Bathroom fixture using radar detector having leaky transmission line to control fluid flow

A bathroom fixture for use in a bathroom, comprising:

• a fluid conduit;
• a radar detector including:
• a transmitter for generating electromagnetic signals;
• a receiver for receiving reflections of the electromagnetic signals;
• a leaky transmission line, coupled between the transmitter and receiver, for transmitting the electromagnetic signals to form a sensor field restricted from one or more areas associated with spurious signals associated with the bathroom and receiving reflections of the electromagnetic signals from interaction between the electromagnetic signals and one or more objects in the sensor field;
• and
• a detection system, coupled to the receiver, for detecting one or more characteristics of the one or more objects using the reflections received by the receiver and generating an output signal;
• and
• a controller coupled to the fluid conduit for controlling a flow of fluid in the fluid conduit in response to the detection system output signal.

A method of controlling fluid flow of a bathroom fixture using a radar detector having a leaky transmission line, the bathroom fixture comprising a housing defining a basin and a rim structure around the basin, the method comprising:

• transmitting electromagnetic signals to form a sensor field using a leaky transmission line disposed along at least a portion of the rim structure of the housing of the bathroom fixture;
• receiving, with the leaky transmission line, reflections of the electromagnetic signals from interaction between the electromagnetic signals and one or more objects in the sensor field;
• detecting one or more characteristics of the one or more objects using the reflections received by the leaky transmission line;
• and
• controlling fluid flow in a fluid conduit of the bathroom fixture based on the detected one or more characteristics.