Predictive Appliance Control for User-Intent Timing Accuracy

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing appliance control methods may not effectively match user intentions, requiring user reactions and potentially leading to unintended control operations, which can be annoying for users.

Innovation Solution

An appliance control method that acquires user actions, predicts future actions, and determines corresponding control operations based on predicted times and occurrence probabilities, allowing for automatic control that aligns with user intentions without requiring constant user input.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If automatic appliance control is implemented without user input, then productivity is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to potential mismatches with user intentions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveappliance control efficiencyVSAvoidcontrol accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by predicting future user actions and pre-determining appropriate appliance control operations before the user actually performs the action. The prediction unit forecasts user actions, and the determination unit pre-selects control operations that match these predicted actions, enabling proactive rather than reactive control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where the prediction unit continuously monitors actual user actions and compares them with predicted actions. This feedback loop allows the system to learn from discrepancies and improve its prediction accuracy over time, ensuring that automatic control operations align with actual user intentions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If user reactions are required for appliance control, then reliability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to constant user input requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontrol accuracyVSAvoiduser interaction burden

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables self-service by allowing appliances to be controlled automatically based on predicted user actions without requiring direct user input. The prediction unit forecasts what the user will do, and the control unit executes appropriate appliance operations autonomously, freeing the user from constant interaction while maintaining control accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Device complexity

If prediction algorithms are simplified, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision deteriorates in predicting user actions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprediction system complexityVSAvoidaction prediction accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The prediction system is segmented into distinct functional units: a prediction unit that forecasts user actions, a determination unit that selects control operations, and a control unit that executes them. This segmentation allows each unit to specialize in specific tasks, maintaining prediction accuracy while managing system complexity through modular design.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS20230341831A1Appliance control method, recording medium, and appliance control device

Publication Date: 2023.10.26 PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORP OF AMERICA

AI summary

An appliance control method includes: acquiring a user action of a user; predicting a plurality of action information items about future user actions of the user based on the user action, the plurality of action information items including a plurality of actions and predicted times at which the plurality of actions are predicted to be performed; determining appliance control operations corresponding to the plurality of actions based on the plurality of actions and the predicted times; and performing the appliance control operations based on the predicted times.