Smart Appliance Sound Sensing for Component State Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Smart appliances, such as refrigerators, often emit sounds during normal operation, leading users to mistakenly believe the appliance is in an abnormal working state, causing unnecessary panic and complaints.
Innovation Solution
A smart appliance control method and apparatus that utilize sound sensors to acquire signals, determine the component emitting the sound and its volume, and prompt the user on the working state of the component based on the sound volume, distinguishing between normal and abnormal states.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If smart appliances operate normally, then the appliance performs its intended function, but the appliance emits sounds that cause users to mistakenly believe it is in an abnormal state
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies feedback by providing users with real-time information about the appliance's working state through sound volume detection. The system detects sound volumes from different components, compares them against threshold values, and provides feedback to users indicating whether each component is operating normally or abnormally. This resolves the contradiction by transforming the ambiguous sound information into clear, actionable feedback that improves user understanding while maintaining normal appliance operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary system that mediates between the appliance's internal component sounds and the user's perception. The sound detection device acts as an intermediary, capturing sounds from components, analyzing their volumes, and translating this data into understandable working state information for users. This intermediary layer prevents the loss of information by systematically processing and communicating the true meaning of component sounds.
2Ease of operation
If the appliance emits sounds during operation, then components are working, but users experience panic and complaints due to misunderstanding the sounds
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides continuous feedback to users about the actual working state of components based on sound analysis. By displaying clear indicators of normal versus abnormal states, the system eliminates user panic and complaints that arise from misunderstanding appliance sounds. This feedback mechanism directly improves ease of operation by making the appliance's state transparent and understandable to users.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs visual indicators (such as different colors or symbols) to represent different working states of components. This visual coding system allows users to quickly understand the appliance's state without needing to interpret sound volumes directly, thereby reducing confusion and improving ease of operation while eliminating the harmful effect of user panic.
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 allows users to intuitively understand the working state of components in smart appliances, reducing unnecessary panic and improving user experience by accurately differentiating between normal and abnormal operating sounds.
Implementation Method 1
acquire a signal output by at least one sound sensor in a smart appliance
Data Source
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AI summary
The disclosure relates to a smart appliance control method and apparatus, and a storage medium. The smart appliance control method includes: acquiring (S11) a signal output by at least one sound sensor in a smart appliance, and determining (S12) a component emitting a sound and the volume of the sound according to the signal output by the sound sensor; and prompting (S13) a working state of the component based on the volume of the sound.