US 12,404,661 B2
Automatic faucet
Mahendra Gunawardena, Hillsborough, NJ (US); Eric B. Soberano, Barnegat, NJ (US); and Steven D. Kappus, Manville, NJ (US)
Assigned to AS America, Inc., Piscataway, NJ (US)
Appl. No. 17/775,488
Filed by AS America, Inc., Piscataway, NJ (US)
PCT Filed Nov. 13, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/060356
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 9, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/097169, PCT Pub. Date May 20, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/935,347, filed on Nov. 14, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0389695 A1, Dec. 8, 2022
Int. Cl. E03C 1/05 (2006.01); G01V 3/08 (2006.01)
CPC E03C 1/057 (2013.01) [G01V 3/088 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An automatic faucet assembly comprising:
a faucet having a body and a spout;
an electromechanical valve;
a controller; and
a power source,
wherein
the faucet body and/or spout comprises an electrically conductive material,
the faucet spout is configured to deliver water when the electromechanical valve is in an open position and to not deliver water when the electromechanical valve is in a closed position,
the controller, the faucet body and/or spout, the electromechanical valve, and the power source are in wired electrical communication,
the faucet body and/or spout are directly electrically connected to the power source,
the faucet body and/or spout are configured to perform as an electrode of a capacitive sensing system and to be associated with an electric field, the electric field configured to perform as a detection zone,
the controller is configured to detect motion of an end user in the electric field,
the faucet assembly comprises an electromechanical valve body, an adapter, or a manifold, the electromechanical valve body, the adapter, and the manifold comprise a non-conductive insulating material, and
the electromechanical valve body, the adapter, and the manifold are configured to electrically isolate the faucet assembly,
wherein the controller is configured to:
determine a power characteristic of the power source, wherein the power characteristic includes at least one of a power source type and power source condition, wherein the power source is a battery or an AC power source;
adjust a sensitivity of the capacitive sensing system based on the determined power characteristic;
wherein the adjustment of sensitivity includes modifying at least one of: a detection frequency, a detection threshold, and a sampling rate of the capacitive sensing system, such that the capacitive sensing system operates with a lower sensitivity when the power characteristic indicates a limited power supply compared to when the power characteristic indicates an abundant power supply.