# US 12,135,535 B2 · User identity in household appliances

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 12,135,535 B2
- Document ID: US12135535B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/365,274
- Filed: 2021-07-01
- Published: 2021-10-28
- Granted: 2024-11-05
- Earliest claimed: 2017-09-15
- Assignees: Kohler Co.
- Applicants: Kohler Co.
- Inventors: Jonathan D. Bradley; Marwan Estiban; Rafael Rexach; Nicole Allis
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12135535B2

## CPC

- G05B 19/048: Monitoring; Safety
- A47K 13/305: {Seats with heating devices}
- B05B 1/185: {characterised by their outlet element; Mounting arrangements therefor}
- B05B 12/02: for controlling time, or sequence, of delivery
- B05B 12/12: responsive to conditions of ambient medium or target, e.g. humidity, temperature {position or movement of the target relative to the spray apparatus (B05B12/082, B05B12/084 take precedence)}
- E03C 1/057: {touchless, i.e. using sensors}
- E03D 5/105: {touchless, e.g. using sensors}
- E03D 9/002: {Automatic cleaning devices}
- G05B 19/042: using digital processors (G05B19/05 takes precedence)
- G05D 7/0617: {specially adapted for fluid materials}
- G06F 3/167: {Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback}
- G06F 16/951: Indexing; Web crawling techniques
- G10L 15/22: Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
- A61B 5/0075: {by spectroscopy, i.e. measuring spectra, e.g. Raman spectroscopy, infrared absorption spectroscopy (A61B5/0071 takes precedence)}
- A61B 5/01: Measuring temperature of body parts {; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue} (clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20)
- A61B 5/024: Measuring pulse rate or heart rate
- A61B 5/1113: {Local tracking of patients, e.g. in a hospital or private home}
- A61B 5/1171: based on the shapes or appearances of their bodies or parts thereof
- A61B 5/1172: using fingerprinting
- A61B 5/14532: {for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement}
- A61B 5/165: {Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety}
- A61B 5/20: for measuring urological functions {restricted to the evaluation of the urinary system (A61B5/4375 takes precedence)}
- A61B 5/4519: {Muscles (measuring muscular strength A61B5/224; using electromyography [EMG] A61B5/389)}
- A61B 5/4836: {Diagnosis combined with treatment in closed-loop systems or methods (A61B5/0036 takes precedence)}
- E03C 1/05: Arrangements of devices on wash-basins, baths, sinks, or the like for remote control of taps (remote control of taps or the like per se F16K)
- G05B 2219/25297: Identify controlled element, valve, and read characteristics
- G05B 2219/2642: Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
- G10L 15/1822: {Parsing for meaning understanding}
- G10L 15/30: Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)
- A47K: SANITARY EQUIPMENT; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR, e.g. TOILET ACCESSORIES
- B05B: SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES (spray-mixers with nozzles B01F25/72; processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces by spraying B05D)
- E03C: DOMESTIC PLUMBING INSTALLATIONS FOR FRESH WATER OR WASTE WATER (not connected to either water-supply main or to waste pipe A47K; devices of the kind used in the ground E03B, E03F); SINKS
- E03D: WATER-CLOSETS OR URINALS WITH FLUSHING DEVICES; FLUSHING VALVES THEREFOR
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G10L: SPEECH ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OR SPEECH SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)

## Abstract

A system of household appliances is configured to provide services according to user identity. The system includes a first appliance, a server or other network device, and a second appliance. The first appliance is configured to collect sensor data associated with an identity of a user. The server or other network device is configured to receive the sensor data from the first appliance and analyze the sensor data to determine the identity of the user. The second appliance is configured to provide a device function to the user based on the identity determined from the sensor data collected by the first appliance.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A network device for use in a bathroom, the network device comprising:
a data collection interface in communication with a mirror and configured to receive sensor data from the mirror, the sensor data being configured to identify a user of the mirror;
a memory unit configured to store information in a user profile to identify the user, a user configuration for a water consuming appliance, and a user configuration for an auxiliary device;
a processor in communication with the data collection interface and the memory unit, the processor configured to analyze the sensor data identifying the user received from the mirror;
the processor configured to access a user database using the identity of the user from the sensor data received from the mirror for a user configuration for the water consuming appliance, the processor configured to generate a first command for the water consuming appliance in response to the analysis of the sensor data identifying the user;
the processor configured to access the user database using the identity of the user from the sensor data received from the mirror for a user configuration for an auxiliary device, the processer configured to generate a second command for the auxiliary device in response to the analysis of the sensor data identifying the user; and
a data output interface in communication with the water consuming appliance and the auxiliary device, the data output interface configured to send the first command to the water consuming appliance and the second command to the auxiliary device.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The network device of claim 1, wherein the user configuration for the water consuming appliance is based on season, weather, time of day, or day of week in combination with the identity of the user.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The network device of claim 1, wherein the processor instructs the memory unit to create a new user profile associated with the sensor data if the user identified is not stored in the memory unit.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The network device of claim 1, wherein the water consuming appliance is a programmable shower, a bathtub level device, a toilet, or a sink faucet.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The network device of claim 4, wherein the user configuration for the water consuming appliance includes a shower sequence including a sequence of predetermined intensities for a shower spray, a predetermined sequence of different shower heads, a set of temperatures, or a pattern of a spray.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The network device of claim 4, wherein the bathtub level device comprises at least one of an automated drain, and an automated faucet, and
wherein the user configuration is at least one of a predetermined level or depth of water, a predetermined temperature, or a predetermined range of temperatures.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

The network device of claim 4, wherein the toilet provides at least one of automatic opening, closing, or flushing.

### Claim 8 (depends on 4)

The network device of claim 4, wherein the user configuration for the water consuming appliance is for at least one of lid or ring orientations.

### Claim 9 (depends on 4)

The network device of claim 4, wherein the user configuration includes at least one of a predetermined volume of water, a predetermined temperature of water, or a predetermined flow velocity of water.

### Claim 10 (depends on 4)

The network device of claim 4, wherein the data collection interface is in communication with the water consuming appliance and the processor is configured to analyze sensor data from the water consuming appliance to determine common user behaviors for the programmable shower, bathtub level device, toilet, or sink faucet; and
wherein the processor is configured to adjust the user configuration for the water consuming appliance in response to the user behaviors.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The network device of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary device is the mirror.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The network device of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary device is a light source, a speaker, a vibration device, or a cleaning system.

### Claim 13

A method comprising:
receiving sensor data, by a data collection interface, the sensor data being received from a mirror and the sensor data being configured to identify a user of the mirror;
storing information in a user profile configured to identify the user, a user configuration for a water consuming appliance, and a user configuration for an auxiliary device in a memory unit;
analyzing the sensor data received from the mirror to identify the user by a processor in communication with the data collection interface and the memory unit;
accessing, by a processor, a memory unit using the identity of the user from the sensor data received from the mirror for a user configuration for the water consuming appliance and a user configuration for the auxiliary device;
generating, by a processor, an appliance command for the water consuming appliance and a device command for the auxiliary device; and
sending appliance commands to the water consuming appliance and device commands for the auxiliary device by a data output interface in communication with the processor.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the user configuration for the water consuming appliance is based on season, weather, time of day, or day of week in combination with the identity of the user.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the water consuming appliance is a programmable shower, a bathtub level device, a toilet, or a sink faucet.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the auxiliary device is a light source, a speaker, a vibration device, or a cleaning system.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the user configuration for the water consuming appliance includes a shower sequence including a sequence of predetermined intensities for a shower spray, a predetermined sequence of different shower heads, a set of temperatures, or a pattern of spray.

### Claim 18

A network device for use in a bathroom, the network device comprising:
a memory unit configured to store information in a user profile to identify a user of a mirror based on sensor data collected by the mirror and the memory unit configured to store a user configuration for a water consuming appliance and a user configuration for an auxiliary device; and
a controller configured to analyze the sensor data identifying the user and to select the user configuration for the water consuming appliance and the user configuration for the auxiliary device using the identity of the user from the sensor data collected by the mirror; the controller further configured to generate and send an appliance command to the water consuming appliance in response to the user configuration for the water consuming appliance selected based on the sensor data collected by the mirror and a device command to the auxiliary device in response the user configuration for the auxiliary device selected based on the sensor data collected by the mirror.