Patent Publication Number: US-11661728-B2

Title: Pressure sensitive touch electronic faucet

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a Continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/998,572, filed Aug. 15, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,870,972; which is a National Stage Application of PCT/US2017/016416, filed Feb. 3, 2017 which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/295,294, for a “Pressure Sensitive Touch Electronic Faucet” filed Feb. 15, 2016, which applications are incorporated herein by reference. To the extent appropriate, a claim of priority is made to each of the above disclosed applications. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to a water faucet, and particularly to a water faucet providing electronic control of the faucet via at least touch operation. 
     BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY 
     There are a variety of different types of faucets, including a “widespread” faucet and a single-control faucet. Such faucets typically have multiple characteristic functions and operations, such as on/off, flow control, and temperature control. Most faucet assemblies include a spout mounted atop a countertop, and one or more handles/operating levers adjacent the spout to control the flow and/or temperature of water flowing from the faucet. A typical faucet assembly also includes an unclerbody located beneath the countertop. A pair of valves (one hot and one cold) is located in the underbody and each valve may be connected to a stem that extends upwardly into the handle(s), which are used to control the valves via the handles and allow water to flow to the spout in a conventional manner. The valves may be coupled to hot and cold water lines, respectively. Alternatively, a single mixing valve threaded into the bottom of the spout may be used to mix hot and cold water through the valve, and a single operating lever atop the spout that is shifted to control the volume of flow as well as the mixing of hot and cold through the valve to set the temperature. 
     Faucets that include one or more touch sensors at various locations, such as the spout or handle, are known in the art. Typically, a touch sensor permits a user to turn water flow on and off merely by tapping the spout or handle to trigger the sensor, with the sensor being electronically connected to the water line valves in order to open or close the valves. Specifically, a user would touch the spout or handle once to turn on the flow of water, and the user would then touch the spout or handle again to turn off the flow of water. The touch sensor would be able to distinguish between a touch that is a user&#39;s tap and a touch that is extended grasping of the spout (e.g. in order to move the spout location). Touch sensors were implemented within faucets to provide an easy and convenient way to turn the water off and on without having to manually operate the handle to control the water valves. However, the functionality of such touch sensors provided for binary operation—either on or off—would not permit dynamic adjustment of the water flow rate and temperature. 
     Therefore, there is a need for a faucet that can permit control of dynamic adjustment of the water flow rate and/or temperature of water flowing through the faucet in a convenient manner. According to one aspect, this disclosure provides a faucet having a pressure-sensitive surface for dynamically adjusting the faucet&#39;s water flow rate and/or temperature based on an amount of pressure applied to the surface. A pressure sensor may be electronically connected to one or more electronic valves of the faucet to control the flow of water through either the cold or hot water lines, thereby controlling the flow rate and/or temperature of water coming from the faucet. For example, the pressure sensor could detect and measure the pressure being applied by the user&#39;s touch, and the measurement of pressure (or change in pressure) would be used to determine the desired flow rate amount (or change in flow rate) or the desired temperature (or change in temperature) for the water. The pressure-sensitive surface may be located in any predetermined location associated with the faucet, such as a predetermined surface of the faucet, the faucet&#39;s deck plate, faucet spray head, spout tube/body or a surface nearby the faucet, to permit such dynamic control. In some embodiments, multiple pressure sensors could be positioned to separately control the flow rate and temperature, or separately control the hot and cold water lines. An optional visual indicator may be included with the faucet to indicate the desired temperature and/or flow rate that is being requested via the particular pressure being applied by a user&#39;s touch. An optional visual indicator may be included with the faucet to indicate the current temperature and/or flow rate. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present disclosure will be described hereafter with reference to the attached drawings which are given as non-limiting examples only, in which: 
         FIG.  1    is an exploded perspective view of an exemplar pressure-sensitive electronic faucet according to one embodiment of the disclosure; 
         FIG.  2    is a front perspective view of an illustrative embodiment of the electronic faucet according to  FIG.  1    illustrating use of a flow-controlling feature of the faucet; 
         FIG.  3    is a front perspective view of the illustrative embodiments of the electronic faucet as shown in  FIG.  2    illustrating use of a temperature-controlling feature of the faucet; 
         FIG.  4    is a flow chart showing an exemplary flow-rate control operation that may be performed by the electronic faucet according to  FIG.  2   ; 
         FIG.  5    is a flow chart showing an exemplary temperature control operation that may be performed by the electronic faucet according to  FIG.  2   ; 
         FIG.  6    is a front perspective view of a second illustrative embodiment of the electronic faucet according to  FIG.  1   , illustrating temperature and/or flow-controlling features of the faucet; and 
         FIG.  7    is a flow chart showing an exemplary temperature and flow-rate control operation that may be performed by the electronic faucet according to  FIG.  6   . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     While the concepts of the present disclosure are susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific exemplary embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intent to limit the concepts of the present disclosure to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the disclosure. 
     This disclosure generally relates to an electronic faucet with certain features. The term “electronic faucet” is broadly intended to include any type of faucet assembly that uses electrical power in some manner, including but not limited to electronically controlling water valves, etc. This disclosure encompasses the integration of one or more of the features described herein into any type of electronic faucet, and is not intended to be limited to any particular type of electronic faucet. 
       FIG.  1    illustrates an electronic faucet  100  according to an embodiment of the disclosure. As illustrated, the faucet  100  includes a spout  110  that is configured to be mounted on a spout dock  112  of a faucet body  114 . In the embodiment shown, the faucet body  114  is configured to be mounted on and/or through an optional deck plate  116  that can be mounted on the surface of a sink top or countertop (not shown). In some embodiments, the faucet  100  may not include a deck plate  116 , but the faucet body  114  could be directly mounted to an opening in a countertop (not shown). In various embodiments, the faucet body  114  is configured to house a cold water flow connector  120  and a hot water flow connector  122  that are in fluid connection with the spout  110  via a valve cartridge  132 . The cold water flow connector  120  is connected to a cold water line  124  and the hot water flow connector  122  is connected to a hot water line  126 . 
     In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG.  1   , the water flow rate and/or temperature may be controlled manually by a user via operation of a handle  118 . In illustrative embodiments, the handle  118  may be comprised of a single operating lever  128  that may be configured to be mounted on a handle aperture  130  of the faucet body  114 . In particular, the handle  118  may be mechanically coupled to a valve cartridge  132  positioned within the faucet body  114  that is configured to control flow rate and/or temperature of water based on the position of the operating lever  128 . Alternatively, the handle  118  may be comprised of one or more levers (not shown) that are mounted directly on the deck plate  116 . In illustrative embodiments, for example, the handle  118  may be comprised of a cold water lever and a hot water lever that are mounted on the deck plate  116  (or the countertop in a configuration without a deck plate), wherein the cold water lever is configured to control the cold water flow and the hot water lever is configured to control the hot water flow. Other variations of controlling the valves  120  and  122  are known in the art. Although the faucet  100  may be manually controlled in some embodiments, other embodiments are contemplated in which the faucet&#39;s flow and temperature could be completely electronically controlled. 
     As illustrated in  FIG.  1   , flow of water into the spout  110  may alternatively be controlled via an electronic cold water flow valve  140  and an electronic hot water flow valve  142  (or in addition to the manual control). Electronic valves  140  and  142  may be positioned at various locations along cold and hot water lines  124  and  126 , respectively. For instance, electronic valves  140  and  142  may be positioned in series with and upstream of the valve cartridge  132  via water lines  124  and  126 . Alternatively, electronic valves  140  and  142  may be integrated with, or configured to be used as an alternative to, the valve cartridge  132 . Other configurations of electronic valves  140  and  142  are envisioned within the scope of this disclosure. 
     In illustrative embodiments in accordance with this disclosure, electronic valves  140  and  142  are configured to be operationally controlled via a user&#39;s touch on a predetermined surface  144  (also called force element) of the faucet  100  (or a nearby surface associated with the faucet). The force element could be completely detached from the faucet and be remotely electrically coupled (e.g., wire harness, Bluetooth, WiFi, Inductive, Zigbee, Zwave, etc.) back to the faucet. For example, the electronic valves  140  and  142  could be controlled via one or more sensors  146  located below the surface  144  of the faucet  100  and be able to detect when a user touches the surface  144 . The sensor  146  may be applied to an interior face  148  of the surface  144  and is configured to detect pressure and/or location of a touch on the outside of the surface  144 . In various embodiments, the sensor  146  may be comprised of a pressure-sensing film  150  that extends below the surface  144  or any other force/deflecting sensor (induction, capacitance, piezo electric, etc.). Although the figures show an embodiment with the sensor  146  on the deck plate  116 , embodiments are contemplated in which the sensor  146  (and/or touch surface) could be located on the faucet body  114 , spout  110 , handle  118  or other exterior surface or faucet  100  or other nearby surface. 
     The one or more sensors  146  are electronically coupled to a circuit board  152  (or similar device) via one or more electronic wires  154  and are configured to transmit information to the circuit board  152  regarding the pressure and/or location of a user&#39;s touch. Similarly, the electronic valves  140  and  142  are electronically coupled to the circuit board  152  and are configured to receive information from the circuit board  152  in order to control the operation of the electronic valves  140  and  142 . The circuit board  152  is illustratively designed to open the electronic valves  140  and  142  when the sensor  146  sends a signal through the electronic wires  154 . In various embodiments, the electronic valves  140  and  142  may be operated by controllers (not shown) that are coupled to the valves  140  and  142 . Other means of controlling operation of the electronic valves  140  and  142  are envisioned within the scope of this disclosure. 
     In illustrative embodiments, the one or more sensors  146  can transmit multiple types of signals to the circuit board  152  to convey different types of touches by a user. For example, the sensor  146  may be able to determine the level of pressure applied by the user&#39;s touch and accordingly send a unique signal to the circuit board  152  that indicates the level of pressure being applied. The circuit board  152  may then determine whether to increase or decrease the flow of water through the cold and/or hot water electronic valves  140  and  142  based on the level of pressure identified and send a corresponding signal to the electronic valves  140  and  142  to adjust the electronic valves  140  and  142  accordingly. In such a manner, the flow rate and/or the temperature of the water coming out of the faucet  100  can be dynamically adjusted based on the pressure or location of a user&#39;s touch on the surface  144  of the faucet  100 . 
     In one embodiment, an electronic faucet according to the present disclosure employs a pressure-sensing touch detector, which could be a pressure sensing film  150 . An example of such a pressure sensing device is manufactured and sold by Microchip Technology, Inc. of Chandler, Ariz. under the name PIC12F1571 which is a microcontroller with capacitive touch channels. An application note describing the implementation can be found on microchip.com. Such technology may include a custom-designed touch button panel and control electronics (e.g., circuits and wiring), with an output interface tailored to the specific needs of a user. Such pressure sensing devices may be advantageous in the present disclosure as it can dynamically sense and react to changes in pressure and location when pressure is applied to a sensor within an electronic faucet. 
     As illustrated in  FIGS.  2  and  4   , a first embodiment of the electronic faucet  100  of the present disclosure permits a user to adjust at least the rate of flow of water through the faucet  100  via pressure applied by a user&#39;s touch. In such an embodiment, a pressure sensor  146  may be located below a surface  144  that is part of the deck plate  116 , although other locations of the pressure sensor are envisioned within this disclosure. The deck plate  116  may include a left side  117 , a right side  115 , and a center aperture  119  positioned between the left side  117  and right side  115  to permit connection of the faucet body  114  to the components below the deck plate  116 , such as the water lines  124  and  126 . As illustrated in  FIG.  2   , a first surface  144   a  may be located on the left side  117  of the deck plate  116  and a first sensor  146   a  may extend below the first surface  144   a  on the left side  117 . The first sensor  146   a  may be a pressure sensor that is configured to correspond with the flow rate of water through the faucet  100 . The first sensor  146   a  is electronically coupled to the circuit board  152  of the electronic faucet  100  in order to transmit information to the circuit board  152  regarding the level of pressure being applied by a user to the first surface  144   a . The circuit board  152  is electronically coupled to the electronic valves  140  and  142  to operate or control the rate of flow of water through the valves  140  and  142  in response to the information transmitted by the first sensor  146   a.    
       FIG.  4    illustrates a flow chart of an exemplary process performed by the electronic faucet  100  to control the flow of water through the faucet  100 . While  FIG.  4    illustrates a one embodiment of flow rate control, it is envisioned that other methods or processes of flow control can be performed by the pressure-sensing sensors and/or the circuit board of an electronic faucet  100 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG.  4   , the first step  200  involves a sensor of the faucet detecting that a flow portion of the faucet has been touched by a user. The pressure-sensing sensor  146  (possibly in conjunction with the circuit board  152 ) identifies whether the touch is a quick touch (e.g. a single tap) or an extended touch as a second step  202 . If the touch is a quick touch, then that information is transmitted from the sensor  146  to the circuit board  152 , and the circuit board then directs the electronic cold water flow valve  140  to permit flow of cold water at a predetermined or consistent rate of flow, as illustrated in step  206 . Alternatively, the circuit board could direct the electronic hot water flow valve  142  to permit flow of hot water at a predetermined or consistent flow rate. Such “quick touch” functionality could be predetermined at a default flow rate and temperature to permit a user to quickly use the faucet  100  without adjusting flow rate or temperature manually. 
     If the touch is an extended touch, then the sensor  146  (possibly in conjunction with the circuit board  152 ) would collect additional information regarding the amount of pressure (e.g. light, medium or hard touch) being applied by the user against the surface  144  in a third step  204 . The type of pressure/touch being applied is transmitted from the sensor  146  to the circuit board  152 , and the circuit board  152  then directs the electronic cold water flow valve  140  to permit flow of cold water at a rate that is dependent on the type of pressure applied. For instance, a light pressure touch could cause the electronic valve  140  to open at a low flow rate as illustrated in step  208 , a medium pressure touch could cause the electronic valve  140  to open at a medium flow rate as illustrated in step  210 , and a hard pressure touch could cause the electronic valve  140  to open at a high flow rate as illustrated in step  212 . Operation of the extended touch feature could alternatively control the flow of water through the electronic hot water flow valve  142 . Further, while this illustrative embodiment uses three different types of touch (light, medium and hard) to determine the rate of flow through valves  140  and/or  142 , it is envisioned that any number of types of touch may be presented within the scope of the present disclosure. For instance, the sensor  146  may be able to detect and communicate hundreds of different pressure types along a gradient of pressures, and the circuit board  152  may be able to adjust the valves  140  and  142  based on changes from each gradient pressure in order to change the resulting rate of flow of water through the faucet  100 . 
     As illustrated in  FIGS.  3  and  5   , the first embodiment of the electronic faucet  100  of the present disclosure may optionally further permit a user to adjust the temperature of water flowing through the faucet  100  via pressure applied by a user&#39;s touch. In such an embodiment, a pressure sensor is located below the surface  144  that is part of the deck plate  116 , although other locations of the pressure sensor are envisioned within this disclosure. As illustrated in  FIG.  3   , a second surface  144   b  may be located on the right side  115  of the deck plate  116  and a second sensor  146   b  may extend below the second surface  144   b  on the right side  115 . The second sensor  146   b  may be a pressure sensor that is configured to correspond with the temperature of water flowing through the faucet  100 . The second sensor  146   b  is electronically coupled to the circuit board  152  of the electronic faucet  100  in order to transmit information to the circuit board  152  regarding the level of pressure being applied by a user to the second surface  144   b . The circuit board  152  is electronically coupled to the electronic valves  140  and  142  to operate or control temperature of water flowing through the faucet by control of the rate of flow of water through the valves  140  and  142  in response to the information transmitted by the second sensor  146   b.    
       FIG.  5    illustrates a flow chart of an exemplary process performed by the electronic faucet  100  to control the temperature of water flowing through the faucet  100 . While  FIG.  5    illustrates one embodiment of temperature control, it is envisioned that other methods or processes of temperature control can be performed by the pressure-sensing sensors and/or the circuit board of an electronic faucet  100 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG.  5   , the first step  300  involves a sensor of the faucet detecting that a temperature portion of the faucet has been touched by a user. The pressure sensing sensor  146  transmits the information to the circuit board  152 , which then determines whether water has started to flow through the faucet  100  in a second step  302  (for instance, by determining whether electronic valves  140  and  142  are open). If water is not flowing through the faucet  100 , the circuit board  152  will wait for water to flow through the faucet  100  before taking any action, as illustrated in step  316 . If water is flowing through the faucet  100 , the pressure-sensing sensor  146  (possibly in conjunction with the circuit board  152 ) identifies whether the touch is a quick touch (e.g. a single tap) or an extended touch as a third step  304 . If the touch is a quick touch, then that information is transmitted from the sensor  146  to the circuit board  152 , and the circuit board then directs the flow valves  140  and  142  to permit flow of a predetermined temperature of water at a predetermined or consistent rate of flow, as illustrated in step  308 . The rate of flow may be determined, for example, by the current rate of flow occurring in the faucet, and the predetermined temperature may be hot water, cold water, or a mixture of hot and cold water. Such “quick touch” functionality could be predetermined at a default flow rate and temperature to permit a user to quickly use the faucet  100  without adjusting flow rate or temperature manually. 
     If the touch is an extended touch, then the sensor  146  (possibly in conjunction with the circuit board  152 ) would collect additional information regarding the amount of pressure (e.g. light, medium or hard touch) being applied by the user against the surface  144  in a fourth step  306 . The type of pressure/touch being applied is transmitted from the sensor  146  to the circuit board  152 , and the circuit board  152  then controls the water flow valves  140  and  142  to adjust the flow of water to a specific temperature of water that is dependent on the type of pressure applied. For instance, a light pressure touch could cause the valves  140  and  142  to open such that a cold or lukewarm water flows through the faucet as illustrated in step  310 , a medium pressure touch could cause the valves  140  and  142  to open such that a warmer water flows through the faucet as illustrated in step  312 , and a hard pressure touch could cause the electronic valves  140  and  142  to open such that a hot water flows through the faucet as illustrated in step  314 . While this illustrative embodiment uses three different types of touch (light, medium and hard) to determine the temperature of water flowing through valves  140  and  142 , it is envisioned that any number of types of touch may be presented within the scope of the present disclosure. For instance, the sensor  146  may be able to detect and communicate hundreds of different pressure types along a gradient of pressures, and the circuit board  152  may be able to adjust the valves  140  and  142  based on changes from each gradient pressure in order to change the resulting temperature of the flow of water through the faucet  100 . 
     Another embodiment of the electronic faucet  100  of the present disclosure is illustrated in  FIGS.  6  and  7   . In this embodiment, the electronic faucet  100  permits a user to adjust the temperature and flow rate of the water flowing in the faucet via pressure applied by a user&#39;s touch, but does so in a different manner than the previous embodiment. In this embodiment, as illustrated in  FIG.  6   , a first surface  144   a  may be located on the right side  117  of the deck plate  116  and a first sensor  146   a  may extend below the first surface  144   a  on the right side  117 . The first sensor  146   a  may be a pressure sensor that is configured to correspond with the cold water line  124  and the cold water flow valves  120  and  140  of the faucet  100 . Similarly, a second surface  144   b  may be located on the left side  115  of the deck plate  116  and a second sensor  146   b  may extend below the second surface  144   b  on the left side  115 . The second sensor  146   b  may be a pressure sensor that is configured to correspond with the hot water line  126  and the hot water flow valves  122  and  142  of the faucet  100 . The sensors  146   a  and  146   b  are electronically coupled to the circuit board  152  of the electronic faucet  100  in order to transmit information to the circuit board  152  regarding the level of pressure being applied by a user to the first surface  144   a  and the second surface  144   b , respectively. The circuit board  152  is electronically coupled to the electronic valves  140  and  142  to operate or control the rate of flow of water through the valves  140  and  142  in response to the information transmitted by the sensors  146   a  and  146   b.    
       FIG.  7    illustrates a flow chart of an exemplary process performed by the electronic faucet  100  of the second embodiment to control both the rate of flow and the temperature of water flowing through the faucet  100 . While  FIG.  5    illustrates an embodiment of temperature and flow-rate control, it is envisioned that other methods or processes of temperature and flow-rate control can be performed by the pressure-sensing sensors and/or the circuit board of an electronic faucet  100 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG.  7   , the first step  400  involves one or more sensors of the faucet detecting that a sensing portion of the faucet has been touched by a user. In particular, the sensors may include a cold-water sensor  156   a  and a hot-water sensor  156   b  that can detect pressure and transmit information to the circuit board  152 . In illustrative embodiments, the cold-water sensor  156   a  is associated with the left side  117  of the deck plate  116  and the hot-water sensor  156   b  is associated with the right side  115  of the deck plate  116 . In a second step  402 , the circuit board determines whether the cold-water sensor  156   a  or hot-water sensor  156   b  has been triggered. The circuit board  152  will thereafter control the flow or water from the cold or hot water lines  124  and  126  via the valves  140  and  142  depending on the choice selected. 
     The pressure-sensing sensor  156   a  or  156   b  (possibly in conjunction with the circuit board  152 ) identifies whether the touch is a quick touch (e.g. a single tap) or an extended touch as a third step  404  or  405 . If the touch is a quick touch, then that information is transmitted from the sensor  156   a  or  156   b  to the circuit board  152 . The circuit board  152  then directs either the electronic cold water flow valve  140  and/or the electronic hot water flow valve  142 , depending on which sensor  156   a  or  156   b  has been triggered, to permit flow of water at a predetermined or consistent rate of flow, as illustrated in step  408  or  409 . Such “quick touch” functionality could be predetermined at a default flow rate and/or temperature to permit a user to quickly use the faucet  100  without adjusting flow rate or temperature manually. 
     If the touch is an extended touch, then the sensor  146   a  or  146   b  (possibly in conjunction with the circuit board  152 ) would collect additional information regarding the amount of pressure (e.g. light, medium or hard touch) being applied by the user against the surface  144  in a fourth step  406  or  407 . The type of pressure/touch being applied is transmitted from the sensor  146   a  or  146   b  to the circuit board  152 . Based on whether the sensor  156   a  or  156   b  has been triggered, the circuit board  152  then directs either the electronic cold water flow valve  140  and/or the electronic hot water flow valve  142  to permit flow of cold water or hot water (or a mixture of the two) at a rate that is dependent on the type of pressure applied. For instance, a light pressure touch could cause the valves  140  and/or  142  to open at a low flow rate as illustrated in step  410  or  411 , a medium pressure touch could cause the valves  140  and/or  142  to open at a medium flow rate as illustrated in step  412  or  413 , and a hard pressure touch could cause the valves  140  and/or  142  to open at a high flow rate as illustrated in step  414  or  415 . Again, while this illustrative embodiment uses three different types of touch (light, medium and hard) to determine the rate of flow through a valve  140 ,  142 , it is envisioned that any number of types of touch may be presented within the scope of the present disclosure. For instance, the sensors  156   a  and  156   b  may be able to detect and communicate hundreds of different pressure types along a gradient of pressures, and the circuit board  152  may be able to adjust the valves  140  and  142  based on changes from each gradient pressure in order to change the resulting temperature and/or rate of flow of water through the faucet  100 . 
     In illustrative embodiments, the electronic faucet  100  may further include a temperature indicator  160  to indicate the temperature or desired temperature of the water flowing through the faucet  100 , as illustrated in  FIGS.  3  and  6   . As an example, the temperature indicator  160  may be a visual indicator that indicates the targeted temperature sought as a user applies a touch to the pre-determined surface  144  to alter the temperature of the water flowing through the faucet  100  as described above. The temperature indicator  160  may include one or more indicator lights  162  that can transition from a color that represents a colder temperature (e.g. blue) to a color that represents a warmer temperature (e.g. red). The indicator light  162  may be able to display different gradients of color to represent different gradients of desired temperature. Alternatively, the temperature indicator  160  may be comprised of multiple indicator lights  162  in a row that work together to display a rise or fall in the desired temperature of the water. For instance, the indicator lights  162  may all provide one color (e.g. blue) when the desired water is cold, but each consecutive indicator light  162  may change to a different color (e.g. red) as the desired temperature of the water is increased by the user&#39;s touch. As another alternative, the temperature indicator  160  may indicate the actual temperature of the water for the user as opposed to the desired temperature sought by the user. 
     In illustrative embodiments, the temperature indicator  160  may be electronically controlled by the circuit board  152 . When a sensor  146 , related to temperature control, senses that a user has applied pressure to a surface  144 , the circuit board  152  determines whether to open or close (partially or fully) the water valves  140  and  142  in order to produce water at a specific temperature determined by the amount of pressure being applied. The circuit board  152  can also then control the temperature indicator  160  to cause a visual display consistent with the temperature determined. Other means of controlling the temperature indicator  160  may be understood by one skilled in the art. 
     In some embodiments, the touch or force surface may be a multi-touch input device. Accordingly, the surface could differentiate between one, two or more fingers touching the surface. In such embodiments, the circuit board  152  could be configured, either be hardware or software programming, to control the valves  140 ,  142  based on the multi-touch input. For example, a touch with a single finger touch could be used to control temperature changes while a two-finger touch could be used to control flow rate (or visa versa). In some cases, a single finger touch could indicate a decrease in temperature or flow rate while a two-finger touch could indicate an increase in temperature or flow rate. Embodiments are also contemplated in which the multi-touch surface could detect gestures to control the temperature and/or flow rate. 
     EXAMPLES 
     Illustrative examples of the pressure sensitive touch electronic faucet disclosed herein are provided below. An embodiment of the pressure sensitive touch electronic faucet may include any one or more, and any combination of, the examples described below. 
     Example 1 is a faucet with a spout, an electronic valve assembly, a pressure sensor assembly with at least one pressure sensor, and a circuit. The electronic valve assembly includes a cold water inlet for receiving a cold water line, a hot water inlet for receiving a hot water line, and a mixed water outlet in fluid communication with the spout. The electronic valve assembly is configured to control a temperature and a flow rate of water flowing through the spout. The pressure sensor assembly is configured to detect a pressure applied to a predetermined exterior surface associated with the faucet. The circuit is electronically coupled to the pressure sensor assembly and the electronic valve assembly and is configured to adjust the electronic valve assembly based on the pressure detected by the pressure sensor assembly. The circuit is configured to differentiate between pressure readings of the pressure sensor assembly to adjust the electronic valve assembly differently with respect to flow rate and/or temperature based on different pressure readings. 
     In Example 2, the subject matter of Example 1 is further configured such that the circuit is configured to adjust the electronic valve assembly to increase a temperature of water flowing through the spout based on a first pressure detected by the pressure sensor assembly and decrease a temperature of water flowing through the spout based on a second pressure detected by the pressure sensor assembly, wherein the first pressure and the second pressure are different pressures. 
     In Example 3, the subject matter of Example 1 is further configured such that the circuit is configured to adjust the electronic valve assembly to increase a flow rate of water flowing through the spout based on a first pressure detected by the pressure sensor assembly and decrease a flow rate of water flowing through the spout based on a second pressure detected by the pressure sensor assembly, wherein the first pressure and the second pressure are different pressures. 
     In Example 4, the subject matter of Example 1 is further configured such that the controller is configured to dynamically adjust the electronic valve assembly with respect to temperature based on a change in pressure detected by the pressure sensor assembly. 
     In Example 5, the subject matter of Example 4 is further configured such that the controller is configured to adjust the electronic valve assembly to dynamically increase or decrease temperature of water flowing through the spout as pressure detected by the pressure sensor assembly increases. 
     In Example 6, the subject matter of Example 1 is further configured such that the controller is configured to dynamically adjust the electronic valve assembly with respect to flow rate based on a change in pressure detected by the pressure sensor assembly. 
     In Example 7, the subject matter of Example 6 is further configured such that the controller is configured to adjust the electronic valve assembly to dynamically increase or decrease flow rate of water flowing through the spout as pressure detected by the pressure sensor assembly increases or decreases. 
     In Example 8, the subject matter of Example 1 is further configured such that the predetermined exterior surface is located on an exterior surface of the faucet and/or a deck plate of the faucet. 
     In Example 9, the subject matter of Example 1 is further configured such that the faucet further includes a second pressure sensor configured to detect a pressure applied to a second predetermined exterior surface associated with the faucet. The circuit is configured to control operation of the electronic valve based on the pressure measured by the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor. The circuit is configured to control flow rate of water flowing through the spout based on the first pressure sensor and control temperature of water flowing through the spout based on the second pressure sensor. 
     In Example 10, the subject matter of Example 1 further comprises a manual valve that controls a flow and/or temperature of water flowing through the spout based on user-actuated movement of a faucet handle. 
     In Example 11, the subject matter of Example 1 further comprises an indicator that visually represents a desired temperature based on the pressure measured by the pressure sensor assembly. 
     Example 12 is an electronic valve assembly with an electronic valve arrangement, a pressure sensor assembly with at least one pressure sensor and a circuit electronically coupled to the pressure sensor assembly and the electronic valve arrangement. The electronic valve arrangement includes a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet. The electronic valve arrangement configured to control a temperature and/or a flow rate of fluid coming from the outlet. The pressure sensor assembly configured to detect an amount of pressure being applied to a surface. The circuit is configured to control the electronic valve arrangement to adjust a temperature and/or a flow rate of water through the outlet based on the amount of pressure detected by the pressure sensor assembly. 
     In Example 13, the subject matter of Example 12 is further configured such that the circuit is configured to control the electronic valve arrangement such that the amount of pressure being applied to the surface detected by the pressure sensor assembly dynamically adjusts a flow rate of fluid through the water outlet. 
     In Example 14, the subject matter of Example 12 is further configured such that the circuit is configured to control the electronic valve arrangement such that the amount of pressure being applied to the surface detected by the pressure sensor assembly dynamically adjusts a temperature of fluid flow through the outlet. 
     In Example 15, the subject matter of Example 12 is further configured such that the pressure sensor assembly includes a first pressure sensor configured to detect a pressure being applied to a first surface and a second pressure sensor configured to detect a pressure being applied to a second surface. 
     In Example 16, the subject matter of Example 15 is further configured such that the controller is configured to adjust a flow rate of fluid flowing through the outlet of the electronic valve arrangement based on a pressure detected by the pressure sensor assembly. 
     In Example 17, the subject matter of Example 15 is further configured such that the controller is configured to adjust a temperature of fluid flowing through the outlet of the electronic valve arrangement based on a pressure detected by the second pressure sensor. 
     Example 18 is a method of adjusting the water flowing through a faucet. The method includes the step of providing a faucet including a spout and an electronic valve assembly for controlling a flow rate and/or temperature of water flowing through the spout. A pressure sensor assembly with at least one pressure sensor is used to detect an amount of pressure being applied a surface. The flow rate and/or temperature of water flowing through the electronic valve assembly is adjusted based on the amount of pressure detected. 
     In Example 19, the subject matter of Example 18 is further configured to include the step of dynamically adjusting a flow rate of water through the electronic valve assembly based on a change in pressure detected by the pressure sensor assembly. 
     In Example 20, the subject matter of Example 18 is further configured to include the step of dynamically adjusting a temperature of water through the electronic valve assembly based on a change in pressure detected by the pressure sensor assembly.