Bathroom Cleaning Sensor System with Ambient Concentration Thresholds
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for monitoring bathroom cleanliness lack sensors to measure relevant parameters, making it difficult to determine when a bathroom has been cleaned or requires cleaning.
Innovation Solution
A system that employs sensors, such as a distance sensor to measure water level in a toilet tank, and an alerting system to collect data on toilet flushes and door transitions, determining if cleaning is needed and alerting users or entities responsible for cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If existing systems are used for monitoring bathroom cleanliness, then the system structure is simple, but the ability to measure cleanliness parameters and determine when cleaning is needed is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the monitoring function into multiple specialized sensors: a distance sensor for water level detection in the toilet tank, a door position sensor for tracking bathroom access, and a volatile organic compound sensor for detecting cleaning chemicals. Each sensor independently measures a specific parameter, and the processor integrates these measurements to determine overall cleanliness status, thereby achieving comprehensive monitoring through modular sensor components
Solution Approach 2:
The processor serves multiple functions: it receives and processes data from different sensor types (distance, position, chemical concentration), performs calculations to determine cleanliness status, identifies when cleaning is needed, and generates alerts. This multi-functional processing unit consolidates what could be separate systems into a single integrated device
2Productivity
If scheduled cleaning is used, then the cleaning schedule is simple to manage, but the cleaning effectiveness decreases as the bathroom gets increasingly dirty between cleanings
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors bathroom conditions through sensors and provides feedback to the cleaning schedule. When the volatile organic compound sensor detects cleaning chemicals or when the distance sensor indicates water level changes suggesting toilet use, the processor updates the cleanliness status and adjusts the timing of cleaning alerts, creating a dynamic feedback loop that optimizes cleaning effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary monitoring and analysis of bathroom conditions before cleaning is actually needed. The processor continuously evaluates sensor data and predicts when cleaning will be necessary, allowing the cleaning schedule to be proactively adjusted rather than reactively responded to, thereby maintaining higher cleaning effectiveness throughout the interval
3Reliability
If manual monitoring of bathroom cleanliness is performed, then the system complexity is low, but the ability to determine when cleaning is needed based on actual usage is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges multiple measurement approaches into a single integrated monitoring solution. The distance sensor measures water level to infer toilet usage, the door position sensor tracks bathroom access patterns, and the volatile organic compound sensor detects cleaning chemical presence. The processor combines these independent measurements to reliably determine cleanliness status and trigger appropriate alerts
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively monitors bathroom cleanliness by scheduling appropriate cleaning actions based on sensor data, ensuring a cleaner environment and maintaining compliance with cleaning schedules.
Implementation Method 1
The sensor comprises a laser diode, a photodetector, and a first processor. The laser diode is operable to produce a laser beam pulse that travels towards a water level within the toilet tank, wherein the laser beam pulse is reflected back to the sensor.
Implementation Method 2
The photodetector is operable to receive the reflected laser beam pulse.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for determining an ambient concentration of compositions for bathroom cleaning comprises a processor operable to receive a concentration measurement from a sensor over a network within a first period of time. The processor is operable to compare the received concentration measurement to a first threshold and to a second threshold greater than the first threshold. The processor is operable to instruct a memory communicatively coupled to the processor to store an indication that a bathroom was cleaned in response to a determination that the received concentration measurement is greater than the first threshold and less than the second threshold. The processor is operable to send an alert for display on a user device indicating either that the sensor has been tampered or that a spill event has occurred in response to a determination that the received concentration measurement is greater than the second threshold.