# US 2019/0378393 A1 · Control device, toilet, information processing device, storage medium, and control method

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- Number: US 2019/0378393 A1
- Document ID: US20190378393A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/430,807
- Filed: 2019-06-04
- Published: 2019-12-12
- Earliest claimed: 2018-06-08
- Assignees: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: HIROSHI MATSUURA
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190378393A1

## CPC

- G08B 21/18: Status alarms (G08B21/02 takes precedence)
- A01K 1/0107: {Cat trays; Dog urinals; Toilets for pets}
- G01G 19/52: Weighing apparatus combined with other objects, e.g. furniture (with walking sticks A45B3/08)
- G05B 15/02: electric
- Y02A 50/30: Against vector-borne diseases, e.g. mosquito-borne, fly-borne, tick-borne or waterborne diseases whose impact is exacerbated by climate change
- G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
- A01K: ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS
- G01G: WEIGHING (sorting by weighing B07C5/16)
- 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)
- Y02A: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE

## Abstract

Provided are a control device, a toilet, an information processing device, a control program, and a control method, each of which allows a user to be notified of time to replace a consumable item, depending on a weight of the consumable item. The control device controls a pet toilet. The control device includes: a weight obtaining section which obtains information on a weight of a urine sheet which absorbs urine; and a notification processing section which causes a user to be notified of information on time to replace the urine sheet, depending on the weight of the urine sheet.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A control device which controls an electronic device, the control device comprising:
a weight obtaining section which obtains information on a weight of a consumable item which absorbs excreta; and
a notification processing section which causes a user to be notified of information on time to replace the consumable item, depending on the weight of the consumable item.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The control device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising
a determining section which determines whether or not the weight of the consumable item is greater than a given value,
in a case where the weight of the consumable item is greater than the given value, the notification processing section causing the user to be notified of the information on the time to replace the consumable item.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The control device as set forth in claim 2, wherein the notification processing section causes the user to be notified of information which recommends replacing the consumable item.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The control device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising
a replacement time estimating section which estimates time at which it becomes necessary to replace the consumable item, on the basis of (i) a change in weight of the consumable item in the past and (ii) the latest weight of the consumable item,
the notification processing section causing the user to be notified of information on the time at which it becomes necessary to replace the consumable item.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The control device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the consumable item is a sheet which absorbs urine.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

A toilet comprising:
a control device recited in claim 1; and
a weight scale which measures the weight of the consumable item.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

An information processing device comprising
a control device recited in claim 1,
the weight obtaining section obtaining, from a toilet, the information on the weight of the consumable item.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium which stores therein a control program for causing computer to function as a control device recited in claim 1,
the control program causing the computer to function as the weight obtaining section and the notification processing section.

### Claim 9

A method for controlling an electronic device, the method comprising:
a weight obtaining step of obtaining information on a weight of a consumable item which absorbs excreta; and
a notification processing step of causing a user to be notified of information on time to replace the consumable item, depending on the weight of the consumable item.