Directional Remote Control Using UWB Tag Ranging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Appliances struggle to differentiate between incoming remote control signals intended for themselves and those meant for nearby devices, leading to unintended command execution.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus that transmits a wireless interrogation signal and determines distances between wireless tags on a remote control and companion devices, using these distances to generate binary outputs to execute or ignore commands based on a known spacing, ensuring only the intended device receives and acts on commands.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a single remote control is used to control multiple appliances, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability of command execution deteriorates due to inability to discriminate the intended target
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from traditional remote control methods that rely on line-of-sight directional pointing to a dimension-based identification system using wireless tags and ranging measurements. By measuring distances in spatial dimensions and comparing them against known tag positions, the system identifies the intended target appliance, enabling reliable control without requiring precise directional alignment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/optical directional pointing mechanism with an electronic ranging and identification system. Instead of relying on the physical orientation and line-of-sight between remote and appliance, the system uses wireless communication signals to measure distances and identify targets through electronic comparison of ranging data against stored tag position information.
2Reliability
If directional discrimination is implemented using traditional methods, then the reliability of command execution is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to requirement of precise alignment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical/optical directional pointing mechanism with an electronic ranging and identification system. Instead of relying on the physical orientation and line-of-sight between remote and appliance, the system uses wireless communication signals to measure distances and identify targets through electronic comparison of ranging data against stored tag position information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces wireless tags as intermediary elements attached to appliances and a ranging measurement system as a mediator between the remote control and the target identification process. These intermediaries enable automatic target discrimination without requiring direct mechanical or optical alignment between the user and the intended appliance.
3Reliability
If multiple remotes are used to control different appliances, then the reliability of command execution is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal remote control system that can identify and control multiple different appliances using a single device. By incorporating wireless tag reading capability and ranging measurement functionality, the remote can automatically identify the intended target among multiple appliances and execute commands reliably, eliminating the need for multiple specialized remotes while maintaining control reliability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Effectively prevents unintended devices from executing commands by accurately determining the intended target of the remote control, allowing precise control of specific appliances without the need for multiple remotes.
Implementation Method 1
determine first and second distances to respective first and second wireless tags on the RC using the first and second responses
Data Source
AI summary
A remote control (RC) has two ultra-wideband tags arranged along the axis of the RC at a known distance “d” from each other. An appliance to be controlled can use a UWB anchor to ping the tags and determine the distance to each tag. The distances are then subtracted and if the difference substantially equals the known distance “d”, this represents an indication that the RC is pointed directly at the appliance, and the appliance accordingly will execute commands from the RC. Otherwise, the appliance ignores the RC commands.