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:
Apr. 10, 2001
Filed:
Sep. 07, 1999
Natan E. Parsons, Brookline, MA (US);
Haiou Wu, Jamaica Plain, MA (US);
Arichell Technologies, Inc., West Newton, MA (US);
Abstract
In an automated flush system (,), a control circuit (,) controls a flusher (,) in response to the output of a sensor (,). The vertical sensitivity pattern (,) of the sensor (,) is angled downward. Consequently, radiation that the sensor (,) emits tends to be reflected away from the sensor (,) by relatively specular vertical enclosure surfaces such as that of a stall door (,), while more-diffuse deflectors, such as a user that the sensor (,) is intended to detect, tend to reflect greater percentages of the sensor radiation back to the sensor (,). Similarly reduced sensitivity to enclosure surfaces results from a horizontal sensitivity pattern (,) having a reduced-sensitivity central region. The sensor system can thereby more reliably avoid confusing enclosure surfaces with users, on whose detection the system's automatic flush strategy is based.