Digital Sensor Expansion Interface for Portable Modular Functions
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Solution Overview
Problem
The trade-off between expandability and portability in analog and digital sensors makes it difficult to provide a digital sensor with the functionalities needed by users, leading to increased operational complexity and cost when additional functionalities are required.
Innovation Solution
A functionality expansion apparatus that includes a connection unit for digital sensors, a pass-through unit, and an additional functionality unit to provide necessary functionalities, maintaining the compact size and low weight of digital sensors while allowing easy attachment and detachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a digital sensor is made portable and compact by separating the detector from the converter, then portability and ease of operation are improved, but functionality and expandability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into three independent segments: a portable digital sensor (detector + digital communication unit), a functionality expansion apparatus (with additional functionality unit), and a higher-level device. This segmentation allows the sensor to remain compact and portable while functionality is added through the intermediate expansion apparatus, resolving the contradiction between portability and functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The functionality expansion apparatus serves as an intermediary device between the digital sensor and the higher-level device. It receives signals from the sensor, provides additional functionality through the additional functionality unit, and transmits processed signals to the higher-level device. This mediator approach enables enhanced functionality without compromising the portability of the original sensor.
2Adaptability or versatility
If additional functionalities are integrated into the digital sensor itself, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of integrating all functionalities into the digital sensor, the system segments functionality into the base sensor unit and an optional expansion apparatus. This allows users to start with a simple, low-complexity sensor and only add functionality when needed, avoiding unnecessary complexity in the base device.
Solution Approach 2:
The functionality expansion apparatus is designed as a universal interface that can provide multiple different functionalities through the additional functionality unit while maintaining a single, standardized structure. This multi-functional approach allows one device to serve multiple purposes without increasing the complexity of individual sensor units.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a massive converter is used with an analog sensor to provide full functionality, then adaptability is improved, but portability and ease of operation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the functionality distribution across multiple devices: the analog sensor provides detection, the functionality expansion apparatus provides signal processing and additional functionality, and the higher-level device provides data utilization. This segmentation eliminates the need for a single massive converter, enabling portability while maintaining full functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a single-device architecture (analog sensor + massive converter) to a distributed multi-device architecture. By adding the dimension of spatial distribution and modular connectivity, the system achieves both portability (through separated components) and full functionality (through distributed processing across multiple devices).
Data Source
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AI summary
A functionality expansion apparatus (10) includes a first connection end portion (20a) that is connected to a digital sensor (100), a second connection end portion (20b) that is connected to a higher-level device (300) that performs communication with the digital sensor (100), a pass-through unit (31) that transfers a signal between the first connection end portion (20a) and the second connection end portion (20b), and an additional functionality unit (32) that provides an additional functionality for performing a predetermined process to one of the digital sensor (100), the higher-level device (300), and the signal.