Multimedia Box Wake-on-LAN Activation via Meter Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

The startup time of multimedia boxes is excessively long, impacting user experience, and existing energy-saving strategies do not effectively reduce this time without increasing energy consumption.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a Wake-on-LAN (WoL) method using an Ethernet data frame to awaken the multimedia box from deep sleep when the user is likely to use it, based on detection of household activity through connected devices such as energy meters or home automation peripherals, allowing the box to transition to a shallow standby state with minimal energy usage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If the multimedia box is kept in deep sleep mode to save energy, then energy consumption is reduced, but startup time increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy consumptionVSAvoidstartup time
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by detecting user presence or device activity before the user actually needs the multimedia box. When a smartphone connects to the network or energy meters detect household activity, the system proactively sends a Wake-on-LAN frame to activate the multimedia box in advance, so that by the time the user wants to use it, the box is already ready, eliminating the perceived startup delay while maintaining deep sleep energy savings.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Loss of time

If the multimedia box uses Wake-on-LAN to wake up from deep sleep, then startup time is reduced, but network dependency increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestartup timeVSAvoidnetwork dependency
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system introduces an intermediary mechanism - the Wake-on-LAN network frame - that enables communication between the dormant multimedia box and the activating device. The network acts as a mediator that can trigger box activation without requiring the box to remain constantly powered, allowing the box to stay in deep sleep while still being reachable through the network for selective activation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Loss of time

If the multimedia box transitions to shallow standby to reduce startup time, then startup time decreases, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestartup timeVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of maintaining shallow standby state continuously, the system uses preliminary detection of user presence or device activity to trigger activation only when needed. The multimedia box remains in deep sleep mode (lowest energy state) and only transitions to active state when the WoL frame is received, combining the energy efficiency of deep sleep with the responsiveness of shallow standby on demand.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2690877B1Method for activating a multimedia device connected to an internet access device
Publication Date: 2016.09.14 BOUYGUES TELECOM
  • EP2690877B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2690877B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

The method involves detecting use of meter devices (1a-1c) having connectivity with an internet housing (2) by the internet housing, where the use is characteristic of presence of a user to center of a hearth. A frame of activation is sent to the internet housing by a network multimedia box so as to activate a multimedia device (3). The device is a water electricity meter or gas meter, where the use of the device is measurement of a profile of electricity consumption characteristic of the presence of the user to the center of the hearth.