Cloud-Based Home Appliance Control Without Onboard Control Hardware
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing intelligent control schemes for home appliances suffer from repeated control functions and poor user experience due to the integration of hardware and software control systems within the appliances, limiting the full utilization of cloud-based control advantages.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves removing the hardware-related control module from home appliances and virtualizing it within the cloud, allowing all control functions to be managed through the cloud server. This includes a communication module in the appliance to receive control instructions from the cloud and a drive module to execute these instructions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If control functions are integrated into the home appliance hardware, then the appliance can operate independently, but the manufacturing cost increases and repeated control functions occur across multiple devices
Solution Approach 1:
The control module is extracted from the home appliance hardware and relocated to the cloud server. The home appliance retains only minimal communication components (communication module 111 and drive module 112) to receive and execute cloud-generated control instructions, thereby eliminating repeated control functions and reducing device complexity while maintaining operational capability through cloud-based centralized control.
Solution Approach 2:
The cloud server serves as a universal control center for multiple home appliances simultaneously. By consolidating control functions in the cloud, a single control system can manage diverse appliances (washing machines, refrigerators, air conditioners, etc.), avoiding the need for each appliance to have its own complete control module and thereby reducing manufacturing costs and eliminating redundant control capabilities.
2Ease of manufacture
If control module hardware is removed from home appliances, then manufacturing cost is reduced and cloud becomes the control center, but the appliance requires continuous cloud connectivity
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical hardware control module is replaced with a software-based cloud control system. Instead of physical control circuitry embedded in each appliance, the system uses communication modules to transmit requests to and receive instructions from the cloud server, substituting mechanical control components with network-based software control that reduces manufacturing costs and simplifies appliance hardware.
3Adaptability or versatility
If control functions are centralized in the cloud, then repeated control functions are eliminated and user experience is optimized, but response time may increase due to network communication
Solution Approach 1:
The cloud server pre-generates control instructions based on anticipated user needs and appliance states. By preparing control commands in advance and storing them in the cloud, the system can quickly retrieve and execute pre-computed instructions when needed, reducing the effective response time despite the inherent network communication delay, thereby maintaining adaptability while minimizing time loss.
Data Source
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AI summary
A home appliance control system and a home appliance are provided. The home appliance control system includes: a home appliance, the home appliance including at least one functional module; and a cloud server, communicating with the home appliance, the cloud server being adapted to send a control instruction identifiable by the functional module; the home appliance further includes a communication module, the communication module being adapted to receive the control instruction from the cloud server; and the home appliance further includes a drive module, the drive module being adapted to acquire the control instruction from the communication module and drive the at least one functional module according to the control instruction. The solution provided by the present invention can control all the control functions of the home appliance through the cloud, so as to reduce the hardware equipment of the home appliance control unit, reduce the cost, and optimize the use effect.