Touchless Lavatory Sensor Validation Using Ambient Light Comparison

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Solution Overview

Problem

In touchless lavatories, the increased use of sensors for controlling operations leads to a higher risk of inadvertently triggering sensors, resulting in wasteful use of resources like soap and water, and potentially startling users.

Innovation Solution

A method and system for controlling touchless lavatory sensors, where a processor forms groups of sensors, determines trigger events, requests ambient light measurements, computes average light values, and validates trigger events based on these measurements to differentiate between intended and inadvertent activations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If more sensors are used in the lavatory to control operations, then the control functionality is improved, but the risk of inadvertent sensor triggering increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontrol functionalityVSAvoidsensor triggering accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple sensors (motion sensor, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor) into an integrated sensor system that works together to validate trigger events. The processor evaluates multiple sensor inputs simultaneously to determine whether a trigger is intentional, merging their functions to improve reliability while maintaining control functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses feedback from multiple sensors to validate trigger events. The processor receives input from motion, ambient light, and proximity sensors, processes this feedback information, and uses it to determine whether to activate lavatory components. This multi-layered feedback mechanism reduces false activations while preserving legitimate control functions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Volume of moving object

If sensors are placed in more compact spaces, then the space utilization is improved, but the potential for inadvertent sensor triggering increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespace utilizationVSAvoidinadvertent triggering

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the sensor system into distinct functional components (motion sensing, ambient light sensing, proximity sensing) that can be independently evaluated. By segmenting the validation process into multiple independent sensor checks, the system can maintain compact sensor placement while reducing inadvertent triggering through selective validation of each sensor type.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary validation checks using multiple sensors before activating lavatory components. The processor evaluates motion, light, and proximity data in advance of triggering an action, allowing compact sensor placement while ensuring that only validated triggers result in component activation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Measurement precision

If sensor validation using ambient light measurement is implemented, then the accuracy of trigger detection is improved, but the processing time and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetrigger detection accuracyVSAvoidprocessing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The ambient light sensor serves multiple functions: it validates trigger events by detecting hand gestures, provides ambient lighting information for lavatory control, and can be used for energy management. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional dedicated validation sensors, thereby limiting the increase in processing complexity while maintaining high trigger detection accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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 solution effectively reduces the occurrence of inadvertent sensor activations, thereby conserving resources and enhancing user comfort by ensuring that only valid trigger events activate the lavatory components.

Implementation Method 1

determining that a trigger event is detected from a first sensor of a plurality of sensors... in response to a motion sensor in the first sensor

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMotion detection:

Implementation Method 2

requesting an ambient light measurement from each of the plurality of sensors

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAmbient light measurement:

Data Source

PatentUS12339417B2Inadvertent operations in touchless lavatory

Publication Date: 2025.06.24 BE AEROSPACE INC

AI summary

A method for controlling a touchless lavatory is disclosed herein. The method includes forming one or more groups of sensors from a plurality of sensors, determining that a trigger event is detected from the first sensor, and identifying a first group of sensors of the one or more groups of sensors to which the first sensor belongs. The method further includes requesting an ambient light measurement from each of the plurality of sensor. The method further includes computing an average ambient light value based on the ambient light measurement, comparing the ambient light measurement of the first sensor to the average ambient light value of all the sensors, determining that the ambient light measurement of the first sensor is less than the average ambient light value of all the sensors, and determining that the first sensor trigger event is valid.