Submersion Detector Power Control for Electronic Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electronic devices that become submerged in water, such as transceivers, continue to consume power in communication circuits even when they cannot function, leading to unnecessary power usage during submersion.
Innovation Solution
An electronic device with a submersion detector that supplies power only to necessary components, such as an illuminant and a lighting circuit, while stopping power to unnecessary parts like communication circuits during submersion until retrieval, thereby reducing power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If power is supplied to all components including communication circuits during submersion, then the device can maintain full functionality readiness, but power consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the device into essential components (illuminant, lighting circuit, submersion detector, controller) and non-essential components (communication circuit, display, keyboard). During submersion, only essential components receive power while non-essential components are powered down, resolving the contradiction between maintaining readiness and reducing power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic power management where the controller adjusts power supply to different components based on the submersion state. When submersion is detected, the system dynamically switches from full-power mode to reduced-power mode, enabling the device to adapt its functionality readiness to match actual operational needs during water submersion.
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If the illuminant is made to light up continuously during submersion, then the device is easily locatable, but power is consumed faster
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic flashing of the illuminant instead of continuous illumination. The controller activates the lighting circuit at predetermined intervals, creating a flashing effect that enhances visibility and locatability of the submerged device while significantly reducing overall power consumption compared to continuous lighting.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device including a submersion detector, an illuminant provided inside a casing, a lighting circuit, a controller, an unnecessary part that is unnecessary for lighting the illuminant. The submersion detector detects submersion of the electronic device and retrieval of the device. The submersion means that the electronic device falls onto or into water. The retrieval means that the electronic device is retrieved from water. The lighting circuit lights the illuminant in response to an input of a lighting signal. The controller lights the illuminant by generating and outputting the lighting signal to the lighting circuit for a period of time from the submersion at least until the retrieval. In a case where the unnecessary part is supplied with power when the submersion detector detects the submersion, the controller stops the supply of the power to the unnecessary part at least for the above period of time.