Remote Control Duty Cycle Adjustment for Consistent Illumination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Remote control devices experience inconsistent illumination levels due to non-uniform battery power, affecting both lighting and transmission functionality as battery voltage decreases, leading to inadequate lighting and potential message reception issues.
Innovation Solution
The remote control adjusts the duty cycle of illumination sources based on monitored battery voltage, increasing the 'on' time and decreasing the 'off' time to maintain consistent illumination output, using methods such as direct calculation, threshold-based adjustments, or referencing a lookup table.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If the remote control uses a fixed duty cycle for illumination sources, then the device complexity is low, but the illumination intensity becomes inconsistent as battery voltage decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the processor continuously monitors battery voltage and dynamically adjusts the duty cycle of illumination sources accordingly. This closed-loop control ensures that illumination output remains consistent despite battery discharge, resolving the contradiction between maintaining stable illumination and avoiding complex control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the duty cycle parameter based on battery voltage levels to maintain consistent illumination output. By adjusting this temporal parameter in response to battery state, the system compensates for voltage decay without requiring hardware modifications, thus maintaining illumination consistency while keeping the control mechanism relatively simple.
2Illumination intensity
If the remote control increases the duty cycle to maintain illumination output as battery voltage decreases, then the illumination intensity remains consistent, but the energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamic duty cycle adjustment where the illumination duty cycle is continuously adapted based on real-time battery voltage monitoring. This dynamic approach allows the system to maintain consistent illumination output while optimizing power consumption by adjusting the duty cycle in direct response to battery state, rather than using a static high duty cycle that would waste energy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the duty cycle parameter dynamically based on battery voltage to balance illumination consistency and energy consumption. By adjusting this parameter in response to battery state, the system maintains required illumination levels without unnecessarily increasing power consumption, achieving an optimal trade-off between these two competing requirements.
3Illumination intensity
If the remote control monitors and adjusts duty cycle continuously based on battery voltage, then the illumination output remains consistent, but the device complexity increases due to additional monitoring and control logic
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the existing processor perform multiple functions: it continues to control remote control operations while also monitoring battery voltage and adjusting illumination duty cycles. This multi-functionality approach allows the system to maintain consistent illumination without adding dedicated monitoring hardware or control circuits, thus avoiding increased device complexity while achieving the desired illumination consistency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses its existing processing capabilities to self-monitor battery voltage and self-adjust illumination duty cycles without external intervention or additional specialized components. This self-service approach enables the remote control to maintain consistent illumination output while avoiding the complexity of separate monitoring and control systems.
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 approach ensures consistent illumination levels for users and reliable message transmission by adapting the duty cycle as battery voltage decreases, maintaining performance even at lower battery capacities.
Implementation Method 1
Such illumination sources may include one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs)
Data Source
AI summary
A remote directs illumination of an illumination source according to a duty cycle. The duty cycle defines a first portion of time power is provided from a battery and a second portion of time power is not provided. The remote monitors voltage output by the battery and adjusts the duty cycle to increase the duration of the first portion based on a decrease of the monitored voltage compared to a maximum voltage level. The remote may adjust the duty cycle in order to maintain a consistent illumination output level. In some implementations, the remote may adjust the duty cycle based on one or more threshold values. In other implementations, the remote may adjust the duty cycle directly based on the measured voltage. In still other implementations, the remote may not calculate the duty cycle directly but may instead reference a lookup table.