Vacuum Cleaner Battery Authentication With Attachment-Only Signaling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional electric vacuum cleaners waste power by continuously transmitting a pulsed confirmation signal to verify if a secondary battery is attached, leading to unnecessary power consumption.

Innovation Solution

An electric vacuum cleaner design that transmits a confirmation signal only when the secondary battery is attached, using a connection determinator to verify the match between the received signal and verification information, and a control member to permit or prohibit the blower's operation based on this verification.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a pulsed confirmation signal is continuously transmitted to verify battery attachment, then the reliability of battery verification is improved, but the power consumption of the secondary battery increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebattery verification reliabilityVSAvoidsecondary battery power consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The confirmation signal transmission is changed from continuous to periodic, occurring only at specific moments (when the battery is attached to the body) rather than continuously. This periodic action maintains verification reliability while significantly reducing power consumption during battery operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs verification only when needed (at the time of battery attachment) rather than continuously during operation. This preliminary action at critical moments ensures reliability while avoiding unnecessary power consumption during normal operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If continuous pulsed confirmation signals are transmitted, then the verification of regular secondary battery is ensured, but the power consumption increases unnecessarily

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebattery authentication reliabilityVSAvoidenergy waste in confirmation signal
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The confirmation signal is transmitted periodically only at battery attachment moments rather than continuously, eliminating energy waste while maintaining authentication reliability through strategic timing of verification actions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

3Use of energy by moving object

If the confirmation signal is transmitted only at battery attachment time, then the power consumption is reduced, but the verification process must be highly efficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecondary battery power consumptionVSAvoidverification efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The verification process is designed to complete authentication quickly at the moment of battery attachment, ensuring that the limited verification window is used efficiently. The system prepares verification protocols in advance to execute rapidly when the battery is connected.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses feedback mechanisms where the body transmits confirmation signals and the battery responds with verification information, creating an efficient exchange that completes authentication quickly. This feedback loop ensures rapid verification without requiring continuous signal transmission.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3087892B1Electric vacuum cleaner
Publication Date: 2018.10.24 TOSHIBA LIFESTYLE PROD & SERVICES CORP
  • EP3087892B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3087892B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3087892B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An electric vacuum cleaner with power consumption reduced in confirming whether or not a regular secondary battery is attached to a body. The electric vacuum cleaner 1 comprising: a body 2 on which a secondary battery 4 is detachably mountable; an electric blower 8 housed in the body 2, the electric blower 8 being driven by power supplied from the secondary battery 4 and generating negative pressure; a connection determinator 45 that only at a time of the secondary battery 4 being attached to the body 2, transmits a confirmation signal to the secondary battery 4 and verifies if a reception signal received from the secondary battery 4 and verification information match with each other; and a control member 46 that, if the connection determinator 45 confirms a match between the reception signal and the verification information, permits driving of the electric blower 8, and if the connection determinator 45 confirms otherwise, prohibits driving of the electric blower 8.