Home Appliance Acoustic Communication Module

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current home appliances lack an efficient method for transmitting information between devices and mobile terminals, limiting user convenience and functionality in controlling and managing these appliances.

Innovation Solution

Implementing acoustic communication between home appliances and mobile terminals using modulated complex lapped transform (MCLT) to transmit information through sound, allowing for bidirectional data exchange without the need for separate wireless communication modules.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If acoustic communication is implemented between home appliances and mobile terminals, then user convenience and ease of operation are improved, but device complexity increases due to integration of communication functions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser convenienceVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The home appliance integrates multiple functions including acoustic communication, display output, and information processing into a single device. The appliance can function as both a traditional home appliance and a communication device, eliminating the need for separate communication modules and reducing overall system complexity while improving user convenience.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent combines the communication function with the existing home appliance structure by integrating the acoustic communication unit, display unit, and controller into the appliance's existing architecture. This merging approach allows information transmission without adding separate communication devices, thereby improving ease of operation while managing device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Ease of manufacture

If acoustic communication is used for information transmission, then manufacturing costs are reduced by eliminating separate wireless modules, but information transmission reliability may be affected

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing costVSAvoidinformation transmission reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses sound waves as an intermediary medium for information transmission between the mobile terminal and home appliance. By modulating information onto acoustic signals and using the display unit as a visual intermediary, the system achieves reliable communication without requiring expensive wireless communication modules, thus reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining transmission reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The information is copied from the mobile terminal's display to the home appliance's display through acoustic communication. The home appliance receives and reproduces the displayed information on its own display unit, creating a visual copy that ensures accurate information transmission without relying on complex wireless protocols or additional hardware.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Loss of information

If the home appliance outputs sound containing information, then information transmission capability is improved, but sound intensity may cause discomfort or security issues

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation transmission capabilityVSAvoidsound intensity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs partial action by using only the necessary acoustic output level required for information transmission without exceeding what is needed. The acoustic communication unit outputs sound at controlled intensity levels that are sufficient for the mobile terminal to receive and process the information, avoiding excessive sound intensity that could cause discomfort or security issues while maintaining effective information transmission.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enhances user convenience by enabling simple operation and information transmission between home appliances and mobile terminals, reducing manufacturing costs and improving security through acoustic data exchange.

Implementation Method 1

implementing acoustic communication between home appliances and mobile terminals using modulated complex lapped transform (MCLT) to transmit information through sound

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectModulated complex lapped transform (MCLT):

Data Source

PatentEP3591903B1Home appliance
Publication Date: 2024.08.21 LG ELECTRONICS INC
  • EP3591903B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2a
  • EP3591903B1 patent drawingFigure 2b~2d
  • EP3591903B1 patent drawingFigure 2e~3a

AI summary

Disclosed are a home appliance and a mobile terminal. The home appliance includes a drive unit, an acoustic output module configured to output sound, a microphone configured to receive sound from an external source, a memory configured to store information related to the home appliance when the home appliance is being operated, an acoustic communication unit configured to output sound containing the information related to the home appliance to the acoustic output module or to extract prescribed information from the sound received via the microphone based on an acoustic communication mode, and a controller configured to control the drive unit according to the information extracted by the acoustic communication unit. Transmission of information between the home appliance and the mobile terminal is accomplished via acoustic communication.