The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 30, 2000
Filed:
Jul. 17, 1998
Andrew J Paese, Plymouth, WI (US);
Steven M Tervo, Plymouth, WI (US);
Carter J Thomas, Cedarburg, WI (US);
William R Burnett, Menlo Park, CA (US);
David C Shafer, Menlo Park, CA (US);
Fred Judson Heinzmann, Los Altos, CA (US);
Kohler Company, Kohler, WI (US);
Abstract
Methods and devices for controlling the flow of fluid in fixtures, such as bathroom, restroom, or kitchen fixtures, using a radar detector with a leaky transmission line and fixtures using such methods and devices are provided. A bathroom fixture, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, includes a fluid conduit, a radar detector for detecting one or more characteristics of one or more objects in a sensor field based on reflected electromagnetic signals from the one or more objects in the sensor field, and a controller coupled to the fluid conduit for controlling a flow of fluid in the fluid conduit in response to the detected one or more characteristics. The radar detector in particular includes a leaky transmission line for transmitting electromagnetic signals to form the sensor field and receiving the reflected electromagnetic signals. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the sensor field is restricted from selected areas associated with spurious signals, such as areas of flowing water, areas near other fixtures, etc. The use of a radar detector with a leaky transmission line can, for example, improve the control of fluid flow in fixtures, such as bathroom fixtures.