Patents by Inventor Makoto Saruta

Makoto Saruta has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240093474
    Abstract: A toilet management system includes a toilet bowl device installed in a toilet room, a management device configured to manage a use situation of the toilet bowl device, and a communication device configured to transmit use situation information related to the use situation of the toilet bowl device to the management device. The management device includes an acquirer configured to acquire the use situation information from the communication device, and an abnormality detector configured to detect an abnormality of the toilet bowl device or a facility or equipment installed inside or around the toilet room when the use situation information acquired by the acquirer matches a predetermined condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2023
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Applicant: LIXIL Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto SARUTA, Shoji Ogawa, Hiroki Shigetomo, Hideyuki Ida, Rina Nagai, Keita Matsudate, Misaki Nagata, Sadaaki Shichino, Toshiki Hashida
  • Patent number: 11866923
    Abstract: A toilet management system includes a toilet bowl device installed in a toilet room, a management device configured to manage a use situation of the toilet bowl device, and a communication device configured to transmit use situation information related to the use situation of the toilet bowl device to the management device. The management device includes an acquirer configured to acquire the use situation information from the communication device, and an abnormality detector configured to detect an abnormality of the toilet bowl device or a facility or equipment installed inside or around the toilet room when the use situation information acquired by the acquirer matches a predetermined condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: LIXIL Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Saruta, Shoji Ogawa, Hiroki Shigetomo, Hideyuki Ida, Rina Nagai, Keita Matsudate, Misaki Nagata, Sadaaki Shichino, Toshiki Hashida
  • Publication number: 20220251815
    Abstract: A toilet management system includes a toilet bowl device installed in a toilet room, a management device configured to manage a use situation of the toilet bowl device, and a communication device configured to transmit use situation information related to the use situation of the toilet bowl device to the management device. The management device includes an acquirer configured to acquire the use situation information from the communication device, and an abnormality detector configured to detect an abnormality of the toilet bowl device or a facility or equipment installed inside or around the toilet room when the use situation information acquired by the acquirer matches a predetermined condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2022
    Publication date: August 11, 2022
    Applicant: LIXIL Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto SARUTA, Shoji OGAWA, Hiroki SHIGETOMO, Hideyuki IDA, Rina NAGAI, Keita MATSUDATE, Misaki NAGATA, Sadaaki SHICHINO, Toshiki HASHIDA
  • Patent number: 11326330
    Abstract: A toilet management system includes a toilet bowl device installed in a toilet room, a management device configured to manage a use situation of the toilet bowl device, and a communication device configured to transmit use situation information related to the use situation of the toilet bowl device to the management device. The management device includes an acquirer configured to acquire the use situation information from the communication device, and an abnormality detector configured to detect an abnormality of the toilet bowl device or a facility or equipment installed inside or around the toilet room when the use situation information acquired by the acquirer matches a predetermined condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: LIXIL Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Saruta, Shoji Ogawa, Hiroki Shigetomo, Hideyuki Ida, Rina Nagai, Keita Matsudate, Misaki Nagata, Sadaaki Shichino, Toshiki Hashida
  • Publication number: 20220027824
    Abstract: An information providing apparatus includes: a use status information acquirer that acquires information indicating use status of each of multiple toilet devices; a use status information provider that provides information indicating use status of each of the multiple toilet devices, acquired by the use status information acquirer; and a cleaning order provider that determines and provides order in which the multiple toilet devices are to be cleaned by a cleaning person, based on the use status of each of the multiple toilet devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2019
    Publication date: January 27, 2022
    Applicant: LIXIL Corporation
    Inventors: Shoji OGAWA, Hiroki SHIGETOMO, Makoto SARUTA
  • Patent number: 11111662
    Abstract: A flush toilet includes: a toilet main body; a rim which is provided on an upper portion of a toilet bowl of the toilet main body and which flows a flush water into the toilet bowl; and a water level detection sensor which is provided inside the rim.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: LIXIL Corporation
    Inventors: Saori Ichihara, Isato Hirasawa, Tomoya Sasaki, Takeya Ichiyanagi, Sou Okuizumi, Makoto Saruta
  • Publication number: 20200392710
    Abstract: A toilet management system includes a toilet bowl device installed in a toilet room, a management device configured to manage a use situation of the toilet bowl device, and a communication device configured to transmit use situation information related to the use situation of the toilet bowl device to the management device. The management device includes an acquirer configured to acquire the use situation information from the communication device, and an abnormality detector configured to detect an abnormality of the toilet bowl device or a facility or equipment installed inside or around the toilet room when the use situation information acquired by the acquirer matches a predetermined condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Publication date: December 17, 2020
    Applicant: LIXIL Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto SARUTA, Shoji OGAWA, Hiroki SHIGETOMO, Hideyuki IDA, Rina NAGAI, Keita MATSUDATE, Misaki NAGATA, Sadaaki SHICHINO, Toshiki HASHIDA
  • Patent number: 10450735
    Abstract: In a flush toilet, a base plate, in which a function unit is installed, is provided on a recessed portion formed on a rear upper surface of a toilet bowl of a toilet main body. Hole portions that are open downward are provided in the recessed portion. The base plate is provided with bottomed protrusion portions fitted into the hole portions and accommodates a part of the function unit. Flow channels are provided between the base plate and the recessed portion, so that water inside the toilet bowl is discharged to a floor surface from the flow channels from the hole portions before the water overflows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: LIXIL Corporation
    Inventors: Saori Ichihara, Isato Hirasawa, Tomoya Sasaki, Takeya Ichiyanagi, Makoto Saruta
  • Publication number: 20190153712
    Abstract: A flush toilet includes: a toilet main body; a rim which is provided on an upper portion of a toilet bowl of the toilet main body and which flows a flush water into the toilet bowl; and a water level detection sensor which is provided inside the rim.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2017
    Publication date: May 23, 2019
    Applicant: LIXIL Corporation
    Inventors: Saori ICHIHARA, Isato HIRASAWA, Tomoya SASAKI, Takeya ICHIYANAGI, Sou OKUIZUMI, Makoto SARUTA
  • Publication number: 20190032319
    Abstract: In a flush toilet, a base plate, in which a function unit is installed, is provided on a recessed portion formed on a rear upper surface of a toilet bowl of a toilet main body. Hole portions that are open downward are provided in the recessed portion. The base plate is provided with bottomed protrusion portions fitted into the hole portions and accommodates a part of the function unit. Flow channels are provided between the base plate and the recessed portion, so that water inside the toilet bowl is discharged to a floor surface from the flow channels from the hole portions before the water overflows.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2017
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Applicant: LIXIL Corporation
    Inventors: Saori ICHIHARA, Isato HIRASAWA, Tomoya SASAKI, Takeya ICHIYANAGI, Makoto SARUTA
  • Patent number: 5187688
    Abstract: A passage is periodically scanned by a plurality of ultrasonic transmitters/receivers (sensors) arranged on the ceiling of the passage in two lines to calculate the height of an object to be measured to each sensor and the presence or absence of the measured object(s), moving direction(s) thereof, and the number thereof are reckoned from changes in sensed height and sensing time for each sensor induced by passing an object to be measured through the passage, and the position and a change in position with time of each sensor which senses the measured object concerned to count the number of passers-by in each moving direction. The presence or absence of the object to be measured and the number to be counted are decided in accordance with changes in sensed position and sensed height and the interrelation thereof, so that the number of sensors can be reduced and the number of passers-by can be counted at a high accuracy even when a plurality of persons pass under the sensors in a group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 1992
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1993
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventor: Makoto Saruta