Entertainment Device Adaptive Inactivity Timer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing entertainment devices, such as television receivers, often consume excessive energy due to inactivity timers set to a single time interval, leading to unnecessary energy wastage as they remain active even after users have stopped watching, especially during periods like mornings and evenings when users forget to turn them off.
Innovation Solution
An entertainment device that tracks user usage patterns over time to automatically enter a low power mode state by evaluating aggregated usage data, adjusting inactivity timers based on specific times, days, and scenarios, ensuring optimal energy savings without user intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single time interval is used for the inactivity timer, then the device remains active during long programs (e.g., 4-hour sporting events), but energy is wasted when the device stays on unnecessarily for extended periods (e.g., 8 hours total in the described scenario)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the inactivity timer interval adjustable and adaptive rather than fixed. The system dynamically modifies the timer interval based on detected user presence and viewing patterns, allowing it to extend during active viewing sessions and reduce when users are absent, thus resolving the contradiction between maintaining program viewing continuity and reducing energy consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms by monitoring user interactions and presence detection signals, then using this information to adjust the inactivity timer settings. This closed-loop control allows the device to learn from user behavior patterns and automatically optimize the timer interval to prevent both premature shutdown during programs and unnecessary extended operation when users are away
2Loss of energy
If the inactivity timer is set to a short interval to save energy, then the device shuts off during long programs without user input, but if set to a long interval, then energy is wasted when users forget to turn off the device
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies self-service by automatically detecting user presence and absence, then autonomously adjusting the inactivity timer without requiring manual user configuration. The device serves itself by learning viewing patterns and making intelligent decisions about when to shut off, eliminating the need for users to manually set or adjust timer settings while preventing both energy waste and premature shutdowns
3Device complexity
If a fixed inactivity timer interval is used, then the system is simple to implement, but it cannot adapt to different viewing patterns and times of day
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies preliminary action by pre-establishing multiple timer interval settings corresponding to different times of day and viewing scenarios. Rather than requiring complex real-time analysis from scratch, the system has pre-configured adaptive intervals that are selected based on detected conditions, simplifying the implementation while maintaining adaptability to different viewing patterns
Data Source
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AI summary
Apparatus, systems and methods are described for conserving energy in an entertainment system. An entertainment device (104) tracks usage patterns of a user (110) over time while outputting presentation content (212) and utilizes the collected information to determine whether to automatically enter a low power mode state at appropriate times (508).