Refrigerator Door Cap Deco Layout for Clear Voice Input
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigerators with voice-controlled operations face challenges in maintaining high speech recognition rates due to exposure of microphone holes, noise interference, and dust/dirt clogging, especially when microphones are placed on the door, which can lead to reduced functionality and maintenance issues.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator design where the microphone and speaker modules are housed in a cap deco at the upper portion of the door, with the microphone hole positioned on an inclined part that is not visible to the user, and separated from the speaker module to prevent noise interference and dust entry, using a sealing member to absorb vibrations and maintain effective speech recognition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the microphone hole is exposed on the front surface of the door to improve speech recognition rate, then speech recognition rate is improved, but the appearance of the refrigerator is deteriorated and dust/dirt may block the microphone hole
Solution Approach 1:
The microphone hole is nested within the cap deco structure at the upper portion of the door, specifically on an inclined part that is not visible from the front. This nesting approach allows the microphone hole to be accessible for speech input while being protected from direct exposure to dust and dirt that would accumulate on the front surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The microphone hole is positioned on the inclined part of the cap deco, which creates a different spatial dimension and angle relative to the front surface. This dimensional change allows speech to be captured effectively while the hole remains invisible and protected from the front, preventing dust blocking while maintaining speech recognition functionality.
2Measurement precision
If the microphone is arranged on the front surface of the door to improve speech recognition rate, then speech recognition rate is improved, but noise from the dispenser and other components interferes with speech recognition
Solution Approach 1:
The microphone is extracted from the front surface area where noise-generating components like the dispenser are located. By positioning the microphone on the inclined part of the cap deco at the upper portion of the door, the microphone is removed from the noisy environment, allowing clear speech recognition without interference from dispenser noise and other component noises.
3Ease of manufacture
If the speaker module is positioned close to the microphone for design convenience, then ease of manufacture is improved, but the speaker output interferes with the microphone input
Solution Approach 1:
The cap deco is segmented into distinct functional areas: the microphone is positioned on the inclined part while the speaker is positioned on a different portion of the cap deco. This segmentation physically separates the input and output functions, preventing the speaker output from interfering with the microphone input while maintaining design convenience through integrated housing.
4Shape
If the microphone hole is arranged at an invisible position to improve appearance, then appearance is improved, but speech recognition rate is lowered and noise is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The cap deco structure provides different local qualities for different functions: the inclined part provides an invisible position for the microphone hole to maintain appearance while the geometry of the inclined part and positioning on the upper door portion ensures optimal speech capture. The local structure is optimized to simultaneously achieve aesthetic appearance and effective speech recognition.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design enhances speech recognition performance by minimizing noise and vibration interference, prevents dust and foreign substance entry, and allows for easy maintenance and operation of the refrigerator, including door opening and dispenser control, even when hands are occupied.
Implementation Method 1
a sealing member to absorb vibrations
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A cap deco which is installed at an upper portion of a door of a refrigerator. There is provided a cap deco, in which a portion of a door cover that defines an upper surface of the cap deco includes a microphone pocket in which a microphone is accommodated and a speaker pocket in which a speaker is accommodated and the microphone pocket and the speaker pocket are defined as separate spaces from each other. A microphone mount is installed in the microphone pocket and a speaker mount 514 manufactured as a separate part from the microphone mount 511 is installed in the speaker pocket.