Shared-Space Light Synchronization for Personalized Visual Perception

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Solution Overview

Problem

Shared spaces often have inconsistent physical characteristics that fail to accommodate the diverse needs of individuals, such as varying illumination levels and visibility requirements for different activities, leading to a need for customizable sensory experiences.

Innovation Solution

A sensory input control system comprising a system controller, illumination peripherals, and wearable vision obstruction devices that use a shared clock to selectively turn on and off illumination sources and occlude/unocclude fields of view, allowing individuals to customize their sensory inputs based on preference and activity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a single set of physical characteristics is provided for the shared space, then the system is simple and easy to operate, but it cannot accommodate diverse individual needs and activities

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecustomization of physical characteristicsVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the shared space into multiple perceptual zones by providing different individuals with customized physical characteristics through wearable devices that modify sensory input (e.g., different illumination levels, audio frequencies, or visual filters) while maintaining a single physical environment

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by allowing each individual to experience customized physical characteristics (such as personalized lighting, sound, or temperature perceptions) specific to their needs and activities, rather than uniform characteristics across the entire shared space

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Adaptability or versatility

If illumination is made brighter to facilitate reading, then reading activity is improved, but it becomes unsuitable for sleeping activities

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveillumination adaptabilityVSAvoidoperation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements periodic action by cycling through different illumination levels or characteristics at predetermined intervals, allowing individuals to experience appropriate lighting conditions for different activities (bright for reading, dim for sleeping) without manual intervention

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies dynamics by making the physical characteristics (such as illumination levels) dynamically adjustable and customizable for different individuals and activities, allowing the system to adapt to changing needs rather than remaining static

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Adaptability or versatility

If videos and images are displayed to all individuals, then information is shared, but it cannot be hidden from individuals who should not perceive it

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontent visibility controlVSAvoidinformation control
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by allowing different individuals to perceive different content or have different visibility of the same content based on their customized physical characteristics, enabling selective information delivery to specific individuals or groups within the shared space

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP4280821A1System, method, and apparatus for customizing physical characteristics of a shared space
Publication Date: 2023.11.22 BE AEROSPACE INC
  • EP4280821A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4280821A1 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP4280821A1 patent drawingFigure 2B

AI summary

A system controller (4) may provide a shared clock source (10) to multiple illumination peripherals (12) and multiple wearable vision obstruction devices (18) having shutters (22). The multiple illumination peripherals may selectably turn on and off during different timeslots and the shutters of the multiple wearable vision obstruction devices may selectably occlude and un-occlude vision of users during the different time slots. By modulating the illumination peripherals and the shutters, different users may perceive different sensory inputs in a shared environment. For instance, users may experience brighter or dimmer illumination, or may experience different types of illumination. One user may view a movie on an LCD screen while the LCD screen appears blank to another user. In this manner, a passenger cabin of an aircraft (1) may provide individualized sensory experiences to different passengers sharing the aircraft cabin.