External Processing Module for Upgradable Information Appliances
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing information appliance devices often require replacement due to inflexible hardware and software configurations, leading to high costs and degraded user experience, as they cannot be efficiently modified, upgraded, or maintained.
Innovation Solution
An external module with offloaded processing functionality, such as a dongle, is communicatively coupled to information appliance devices, providing additional hardware, software, and processing capabilities, allowing for the offloading of operations and resource reallocation within the appliance device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If information appliance devices use fixed hardware and software configurations, then device stability and reliability are improved, but adaptability and ease of upgrade are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into a host device and a separate external module. The external module contains the processing functionality that can be independently upgraded or replaced without affecting the host device. This segmentation allows the host to maintain stability while the external module provides adaptability and upgradeability.
Solution Approach 2:
An external module serves as an intermediary between the host device and the processing operations. This intermediary contains the processing functionality and can be selectively coupled to or decoupled from the host, enabling upgrades without replacing the entire system while maintaining reliable operation through standardized interfaces.
2Speed
If processing functionality is integrated into the host device, then operational speed and response time are improved, but device complexity and cost are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
Processing functionality is segmented into a separate external module rather than being integrated into the host device. This reduces host device complexity and cost while maintaining operational speed through direct communication channels between the host and the external module via standardized interfaces.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the entire information appliance device is replaced to upgrade functionality, then adaptability and new capabilities are improved, but cost and loss of time are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates processing functionality into an independent external module that can be upgraded separately from the host device. This allows users to upgrade functionality by simply replacing or updating the external module rather than replacing the entire information appliance device, significantly reducing time loss and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The external module provides dynamic upgradeability to the system. Users can selectively couple different external modules to the host device to add or update functionality as needed, creating a flexible system that adapts to new requirements without requiring complete device replacement.
Data Source
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AI summary
Examples of the present disclosure describe systems and methods for implementing an external module comprising new and/or offloaded processing functionality. In aspects, an external module may be configured to be selectively and communicatively coupled to an information appliance device. The external module may be configured with or receive hardware, software, data and/or instructions for processing content and operations received by the information appliance device. When operations are received by the information appliance device, the information appliance device may parse the operations into commands to be performed by the information appliance device and commands to be performed by the external module. The information appliance device may transmit the commands to be performed by the external module to the external module. The external module may then process and/or perform the received commands and render the resulting content to a display device.