Voice-Controlled Air Conditioning With Device Speech Filtering

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Solution Overview

Problem

Air conditioning systems with voice recognition functions may incorrectly identify vocalized words from devices as user inputs, leading to unintended adjustments in room environments.

Innovation Solution

An air conditioning system that uses a voice recognition unit to generate character-string data from user voice inputs, collate this data with a search table containing standard and derivative keywords to determine user sensitivity levels, and adjust the environment accordingly, while excluding vocalizations from devices as potential user inputs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If voice recognition function is added to air conditioning system, then user sensitivity recognition capability is improved, but false recognition of device vocalizations increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser sensitivity recognition capabilityVSAvoidvoice input accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a sound source identification mechanism that acts as an intermediary between the voice recognition system and device vocalizations. By detecting whether sound comes from a user or a device (using microphone arrays, signal processing, or device communication), the system can selectively process only user vocalizations, thereby maintaining high adaptability while eliminating false recognitions and improving reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If voice recognition is used to adjust room environment, then ease of operation is improved, but incorrect environmental adjustments occur due to device vocalizations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenvironment control convenienceVSAvoidenvironmental control accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The sound source identification mechanism serves as a mediator that filters out device vocalizations before they reach the voice recognition system. This allows the air conditioning system to maintain convenient voice-based operation while ensuring that only genuine user commands trigger environmental adjustments, thereby preserving both ease of operation and control accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Speed

If voice recognition processes all sounds in room, then response speed is improved, but false positive recognition increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevoice response speedVSAvoidvoice input detection accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The sound source identification mechanism acts as a selective gateway that quickly determines whether a sound originates from a user or a device. By processing only user-generated sounds through the voice recognition system, the patent maintains fast response times for legitimate user commands while eliminating false positives from device vocalizations, thus balancing speed and detection accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3232131B1Air-conditioning system
Publication Date: 2020.05.06 MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORP
  • EP3232131B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3232131B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3232131B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An air conditioning system 100 includes an obtaining unit 41 that obtains user's voice data; a voice recognition unit 42 that generates character-string data on the basis of the voice data; a storage unit 43 that stores therein a search table having a standard keyword that indicates the type of sensitivity to the environment inside a room and derivative keywords that indicate a same type of sensitivity as the standard keyword, while indicating different sensitivity levels; an analysis unit 44 that determines the type and level of user's sensitivity on the basis of the character-string data and the search table; and a control unit 45 that outputs a control signal to an adjustment device 10 in an indoor device 1, the adjustment device 10 adjusting the environment inside a room on the basis of the type and level of sensitivity, which are determined by the analysis unit 44.