Home Automation Remote Control for Remote Diagnostics

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Solution Overview

Problem

Complex home automation installations often require on-site visits for diagnosis and repair, leading to high costs and inefficiencies due to the need for installer travel and potential trial-and-error troubleshooting, especially for minor malfunctions where users may forego repairs.

Innovation Solution

A remote control system with communication capabilities that pairs with home automation devices, records and transmits operating data, and connects to diagnostic devices for remote analysis, reducing the need for on-site interventions by allowing off-site diagnosis and data retrieval.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If on-site installer visits are conducted for diagnosis and repair, then system malfunction resolution is achieved, but intervention costs and time consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem malfunction resolutionVSAvoidinstaller travel time and on-site time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary data collection and stores operating data locally in memory before any malfunction occurs. This pre-prepared data can be quickly transmitted to the installer remotely, eliminating the need for on-site data collection and reducing intervention time while maintaining reliable diagnosis capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

A portable diagnostic device serves as an intermediary between the home automation system and the installer. This device can remotely access and retrieve stored operating data from the system, acting as a mediator that eliminates the need for the installer to physically travel to the site while still enabling comprehensive diagnosis

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If installer visits are conducted for troubleshooting, then accurate diagnosis is achieved, but intervention costs and time consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvediagnosis accuracyVSAvoidinstaller on-site time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously records and stores detailed operating data including commands received, states changed, and operational parameters in local memory. This pre-collected data provides comprehensive information for accurate remote diagnosis, matching the information quality previously obtainable only through on-site visits while eliminating travel and setup time

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The portable diagnostic device creates a copy of the system's operating data by retrieving it from local memory. This data copy contains all necessary information for accurate diagnosis and can be analyzed remotely by the installer, providing the same diagnostic accuracy as direct system access without requiring physical presence

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Loss of information

If comprehensive operating data is collected and stored, then remote diagnosis capability is improved, but memory requirements and data management complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperating data availability for diagnosisVSAvoiddata management system
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically and continuously records operating data in local memory without requiring complex real-time processing or management decisions. This simple pre-recording approach ensures all necessary diagnostic information is available while avoiding the complexity of on-demand data collection and management systems

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The portable diagnostic device extracts only the specific operating data needed for diagnosis from the stored memory contents. This selective extraction approach allows comprehensive data storage without requiring the full data management infrastructure, as the external device handles the complexity of data retrieval and analysis

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP2838074B1Home-automation remote control, element for receiving home-automation commands and operating method of such a remote control and such a command receiver
Publication Date: 2019.10.02 SOMFY ACTIVITES SA
  • EP2838074B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP2838074B1 patent drawingFigure 4
  • EP2838074B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

Method of operation of a remote control intended to control at least one home automation device of a home automation installation, the remote control comprising a communication element capable of issuing executable commands to at least one home automation device, the method comprising the following steps: - reception by the remote control of operating data of the home automation installation from at least one element of the home automation installation other than the remote control, - recording, in a memory, of the received operating data and/or operating data specific to the remote control, - detection of a first action at the level of the remote control, - following the step of detecting the first action, first transmission of the recorded operating data.