Electronic device, preferably household appliance, particularly preferably drinks machine, in particular coffee machine

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users of electronic devices, such as fully automatic coffee machines, often struggle to access and utilize context-relevant information for maintenance and operation due to its hidden nature within complex menu structures, leading to user confusion and frustration.

Innovation Solution

An electronic device with a control unit that compares user inputs with predetermined criteria based on the device's state, providing context-relevant information, such as videos, to guide the user in permissible actions and support their operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If context-relevant information is provided only through traditional menu structures, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ease of operation deteriorates as users must actively search and navigate to find relevant information

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveAccessibility of context-relevant informationVSAvoidInformation delivery system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The control unit proactively analyzes the current device state and automatically determines which information is relevant to the user before the user requests it. This preliminary analysis and selection of information occurs in advance, eliminating the need for users to navigate through menu structures to find relevant information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system serves itself by automatically identifying and delivering context-relevant information based on its own state monitoring capabilities. The control unit independently determines what information the user needs without requiring active user initiation or menu navigation, making the information delivery system self-serve the user's information needs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Ease of operation

If all information is always displayed to users, then the ease of operation improves, but the loss of information increases as irrelevant information may be lost or ignored

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveInformation accessibilityVSAvoidRelevance of displayed information
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The control unit tailors the information delivery to the specific local context of the current device state. Different types of information are delivered selectively based on what is locally relevant to the current situation, ensuring that users receive precisely the information they need at that moment rather than generic or irrelevant information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors the device state and uses this feedback to dynamically determine what information to display. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures that only information relevant to the current state is delivered to the user, preventing information overload while maintaining high relevance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Loss of time

If users must actively search for context-relevant information in menu structures, then the device complexity remains low, but the loss of time increases as users spend time navigating to find needed information

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveTime to access informationVSAvoidIntelligent information delivery system
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The control unit performs preliminary analysis of the device state and pre-determines which information should be delivered before the user even becomes aware that information is needed. This eliminates the time users would otherwise spend navigating menu structures, as the relevant information is already prepared and can be delivered immediately upon user interaction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical navigation through menu structures with an intelligent information delivery system that uses state analysis and automated determination of relevant information. This substitution eliminates the need for manual menu navigation while introducing intelligent processing to deliver information more efficiently.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentEP3626140B1Electronic device, preferably household appliance, particularly preferably drinks machine, in particular coffee machine
Publication Date: 2022.07.13 MIELE & CO KG
  • EP3626140B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2

AI summary

The invention relates to an electronic device (1), preferably a household appliance (1), particularly preferably a beverage maker (1), especially a fully automatic coffee machine (1), with at least one display element (13) configured to display at least one piece of information to a user, with at least one control element (14) configured to detect at least one input from the user, and with at least one control unit (15) configured to receive the detected input from the user from the control element (14) and to generate the information to be displayed to the user and output it to the display element (13).The electronic device (1) is characterized in that the control unit (15) is further configured to detect at least one state of the electronic device (1), and that the control unit (15) is further configured to compare at least the detected input of the user with at least one predetermined criterion, wherein the predetermined criterion depends on at least the detected state of the electronic device (1), and wherein the information to be displayed depends on the result of the comparison (600).