Alarm Clock Movement Sensor Wakefulness Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional alarm clocks often disturb users who have already woken up, as they continue to prompt them to wake up at the preset time, failing to account for the user's current state of wakefulness, leading to an undesirable experience, especially for those in a bad mood.

Innovation Solution

A method and device for managing an alarm clock using a movement sensor to detect user movement, either directly or through wireless communication with an external device, to cancel or delay the alarm prompt if the user is already awake, ensuring the alarm is only triggered when the user is still asleep.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the alarm clock gives the prompt according to the preset time, then the user can wake up in time, but the alarm clock may conversely disturb the user who has already woken up

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewake-up reliabilityVSAvoiddisturbance to user
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The alarm clock system incorporates feedback mechanisms by detecting user movement states and adjusting alarm behavior accordingly. The system continuously monitors whether the user is moving (awake) or stationary (asleep) and provides feedback to the alarm control logic, enabling dynamic adjustment of alarm prompts based on real-time user state detection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The alarm clock transitions from a static, time-based prompting system to a dynamic system that adapts its behavior based on detected user movement. The alarm prompt timing and behavior change dynamically according to the user's physiological state, allowing the system to cancel or delay prompts when the user is already awake while ensuring timely wake-up when the user remains asleep.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the alarm clock uses movement detection to determine user wakefulness, then the alarm can be cancelled when user is awake, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisturbance to userVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs an intermediary approach by utilizing the existing movement sensor in the wearable device to detect user wakefulness. Rather than integrating complex movement detection hardware directly into the alarm clock, the system uses the wearable device's sensor as an intermediary to provide movement data to the alarm clock via wireless communication, thereby reducing the complexity burden on the alarm clock itself.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The wearable device serves multiple functions: it acts as both a fitness tracker/health monitor and a movement detection device for the alarm clock system. By leveraging the existing multi-functional wearable device, the system avoids duplicating movement detection capabilities, thus reducing overall system complexity while enabling intelligent alarm behavior.

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

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

This solution effectively determines the user's wakefulness state and automatically cancels or delays the alarm, preventing disturbance and improving the user experience by ensuring the alarm is only triggered when necessary, thus promoting better wake-up times.

Implementation Method 1

acquiring a signal indicating movement of a user

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMovement detection: Accelerometer

Data Source

PatentEP3130967B1Method for managing an alarm clock and system associated
Publication Date: 2021.05.12 XIAOMI INC
  • EP3130967B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2B
  • EP3130967B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4A
  • EP3130967B1 patent drawingFigure 4B~5

AI summary

The present disclosure relates to a method and a device for managing an alarm clock. The method may include: acquiring (102) a signal indicating movement of a user; and cancelling (104) a prompt if the user is in a moving state when a time to execute the prompt preset in the alarm clock is up.