SIM Signal Detection for Personalized Appliance Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing technologies fail to provide personalized control of electric appliances in home or office environments, leading to reduced user experience due to repetitive and uncustomized settings.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus that detect a wireless signal carrying Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card information to determine user identity and control electric appliances accordingly, using a detection unit, determination unit, and control unit to authenticate and manage user preferences for customized settings.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If manual control of electric appliances is used, then users can adjust settings according to their preferences, but users need to repeatedly adjust settings which reduces user experience

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanual controlVSAvoidrepeated adjustment time
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-configures appliance settings for different users and automatically applies them when users enter the premises, eliminating the need for repeated manual adjustments. The SIM card information is detected in advance and used to retrieve pre-stored appliance control parameters.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables automatic appliance control without requiring user intervention. By detecting SIM card information and automatically matching it with stored user profiles, the system self-adjusts appliance settings based on the detected user's preferences, freeing users from manual control tasks.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Adaptability or versatility

If automatic control based on SIM card detection is implemented, then personalized appliance control is achieved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepersonalized controlVSAvoiddetection and control system
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses a multi-functional approach by leveraging the existing SIM card infrastructure for both communication authentication and user identification purposes. The same detection mechanism serves multiple functions: detecting user presence, identifying the user, and triggering personalized control routines, thereby reducing the need for separate specialized components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The SIM card acts as an intermediary element that bridges user identification and appliance control. By detecting SIM card information as an intermediate step, the system can retrieve pre-stored user profiles and automatically apply appropriate settings, simplifying the overall control architecture while maintaining personalization capabilities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Measurement precision

If user identity is determined through SIM card information, then accurate user identification is achieved, but privacy concerns arise

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser identification accuracyVSAvoidprivacy invasion
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts only the necessary identification information (SIM card number) from the mobile device for user recognition, without accessing or storing sensitive personal data. The SIM card information serves as a unique identifier that enables accurate user identification while minimizing privacy intrusion by taking out only the essential identification element.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses the SIM card number as a copy or proxy for user identity rather than directly accessing personal information. This indirect identification method maintains measurement precision for user recognition while reducing privacy concerns by working with a public, non-sensitive identifier that can be detected without invasive measures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentEP3160119B1Customized method and apparatus for controlling electric appliance
Publication Date: 2018.10.10 ZTE CORP
  • EP3160119B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3160119B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3160119B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A method and apparatus for controlling an electric appliance in a personalized way are disclosed, which relates to the technical field of communications and is used to solve problem of poor user experience of various appliances in a home or office environment in the existing technology. The method includes: detecting whether a wireless signal carrying SIM card information exists in a preset range; in a case that the wireless signal carrying the SIM card information exists, determining a user identity of an SIM card according to the SIM card information; and correspondingly controlling the electric appliance according to the user identity.