Motor-Driven Appliance Date/Time Synchronization via External Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional motor-driven tools face reliability issues due to discrepancies in date/time information, affecting traceability management and control accuracy, which also occurs in peripheral devices like power supply units and battery packs.
Innovation Solution
A device for motor-driven appliances is designed with a communication unit, date/time information acquisition unit, and control unit, enabling accurate acquisition and use of current date/time information from external appliances, even without an internal clock, and allowing for error correction and reliable control operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If date/time information is obtained from an internal clock in the motor-driven tool, then the tool can perform basic timing functions, but the date/time information becomes discrepant and unreliable for traceability management
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an external appliance (such as a server or management system) as an intermediary to provide accurate date/time information. The motor-driven tool communicates with this external appliance via a communication unit to obtain reliable date/time data, eliminating the need for the tool to maintain its own accurate timekeeping while ensuring traceability management reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/internal clock system with an electronic communication-based time acquisition system. Instead of relying on the internal clock mechanism of the motor-driven tool, the system uses digital communication to fetch date/time information from an external source, thereby improving reliability without significantly increasing overall system complexity.
2Measurement precision
If the motor-driven tool includes an internal clock to measure current date and time, then timing functions can be performed, but errors in the measured date and time reduce reliability of control operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the control unit receives date/time information from an external appliance and uses it to correct or verify the internally measured date/time. This feedback loop ensures that control operations are based on accurate time information, improving both measurement precision and operational reliability simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary acquisition of accurate date/time information from an external appliance before executing control operations. By obtaining verified time data in advance, the control unit can ensure that all subsequent operations are timestamped and controlled with high precision and reliability.
3Loss of information
If date/time information is stored in memory for traceability management, then usage history can be recorded, but discrepant date/time information decreases reliability of the stored history
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses an external appliance as an intermediary to provide authoritative date/time information that is stored alongside usage history in the memory. This ensures that traceability records contain accurate timestamps, maintaining both the completeness and reliability of stored history information for effective traceability management.
4Reliability
If the device acquires date/time information from an external appliance via communication unit, then accurate time information can be obtained, but the device requires additional communication capabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the communication unit with multi-functionality, allowing it to serve both as a general communication interface for various controls and specifically as a date/time acquisition channel. This universal design enables the device to adapt to different configurations where date/time acquisition may or may not be needed, maintaining versatility while ensuring accuracy when the feature is activated.
Data Source
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AI summary
A device for a motor-driven appliance (2, 4, 6) includes a communication unit (20, 40, 70), a date/time information acquisition unit (20, 40, 70), and a control unit (20, 40, 70). The communication unit (20, 40, 70) performs communication with an external appliance (8) having a date/time information indicating a current date and time. The date/time information acquisition unit (20, 40, 70) acquires the date/time information from the external appliance (8) via the communication unit (20, 40, 70). The control unit (20, 40, 70) performs control based on the date/time information acquired by the date/time information acquisition unit (20, 40, 70).