A method for operating a sanitary device with at least one sensor device, wherein the sanitary device has a control unit for adjusting at least one actuator of the sanitary device, wherein the sensor device has a measuring unit for assessing environmental situations of the sanitary device, wherein the measuring unit is connected to the control unit such that data are carried, wherein the sensor device comprises a plurality of infrared LED light emitters (19, 20, 21), which can reach multiple zones (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) of the environment of the sanitary device separately, and at least one light receiver, said method comprising at least the following steps: a) defining multiple zones (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) of an environment of the sanitary device, wherein a plurality of zones are established in a proximal environmental area of the sanitary device and in a distal environmental area of the sanitary device, respectively, and the zones are formed with a widening light beam generated by the infrared LED; b) detecting a current environmental situation by means of a sensor device; c) defining a standard environmental situation; d) monitoring the multiple zones (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) by means of the sensor device; e) triggering an action of the sanitary device if a characterizable change of the environmental situation is detected in step d), wherein step e) comprises at least the following subprocesses: i. comparing the detected change of the environmental situation with prespecified change schemata learned in the context of the operation of the sanitary device; ii. selecting an appropriate stored or retrievable change scheme; iii. selecting at least one action for actuating the sanitary device in accordance with the selected appropriate change scheme; iv. aligning the monitoring scheme in step d) in accordance with the selected appropriate change scheme, if it can be expected therefrom that the user will then act in a prespecified manner. a) defining multiple zones (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) of an environment of the sanitary device, wherein a plurality of zones are established in a proximal environmental area of the sanitary device and in a distal environmental area of the sanitary device, respectively, and the zones are formed with a widening light beam generated by the infrared LED; b) detecting a current environmental situation by means of a sensor device; c) defining a standard environmental situation; d) monitoring the multiple zones (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) by means of the sensor device; e) triggering an action of the sanitary device if a characterizable change of the environmental situation is detected in step d), wherein step e) comprises at least the following subprocesses: i. comparing the detected change of the environmental situation with prespecified change schemata learned in the context of the operation of the sanitary device; ii. selecting an appropriate stored or retrievable change scheme; iii. selecting at least one action for actuating the sanitary device in accordance with the selected appropriate change scheme; iv. aligning the monitoring scheme in step d) in accordance with the selected appropriate change scheme, if it can be expected therefrom that the user will then act in a prespecified manner. i. comparing the detected change of the environmental situation with prespecified change schemata learned in the context of the operation of the sanitary device; ii. selecting an appropriate stored or retrievable change scheme; iii. selecting at least one action for actuating the sanitary device in accordance with the selected appropriate change scheme; iv. aligning the monitoring scheme in step d) in accordance with the selected appropriate change scheme, if it can be expected therefrom that the user will then act in a prespecified manner.