US 12,215,490 B2
Electronic plumbing fixture fittings with shaped and limited sensor detection zones
Inho Song, Chesterland, OH (US)
Assigned to Fortune Brands Water Innovations LLC, North Olmsted, OH (US)
Filed by Fortune Brands Water Innovations LLC, North Olmsted, OH (US)
Filed on Jul. 14, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/222,208.
Application 18/222,208 is a continuation of application No. 16/786,157, filed on Feb. 10, 2020, granted, now 11,702,826.
Application 16/786,157 is a continuation of application No. 15/654,785, filed on Jul. 20, 2017, granted, now 10,557,254, issued on Feb. 11, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/523,877, filed on Jun. 23, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/364,342, filed on Jul. 20, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2024/0084566 A1, Mar. 14, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. E03C 1/05 (2006.01); G01S 17/04 (2020.01)
CPC E03C 1/057 (2013.01) [G01S 17/04 (2020.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An electronic plumbing fixture fitting, comprising:
a faucet body including a discharge outlet, the discharge outlet being operable to deliver water through an expected fluid flow volume;
an electronically controlled valve in fluid communication with the faucet body upstream of the discharge outlet;
at least one processor programmed to control the electronically controlled valve to selectively control a flow of fluid from the electronically controlled valve out the discharge outlet of the faucet body; and
a time-of-flight (TOF) sensor in electrical communication with the processor and operably connected to the faucet body and positioned to transmit a sensing signal toward the expected fluid flow volume in a sensing signal volume; and
wherein at least one of the at least one processor and the TOF sensor is configured to create a detection zone inside the sensing signal volume that overlaps at least a portion of the expected fluid flow volume; and
wherein at least one of the at least one processor and the TOF sensor is configured to permit the TOF sensor to detect the presence or absence of an object in the detection zone whether or not water is flowing out of the discharge outlet through the expected fluid flow volume.