Emotion-aware smart refrigerator

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional refrigerators lack the ability to intuitively suggest food items based on user preferences and physiological responses, failing to provide personalized recommendations or adapt to dietary restrictions and hunger levels.

Innovation Solution

An emotion-aware smart refrigerator equipped with contactless brainwave sensors and ultrasonic transducers detects user brainwave and heart rate activity to gauge interest in stored items, presenting targeted information and recommendations based on physiological responses and user profiles.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If conventional refrigerators are used, then device complexity is low, but the ability to provide personalized food recommendations and adapt to user preferences is poor

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to provide personalized recommendationsVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The refrigerator is equipped with multiple sensors (brainwave sensors, ultrasonic transducers, cameras) and a display system that enable it to perform diverse functions beyond simple food storage, including user identification, physiological response detection, and personalized food recommendation, thereby achieving multi-functionality that resolves the contradiction between adaptability and complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces traditional mechanical interaction (manually opening the refrigerator to select food) with physiological signal-based interaction (detecting brainwave and heart rate responses to visual stimuli), allowing the system to infer user preferences and hunger levels automatically, thus improving adaptability while managing complexity through non-contact sensing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Measurement precision

If visual stimuli are presented to detect user interest, then measurement precision of user preference is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional sensors and processing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprecision of user preference detectionVSAvoidcomplexity of sensor system

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system presents visual stimuli (images of food items) and measures the user's physiological response (brainwave and heart rate changes) as feedback, then uses this feedback to determine user interest and adjust recommendations accordingly, creating a closed-loop system that improves measurement precision through iterative detection and response

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces visual stimuli as an intermediary between the refrigerator system and the user's physiological responses, allowing indirect measurement of user preference and hunger levels without requiring direct user input, thus improving measurement precision while managing system complexity through non-invasive sensing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of operation

If contactless brainwave sensors and ultrasonic transducers are added, then user experience is enhanced through personalized recommendations, but manufacturing cost and device complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser experience qualityVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The refrigerator system automatically performs user identification, physiological response detection, and food recommendation without requiring manual user input or interaction, allowing the system to serve itself by inferring user needs from passive physiological measurements, thereby enhancing user experience while reducing the need for complex user interfaces

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

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

The refrigerator effectively recommends food items tailored to user preferences, dietary needs, and hunger levels, enhancing user experience and improving food access while also detecting potential intruders or medical emergencies.

Implementation Method 1

detecting the user's VEP response by sensing the user's brainwave activity with at least one contactless brainwave sensor configured to wirelessly monitor the user's brainwave activity

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectBrainwave detection:

Implementation Method 2

an ultrasonic transducer to measure an interest level response of the user

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectUltrasonic detection: Ultrasound

Implementation Method 3

presenting images representative of the one or more items to the user on a display, and wherein the present images oscillate at unique frequencies

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectVisual stimulation:

Data Source

PatentUS12167906B2Emotion-aware smart refrigerator

Publication Date: 2024.12.17 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK

AI summary

An emotion-aware smart refrigerator is provided which may include various sensors and presentation mechanisms to identify a user's interest in item(s) contained within the emotion-aware smart refrigerator via an evoked physiological response, such as a visual evoked potential (VEP). The user's level of interest may also be gauged by the emotion-aware smart refrigerator. With consideration given to the user's VEP as well as the user's level of interest, and other considerations such as the user's diet, desired health goals, dietary restrictions, etc., the emotion-aware smart refrigerator may present suggested items and item amounts to the user.