External Sensor Package Interface for Miniaturized Electronic Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
The miniaturization of smart devices has limited the ability to implement all desired sensors due to spatial constraints, making it difficult to replace or correct failed sensors and leading to reduced functionality and user convenience.
Innovation Solution
An electronic device that can connect to an external sensor package, determining which group of pre-configured sensors is connected and controlling functions based on the device's status information, allowing for additional functions and improved user convenience by activating or deactivating sensor functions as needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If sensors are mounted inside the electronic device, then the device can perform various sensor functions, but the device size increases and sensor replacement becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor system is divided into internal sensors (mounted inside the electronic device) and external sensors (mounted outside via external mounting portions). This segmentation allows the device to maintain compact size while still providing comprehensive sensor functionality through the combination of internal and external sensors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extends the sensor mounting space from the internal three-dimensional space to the external surface of the device. By utilizing external mounting portions on the device exterior, the system accesses additional spatial dimensions that do not consume internal device volume, thereby maintaining miniaturization while expanding sensor capabilities.
2Adaptability or versatility
If more sensors are added to the device, then the device functionality increases, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor system is segmented into internal and external components, allowing independent management and configuration. This segmentation simplifies the overall system architecture by separating sensors that are always available (internal) from those that can be selectively activated (external), reducing the complexity of managing all sensors simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically configures which sensors are active based on device state and user needs. External sensors can be selectively activated or deactivated, allowing the system to adapt its complexity level - using only essential internal sensors when simplicity is needed, and activating external sensors when enhanced functionality is required.
3Adaptability or versatility
If internal sensors are used, then the device can recognize ambient environment, but error correction becomes difficult when sensor failure occurs
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the sensor system into internal and external sensors, the patent enables selective replacement and error correction. When an internal sensor fails, external sensors of the same type can be activated to compensate, and vice versa. This segmentation makes error correction easier by providing alternative sensor sources without requiring complex diagnostic systems.
4Volume of moving object
If the device is miniaturized, then portability improves, but the ability to implement all desired sensors is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by moving sensor mounting from the internal three-dimensional space to the external surface of the device. This dimensional transition allows the device to maintain its miniaturized form factor while providing extensive sensor implementation capability through external mounting portions that do not consume internal device volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor system is segmented into internal sensors for core functionality and external sensors for expanded capability. This segmentation allows the miniaturized device to maintain essential sensor functions internally while offering the option to add comprehensive sensor functionality externally, effectively decoupling device size from sensor implementation capability.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device and method utilizes an external sensor group to facilitate miniaturization the device and repair/replacement of external sensors. An interface connected to an external sensor package including at least one sensor. A processor that when the external sensor package is connected through the interface, determines from which group the external sensor package is included in among pre-configured groups and controls the performance of a function corresponding to the determined group.