Patent ID: 8355822
Filing Date: 2013-01-15
Classification: E03C,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method of controlling a valve having a first arrangement wherein fluid is provided from an inlet of the valve to an outlet of the valve and a second arrangement wherein fluid is not provided from the inlet of the valve to the outlet of the valve, the valve in fluid communication with a fluid conduit of a water delivery device; the method comprising the steps of: emitting in a proximity of the water delivery device a plurality of spatially spaced apart beams of optical energy into a detection zone; receiving through a multi-element sensor, having a plurality of individual pixels, optical energy reflected from the detection zone, the received optical energy having a plurality of spatially spaced apart peaks; determining a presence of an object in the detection zone based in part on at least one of a spacing between at least two of the plurality of spatially spaced apart peaks of the received optical energy and an intensity of at least two of the plurality of spatially spaced apart peaks of the received optical energy and at least one characteristic of the plurality of spatially spaced apart beams; and automatically configuring the valve in the first arrangement when it is determined that the object is present, wherein the step of determining the presence of the object in the detection zone includes the steps of: correlating the received optical energy with a function to produce a correlated result; identifying a first pixel and a second pixel, of the plurality of individual pixels, in the correlated result; classifying the object based on at least one of a first comparison of intensity values of the first pixel and the second pixel, and a second comparison of a separation of the first pixel and the second pixel; and determining a location of the object in the detection zone based on the first pixel and the second pixel.