Mobile Appliance Position Control for Human-Aware Navigation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current mobile household devices, such as smart vacuum cleaners, often collide with humans due to their predetermined movement paths, and their operation panels become inconveniently positioned, reducing user interaction intelligence and posing safety risks, especially for the aged and children.

Innovation Solution

A control method and system that adjusts the mobile household device's position relative to a human by establishing a rectangular coordinate system, determining the target's movement direction and positional relation, and generating lateral movements based on preset handedness rules to avoid collisions and optimize user interaction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the mobile household device moves along a predetermined path, then the device can complete its working tasks efficiently, but it may collide with persons appearing on its moving path

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveworking efficiencyVSAvoidcollision risk
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by transitioning from a static predetermined path to a dynamic adaptive path. The device continuously detects person positions and adjusts its movement path in real-time, making the path dynamic rather than fixed. This allows the device to maintain working efficiency while avoiding collisions with persons who appear during operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback through continuous detection of person positions and adjustment of movement paths based on this information. The device monitors the environment, receives feedback about person locations, and modifies its path accordingly, creating a closed-loop control system that balances productivity and safety.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If the mobile household device constantly moves to complete tasks, then working efficiency is improved, but the operation panel orientation becomes inconvenient for user interaction

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveworking efficiencyVSAvoidoperation panel accessibility
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by making the operation panel orientation adaptive rather than fixed. As the device moves and detects user positions, it dynamically adjusts the panel orientation to face the user, ensuring convenient interaction regardless of the device's movement or the user's location.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-adjusting the operation panel orientation based on predicted user positions or current detection data before the user needs to interact. This ensures the panel is already in an convenient position when the user approaches, maintaining ease of operation during continuous movement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Device complexity

If the mobile household device follows a fixed path, then the movement control is simple, but it cannot avoid persons and adjust to user positions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemovement control complexityVSAvoidpath adaptation capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transforms the movement control from static and simple to dynamic and adaptive. The device uses real-time detection data to continuously adjust its path, making the control system dynamic rather than fixed. This increases adaptability while managing complexity through systematic detection and adjustment mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback loops where detection results feed into path planning and adjustment. The system continuously monitors person positions, processes this information, and adjusts the movement path accordingly, creating an adaptive control system that balances complexity and versatility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

4Stability of the object's composition

If the operation panel orientation changes with device movement, then the device maintains its functional orientation, but the panel becomes positioned in inconvenient or awkward positions for user operation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice functional orientationVSAvoidpanel position convenience
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by making the operation panel orientation adaptive rather than rigidly fixed to device movement. The panel orientation dynamically adjusts based on user position detection, allowing it to maintain both functional orientation and user convenience simultaneously through real-time adaptation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by differentiating between the device's overall movement orientation and the operation panel's specific orientation. While the device moves according to its functional requirements, the operation panel independently adjusts its orientation locally to face the user, optimizing the interaction interface separately from the device's global positioning.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3159766B1Method and system thereof for adjusting and controlling position of movable household appliance relative to person
Publication Date: 2021.06.02 HUIZHOU TCL MOBILE COMM CO LTD
  • EP3159766B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP3159766B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

A control method and system for adjusting the relative position of a mobile household with respect to a human is provided by the present disclosure. The mobile household device obtains the location information of the target object at multiple time points, and, according to the obtained location information, determines the current moving direction and positional relation of the target object relative to the mobile household device, and moves to the dominant hand side of the target object according to preset conditions. By detecting and analyze the state of the user, the mobile household device can actively adjust its motion, thus improving its intelligence level.