Color Changing Thermometer Backlight Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional thermometers lack a cost-effective and easily identifiable visual indication of measured temperature ranges, making it difficult for users to determine if a patient's temperature indicates normal, warm, or fever conditions, especially for those with poor vision, and often result in unnecessary battery drain due to prolonged backlight activation.
Innovation Solution
An electronic thermometer with a powered processor and display that uses light emitting diodes (LEDs) to illuminate different colors based on temperature ranges, indicating normal, warm, and fever conditions, and activates the backlight only when the device is removed from the patient by detecting a significant temperature drop.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the backlight is activated continuously to ensure visibility of the display, then the ease of reading the temperature is improved, but the battery life is reduced due to unnecessary energy consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The backlight is activated periodically based on temperature range detection rather than continuously. The processor detects the temperature range and activates the backlight only when needed, creating a periodic illumination pattern that conserves battery life while ensuring visibility when the temperature reading is complete and the probe is removed from the patient.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from the temperature sensor to control backlight activation. The processor continuously monitors the temperature reading and uses this feedback to determine when to activate or deactivate the backlight, ensuring it is on only when the temperature reading is complete and the patient has been removed from the probe.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the backlight is activated only when the temperature reading is complete, then the battery life is extended, but the patient may accidentally interrupt the reading and not receive the backlight benefit
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of the temperature range during the measurement process and uses this information to determine when to activate the backlight. By detecting the temperature range in advance and using it as a trigger condition, the system ensures the backlight activates reliably whether the patient removes the probe during or after the reading, eliminating the need for continuous monitoring.
3Device complexity
If conventional thermometers display only numerical temperature values, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ease of identifying temperature ranges is worsened for users with poor vision
Solution Approach 1:
The display incorporates color-changing indicators that change based on the detected temperature range. The processor compares the measured temperature against predefined ranges and activates corresponding colored LEDs (e.g., green for normal, yellow for warm, red for fever), providing visual feedback that is easily identifiable by users with poor vision while maintaining relatively simple display hardware.
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
Provides a low-cost, easy-to-read visual display that clearly indicates temperature ranges and conserves battery life by activating the backlight only when the device is removed from the patient, enhancing user safety and reducing battery drain.
Implementation Method 1
One or more light emitting elements, which in an embodiment, can be light emitting diodes (LEDs) or similar light emitting elements, are disposed in the display and peripheral to the LCD
Implementation Method 2
A temperature sensing element connected to a powered processor and a display
Data Source
AI summary
The invention includes a thermometer with a backlight and a method for lighting the backlight. The thermometer has temperature sensing tip, a processor taking temperature readings and determining a sensed temperature reading of the living being from the temperature sensing tip. The thermometer also includes a display and a backlight for lighting the display. The backlight is activated upon a command from the processor and the processor determines whether a decrease in the temperature readings exceeds or is equal to a predetermined threshold in order to activate the backlight. The method embodiment can includes the steps of using the processor to monitor a temperature change indicated by a temperature sensing element. The processor then detects a temperature decrease and activates a first color light emitting element to backlight a display if the temperature decrease exceeds or equals a predetermined threshold.