Bathroom monitoring device and bath system

Abstract

To provide a bathroom monitoring device and a bathroom system which can easily and accurately specify the range of the bathtub in a bathroom.SOLUTION: A bathroom monitoring device 20 includes: a three-dimensional sensor 204 for acquiring three-dimensional information of the inside of a bathroom; and a control unit 201 for determining the range of a bathtub in planer view on the basis of output from the three-dimensional sensor 204. The control unit 201 extracts a surface which has at least a certain width which changed more than at least a predetermined height on the basis of the three-dimensional information output from the three-dimensional sensor 204, and determines the range of the extracted surface to be the range of the bathtub.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a bathroom monitoring device for monitoring a bathroom interior and a bathtub system having a function of monitoring a bathroom interior.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a bathroom monitoring device for monitoring a bathroom interior has been known. In this type of monitoring device, for example, the movement of a person is detected by an infrared sensor, and based on the detection result, it is determined whether the person is in a dangerous state.

[0003] Further, Patent Document 1 below describes a monitoring device using a three-dimensional sensor. In this monitoring device, a change in height within a target area is detected by the three-dimensional sensor, and based on this change, the position of an object (person) that breathes, moves the body, and moves is detected. Further, based on the detected change in height, the breathing, body movement, and movement of the object (person) are detected, and based on this detection result, it is determined whether the object (person) is in a dangerous state.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In monitoring the bathroom interior, generally, the determination conditions are changed depending on whether a person is in the bathtub or in the washroom. For example, in the washroom, since a person is often moving, the fact that the person is stationary (fallen) is set as the determination condition. On the other hand, in the bathtub, since a person is often stationary, the fact that the head is underwater is set as the determination condition.

[0006] Thus, since the monitoring criteria differ between the bathtub and the washing area, it is necessary to distinguish and define the boundaries of the bathtub and the washing area in advance. However, such settings require complicated and troublesome work, resulting in a significant burden on the installer.

[0007] In view of these problems, the present invention aims to provide a bathroom monitoring device and a bath system that can easily and accurately identify the area of ​​the bathtub within the bathroom. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A first aspect of the present invention relates to a bathroom monitoring device. The bathroom monitoring device according to this aspect comprises a three-dimensional sensor that acquires three-dimensional information of the bathroom, and a control unit that determines the extent of the bathtub in a plan view based on the output from the three-dimensional sensor. Here, the control unit extracts a surface of a predetermined width or more that has changed by a predetermined height or more based on the three-dimensional information output from the three-dimensional sensor, and determines that the extent of the extracted surface is the extent of the bathtub.

[0009] According to the bathroom monitoring device of this embodiment, based on the three-dimensional information output from the three-dimensional sensor, a surface of a predetermined width or more that has changed by a predetermined height or more is extracted, and the range of the extracted surface is determined to be the range of the bathtub. The water level in the bathtub changes due to filling, draining, pumping, etc. Therefore, the surface extracted by the above determination process can usually correspond to the water level in the bathtub. Thus, by determining the range of this surface as the range of the bathtub, the range of the bathtub in the bathroom can be accurately identified. Furthermore, the range of the bathtub is automatically determined by the device, without the installer having to set the range of the bathtub each time. Therefore, according to the bathroom monitoring device of this embodiment, the range of the bathtub in the bathroom can be easily and accurately identified.

[0010] The bathroom monitoring device according to this embodiment may include a communication unit for communicating with a bathing device that fills the bathtub with hot water. In this case, the control unit may be configured to perform a process to determine the range of the bathtub based on the receipt of a signal from the bathing device indicating that it will perform hot water filling.

[0011] With this configuration, the above-mentioned discrimination process is executed when the water level in the bathtub is in a state where it can reliably change. Therefore, the extent of the bathtub can be smoothly determined based on the change in water level.

[0012] In this case, the control unit may be configured to perform a process to determine the range of the bathtub based on the three-dimensional information output from the three-dimensional sensor when it receives a signal to start filling the bathtub from the bathing device and when it receives a signal to end filling the bathtub from the bathing device.

[0013] With this configuration, the water level in the bathtub changes significantly between the start and end of filling, allowing for accurate and precise determination of the bathtub's boundaries based on the change in water level. Therefore, the bathtub's boundaries within the bathroom can be accurately determined.

[0014] Furthermore, the control unit may be configured to perform a process to determine the range of the bathtub based on the receipt of a signal from the bathing device indicating that it is performing a test run, along with a signal indicating that it is performing a test run.

[0015] During the trial run performed after the installation of the bath system, the cover surrounding the bathtub is usually removed, exposing the inside of the bathtub to the outside. Therefore, during the trial run, changes in the water level inside the bathtub can be properly detected using 3D information from the 3D sensor. Thus, as in the above configuration, if the bathtub area is determined during the hot water filling operation in the trial run, changes in the water level inside the bathtub can be properly detected, and the above determination process based on changes in surface height can be performed appropriately. Therefore, the area of ​​the bathtub within the bathroom can be smoothly and appropriately determined.

[0016] In the bathroom monitoring device according to this embodiment, the control unit may be configured to determine that the widest area of ​​the other surfaces besides the extracted surface is the area of ​​the washing area.

[0017] Within the bathroom, the largest surface other than the water surface of the bathtub is the bottom of the washing area. Therefore, as described above, by identifying the largest surface among the surfaces other than the water surface of the bathtub extracted by the discrimination process as the washing area, the extent of the washing area within the bathroom can be accurately determined.

[0018] A second aspect of the present invention relates to a bath system. The bath system according to this aspect includes a three-dimensional sensor that acquires three-dimensional information of the bathroom, and a control unit that determines the extent of the bathtub in a plan view based on the output from the three-dimensional sensor. Here, the control unit extracts a surface of a predetermined width or more that has changed by a predetermined height or more based on the three-dimensional information output from the three-dimensional sensor, and determines that the extent of the extracted surface is the extent of the bathtub.

[0019] According to the bath system of this embodiment, the area of ​​the bathtub within the bathroom can be easily and accurately identified, similar to the first embodiment described above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] As described above, the present invention provides a bathroom monitoring device and a bath system that can easily and accurately identify the area of ​​the bathtub within the bathroom.

[0021] The effects and significance of the present invention will become even clearer from the description of the embodiments shown below. However, the embodiments shown below are merely examples of how to implement the present invention, and the present invention is not limited in any way to those described in the embodiments below. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0022] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a bath system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is a diagram showing circuit blocks of each device constituting the bathtub system according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing a connection form between the water heater and the bathtub according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a process for discriminating the range of the bathtub and the range of the washbasin in the bathroom according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing the acquisition status of three-dimensional information at the start of the test run when the bathroom is viewed from the side according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6(a) is a diagram schematically showing the acquisition status of three-dimensional information at the start of the test run when the bathroom is viewed from above according to the embodiment. FIG. 6(b) is a diagram schematically showing the acquisition status of three-dimensional information at a point when a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the hot water filling when the bathroom is viewed from above according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b) are diagrams schematically showing the acquisition status of three-dimensional information at the end of the hot water filling when the bathroom is viewed from above according to the embodiment, respectively. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram schematically showing the acquisition status of three-dimensional information at the end of the hot water filling when the bathroom is viewed from the side according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the monitoring process in the bathroom executed in the control unit of the in-bathroom monitoring device according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a process for discriminating the range of the bathtub and the range of the washbasin in the bathroom according to the modification example.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0024] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of the bathtub system 1 according to the embodiment.

[0025] As shown in Figure 1, the bath system 1 comprises a bathing device 10 and a bathroom monitoring device 20. The bathroom monitoring device 20 is installed on the ceiling of the bathroom 3 and monitors the inside of the bathroom 3. The bathroom monitoring device 20 may consist of a sensor unit having a three-dimensional sensor and a control unit having a calculation circuit such as a control unit. In this case, the sensor unit may be installed on the ceiling inside the bathroom 3, and the control unit may be installed outside the bathroom and connected to the sensor unit by a communication cable.

[0026] Bathroom 3 contains a bathtub 2 and a washing area 31. A stand 32, a faucet 33, a mirror 35, and a shower 34 are installed on the wall of the washing area 31. Bathroom 3 is roughly divided into the area of ​​the bathtub 2 and the area of ​​the washing area 31. The bathroom monitoring device 20 is installed approximately in the center of the ceiling inside the bathroom.

[0027] The bathing system 10 includes a water heater 11 and remote controllers 12 and 13. The water heater 11 is a gas water heater that supplies hot water using gas as fuel. The hot water generated by the water heater 11 is supplied to kitchen faucets, the bathtub 2, the taps 33, etc., via pipes connected to the hot water outlets 11a. If the water heater 11 has a floor heating function, a bathroom heating function, and a heating function using panel heaters, hot water is supplied from the water heater 11 to the equipment that provides these functions.

[0028] The remote controllers 12 and 13 are connected to the water heater 11 and are used to make various settings for each function of the bathing system 10.

[0029] The remote controller 12 includes a display unit 121 and an input unit 122. A lid 12b, which can be opened and closed on its lower end, is provided at the lower front of the remote controller 12. Five operation switches constituting the input unit 122 are arranged on the front of this lid 12b. The input unit 122 includes operation switches for functions such as automatic bath filling and reheating, along with the operation switch 122a. When the lid 12b is opened, operation switches for setting other functions are revealed. The remote controller 13 includes a display input unit 131 consisting of a touch panel and an operation switch 132.

[0030] The operator can make arbitrary settings for things like filling the bathtub and adjusting the hot water temperature by operating the input unit 122 according to the screen displayed on the display unit 121. The operator can also make settings for filling the bathtub and other functions by operating the display input unit 131. Furthermore, by performing a special operation on the input unit 122 (for example, pressing two buttons simultaneously for a certain period of time), the bathtub device 10 can be made to perform a test run of filling the bathtub.

[0031] Remote controller 12 is installed in the bathroom, and remote controller 13 is installed in the kitchen or elsewhere. Remote controllers 12 and 13 are provided with audio windows 12a and 13a for inputting and outputting audio.

[0032] Hereinafter, the remote controller 12 installed in the bathroom will be referred to as the "bathroom remote control 12," and the remote controller 13 installed in the kitchen, etc., will be referred to as the "kitchen remote control 13."

[0033] The circuit sections of the water heater 11, bathroom remote control 12, and kitchen remote control 13 are connected to each other via two-core communication lines L1 and L2, enabling communication between them. Bath function setting information input via the input section 122 of the bathroom remote control 12 or the display input section 131 of the kitchen remote control 13 is shared among the circuit sections of the water heater 11, bathroom remote control 12, and kitchen remote control 13 through communication via the two-core communication lines L1 and L2.

[0034] Furthermore, as described later, the water heater 11 is equipped with a water level sensor that detects the water level in the bathtub. In addition, the bathroom remote control 12 is equipped with a human sensor that detects the presence or absence of a person in the bathroom. The human sensor is, for example, a pyroelectric sensor using infrared light. The detection results from these water level sensors and human sensors are also shared between the circuits of the water heater 11, the bathroom remote control 12, and the kitchen remote control 13 via communication through two-core communication lines L1 and L2.

[0035] Furthermore, the kitchen remote control 13 is connected to the bathroom monitoring device 20 via the communication cable C1. The kitchen remote control 13 transmits the detection results of the water level sensor and the human sensor, as well as information related to various operations such as filling the bathtub and test runs, to the bathroom monitoring device 20 via the communication cable C1.

[0036] Figure 2 shows the circuit blocks of each component that make up the bath system 1.

[0037] The water heater 11 comprises a control unit 111, a memory unit 112, a communication unit 113, and a water level sensor 114. The control unit 111 is equipped with a microcomputer and controls each part of the water heater 11 according to a program stored in the memory unit 112. The memory unit 112 is equipped with memory and stores a predetermined control program.

[0038] The communication unit 113 communicates with the bathroom remote control 12 and the kitchen remote control 13 according to the control unit 111. The communication unit 113 is connected to the communication unit 125 of the bathroom remote control 12 and the communication unit 135 of the kitchen remote control 13 via two-core communication lines L1 and L2. Furthermore, the two-core communication lines L1 and L2 are connected to each other inside the communication unit 113. Therefore, the communication unit 125 of the bathroom remote control 12 and the communication unit 135 of the kitchen remote control 13 are connected to each other by the two-core communication lines L1 and L2. As a result, a signal transmitted from any of the communication units 113, 125, or 135 is transmitted simultaneously to the other communication units.

[0039] As described later, the water level sensor 114 is placed in the piping inside the water heater 11 and detects the water level in the bathtub 2 based on the water pressure in the piping.

[0040] The bathroom remote control 12 includes, in addition to the display unit 121 and input unit 122 described above, a control unit 123, a storage unit 124, a communication unit 125, a speaker 126, and a human sensor 127. The display unit 121 is, for example, made of a liquid crystal panel. The input unit 122 is equipped with the various operation switches described above.

[0041] The control unit 123 is equipped with a microcomputer and performs predetermined control according to a program stored in the memory unit 124. The memory unit 124 is equipped with memory and stores predetermined control programs. The communication unit 125 communicates with the water heater 11 and the kitchen remote control 13 according to the control unit 123.

[0042] Speaker 126 outputs sound based on the audio signal generated by the control unit 123. The control unit 123 reads audio information stored in the memory unit 124 as needed and generates an audio signal. The sound output from speaker 126 is output from the audio window 12a in Figure 1.

[0043] The human sensor 127 detects the presence or absence of a person in the bathroom 3. The human sensor 127 is, for example, a pyroelectric sensor using infrared light. The detection range of the human sensor 127 is set to cover the washing area 31 and the bathtub 2 within the bathroom 3.

[0044] In addition to the display input unit 131 and operation switch 132 described above, the kitchen remote control 13 includes a control unit 133, a storage unit 134, a communication unit 135, and a speaker 136.

[0045] The control unit 133 is equipped with a microcomputer and performs predetermined control according to a program stored in the memory unit 134. The memory unit 134 is equipped with memory and stores predetermined control programs. The communication unit 135 communicates with the water heater 11 and the bathroom remote control 12 according to the control unit 133. The communication unit 135 also communicates with the bathroom monitoring device 20 according to the control unit 133.

[0046] Speaker 136 outputs sound based on the audio signal generated by the control unit 133. The control unit 133 reads audio information stored in the memory unit 134 as needed and generates an audio signal. The sound output from speaker 136 is output from the audio window 13a in Figure 1.

[0047] The bathroom monitoring device 20 comprises a control unit 201, a storage unit 202, a communication unit 203, and a three-dimensional sensor 204.

[0048] The control unit 201 is equipped with arithmetic processing circuits such as a CPU and MPU, and performs predetermined control according to a program stored in the memory unit 202. The memory unit 202 is equipped with memory and stores predetermined control programs. The communication unit 203 communicates with the kitchen remote control 13 according to the control unit 201.

[0049] The 3D sensor 204 acquires 3D information within the bathroom 3. The 3D information is information about the height of objects present in the bathroom 3. The coordinate points of the objects to be detected are set on the XY coordinate axes parallel to the horizontal plane. The 3D sensor 204 acquires information about the height of the object at each coordinate point as 3D information. The objects to be detected are, for example, the bottom surface of the bathtub 2, the surface of the edge of the bathtub 2, the bottom surface of the washing area 31, and the surface of the stand 32. If the bathtub 2 is filled with water, information indicating the water level at each coordinate point on the water surface is acquired as 3D information.

[0050] As the 3D sensor 204, for example, a 3D sensor using ultrasound can be used. In this case, ultrasound transmitted from a transmitter is received by multiple receivers. Beamforming is performed on the received signals output from the multiple receivers to calculate the distance to an object in multiple directions. The distance to the object is calculated by the time difference between the ultrasound transmission timing and the ultrasound reception timing. A 3D sensor that transmits and receives radio waves instead of ultrasound may also be used as the 3D sensor 204.

[0051] Alternatively, a Time of Flight (TOF) type 3D sensor using laser light can be used as the 3D sensor 204. In this case, laser light is emitted in multiple directions, and the laser light from each direction is received by a photodetector. The distance to the object in each direction is calculated from the time difference between the laser light emission timing and the laser light reception timing.

[0052] Alternatively, a 3D sensor using a stereo camera may be used as the 3D sensor 204. In this case, the distance to an object in the image is calculated from the parallax of multiple images acquired by multiple cameras using triangulation. However, the sensors used as the 3D sensor 204 are not limited to these. Other types of 3D sensors may be used as the 3D sensor 204, as long as they can acquire the aforementioned 3D information.

[0053] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the connection configuration between the water heater 11 and the bathtub 2.

[0054] As shown in Figure 3, the water heater 11 includes, in addition to the control unit 111 shown in Figure 2, a hot water supply unit 210, a reheating unit 220, and a bypass unit 230.

[0055] The hot water supply unit 210 includes a water supply pipe 211, a hot water heat exchanger 212, a hot water supply pipe 213, a hot water combustion unit 214, and an air supply fan 215. The water supply pipe 211 connects the water pipe to the hot water heat exchanger 212, and the hot water supply pipe 213 connects the hot water heat exchanger 212 to the bathroom faucet 4 and the outdoor faucet 5. Gas (fuel gas) is supplied to the hot water combustion unit 214 through a hot water gas pipe 217 which is opened and closed by a gas solenoid valve 216. The hot water combustion unit 214 burns gas as fuel. The air supply fan 215 supplies combustion air to the hot water combustion unit 214.

[0056] The reheating unit 220 includes the water level sensor 114 shown in Figure 2, as well as a return pipe 221, a bath heat exchanger 222, a supply pipe 223, a bath combustion unit 224, and a circulation pump 225. The return pipe 221 connects the circulation adapter 2a of the bathtub 2 to the bath heat exchanger 222, and the supply pipe 223 connects the bath heat exchanger 222 to the circulation adapter 2a. The return pipe 221 and the supply pipe 223 form a reheating circulation path P10 that circulates hot water between the bathtub 2 and the bath heat exchanger 222.

[0057] Gas (fuel gas) is supplied to the bath combustion unit 224 through a bath gas pipeline 227 that is opened and closed by a gas solenoid valve 226. The bath combustion unit 224 burns the gas as fuel. An air supply fan 215 is shared between the hot water supply unit 210 and the reheating unit 220, and combustion air is supplied from the air supply fan 215 to the bath combustion unit 224. A circulation pump 225 and a water level sensor 114 are located in the return pipeline 221. The water level sensor 114 detects the water level in the bathtub 2 based on the water pressure in the return pipeline 221.

[0058] The bypass section 230 includes a bypass pipe 231 and a hot water solenoid valve 232. The bypass pipe 231 is connected to the hot water pipe 213 and the return pipe 221. The hot water solenoid valve 232 opens and closes the bypass pipe 231.

[0059] The control unit 111 controls the hot water combustion unit 214, air intake fan 215 and gas solenoid valve 216 of the hot water supply unit 210, the bath combustion unit 224, circulation pump 225, water level sensor 114 and gas solenoid valve 226 of the reheating unit 220, and the hot water solenoid valve 232 of the bypass unit 230.

[0060] When the bathroom faucet 4 or the external faucet 5 is opened, the hot water supply function is activated. Water from the water pipe is introduced into the hot water heat exchanger 212 through the water supply pipeline 211, and the hot water combustion unit 214 burns to heat the hot water heat exchanger 212. The water introduced into the hot water heat exchanger 212 is heated to hot water, and this hot water is supplied to the bathroom faucet 4 or the external faucet 5 through the hot water supply pipeline 213. When the bathroom faucet 4 or the external faucet 5 is closed, the water supply from the water pipe to the water supply pipeline 211 stops, and the combustion of the hot water combustion unit 214 stops.

[0061] Furthermore, when the control unit 111 receives a command to fill the bathtub 2 with hot water from the bathroom remote control 12 or the kitchen remote control 13, it executes the hot water filling function (automatic bath filling function). In this case, the hot water solenoid valve 232 is opened, and water from the water pipe is introduced to the hot water heat exchanger 212 through the water supply pipe 211 and heated in the hot water heat exchanger 212. Then, the hot water from the hot water heat exchanger 212 is introduced to the return pipe 221 through the hot water pipe 213 and the bypass pipe 231.

[0062] A portion of the hot water introduced into the return pipe 221 flows through the return pipe 221 towards the circulation adapter 2a, and is then poured into the bathtub 2 from the circulation adapter 2a. The remaining hot water introduced into the return pipe 221 flows through the return pipe 221 towards the bath heat exchanger 222, and further flows through the bath heat exchanger 222 and the supply pipe 223 before being poured into the bathtub 2 from the circulation adapter 2a.

[0063] When hot water is supplied and the bathtub 2 is filled with water, the return pipe 221, the bath heat exchanger 222, and the supply pipe 223 become filled with water. This allows the water level sensor 114 to detect the water level in the bathtub 2. When the water level sensor 114 detects that the water level in the bathtub 2 has reached a preset level, the hot water solenoid valve 232 closes, stopping the water supply from the water pipe to the water supply pipe 211 and stopping the combustion of the hot water combustion unit 214.

[0064] Furthermore, when the reheating function is activated, the circulation pump 225 operates and the bath combustion unit 224 burns. The water in the bathtub 2 circulates between the bathtub 2 and the reheating circulation path P10, which consists of the return pipe 221, the bath heat exchanger 222, and the supply pipe 223, and is heated by the bath heat exchanger 222 during this process. When the water temperature in the bathtub 2 rises above a preset upper limit temperature, the circulation pump 225 and the bath combustion unit 224 stop.

[0065] In the hot water refilling function, a predetermined amount of hot water is injected into the bathtub 2 using the same control as the bath filling function (automatic bath filling function). When the cold water refilling function is executed, the hot water heater 214 and the bath combustion unit 224 are stopped, and the same control as the bath filling function (automatic bath filling function) is performed to inject a predetermined amount of cold water into the bathtub 2.

[0066] Incidentally, in general, when monitoring within the bathroom 3, the criteria for determining whether a person is in a dangerous situation change depending on whether the person is in the bathtub 2 or in the washing area 31. For example, in the washing area 31, since people are often moving, the criterion for determination is that the person is stationary (lying down). On the other hand, in the bathtub 2, since people are often stationary, the criterion for determination is that their head is submerged in the water.

[0067] Thus, the criteria for monitoring differ between the bathtub 2 and the washing area 31. Therefore, it is necessary to distinguish and set the boundaries of the bathtub 2 and the washing area 31 in advance. However, such settings require complicated and troublesome work, resulting in a significant burden on the installer.

[0068] Therefore, in this embodiment, a configuration is provided that allows for the simple and accurate identification of the extent of the bathtub 2 within the bathroom 3. Specifically, the extent of the bathtub 2 and the washing area 31 in a plan view are determined based on the output from the 3D sensor 204. This process will be described below.

[0069] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the process for determining the extent of the bathtub 2 and the washing area 31 within the bathroom 3.

[0070] In this embodiment, during the trial run performed after the installation of the bath system 1, a process is executed to determine the extent of the bathtub 2 and the washing area 31. This process is performed by the control unit 201 of the bathroom monitoring device 20.

[0071] After the installation of the bath system 1, when the installer performs a test run operation on the bathroom remote control 12, a signal indicating this operation is sent from the bathroom remote control 12 to the water heater 11 and the kitchen remote control 13. As a result, the water heater 11 performs a bath filling operation based on the test run. In addition, a signal indicating the start of the test run and a signal indicating the start of bath filling are sent from the kitchen remote control 13 to the bathroom monitoring device 20.

[0072] When the control unit 201 of the bathroom monitoring device 20 receives a signal from the kitchen remote control 13 indicating the start of a trial run and a signal indicating the start of filling the bathtub with hot water (S101:YES, S102:YES), it stores the 3D information acquired from the 3D sensor 204 at that time in the storage unit 202 (S103).

[0073] At this point, since hot water has not yet been supplied to bathtub 2, or has just been supplied, the 3D information of each coordinate point within the area of ​​bathtub 2 effectively represents the height of the bottom surface of bathtub 2. In addition, for coordinate points outside the area of ​​bathtub 2, information representing the height of the edge surface of bathtub 2, the bottom surface of the washing area 31, and the surface of the stand 32 is acquired as 3D information and stored in the storage unit 202.

[0074] Figure 5 schematically shows the acquisition status of 3D information at the start of trial operation, when viewed from the side of bathroom 3. Figure 6(a) schematically shows the acquisition status of 3D information at the start of trial operation, when viewed from above of bathroom 3. In Figure 5, the diagrams of components other than the bathtub 2, bathroom 3, and bathroom monitoring device 20 are omitted.

[0075] In Figure 5, the origin of the XY coordinate axes is set at the central axis A0 of the bathroom monitoring device 20 (3D sensor 204), and the Z axis is set vertically downwards. The dashed lines in Figure 5 indicate the positions of the coordinate points to be detected. The intersection of the dashed lines in Figure 6(a) is the coordinate point to be detected. For convenience, the pitch of the coordinate points is shown to be wider in Figures 5 and 6(a), but the actual pitch of the coordinate points is set to be smaller.

[0076] In Figure 5, the height H11 is acquired as 3D information at coordinate point P1. In this case, the 3D sensor 204 calculates the height H11 by multiplying the calculated distance to the object in direction D1 by cosθ11. The angle θ11 is the elevation angle of direction D1 with respect to the central axis A0. The height H11 calculated here is the height of the bottom surface of the bathtub 2 at coordinate point P1.

[0077] Furthermore, the height H21 is acquired as 3D information at coordinate point P2. In this case, the 3D sensor 204 calculates the height H21 by multiplying the calculated distance to the object in direction D2 by cosθ21. The angle θ21 is the elevation angle of direction D2 with respect to the central axis A0. The height H21 calculated here is the height of the bottom surface of the bathtub 2 at coordinate point P2. Similarly, for all coordinate points, the height of the object inside the bathtub 2 is acquired as 3D information.

[0078] Returning to Figure 4, the control unit 201 stores the 3D information at the start of filling the bathtub in the storage unit 202 in step S103, and then waits to receive an end signal from the kitchen remote control 13 indicating the end of filling the bathtub (S104). After receiving the end signal (S104:YES), the control unit 201 stores the 3D information acquired from the 3D sensor 204 at that time in the storage unit 202 (S105).

[0079] At this point, since the bathtub 2 is filled with water, the 3D information of each coordinate point within the area of ​​the bathtub 2 represents the height of the water surface in the bathtub 2. For coordinate points outside the area of ​​the bathtub 2, as in step S103, information representing the height of the edge of the bathtub 2, the bottom of the washing area 31, and the surface of the stand 32 is acquired as 3D information and stored in the storage unit 202.

[0080] Figure 6(b) schematically shows the acquisition status of 3D information when a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of filling the bathroom 3, when viewed from above. Figure 7(a) schematically shows the acquisition status of 3D information when the filling of the bathroom 3 is completed, when viewed from above. Figure 8 schematically shows the acquisition status of 3D information when the filling of the bathroom 3 is completed, when viewed from the side.

[0081] As shown in Figure 6(b), after a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of filling the bathtub, a portion of the bottom of the bathtub 2 is filled with hot water HW. Therefore, at coordinate points (black circles) included in the area of ​​the hot water HW, the height to the surface of the water is acquired as 3D information.

[0082] As shown in Figure 7(a), when the bathtub 2 is filled with water, the entire bathtub 2 is filled with water HW. Therefore, for coordinate points (black circles) within the bathtub 2, the height to the water surface is obtained as 3D information. In this case, as shown in Figure 8, the height H12 to the water surface is obtained as 3D information for coordinate points within the bathtub 2. This height H12 is different from the height H11 of these coordinate points at the start of filling the bathtub, as shown in Figure 5, by a difference ΔH. The height H21 of the coordinate points within the washing area 31 is the same as the height H21 of these coordinate points at the start of filling the bathtub, as shown in Figure 5.

[0083] Returning to Figure 4, the control unit 201 compares the 3D information acquired at the start of filling the bath with the 3D information acquired at the end of filling the bath and extracts the surfaces that have changed by more than a predetermined height (S106).

[0084] Here, the predetermined height is set to a height (for example, several tens of centimeters) at which it is possible to detect that the water level in the bathtub 2 has changed due to filling with hot water. Also, a surface is a set of height positions of coordinate points that are substantially the same in the 3D information at the end of filling with hot water and are adjacent to each other. Therefore, from the 3D information at the end of filling with hot water, a set of height positions corresponding to multiple surfaces in the bathroom 3 (the surface of the water in the bathtub 2, the bottom surface of the washing area 31, the surface of the stand 32, etc.) can be obtained. Of these sets of height positions, the set of height positions whose height has changed by a predetermined amount or more between the start and end of filling with hot water is extracted in step S106 as a surface whose height has changed by a predetermined amount or more.

[0085] In the example shown in Figure 7(a), the coordinate point cloud included within the bathtub 2 area changes in height by a predetermined amount or more between the start and end of filling the bathtub. In the coordinate point cloud included in areas other than the bathtub 2, such as the washing area 31, the height does not change between the start and end of filling the bathtub. Therefore, in step S106 of Figure 4, the set of height positions of the coordinate point cloud included within the bathtub 2 area is extracted as a surface where the height has changed by a predetermined amount or more.

[0086] Returning to Figure 4, when surfaces that have changed by more than a predetermined height are extracted (S106), the control unit 201 determines whether the extracted surfaces are greater than or equal to a predetermined area (S107). More specifically, the control unit 201 determines whether the number of coordinate points of the height position group constituting the extracted surfaces is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold Nth. Here, the predetermined area is set to be slightly smaller than the surface area of ​​the water that can be assumed when the bathtub 2 is filled with water. Therefore, the threshold Nth is set to a number slightly smaller than the number of coordinate points that can be assumed to be included in the range of the water in the bathtub 2 in a plan view.

[0087] If the determination in step S107 is NO, the control unit 201 terminates the process shown in Figure 4, stating that it was unable to properly detect the surface of the water in the bathtub 2. In this case, the control unit 201 sends a signal to the kitchen remote control 13 indicating that it was unable to determine the range of the bathtub 2 and the washing area 31. As a result, the kitchen remote control 13 outputs a notification from the display input unit 131 and speaker 136, for example, prompting the user to perform a test run again.

[0088] If the determination in step S107 is YES, the control unit 201 determines that the range of the extracted surface in a plan view is the range of the bathtub 2 (S108). At this time, the control unit 201 stores the coordinate points included in the extracted surface in a plan view as coordinate points of the range of the bathtub 2 in the storage unit 202.

[0089] Furthermore, the control unit 201 extracts the widest other surface (a set of coordinate points at substantially the same height) from among the surfaces other than the extracted surface (S109). Then, in a plan view, the control unit 201 identifies the range of the extracted other surface as the range of the washing area 31 (S110). At this time, the control unit 201 stores the coordinate points included in the extracted other surface in a plan view as coordinate points of the range of the washing area 31 in the storage unit 202. The control unit 201 may further store the three-dimensional information of these coordinate points (height of the bottom surface of the washing area 31) in the storage unit 202. In this way, the control unit 201 completes the process shown in Figure 4.

[0090] In the example in Figure 8, the height changes by ΔH at the coordinate points within the bathtub 2 area. Therefore, in step S106, a surface formed by the set of height positions of the coordinate points of the black circles in Figure 7(a) is extracted. Furthermore, since this surface is larger than a predetermined area (i.e., the number of coordinate points in the height position group that constitutes this surface is greater than the threshold Nth), the determination in step S107 is YES, and in step S108, the area of ​​this surface, i.e., the area of ​​the set of coordinate points of the black circles in Figure 7(a), is determined to be the area of ​​bathtub 2.

[0091] Furthermore, in step S109, the surface formed by the set of height positions of the coordinate points of the white circles in Figure 7(b) is the widest surface other than the surface of the bathtub 2, so this surface is extracted as the other surface. Then, in step S110, the range of the extracted set of coordinate points of the white circles (the other surface) is determined to be the range of the washing area 31. In this way, the range of the bathtub 2 and the range of the washing area 31 in a plan view are identified by the process shown in Figure 4.

[0092] Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the monitoring process within the bathroom 3 that is performed in the control unit 201 of the bathroom monitoring device 20.

[0093] The control unit 201 refers to the 3D information of the bathtub 2 area from the 3D information output from the 3D sensor 204 (S201), and determines whether or not the determination conditions applied to the bathtub 2 area have been satisfied (S202).

[0094] For example, in step S202, the control unit 201 identifies the range of a person's head submerged in the water of the bathtub 2 from the three-dimensional information of the bathtub 2. The control unit 201 then determines from the three-dimensional information of the bathtub 2 whether the identified head is submerged in the water. For example, the control unit 201 calculates the difference between the height of the top of the person's head (highest point) in the bathtub 2 and the height of the water surface, and determines whether this difference has become smaller than a predetermined threshold. Here, the threshold is set to approximately the general distance from a person's nose to the top of their head (for example, 20 cm). If the above difference has become smaller than this threshold, the control unit 201 determines the result of step S202 as YES.

[0095] However, the determination criteria in step S202 are not necessarily limited to the above conditions. For example, three-dimensional information of the bathtub 2 can be applied to AI (Artificial Intelligence) to determine if a person in the bathtub 2 is in a dangerous state, such as drowning or unconscious.

[0096] If the determination in step S202 is YES, the control unit 201 sends a signal to the kitchen remote control 13 to indicate this (S205). As a result, the kitchen remote control 13 outputs an audio message from the speaker 136, along with a chime sound, to notify that the person in the bathroom 3 is in a dangerous situation.

[0097] On the other hand, if the determination in step S202 is NO, the control unit 201 refers to the 3D information of the washing area 31 from the 3D information output from the 3D sensor 204 (S203) and determines whether the determination conditions applied to the washing area 31 have been satisfied (S204).

[0098] For example, in step S204, the control unit 201 determines from the three-dimensional information of the washing area 31 whether or not a person in the washing area 31 remains stationary for a predetermined period of time. Specifically, the control unit 201 identifies the distribution of coordinate points located above the bottom surface of the washing area 31 within the washing area 31, and determines the determination in step S204 to be YES if the distribution of these coordinate points does not change substantially over the predetermined period of time, and the height of these coordinate points does not change substantially over the predetermined period of time.

[0099] However, the determination criteria in step S204 are not necessarily limited to the above conditions. For example, the AI ​​may be used to determine if there is a person lying unconscious in the washing area 31, or if there is any other dangerous situation involving a person.

[0100] If the determination in step S204 is YES, the control unit 201 executes the process in step S205. As a result, as described above, the kitchen remote control 13 outputs an audio message from the speaker 136, along with a chime sound, indicating that the person in the bathroom 3 is in a dangerous situation.

[0101] If the determinations in steps S202 and S204 are both NO, the control unit 201 returns to step S201 and repeats the same process. In this way, the control unit 201 continues to monitor whether the person in bathroom 3 is in a dangerous condition.

[0102] The process shown in Figure 9 may, for example, be started when a person enters the bathroom 3 as detected by the human sensor 127, and terminated when a person leaves the bathroom 3 as detected by the human sensor 127.

[0103] In this case, the control unit 133 of the kitchen remote control 13 receives a signal from the bathroom remote control 12 indicating that a person has entered and exited the bathroom 3 via the human sensor 127, and transmits a monitoring start signal and a monitoring end signal to the bathroom monitoring device 20, respectively. The control unit 201 of the bathroom monitoring device 20 operates the 3D sensor 204 to execute the process shown in Figure 9 upon receiving the monitoring start signal, and stops the 3D sensor 204 to terminate the process shown in Figure 9 upon receiving the monitoring end signal. This allows for appropriate monitoring of the safety of the person in the bathroom 3 while they are inside.

[0104] <Effects of the Embodiment> According to the above embodiment, the following effects may be achieved.

[0105] As shown in Figure 4, based on the 3D information output from the 3D sensor 204, surfaces exceeding a predetermined width that have changed by more than a predetermined height are extracted (S106, S107: YES), and the range of the extracted surfaces is determined to be the range of the bathtub 2 (S108). The height of the water level in the bathtub 2 changes as the bathtub is filled with water. Therefore, the surfaces extracted by the above determination process usually correspond to the water level in the bathtub 2. Thus, by determining that the range of this surface is the range of the bathtub 2, the range of the bathtub 2 within the bathroom 3 can be accurately identified. Furthermore, the range of the bathtub 2 is automatically determined by the bathroom monitoring device 20, without the installer having to set the range of the bathtub 2 each time. Therefore, the range of the bathtub 2 within the bathroom 3 can be easily and accurately identified.

[0106] As shown in Figure 4, the control unit 201, upon receiving a signal from the bathing device 10 to perform a bath filling operation (S102: YES), executes a process to determine the extent of the bathtub 2 (S103-S108). This ensures that the above determination process is performed only when the water level in the bathtub 2 can reliably change. Therefore, the determination of the extent of the bathtub 2 based on the change in water level can be performed smoothly.

[0107] As shown in Figure 4, when the control unit 201 receives a signal to start filling the bathtub from the bathing device 10 (S102: YES) and when it receives a signal to end filling the bathtub from the bathing device 10 (S104: YES), it performs a process to determine the extent of the bathtub 2 based on the 3D information output from the 3D sensor 204 (S103, S105), respectively (S106-S108). As a result, the water level in the bathtub 2 changes significantly between the start and end of filling, allowing the process to determine the extent of the bathtub 2 based on the change in surface height to be performed appropriately and accurately. Therefore, the extent of the bathtub 2 within the bathroom 3 can be determined with high accuracy.

[0108] As shown in Figure 4, the control unit 201 receives a signal from the bathing device 10 indicating that it will fill the bathtub with hot water (S102: YES) along with a signal indicating that it is a trial run (S101: YES), and then performs a range determination process for the bathtub 2 (S103-S108).

[0109] During the trial run performed after the installation of the bath system 1, the cover covering the bathtub 2 is usually removed, exposing the inside of the bathtub 2 to the outside. Therefore, during the trial run, the 3D information from the 3D sensor 204 allows for the proper detection of changes in the water level inside the bathtub 2. Thus, as described above, when the bathtub 2 area is determined during the hot water filling operation in the trial run, changes in the water level inside the bathtub 2 can be properly detected, and the above determination process based on changes in surface height can be performed appropriately. Therefore, the area of ​​the bathtub 2 within the bathroom 3 can be determined smoothly and properly.

[0110] As shown in Figure 4, the control unit 201 determines that the widest surface range among the surfaces other than the extracted surface (S109) is the range of the washing area 31 (S110). Within the bathroom 3, the bottom surface of the washing area 31 is the widest surface among the surfaces other than the water surface of the bathtub 2. Therefore, as described above, by determining that the widest surface range among the surfaces other than the extracted surface (the water surface of the bathtub 2) is the range of the washing area 31 through the discrimination process, the range of the washing area 31 within the bathroom 3 can be accurately determined.

[0111] <Example of changes> As shown in Figure 4, in the above embodiment, the extent of the bathtub 2 was determined by considering a surface (S106, S107: YES) that has changed in height or more and is greater than or equal to a predetermined area as the surface of the hot water in the bathtub 2. However, the method for determining the extent of the bathtub 2 is not limited to this, and the extent of the bathtub 2 may also be determined by taking into account the detection results of the water level sensor 114.

[0112] Figure 10 is a flowchart showing the process for determining the extent of the bathtub 2 and the washing area 31 within the bathroom 3, in the case of a modification example.

[0113] For convenience, steps S101 to S105 are omitted from Figure 10. Compared to the flowchart in Figure 4, steps S111 and S112 are added between steps S107 and S108 in the flowchart of Figure 10.

[0114] If the determination in step S107 is YES, the control unit 201 obtains the water level of the bathtub 2 at the end of the filling process, as detected by the water level sensor 114, from the kitchen remote control 13 (S111). Then, the control unit 201 determines whether the change in height before and after filling the bathtub on the surface extracted in step S106 is approximately the same as the water level detected by the water level sensor 114 (S112).

[0115] If the surface extracted in step S106 is the surface of the water in bathtub 2, the change in the height of this surface before and after filling the bathtub will approximately match the water level detected by the water level sensor 114. Therefore, in this case, the determination in step S112 will be YES, and the range of the surface extracted in step S106 will be determined to be the range of bathtub 2. On the other hand, if the surface extracted in step S106 is not the surface of the water in bathtub 2, the change in the height of this surface before and after filling the bathtub will not match the water level detected by the water level sensor 114. Therefore, in this case, the determination in step S112 will be NO, and the range of bathtub 2 and washing area 31 will not be determined.

[0116] As shown above, according to the process in Figure 10, the detection results of the water level sensor 114 are also taken into account to identify the range of the bathtub 2, thereby further improving the accuracy of identifying the range of the bathtub 2.

[0117] In the flowchart of Figure 10, steps S111 and S112 are placed between steps S107 and S108, but steps S111 and S112 may also be placed between steps S106 and S107. Furthermore, steps S111 and S112 do not necessarily have to be consecutive; for example, in the flowchart of Figure 10, step S111 may be moved between steps S106 and S107.

[0118] <Other examples of changes> In the above embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, the range of the bathtub 2 was determined using 3D information at the start of filling the bathtub (S103) and 3D information at the end of filling the bathtub (S105). However, the 3D information used for determining the range of the bathtub 2 is not necessarily limited to this.

[0119] For example, 3D information obtained at a predetermined time (e.g., several tens of seconds or several minutes) after the start of filling the bathtub may be used in place of 3D information obtained at the start of filling the bathtub, or 3D information obtained at a predetermined time (e.g., several seconds or several tens of seconds) after the end of filling the bathtub may be used in place of 3D information obtained at the end of filling the bathtub. In other words, the two points in time at which the two sets of 3D information are acquired should be points in time at which the change in the water surface height of the bathtub 2 can be appropriately determined. Furthermore, the predetermined height in step S106 should be set so that the change in the water surface at these two points in time can be appropriately detected.

[0120] Furthermore, when acquiring 3D information used to determine the extent of the bathtub 2, if the human sensor 127 detects that there is a person in the bathroom 3, the acquisition and determination process of the 3D information may be stopped. In this case, for example, if no person is detected at the processing timing of step S103 in Figure 4, but a person is detected at the processing timing of step S105, the processing in step S105 may be executed when no more people are detected thereafter, and the processing from step S106 onwards may be performed.

[0121] Furthermore, at the processing timing of steps S103 and S105, an audio message informing the person inside bathroom 3 to leave bathroom 3 immediately may be output from the bathroom remote control 12. Alternatively, this notification may be made when the determination in step S101 is YES. Also, if the bathroom monitoring device 20 is equipped with a speaker, this notification may be made by the bathroom monitoring device 20.

[0122] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the determination process for the range of the bathtub 2 and the washing area 31 was performed when filling the bathtub with hot water during a trial run, but the scenes in which the determination process is performed are not limited to this. For example, the installer or user may perform a normal hot water filling operation after initiating the determination process on the bathroom remote control 12. In this case, a signal indicating the start operation is transmitted to the bathroom monitoring device 20 via the kitchen remote control 13. As a result, the control unit 201 of the bathroom monitoring device 20 will perform the processing from step S103 onwards in Figure 4.

[0123] Alternatively, the determination process may be performed when draining from the bathtub 2. For example, the installer or user may initiate the determination process using the bathroom remote control 12 and then open the drain valve of the bathtub 2. In this case, a signal indicating the start operation is transmitted to the bathroom monitoring device 20 via the kitchen remote control 13. The control unit 201 of the bathroom monitoring device 20 can then use the 3D information at the time of receiving the signal indicating the start operation and the 3D information at the time when the time normally required for drainage has elapsed to execute the process from step S106 onwards in Figure 4. This process also allows for the proper determination of the bathtub 2's extent.

[0124] Furthermore, at the start of the discrimination process, a voice prompting the installer or other person to remove the lid from the bathtub 2 and carry it out of the bathroom may be output from the bathroom remote control 12 and the kitchen remote control 13. If the bathroom monitoring device 20 is equipped with a speaker, this voice may be output from the bathroom monitoring device 20. This allows for more reliable detection of changes in the surface of the water in the bathtub 2 during the discrimination process, and enables proper identification of the area of ​​the bathtub 2.

[0125] Furthermore, in the process shown in Figure 9, the safety of people in the bathtub 2 or washing area 31 was monitored based solely on the 3D information output from the 3D sensor 204. However, other information, such as the detection results from the person sensor 127, may also be taken into consideration when monitoring the safety of people in the bathtub 2 or washing area 31.

[0126] Furthermore, although the processing in Figure 4 was performed in the control unit 201 of the bathroom monitoring device 20, this processing may also be performed by other control units included in the bath system 1, such as the control unit 123 of the bathroom remote control 12. In this case, this control unit can acquire 3D information from the 3D sensor 204 as needed and perform the processing in Figure 4. Similarly, the processing in Figure 9 may also be performed by other control units included in the bath system 1. The same effects as in the above embodiment can be achieved in such a bath system 1 as well.

[0127] Furthermore, the water heater 11 is not limited to one that uses gas fuel, but may also be a water heater that uses oil as fuel. Alternatively, the bathing system 10 may be a storage type using a storage tank, and may also be configured to include a power generation unit such as a fuel cell.

[0128] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a bathing device 10 equipped with both a bathing function and a hot water supply function was exemplified as a bathing device that performs a predetermined bathing function. However, the bathing device may be a device that can perform only the bathing function. For example, the bathing device 10 may only have the function of circulating the water stored in the bathtub 2 through a heat exchanger to heat it. Also, the configuration of the water heater 11 is not limited to the configuration shown in Figure 3, but may be other configurations.

[0129] In addition, embodiments of the present invention can be modified in various ways as appropriate within the scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0130] 1. Bath System 10 Bathing equipment 20 Bathroom monitoring device 201 Control Unit 203 Communications Department 204 3D Sensor

Claims

1. A 3D sensor that acquires 3D information inside the bathroom, The system includes a control unit that determines the extent of the bathtub in a plan view based on the output from the three-dimensional sensor, The control unit extracts a surface that has changed by a predetermined height or more and is of a predetermined width or more, based on the three-dimensional information output from the three-dimensional sensor, and determines that the range of the extracted surface is the range of the bathtub. A bathroom monitoring device characterized by the following features.

2. In the bathroom monitoring device according to claim 1, The bathing device that fills the bathtub with hot water is equipped with a communication unit for communicating with the device. The control unit, upon receiving a signal from the bathing device indicating that it will perform a bath filling operation, performs a process to determine the range of the bathtub. A bathroom monitoring device characterized by the following features.

3. In the bathroom monitoring device according to claim 2, The control unit, upon receiving a signal to start filling the bathtub from the bathing device and a signal to end filling the bathtub from the bathing device, performs a process to determine the range of the bathtub based on the three-dimensional information output from the three-dimensional sensor, respectively. A bathroom monitoring device characterized by the following features.

4. In the bathroom monitoring device according to claim 2 or 3, Based on receiving a signal from the bathing device indicating that it is performing a test run, the control unit performs a process to determine the range of the bathtub. A bathroom monitoring device characterized by the following features.

5. In the bathroom monitoring device according to claim 1, The control unit determines that the widest area of ​​the other surfaces besides the extracted surface is the area of ​​the washing area. A bathroom monitoring device characterized by the following features.

6. A 3D sensor that acquires 3D information inside the bathroom, The system includes a control unit that determines the extent of the bathtub in a plan view based on the output from the three-dimensional sensor, The control unit extracts a surface that has changed by a predetermined height or more and is of a predetermined width or more, based on the three-dimensional information output from the three-dimensional sensor, and determines that the range of the extracted surface is the range of the bathtub. A bath system characterized by the following.

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