Utterance Timing Control Using User-Set Quiet Time Zones

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing utterance devices in home appliances often utter information at inconvenient times, causing user, which can lead to discomfort and inconvenience.

Innovation Solution

Implement a method and system to set prohibition time zones during which utterance devices are not allowed to speak, using a terminal device or server to manage and control these zones based on user input, ensuring the devices only utter when outside the prohibited time, using a server to manage and communicate with the utterance devices, and a server to manage and communicate with the utterance devices.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the home appliance utters at any time when the detected state satisfies the set condition, then the user is informed of the home appliance status, but the user may experience discomfort due to unexpected utterance timing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinformation delivery reliabilityVSAvoiduser discomfort

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by obtaining user preference information about desired utterance timings in advance. Before actually controlling the utterance, the system checks whether the current time matches the user's preferred timing based on previously obtained preference information. This ensures that information is delivered reliably while respecting user preferences and avoiding discomfort.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Speed

If the home appliance utters immediately when a condition is met, then the response time is fast, but the utterance may occur at inconvenient times such as during sleep

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveutterance response speedVSAvoiduser discomfort

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies feedback by continuously monitoring the current time against the user's preferred utterance timing information. When a condition is met, the system checks whether the current timing aligns with user preferences before executing the utterance. This feedback mechanism maintains fast response to conditions while ensuring utterances occur at convenient times for the user.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS12614547B2Method for controlling utterance of utterance device, server controlling utterance of utterance device, utterance device, and program

Publication Date: 2026.04.28 PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO LTD

AI summary

A sound collection apparatus A server (10) causes a terminal device (30) to display a setting user interface, and receives a prohibition time zone setting command. Server sets a prohibition time zone for a target device based on the prohibition time zone setting command. Server (10) causes the target device to utter, when a time for causing the target device to utter is determined not to correspond to the prohibition time zone.