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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing kitchen and bathroom devices lack the ability to provide personalized services based on user identity and context, leading to inefficient operation and user experience.

Innovation Solution

A system of interconnected kitchen and bathroom devices that utilize sensors to collect user data, analyze it, and provide customized functions through a home hub communication device, allowing for voice control and network connectivity to coordinate appliance operations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If kitchen and bathroom devices operate independently without user identity recognition, then device complexity is reduced, but user experience and service personalization deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice personalizationVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system divides the intelligent home environment into independent functional zones (kitchen and bathroom), each with its own controllable devices. This segmentation allows each device to remain relatively simple while the overall system achieves personalization through coordinated operation across zones based on user identity recognition.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary system that collects sensor data, identifies user identity, and coordinates commands across multiple devices. This intermediary layer handles the complexity of personalization and coordination, allowing individual kitchen and bathroom devices to remain simple while achieving sophisticated personalized service through the mediating control system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If devices collect and analyze sensor data to determine user identity, then service customization is improved, but data processing requirements and system resources increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice customizationVSAvoiddata processing load
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the data processing and user identification functions from individual kitchen and bathroom devices and places them in a centralized system. This extraction allows individual devices to remain simple while the centralized system handles the complex tasks of collecting sensor data, determining user identity, and coordinating personalized service delivery across multiple devices.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Productivity

If multiple appliances are coordinated through a home hub with network connectivity, then operational efficiency is improved, but device complexity and network requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperational efficiencyVSAvoidsystem integration complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the control functions of multiple kitchen and bathroom devices through a home hub system with network connectivity. This merging allows coordinated operation across devices, improving operational efficiency by enabling centralized control and automation based on user identity, while the complexity is managed through the integrated hub rather than individual devices.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3933515B1mirror
Publication Date: 2023.04.19 KOHLER CO(US)
  • EP3933515B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3933515B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3933515B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A mirror assembly comprising: a mirror substrate configured to provide a reflection of objects including a user; a sensor configured to collect sensor data from the user; and a controller configured to analyze the sensor data and select an auxiliary command for controlling an auxiliary device, the auxiliary device spaced apart from and coordinated with the mirror assembly, the auxiliary command selected for the user based on the sensor data.