Fluid Delivery Device Diagnostics via Smartphone Camera
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electronic products, such as faucets and filtration devices, lack effective communication methods for diagnostics, limiting user understanding and actionability, as they are not connected via communication protocols, restricting the complexity of messages that can be conveyed.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a visual indicator, such as LEDs or displays, and a controller in fluid delivery devices that can communicate diagnostic information through smart devices via cameras and processors, allowing users to translate outputs into actionable messages, including alerts for issues and maintenance needs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If electronic products use simple visual cues (e.g., red blinking light) for diagnostics, then the device complexity is low, but the information communication capability is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a smartphone camera as an intermediary device to capture and translate visual indicator outputs into readable diagnostic messages. This mediator bridges the gap between the simple visual indicator system and the user, enabling complex diagnostic information communication without adding complexity to the fluid delivery device itself. The smartphone processor decodes the visual patterns and presents user-friendly diagnostic information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical or electronic display systems with an optical communication system using visual indicators (lights) that can be captured by a camera. This substitution allows the device to communicate complex diagnostic information through simple optical signals (color, pulse, intensity patterns) that are then decoded by the smartphone, reducing the complexity of the fluid delivery device while enhancing information communication.
2Loss of information
If electronic products are not connected via communication protocols, then the device complexity is reduced, but the diagnostic message complexity that can be conveyed is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The smartphone acts as an external intermediary that handles the complexity of message interpretation and translation. The fluid delivery device communicates through simple visual patterns without requiring built-in communication protocols. The smartphone camera captures these patterns and the processor translates them into complex diagnostic messages, achieving high information complexity without adding communication protocol complexity to the device.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a temporal dimension to the visual indicators by using pulsing patterns, sequences, and timing variations to encode complex diagnostic information. Instead of relying on multiple static indicators or complex communication protocols, the system uses variations in time (pulse frequency, duration, sequence) to convey multiple pieces of diagnostic information through a single visual indicator channel.
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
Enables deeper and more effective communication with users, providing confirmations, alerts, and information about product status and maintenance needs, enhancing user interaction and troubleshooting capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
A smart device having a camera is configured to receive output from the faucet visual indicator. The output from the faucet visual indicator is captured by the camera
Data Source
AI summary
A fluid delivery device including an indicator configured to provide diagnostics read through a smart device.