Power Adapter Beacon Wake-Up for Low-Standby Home Appliances
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Solution Overview
Problem
Home appliances consuming power continuously in a turned-off state for maintaining communication circuits, processing circuits, and conversion circuits to receive remote control signals, leading to unnecessary energy consumption.
Innovation Solution
An electronic device with a battery-powered communication circuit that periodically broadcasts beacon signals, allowing the conversion circuit to be turned on only when a response signal is received, thereby reducing power consumption by avoiding continuous power draw from the wall power source.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the conversion circuit is kept on to receive remote control signals, then the home appliance can be remotely controlled, but power is continuously consumed even when the main function is deactivated
Solution Approach 1:
The communication circuit operates periodically by broadcasting beacon signals at intervals instead of continuously remaining active. This periodic operation allows the circuit to maintain remote control reception capability while significantly reducing power consumption compared to continuous operation.
2Ease of operation
If the communication circuit operates continuously to receive remote control signals, then remote control functionality is maintained, but the device cannot achieve low power consumption mode
Solution Approach 1:
The communication circuit broadcasts beacon signals periodically and enters sleep mode between broadcasts. This periodic action pattern maintains the ease of operation for remote control functionality while enabling the device to achieve low power consumption mode during idle periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the battery to power the communication circuit during low power mode, making the device self-sufficient for maintaining remote control capability without requiring continuous wall power supply. The battery handles the power consumption during beacon broadcasting and signal reception.
3Loss of energy
If the conversion circuit is turned off to save power, then power consumption is reduced, but the device cannot receive or process remote control signals
Solution Approach 1:
The power supply system is segmented into two independent sources: wall power source for the conversion circuit and battery for the communication circuit. This segmentation allows the conversion circuit to be turned off for power savings while the communication circuit remains operational on battery power to receive and process remote control signals.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically switches between different power sources and operational modes. The communication circuit can operate independently on battery power when the conversion circuit is off, and the system transitions to full power mode when wall power is available and needed for main functions.
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
Reduces power consumption in home appliances by maintaining low power usage when in a turned-off state, enabling efficient remote control without continuous power supply.
Implementation Method 1
a conversion circuit configured to convert alternating current power, provided from the wall power source through the first terminal, into direct current power
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device may comprise: a battery; a first terminal for connection to a wall power source; a second terminal for connection to a home appliance; a conversion circuit configured to convert alternating current power provided from the wall power source through the first terminal into direct current power and provide same through the second terminal; a power supply configured to provide power for operation of the conversion circuit using power provided from the battery; and a communication circuit configured to operate using the power provided from the battery. The communication circuit may be configured to periodically broadcast a beacon signal using the power provided from the battery while the conversion circuit is turned off. When the conversion circuit is turned off, the electronic device does not receive the alternating current power from the wall power source through the first terminal, and the direct current power may not be provided to the home appliance through the second terminal. The communication circuit may be configured to provide, to the conversion circuit, a signal that causes the conversion circuit to be turned on, based on a response signal in response to the beacon signal being received from an external electronic device.