Touch Panel Scene Control for Unified Smart Home Operation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing home control systems require manual operation of dedicated devices or remote controls to manage lighting, audio, temperature, and visual settings, lacking a seamless and intuitive touch-based control solution for smart home environments.
Innovation Solution
A touch-based control device with a sensor layer and exterior panel that detects and interprets gestures and touch inputs, allowing users to define and implement scenes across multiple smart home devices through wireless or wireline communication, eliminating the need for direct device operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual operation of dedicated devices or remote controls is used to manage home systems, then device control functionality is achieved, but operational complexity and user inconvenience increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple control functions (lighting, audio, temperature, visual systems) into a single touch-based control device with a unified interface, eliminating the need for multiple dedicated devices or remote controls and simplifying user interaction
Solution Approach 2:
The control device is designed with universal functionality to manage diverse home systems through a single interface, allowing one device to perform multiple control tasks across different domains (lighting, audio, climate, entertainment)
2Loss of time
If direct device operation is required for each controlled device, then precise control is achieved, but time consumption and operational effort increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-configures scenes that bundle multiple device settings and states together, allowing users to activate entire environments with a single touch rather than manually adjusting each device individually, thus saving time and effort
Solution Approach 2:
The touch-based control device serves as an intermediary that manages and coordinates multiple controlled devices, abstracting away the complexity of individual device operations and presenting a simplified user interface for comprehensive control
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple controlled devices are managed individually, then device-specific control precision is maintained, but system complexity and user burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The control interface is segmented into distinct functional areas (lighting control, audio control, temperature control, visual system control) on the touch panel, allowing users to access specific device groups or functions as needed while maintaining overall system integration
Data Source
AI summary
A control device having an exterior panel and a control module, where the control module includes a sensor layer, and the exterior panel overlays the sensor layer. The control module is configured to determine one or more characteristics of a touch input, and to select a scene based at least in part on the one or more determined characteristics of the touch input. The control module further controls an operational aspect of each device of the set in accordance with the selected scene.