] The object detection unit 40 is a sensor for detecting the presence or absence of an object in the toilet booth. The object detection unit 40 is an active sensor (e.g., a TOF sensor) that transmits a transmission wave such as infrared rays, radio waves, or ultrasonic waves to a measurement position, and detects whether an object exists at the measurement position by capturing the change caused by the transmission wave being blocked or reflected by an object with a receiver. The object detection unit 40 may be a passive sensor (e.g., an image sensor) that detects the presence of an object by receiving light from an object illuminated by ambient light such as sunlight or lighting. The object detection unit 40 may also be a three-dimensional scanner that irradiates a laser light to an area in the toilet booth to be measured, performs optical scanning, calculates the distance to each position based on the time it takes to receive the reflected light from each position scanned with the light, and calculates the three-dimensional coordinates of each position from the distance and the irradiation position of the laser light.

[0031] The control device 50 is electrically connected to other toilet equipment 1 such as the display unit 43, the toilet seat device 42, the object detection unit 40, and the opening / closing sensor 92, and notifies the user of the lost property through the notification unit 20 based on information acquired by the object detection unit 40 and the opening / closing sensor 92. The control device 50 includes, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) 51, a main memory device 52, an auxiliary memory device 53, and a 5, a communication IF (Interface) 54, an input / output IF (Interface) 55, and a communication bus 56.

[0032] The CPU 51 is a means for controlling the control device 50 and devices electrically connected to the control device 50. The CPU 51 is also called a controller, a micro-processing unit (MPU), etc. The control means may be a means for controlling the

[0033] The main storage device 52 and the auxiliary storage device 53 are means for storing information. The main storage device 52 is used as a working area for the CPU, such as for caching program instructions and data read by the CPU 51. Specifically, the main storage device 52 is a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), or the like.

[0034] The auxiliary storage device 53 stores the programs executed by the CPU 51 and the The auxiliary storage device 53 specifically includes an HDD, an SSD (Solid State Drive), a flash memory, or the like.

[0035] The communication IF 54 transmits and receives data to and from other computer devices. Specifically, the communication IF 54 is a wired or wireless network card or the like. The input / output IF 55 is connected to an input / output device, and receives input from a computer user and outputs information to the user. The input / output IF 55 of this embodiment is connected to the display unit 43 as an input / output device, and receives input from an operation panel 431, outputs display to a display unit 432, and outputs sound to a speaker. The above-mentioned components are connected by a communication bus 56. Note that a plurality of these components may be provided, or some of the components may not be provided.

[0036] The CPU 51 executes a program to perform the processes described in this embodiment. For example, the CPU 51 provides the functions of an entry / exit detection unit 501, a left-behind item detection unit 502, and a notification control unit 503.

[0037] The entry / exit detection unit 501 obtains the detection result by the entry / exit sensor 30 at a predetermined timing, and detects the entry of a user into the toilet booth 14 and the exit of a user from the toilet booth 14. In this embodiment, the object detection unit 40, the opening / closing sensor 92, the seating sensor 42A, etc. are used as the entry / exit sensor 30. For example, since the lock 91 is locked and the door 9 is opened and closed in the toilet booth, when the opening / closing sensor 92 detects that the lock 91 is locked or the door 9 is closed, the entry / exit detection unit 501 detects that a user has entered the toilet booth. Then, when the lock 91 is switched from a locked state to an unlocked state, or when the door 9 is changed from a closed state to an open state, the entry / exit detection unit 501 detects that a user has exited. Not limited to this, the entry / exit detection unit 501 may detect the entry of a user when the user sits down by a seating sensor of the toilet seat device 42 or the like, and detect the exit of the user when the user no longer detects the user sitting down.

[0038] Furthermore, if a human presence sensor is provided in the toilet booth, the entry / exit detection unit 501 may detect that a user has entered the booth when the human presence sensor detects the user, and detect that the user has left the booth when the human presence sensor no longer detects the user. Similarly, the entry / exit detection unit 501 may detect that a user has entered the booth when the object detection unit 40 detects the user, and detect that the user has left the booth when the object detection unit 40 no longer detects the user.

[0039] Furthermore, the entry / exit detection unit 501 may detect entry / exit based on the detection results of multiple sensors. For example, entry may be detected when a human presence sensor and a seating sensor detect a user, and exit may be detected when the human presence sensor and the seating sensor no longer detect the user. Entry and exit may also be detected based on different types of sensors, such as detecting entry when a human presence sensor detects a user, and detecting exit when the seating sensor switches from detecting the user sitting to no longer detecting the user.

[0040] Also, the entry / exit detection unit 501 may detect the user's exit at two stages: immediately before the user exits from the entrance / exit 4, and at the time when the user has exited from the entrance / exit 4. For example, when the entry / exit detection unit 501 detects an action performed by the user immediately before exiting, such as the user starting to move toward the entrance / exit 4, the user placing a hand on the door 9, or the detection result of the opening / closing sensor 92 changing from closed to open due to the user's operation, the entry / exit detection unit 501 detects that the user is immediately before exiting from the entrance / exit 4. Furthermore, when the entry / exit detection unit 501 detects an action performed by the user at the moment of passing through the entrance / exit 4, such as the user passing through the entrance / exit 4 and at least a part of the body going out of the toilet booth, or the user's body going completely out of the toilet booth, the entry / exit detection unit 501 detects that the user has exited from the entrance / exit 4. When entry / exit detection unit 501 detects the exit of a user, lost item detection unit 502 detects an object in the toilet booth other than toilet booth fixtures 14 as a lost item. For example, lost item detection unit 502 detects an object detected in toilet booth 14 by object detection unit 40 before the user enters as toilet booth fixtures 14, and when it detects the user's exit, detects an object other than the fixtures detected in toilet booth 14 by object detection unit 40 as a lost item.

[0041] The notification control unit 503 changes the form of notification by the notification unit (notification unit) 20 according to the elapsed time after the user's exit is detected. The notification unit 20 of this embodiment includes a light-emitting unit 21 that emits light in any color using an LED, a light bulb, or the like, and a speaker 22 that outputs sound. In addition to the notification unit 20 provided on the outer wall of each toilet booth 14, a notification unit 12 may be provided on a wall, ceiling, or the like in the toilet facility 10. The notification unit 12 includes a light-emitting unit 21 and a speaker 22, similar to the notification unit 20 in Figs. 5 and 6, and performs notification under the control of the control device 50 via the network N. The notification control unit 503 starts outputting light by the light-emitting unit 21 and sound by the speaker 22 at the moment the user exits the toilet booth, and changes the light-emitting pattern and sound according to the elapsed time. For example, the longer the elapsed time, the louder the sound of the notification is made and the faster the blinking speed of the light-emitting unit 21 is made.

[0042] In addition, while Figures 3 and 4 show a toilet booth 141 equipped with toilet equipment 1 such as a toilet bowl 41, a multipurpose toilet 143 is also equipped with toilet equipment 1 such as a toilet bowl 41, and detects the occurrence of lost items and the exit of users based on the detection results of the object detection unit 40 and the opening / closing sensor 92, and similarly notifies users of the lost items. In addition to the notification from the notification unit 20, the notification control unit 503 may notify an external device, such as the management server 2 of the center managing the toilet facility 10 or the terminal of the person in charge managing the toilet facility 10, of the lost item by email or the like. In this case, the timing of the notification may be different between the notification unit 20 and the external device, and for example, the notification may be sent to the external device when the user does not return to retrieve the item after the notification to the notification unit 20 and the lost item is detected. The notification to the external device may include, for example, identification information of the toilet facility 10 or toilet booth 14 where the lost item occurred, the time when the lost item was detected, information indicating the shape of the lost item, the type of the lost item, etc.

[0043] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a toilet booth 142 equipped with toilet equipment 1 such as a male urinal 49. The toilet booth 142 is vertically partitioned by a ceiling 14C and a floor 14F, and horizontally surrounded on three sides by a pair of left and right partitions 24L, 24R and a surface (wall) 105 on which the urinal 49 is installed. That is, the toilet booth 142 does not have a wall in front of the urinal 49, and is not a completely enclosed space. However, when using the toilet booth 142, a user stands in front of the urinal 49, and the user's back and the partitions 24L, 24R block the view of others from the user. Therefore, in this embodiment, the space surrounded by the pair of left and right partitions 24L, 24R and the wall 105 is the toilet booth 142. In Figure 8, left and right refer to the left and right sides when facing urinal 49 when standing in front of urinal 49, front and back refer to the side where the user stands when urinating based on toilet 41, the front refers to the side where the toilet is attached to wall 105, and back refers to the side where the toilet is installed (floor) 14F. If there is an adjacent toilet booth 142, partition board (left wall) 24L also serves as partition board (right wall) 24R of another toilet booth 142 located to the left, and partition board 24R also serves as partition board 24L of another toilet booth 142 located to the right. In addition, the partitions 24L, 24R may be omitted, and in that case, a specified area including the urinal 49, for example, the area around the urinal 49 with the midpoint between adjacent urinals 49 as the boundary, and the area including toilet facilities such as a shelf 145 used when urinating and an umbrella rack 151, are defined as the toilet booth 142.

[0044] The toilet booth 142 is equipped with toilet equipment 1 such as a urinal 49, a control device 50, a display unit 43, an object detection unit 40, and a notification unit 20. Elements having substantially the same functions as those in the above will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted. The wall 105 facing the toilet booth 142 is a double wall having a space inside at least on the lower side, and a water supply pipe and a drain pipe (not shown) are arranged in this space.

[0045] The urinal 49 is attached to the wall 105, and is connected to a water supply pipe and a drain pipe inside the wall 105. Since the toilet booth 142 does not include a toilet seat device 42, the display unit 43 in FIG. 8 omits the operation panel 431. The display unit 43 also includes a human sensor 44.

[0046] The human presence sensor (object detection unit) 44 detects whether or not a user is present in the toilet booth 142 depending on whether or not it receives infrared rays from a user standing in front of the urinal 49.

[0047] The object detection unit 40 of the toilet booth 142 detects objects such as fixtures, users, and items left behind in the toilet booth 142. The object detection unit 40 in Fig. 8 is installed, for example, on the surface of the ceiling 14C in front of the urinal 49, with the interior of the toilet booth 142 as a symmetrical range from a position behind a user who stands in front of the urinal 49 to urinate. This allows the object detection unit 40 to detect, for example, objects placed on a shelf 145, an umbrella hung on an umbrella rack 151, etc.

[0048] The control device 50 is provided inside the wall 105, and is electrically connected to other toilet equipment 1 such as the display unit 43, the object detection unit 40, and the notification unit. Based on the detection result of the human presence sensor 44, the control device 50 determines that a user has entered the toilet booth 142 when a state in which infrared rays are not received from the user changes to a state in which infrared rays are received, and detects that the user has completed defecation and has left the toilet booth 142 when infrared rays from the user are no longer received. Furthermore, when the control device 50 detects that the user has left the toilet booth 142, it may perform control to open a flush valve (not shown) connected to the urinal 49 and supply flushing water from a water supply pipe to flush the inside of the urinal 49.

[0049] <Toilet management method> Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the processing of the toilet management method executed according to a program by the control device 50 of each toilet booth 14. The control device 50 starts the processing of Fig. 9 periodically or at a predetermined timing.

[0050] In step S10, the control device 50 judges whether or not a user has entered the toilet booth 14 based on the detection result of the entrance / exit sensor 30. If the judgment in step S10 is negative, the control device 50 proceeds to step S20, detects an object in the toilet booth 14 by the object detection unit 40, and acquires and stores the state of the fixtures when there is no user (also referred to as the pre-entry state).

[0051] On the other hand, if the determination in step S10 is positive, the control device 50 proceeds to step S30 and determines whether or not the user is about to exit, that is, whether or not a pre-exit action has been performed. For example, the pre-exit action is detected as a user who was in the usage position leaving the usage position or a change in the detection result of the opening / closing sensor 92 from closed to open.

[0052] If the determination in step S30 is negative, the user is continuing to use the facility, and the control device 50 repeats the determination in step S30 at predetermined time intervals. Note that if the user exits before arriving at the usage position or before closing the lock 91, the process in FIG. 9 may be ended as an exception process (not shown) instead of repeating step S30.

[0053] If the determination in step S30 is positive, the control device 50 proceeds to step S40, where the object detection unit 40 detects objects in the toilet booth 14 and performs a process of detecting items left behind. For example, the control device 50 detects an increased number of objects in the toilet booth 14 compared to the state before entry stored in step S20. In this case, the user may be identified, and the increased number of objects other than the user may be detected as lost property.

[0054] In step S50, the control device 50 judges whether or not a left-behind item has been detected, i.e., whether or not an item has been left behind. If the judgment in step S50 is negative, the control device 50 proceeds to step S20 and ends the process in FIG. 9, and if the judgment in step S50 is positive, the control device 50 proceeds to step S60.

[0055] In step S60, the control device 50 judges whether or not the user has reached outside the toilet booth (time of exit). For example, the control device 50 detects the timing when a part of the user's body has left the toilet booth by the object detection unit 40. If the judgment in step S50 is negative, the control device 50 repeats the judgment in step S50 at a predetermined cycle until the judgment is positive, and if the judgment is positive, the control device 50 proceeds to step S70.

[0056] In step S70, the control device 50 controls the notification unit 20 to start the notification. For example, when no lost property is detected (normal), the control device 50 controls the light emitting unit 21 of the notification unit 20 to be turned off, and when a lost property is detected (when a lost property occurs), the control device 50 controls the light emitting unit 21 to be turned on or blinking in a predetermined color (e.g., red). When a lost property occurs, the control device 50 outputs a voice message such as "You have left something behind" from the speaker 22 together with a warning sound. Furthermore, information (position information) indicating the position of each toilet booth may be set in advance, and a voice message including the position information may be output, such as "You have left something behind in the second toilet booth from the back." Furthermore, information indicating the light emission state, such as the color or blinking pattern of the light emitted from the light emitting unit 21, may be included in the voice message, and the toilet booth where the lost property occurred may be indicated by the light emission state, such as "You have left something behind in the toilet booth that is lit red" or "You have left something behind in the toilet booth that is blinking green."

[0057] In step S80, the control device 50 judges whether a predetermined time has elapsed since the user's departure was detected. For example, the control device 50 judges that the predetermined time has elapsed each time a predetermined time has elapsed, such as 5 seconds, 10 seconds, or 15 seconds after the user leaves the room. If the judgment in step S80 is negative, the control device 50 proceeds to step S and controls the notification unit 20 to change the notification form. For example, the control device 50 changes the notification form so that the sound of a warning sound or a voice message output from the speaker 22 becomes louder as the elapsed time increases. In addition, the control device 50 changes the notification form so that the blinking speed of the light-emitting unit 21 becomes faster or the emitted light becomes stronger as the elapsed time increases. In addition, the control device 50 may switch the notification unit 20 that outputs the sound to another notification unit 12 in the toilet facility 10 or a notification unit 20 of another toilet booth 14 according to the elapsed time. For example, when a user leaves the toilet booth 14 and walks toward the entrance / exit 104, a notification may be issued from the notification unit 12, 20 that is closest to the location where the user is estimated to arrive after a predetermined time.

[0058] In step S100, the control device 50 determines whether or not to end the notification. For example, when a predetermined end condition is met, such as the user returning to retrieve a forgotten item and the user being detected in the toilet booth 14, the forgotten item being no longer detected, or the time when the user is estimated to have left the toilet facility 10 has passed, the control device 50 determines to end the notification. If the determination in step S100 is affirmative, the control device 50 ends the process in FIG. 9, and if the determination is negative, the control device 50 returns to step S80.

[0059] Effects of the embodiment As described above, the toilet system 100 of this embodiment is configured to When the user leaves the toilet booth 14, the user is notified of the left behind item, and the notification can be given at an appropriate timing that makes it easy for the user to notice. For example, by giving a notification the moment the user reaches the outside of the toilet booth, the user can know that a problem has occurred (the user has left something behind) by leaving the toilet booth, and by giving the notification from the notification unit 20 placed in a position close to the user leaving the toilet booth 14, the user can intuitively know that the notification is directed to that user.

[0060] In addition, since a user who leaves the toilet booth 14 will move away from the toilet booth 14 over time, the toilet system of this embodiment changes the form of the notification, such as increasing the volume of the notification sound or speeding up the blinking of the notification light according to the elapsed time, thereby enabling the user to be notified accurately.

[0061] Furthermore, even if dangerous objects such as bombs or hidden cameras are installed in the toilet booth, these objects are detected as lost property and a notification is sent, thereby preventing the installation of dangerous objects or hidden cameras. Even if the person (user) who installed the dangerous objects or hidden cameras ignores the notification and runs away, the installation of these objects or hidden cameras can be notified to people nearby. Furthermore, if the user does not return to retrieve the lost property, the toilet system 100 notifies the center or the like that manages the toilet facility 10, so that items left in the toilet booth 14 can be dealt with promptly. Therefore, even if dangerous objects such as bombs or hidden cameras are installed, a prompt response can be made, ensuring safety.

[0062] Second Embodiment In this embodiment, when a lost item is detected, the type of the lost item is identified and a notification is sent in a form corresponding to the type of the lost item. Since the other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals and will not be described again.

[0063] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of a control device 50 according to the second embodiment. As shown in Fig. 10, the control device 50 of this embodiment includes a recognition unit 504 in addition to the configuration shown in the first embodiment.

[0064] The identification unit 504 determines the type of the detected lost item based on information such as the outline and outer shape detected by the object detection unit 40. Here, examples of the types of lost items include a mobile phone, a smartphone, glasses, a hat, a wallet, a coin purse, a bag (a pouch, a bag, a backpack, a suitcase), an umbrella, a handkerchief, a walking stick, gloves, a scarf, and the like.

[0065] As a method for determining the type of the lost item, for example, a pattern such as the outline or shape of the lost item is stored in advance for each type of the lost item, and the outline or shape of the detected lost item is compared with the stored pattern to identify the type depending on which pattern the outline or shape of the detected lost item matches, which is called pattern matching. Alternatively, the relationship between the information on the outline or shape of the lost item and the type of the lost item is machine-learned to create a mathematical model, and the type corresponding to the outline or shape of the detected lost item is identified by the mathematical model, which is called AI identification.

[0066] Fig. 11 is a diagram showing the process of the toilet management method according to this embodiment. Note that the process from the start of the process to step S50 is the same as the process in Fig. 9 described above.

[0067] If the determination in step S50 is positive, the control device 50 proceeds to step S52, where it determines the type of the lost item based on information detected by the object detection unit 40, such as the outline and shape.

[0068] In step S54, the control device 50 judges whether the type obtained in step S52 is a type determined to be a type for which notification is to be performed, such as a wallet or a smartphone. If the determination is affirmative, the control device 50 proceeds to step S20 and ends the process in Fig. 11. For example, if the object detected as a lost item is a toilet paper roll, a piece of paper, or the like that does not require notification (noise), the process in Fig. 11 ends to avoid unnecessary notification.

[0069] On the other hand, if the determination in step S54 is positive, the process proceeds to step S56, where a notification according to the type is determined. For example, a voice message including information indicating the type of the lost item may be determined, such as "You have left your umbrella behind," or "You have left your smartphone behind." In other words, the voice message (notification form) may be changed for each type of lost item. In addition to the voice message, the light emission pattern of the light-emitting unit 21 may be changed for each type of lost item. The process from step S56 onwards is the same as that in FIG. 9 described above.

[0070] According to this embodiment, it is possible to appropriately notify the user of a lost item depending on the type of the lost item.

[0071] Third Embodiment In this embodiment, the toilet booth door is a circular arc-shaped suspended sliding door device. Since the other configurations are the same as those of the first or second embodiment described above, the same elements are given the same reference numerals and will not be described again.

[0072] Fig. 12 is a top view of the toilet booth 141 and the hanging-support type sliding door device 190 in this embodiment. Fig. 13 is a perspective view of the toilet booth 141 and the hanging-support type sliding door device 190 in this embodiment.

[0073] The suspended sliding door device 190 includes a door body 93 for opening and closing the entrance 4, a guide rail 90 for suspending and supporting the door body 93 so that it can slide freely, and a drive unit 94 for driving the door body 93. The guide rail 90 has an arc shape that curves convexly toward the front outside of the toilet booth 141, and is suspended across the upper part of the entrance 4.

[0074] As shown in Fig. 14, the driving unit 94 is provided so as to protrude outward from the toilet booth 141 through a hole 90d provided in the front wall 90a of the guide rail 90 and a hole M11 provided in the front wall M1. A notification unit 420 is attached to the end of the driving unit 94 located outside the toilet booth 141. The notification unit 420 has a cup-shaped cover body 421 that covers the part of the driving unit 94 that protrudes outward from the wall, a screw 422 that fixes the cover body 421, a light-emitting unit 423, and a speaker 424.

[0075] The cover body 421 is made of a translucent resin material, and is fixed to the rear end of the drive unit 94 by a screw 422. A light emitting unit 423 and a speaker 424 are provided on the inner wall surface of the cover body 421.

[0076] When a user operates the operating unit 6 to perform an opening or closing operation, the control device 50 operates the drive unit 94 in response to this operation, and opens or closes the door body 93 along the guide rail 90 .

[0077] The control device 50 detects a left-behind item and notifies the user using the light-emitting portion 423 and the speaker 424 of the notification unit 420, in the same manner as in the first or second embodiment described above.

[0078] Thus, according to this embodiment, like the first or second embodiment described above, it is possible to appropriately notify the user of forgotten items, and in the suspended sliding door device 190, the exterior portion covering the drive unit 94 that protrudes outside the toilet booth 141 can be effectively used as a notification unit.

[0079] Fourth embodiment In the above-mentioned embodiment, the notification form is changed according to the elapsed time, but in this embodiment, the movement of the user is tracked, and the notification units 12, 20 that notify are switched according to the user's current location. Note that other configurations are the same as those in the above-mentioned first to third embodiments, so that the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals and the repeated explanation is omitted.

[0080] 15 is a diagram showing the configuration of the control device 50 according to this embodiment. The control device 50 of this modification includes a position detection unit 505 in addition to the above-mentioned configuration.

[0081] The position detection unit 505 detects the current position of the user who has left the toilet booth. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of the toilet facility 10 according to this embodiment. The toilet facility 10 is provided with a plurality of photoelectric sensors (position sensors) 510. FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram of a detection method by the position detection unit 505. The photoelectric sensor 510 has a light projecting unit 511 that linearly irradiates signal light such as laser light, and a light receiving unit 512 that receives the signal light. In this modification, as shown in FIG. 17 and FIG. 18, the signal light is horizontally irradiated, and the plurality of photoelectric sensors 510 are arranged at a predetermined interval so that the signal light forms a mesh pattern. The interval at which the photoelectric sensors are arranged may be set arbitrarily as long as the movement of the user can be detected, and is, for example, 10 mm to 1000 mm, preferably 20 mm to 500 mm, and more preferably 30 mm to 150 mm or 100 mm to 200 mm. 16 and 17 are schematic illustrations, and therefore the intervals and positions of the photoelectric sensors 510 differ from the intervals at which they are actually disposed.

[0082] In the example of FIG. 17, the photoelectric sensor 510 is arranged so that the signal lights sx0 to sx4 and the signal lights sy0 to sy6 are orthogonal to each other in a mesh shape, and the user UE shown by the solid line blocks the signal lights sx1, sx2, sy2 to sy4. In this case, it is detected that the user is at the intersection of the signal lights sx1 and sx2 and the signal lights sy2 to sy4. Then, when the user UE moves to the position of the two-dot chain line, the signal lights sx2, sx3, sy1 to sy3 are blocked, and the signal lights sx1 and sy4 are no longer blocked. Therefore, based on the detection result of the photoelectric sensor 510, the position detection unit 505 can detect that the user UE has moved to the intersection of the signal lights sx2, sx3, sy1 to sy3, and repeat this to track the user. In this way, the movement of the user is detected based on the signal light blocked by the user UE. The sensor for detecting the position of the user UE is not limited to a sensor that detects the user UE when the signal light is blocked, but may receive the reflected light of the signal light reflected by an object at a receiving unit, and may detect the presence of the user UE when the signal light is reflected at a distance shorter than the reference distance based on the distance when the user UE is not present. The position sensor for detecting the user UE may be a matrix of sensors arranged on the ceiling of the restroom facility 10, detect whether or not the user UE is present directly below each sensor, and detect the position of the user UE according to the position of the sensor that detects the presence of the user. Furthermore, the position sensor for detecting the user UE is not limited to the photoelectric sensor 510, but may be a three-dimensional scanner that detects the position of the user by optically scanning the restroom facility 10 with a laser light and detects the movement of the user based on the change in the user's position for each optical scan.

[0083] Also, a camera (position sensor) may be provided in the restroom facility to capture an image of the path the user takes from each restroom booth 14 to the entrance / exit 104, and the captured image may be analyzed by the position detection unit 505 to detect the user's current position. In this case, the position detection unit 505 may, for example, compare the captured image with a background image captured when the user is not present, extract an image of the user by taking the difference between the two, and periodically repeat this process to continuously record changes in the user's position, thereby tracking the user.

[0084] Fig. 18 is a diagram showing the process of the toilet management method according to this embodiment. Note that the process from the start of the process to step S80 is the same as the process in Fig. 11 described above.

[0085] If the determination in step S80 is affirmative, the control device 50 proceeds to step S85, where it determines the current location of the user based on the detection result of the position sensor.

[0086] In step S84, the control device 50 notifies the user from the notification unit 12, 20 according to the current location of the user. For example, the notification is made from the notification unit 12, 20 installed at the position closest to the user, and when the user moves, the notification is made by switching the notification unit 12, 20 so as to follow the user. That is, the position of the notification unit 12, 20 that makes the notification is changed. At this time, the notification unit 12, 20 that makes the notification is not limited to one, and may be multiple, such as the one closest to the user and one installed in the moving direction. Furthermore, if the notification is made from multiple notification units 12, 20 to both ears of the user with the same sound, the user feels that the notification is resonating in his / her head, so that the user's attention can be attracted and the user can be reliably notified of the left-behind property. Furthermore, the notification may be made so that a sound image is formed at a specific position for the user by giving a phase difference to the sound notifying the left and right ears of the user. For example, a sound image is formed in a position close to the user (for example, within the personal space) in the direction of the toilet booth 14 that detected the left-behind property. Specifically, when a user is walking with their back to the toilet booth 14 where they left something behind, a notification is issued so that a sound image is formed directly behind the user. As a result, when the user senses a sound within their personal space and turns around in alarm, they will see that the notification unit 20 of the toilet booth 14 they used is flashing red, making it easier for them to realize that something is wrong, i.e., that they have left something behind.

[0087] In this manner, according to this embodiment, the location of the notification can be changed depending on the location of the user, and a moving user can be accurately notified that they have left something behind.

[0088] <others> The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned illustrated examples, and it is needless to say that various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 1: Toilet facilities 2: Management server 4: Entrance / Exit 6 :Operation section 9: Door 10: Toilet facilities 12: Notification unit 14: Toilet booth 14B: Wall 14C: Ceiling 14F: Floor 14L: Left side wall 14M: Front wall 14R: Right side wall 20: Notification unit 21: Light emitting part 22: Speaker 24L: Partition plate 24R: Partition plate 30: Entrance / Exit Sensor 40: Object detection unit 41:Toilet bowl 42: Toilet seat device 42A: Seat sensor 43: Display unit 44: Human sensor 49: Urinal 50: Control device 51: CPU 52: Main memory 53 :Auxiliary storage device 56: Communication bus

Claims

1. an exit detection unit that detects when a user leaves the toilet booth; a lost property detection unit that detects an object other than toilet booth fixtures in the toilet booth as a lost property when the exit of the user is detected; a plurality of notification units provided outside the toilet booth, which notify the user of the fact that the item has been left behind when the item is detected; a notification control unit that notifies the user of the fact that the item has been left behind from a notification unit that is closest to the user among the plurality of notification units according to the location information of the user; A toilet system comprising:

2. The notification unit issues the notification by sound, The toilet system according to claim 1 , wherein the notification control unit changes the form of the notification depending on the elapsed time since detecting that the user has left the toilet, so that the sound of the notification becomes louder as the elapsed time becomes longer.

3. An identification unit is further provided for determining a type of the detected left behind item, The toilet system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the notification control unit changes a form of the notification by the notification unit depending on a type of the left behind item.

4. The notification unit is installed at a plurality of positions within the facility in which the toilet booth is provided, The toilet system of claim 1, wherein the notification control unit causes the notification to be made from the notification unit installed at a position corresponding to the location where the user is present, in accordance with the user's location information, and changes the form of the notification in accordance with the user's movement.

5. A toilet system as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, having a notification unit that notifies both of the user's ears with the same sound, in addition to the notification unit that is closest to the user.

6. A toilet system described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the notification control unit imparts a phase difference to the sound notified to the left and right ears of the user, and notifies the user to form a sound image at a specific position.

7. Detecting that a user is leaving the toilet booth; When detecting the exit of the user, detecting an object other than the toilet booth fixtures in the toilet booth as a left behind item; When the left-behind property is detected, a plurality of notification units provided outside the toilet booth are controlled to notify the user that the left-behind property has occurred; notifying the user of the fact that the item has been left behind from a notification unit that is closest to the user among a plurality of notification units according to location information of the user; The control unit executes the toilet management method.

8. A toilet system as described in claim 7, which notifies the user with the same sound to both ears from the notification unit closest to the user and another notification unit.

9. A toilet system as described in claim 7, which imparts a phase difference to the sounds notified to the left and right ears of the user, and notifies the user to form a sound image at a specific position.

Images