Electric product
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric products, such as washing machines, have complex control panels with numerous buttons that increase manufacturing costs and detract from their appearance, as users must select from multiple options for each operation, making the interface cumbersome.
Innovation Solution
An electric product with a simplified user interface that includes a power button, a start button, and a display unit, where the start button can also function as a display, and a communication module allowing operation method selection through a mobile terminal, reducing the need for multiple buttons on the product's interface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple buttons and function sections are provided on the control panel for various operations, then the user can select from a wide range of operation methods, but the control panel structure becomes complicated and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the course selection function from the physical control panel buttons and relocates it to a mobile terminal application. The control panel is reduced to only essential buttons (power button and start button), while the mobile terminal handles the complex course selection interface, thereby simplifying the physical device structure while maintaining operational versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a mobile terminal as an intermediary between the user and the washing machine's control system. The mobile terminal serves as a mediator that provides the comprehensive course selection interface, while the washing machine's control panel only needs to provide basic power and start commands, reducing the need for multiple physical buttons.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple buttons are provided on the control panel for all possible operations, then all functions can be accessed, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex course selection interface from the physical control panel and implements it in the mobile terminal application. This eliminates the need to manufacture physical buttons for each course option, significantly reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining full function accessibility through the mobile interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile terminal application serves as a universal interface that can display and allow selection of all washing machine courses without requiring physical buttons for each course. The single mobile device replaces multiple specialized buttons, reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining versatility.
3Adaptability or versatility
If all course selection buttons are provided on the control panel, then users can select any course, but the outer appearance of the washing machine deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the course selection interface from the physical control panel and places it in the mobile terminal application. This removes the visual clutter of multiple buttons from the washing machine's exterior, improving its appearance while maintaining full course selection capability through the mobile interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical button system with a software-based interface on the mobile terminal. This substitution eliminates the need for physical buttons that would detract from the washing machine's appearance, while providing the same course selection functionality through a digital interface.
Data Source
AI summary
An electric product comprises a control object to allow the electric product to operate in one of a plurality of operational modes, the plurality of operational modes comprising a first group of operational modes and a second group of operational modes; a memory to store information corresponding to the plurality of operational modes; a user interface only allowing selection of the first group of operational modes such that the user interface does not allow selection of the second group of operational modes; a communication module configured receive a start command through a prescribed communication method for a first prescribed operational mode, the first prescribed operational mode being an operational mode of at least one of the first group of operational modes or the second group of operational modes; and a controller to control the control object so that the electric product operates in the first prescribed operational mode.