Appliance Readiness Control via Mobile Device Proximity Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional appliances lack the ability to efficiently prepare or relax their operational readiness based on user proximity, leading to suboptimal energy usage and comfort, as they often rely on pre-programmed schedules that fail to account for unexpected user presence or absence.
Innovation Solution
A method utilizing mobile devices with location services to determine location changes and trigger appliance readiness adjustments, enhancing or relaxing the appliance's state based on proximity to a user's home location, with features like Wi-Fi handshakes and accelerometer detection to optimize energy usage and comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If pre-programmed schedules are used to control appliance operation, then energy usage is reduced by avoiding unnecessary operation, but user comfort deteriorates when users arrive unexpectedly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by detecting user approach through mobile device location data and Wi-Fi handshakes, then pre-heating or pre-cooling spaces before the user arrives. This allows the appliance to operate efficiently only when needed, resolving the contradiction between energy savings and user comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors user location, device connectivity status, and environmental conditions to dynamically adjust appliance operation. This feedback mechanism ensures the appliance responds to actual user needs rather than following rigid schedules, optimizing both energy efficiency and comfort.
2Ease of operation
If appliances operate continuously to maintain optimal conditions, then user comfort is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous operation, the system uses periodic monitoring of user location and device connectivity to determine when to activate the appliance. Operation occurs in targeted periods when users are detected approaching or present, significantly reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining comfort during occupied periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The appliance operation transitions from static continuous running to dynamic on-demand operation based on real-time user detection. The system adapts its operational state continuously based on changing conditions, operating only when and where users are present.
3Ease of operation
If location polling is performed continuously to detect user presence, then user comfort is improved through timely appliance activation, but device complexity and energy usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs location detection partially by using passive Wi-Fi handshake detection and periodic GPS polling only when triggered by motion sensors or at scheduled intervals. This partial monitoring approach provides sufficient user presence detection without requiring continuous aggressive polling, reducing device complexity and energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile device acts as an intermediary, using its built-in GPS and Wi-Fi capabilities to provide presence information to the appliance controller. This distributes the detection burden to the mobile device rather than requiring complex sensing infrastructure at the appliance location.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for controlling the readiness of an appliance in a system having a mobile device capable of determining its current location, storing a previous location and storing a home location for a delivery point of the appliance, and determining a location change event by comparing the current to previous location to result in a difference. If the mobile device is determined to be close to the home location and the difference magnitude is greater than a threshold, a first distance corresponding to the distance between the current and home location and a second distance corresponding to the distance between the previous and home location are computed. If the first distance is smaller than the second distance, the readiness of the appliance is enhanced. Otherwise, the readiness of the appliance is relaxed.