Grooming Appliance Sensor Circuit Sleep Mode Activation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Personal grooming appliances, such as electric toothbrushes and electric shavers, often arrive at home with discharged batteries due to demonstration modes that consume energy while on store shelves, making them non-immediately usable upon unpacking, and alternative off modes fail to inform consumers about the product's capabilities.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating an electronic circuit with a sensor (like a light, resistance, humidity, or temperature sensor) that switches the appliance from a low-energy sleep mode to an active mode upon detecting changes in external conditions, such as unpacking, allowing for a welcome or standard routine to initiate and inform the user.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If the personal grooming appliance is packaged in a demonstration mode with continuous display switching on, then consumer information and product capability display are improved, but energy source discharge increases causing the appliance to be non-instantaneously usable after unpacking
Solution Approach 1:
The electronic circuit is configured to switch between active mode and sleep mode periodically or based on external conditions. In active mode, the display shows product capabilities to attract consumers. When external conditions change (e.g., packaging opened, light detected), the circuit transitions to sleep mode to conserve energy, ensuring the appliance remains usable after unpacking.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts its operational state based on external conditions detected by sensors. The electronic circuit can adapt between different power consumption states (active and sleep modes) depending on whether the appliance is being demonstrated on the shelf or has been unpacked by the consumer, optimizing both information delivery and energy conservation.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the personal grooming appliance is packaged in an off mode to conserve energy, then energy source discharge is reduced, but consumer interaction and product capability information are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The appliance is pre-configured with an electronic circuit that can perform preliminary actions based on detected external conditions. When the packaging is opened or specific environmental conditions are detected, the circuit automatically initiates a welcome routine that provides product information and capabilities, ensuring energy is only consumed when necessary to inform the consumer.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses environmental sensors to automatically detect when the appliance has been unpacked or when a consumer is nearby, and autonomously activates the display and information systems without requiring manual intervention. This self-service approach ensures energy is conserved during storage while automatically providing product information when needed.
3Ease of operation
If the electronic circuit remains in active mode to provide continuous information, then consumer interaction is improved, but energy consumption increases causing discharge before use
Solution Approach 1:
The electronic circuit operates in periodic cycles, switching between active information display modes and low-power sleep modes. During demonstration, it periodically activates to show capabilities. After unpacking, it remains in sleep mode until external conditions trigger activation, ensuring energy is conserved while still providing consumer interaction when appropriate.
Data Source
AI summary
A personal grooming appliance has an energy source, an electronic circuit comprising at least one electric load, and a first sensor for providing a first signal indicating a relevant change of a first external condition. The appliance is arranged to stay in a sleep mode in which the electronic circuit consumes at least a reduced average energy amount in comparison to an active mode and to initiate the active mode when the first signal indicating a change of the first external condition is received. The electronic circuit can be arranged to perform a welcome routine in response to a first active mode initialization and a standard routine, different to the welcome routine, in response to receiving the first signal indicating a relevant change in the first external condition after the welcome routine has been performed. The first sensor can be a light sensor, a resistance sensor, a humidity sensor, a gas sensor, or a temperature sensor. A personal grooming appliance unit comprising the personal grooming appliance in combination with a packaging that houses the appliance can include the first sensor that is sensitive to a change of the packaging condition comprising an opening of the packaging.