Household Appliance Display Control via Mobile Device Coupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing household appliances face challenges in maintaining additional functions beyond basic operation due to the mismatch between their lifespan and the lifespan of the platform providing these functions, and equipping them with high-performance processing units is costly and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A household appliance is equipped with a communication device for wireless connection to multiple mobile devices, a processing unit to manage output from installed programs, and a rule-based system to prioritize and control the display of content on the appliance's output device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a household appliance is equipped with a high-performance processing unit to provide additional functions, then the appliance can maintain complex functions like recipe collection and display, but the cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a mobile device as an intermediary to provide additional functions. Instead of building complex functionality directly into the appliance, the system uses a mobile device running specialized software to generate content and control instructions, which are then transmitted to the appliance's simpler processing unit for execution. This mediator approach allows complex functions without requiring expensive high-performance processing hardware in the appliance itself.
2Ease of manufacture
If a household appliance uses a simple processing unit to keep costs low, then manufacturing is more economical, but the appliance cannot reliably perform additional functions throughout its long service life
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the system into two distinct parts: a simple, long-lasting appliance processing unit that handles basic execution, and a mobile device that provides complex functions through software updates. This segmentation allows the appliance to maintain simple hardware throughout its long service life while the mobile device's software can be updated to add new functions, ensuring both cost-effectiveness and functional longevity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple mobile devices with multiple programs are connected to the appliance, then more functions and content can be provided, but conflicts arise over which output has priority
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the appliance's processing unit receives output from multiple mobile devices and programs, evaluates them according to predefined rules, and selectively transmits only the appropriate output to the display. This feedback loop allows the system to manage multiple input sources systematically, resolving conflicts through rule-based prioritization while maintaining versatile functionality.
Data Source
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AI summary
A household appliance comprises a communication device for wireless communication; an output device; and a processing device. The processing device is configured to wirelessly connect a mobile device to the household appliance and to provide output from the mobile device to the output device based on a predetermined set of rules.