Electronic home appliance and control method thereof
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric home appliances lack user-friendly input mechanisms that can be easily operated based on the user's proximity, leading to inefficient power usage and user experience.
Innovation Solution
An electric home appliance equipped with a sensing unit to detect user proximity, an input unit that can protrude or retreat based on user presence, and a controller to manage the input unit's state, allowing for intuitive operation through optical patterns and rotational inputs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the input unit remains protruded at all times to ensure ease of operation, then user interaction is facilitated, but power consumption increases and the device appearance is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The input unit dynamically changes its position between protruded and retreated states based on real-time sensing of user proximity. When a user approaches within a predetermined distance, the input unit protrudes to facilitate interaction; when the user moves away, it retreats to save power and maintain appearance. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between ease of operation and power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensing unit continuously monitors user proximity and provides feedback to the controller, which adjusts the input unit's position accordingly. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures the input unit is only protruded when actually needed for user interaction, eliminating unnecessary power consumption while maintaining operational accessibility when users are present.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the input unit retreats completely to save power and maintain appearance, then energy efficiency improves, but user interaction becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The input unit transitions from a static retreated state to a dynamic system that protrudes when needed. The controller receives signals from the sensing unit and automatically adjusts the input unit's position, ensuring it is protruded during user interaction and retreated when idle, thus maintaining both energy efficiency and operational accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the sensing unit to autonomously determine when user interaction is needed and automatically positions the input unit accordingly, without requiring manual intervention. This self-service mechanism ensures the input unit is readily accessible when users approach while minimizing power consumption during idle periods.
3Ease of operation
If the optical pattern revolves quickly to provide visual feedback, then user interaction is enhanced, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The optical pattern's revolution speed is dynamically adjusted based on user proximity. When the sensing unit detects a user within the predetermined distance, the optical pattern revolves at a faster speed to provide enhanced visual feedback for interaction. When no user is present, the revolution speed decreases or stops, reducing power consumption while maintaining interactive capability when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller changes the revolution speed parameter of the optical pattern based on sensing unit input. By adjusting this parameter according to user presence, the system provides enhanced visual feedback during interaction while minimizing power consumption during idle periods, resolving the contradiction between interaction quality and energy usage.
Data Source
AI summary
An electric home appliance includes a sensing unit for sensing whether a user's body is within a predetermined range from the electric home appliance, an input unit configured to receive user input, and a controller configured to cause the input unit to be in a protruded state or a retreated state based on a sensing result of the sensing unit. The input unit is configured to move between the protruded state in which the input unit at least partially protrudes from the electric home appliance and the retreated state in which the input unit at least partially retreats into the electric home appliance.