Combination of a household appliance with user interface and an external electronic device
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing household appliances face challenges in providing large and extensive user interfaces for displaying increased treatment control information without spatial interference, conflicting with reduced outer sizes and aesthetic design, and requiring large access openings for loading, while also being costly and needing frequent maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A minimalist user interface with reduced buttons, including an ON/OFF button, preset and versatile program buttons, and a coupling button for wireless connection to an external device for setting treatment parameters, minimizing mechanical and electronic components and reducing maintenance needs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a large and extensive user interface is provided for displaying treatment control information, then information display capability is improved, but the outer size of the household appliance increases and spatial interference with other components occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dimensionality change by transitioning the user interface from a physical spatial dimension to a wireless communication dimension. Instead of expanding the physical display area on the appliance, the system uses wireless communication (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi) to connect with external electronic devices (smartphones, tablets) where the extensive user interface is displayed. This resolves the contradiction by moving the information display function to another dimension (digital/wireless space) rather than expanding physical space.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary device (external electronic device such as smartphone or tablet) that mediates between the user and the household appliance. The external device serves as the interface for displaying treatment control information and receiving user inputs, while the appliance itself maintains a minimal physical interface. This intermediary approach allows extensive information display without increasing the appliance's outer size.
2Ease of operation
If a large access opening or door is provided for loading household products, then ease of loading is improved, but the outer size of the household appliance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dimensionality change by moving the complex interaction interface from the physical dimension of the appliance to the digital dimension of external electronic devices. This allows the appliance to maintain compact dimensions with smaller access openings while providing extensive control and monitoring capabilities through wireless connectivity, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and outer size.
3Ease of manufacture
If a minimalist user interface with reduced buttons is provided, then production costs are lowered and maintenance needs are reduced, but user control capability over treatment parameters is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses external electronic devices as intermediaries to provide comprehensive treatment parameter control capabilities. The minimalist physical interface on the appliance is supplemented by a full-featured software interface on the external device, which allows users to adjust all treatment parameters, select programs, and monitor operations. This intermediary approach maintains ease of manufacture while preserving full adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies universality by using a single minimal physical button (or touch interface) on the appliance that can trigger various functions depending on the context and state of the system. The external electronic device provides the comprehensive control interface, while the appliance's minimal interface serves multiple purposes (power control, program selection, parameter adjustment) through wireless communication, thus achieving both simplicity and versatility.
Data Source
Figure 1~2B
Figure 2C~2D
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A household appliance (1), in particular a washing machine or washer-dryer, comprises a housing (2) with an outer wall (3) forming an outer surface (4), a treating seat (5) formed in or at the housing (2) and adapted to accommodate or support household products in a treating position (6), a treatment device (7) arranged inside the housing (2), a treatment detector (8) configured to detect a value of a treatment parameter, an electronic control system (10) in signal connection with the treatment device (7) and with the treatment detector (8) and configured to control the treatment device (7) depending on a treatment program and depending on the value detected by the treatment detector (8), a user interface (11) in signal connection with the electronic control system (10), in which the user interface (11) comprises an ON and OFF button (12), a first execution button (13) for a preset fixed treatment program, a second execution button (14) for a versatile treatment program which is preset with treatment parameters which can be set by the user, a coupling button (15), the activation of which carries out a wireless communication connection of the electronic control system (10) with an external electronic device (52), which is separate from the household appliance (1), for selecting and setting settable treatment parameters of the versatile treatment program by means of the external electronic device (52).