Projected Vacuum Cleaner Controls With Infrared Gesture Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vacuum cleaners face challenges in balancing ease of use and design with mechanical buttons and small display elements, which are often difficult to operate and expensive, requiring significant space and prone to damage.
Innovation Solution
A vacuum cleaner with a projection unit that projects operating and display elements onto a surface, using a non-visible light source and camera to detect gestures, allowing for flexible and intuitive operation with minimal space and cost-effective optoelectronic components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If mechanical buttons and switches are used for operating the vacuum cleaner, then the device is easy to manufacture and reliable, but the ease of operation deteriorates and the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical buttons and switches with a projection-based control system that uses light projection and camera detection to recognize hand gestures. This substitution eliminates the need for physical contact with mechanical components, thereby improving ease of operation while reducing device complexity through the use of optoelectronic components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent projects a virtual interface onto a surface (such as the vacuum cleaner body or air outlet) that copies the functionality of traditional mechanical controls. Users interact with this projected interface through gestures, and the system detects these gestures via camera, effectively creating a virtual copy of the control system that is easier to operate.
2Reliability
If mechanical buttons and electronic display elements are used, then the operating elements can be provided, but the cost increases and the reliability deteriorates due to damage susceptibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces vulnerable mechanical and electronic components with a projection-based system that uses light and camera technology. This substitution improves reliability by eliminating parts that can be physically damaged, while the optoelectronic components required for projection and detection actually reduce overall device complexity compared to assembling multiple mechanical buttons and displays.
3Area of stationary object
If mechanical buttons and display elements are installed, then the operating and display functions are provided, but the installation space required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent projects a virtual control interface onto an existing surface of the vacuum cleaner, such as the body or air outlet, rather than installing physical buttons and displays. This copying approach allows the control and display functions to be provided without requiring additional installation space, as the interface is created optically on existing surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional physical buttons and displays embedded in the vacuum cleaner to a projected interface that can be displayed on various surfaces including the air outlet or body. This dimensional change allows the same control functionality to be provided with minimal space requirements, as the projection can be overlaid on existing surfaces rather than requiring dedicated space for physical components.
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
Enables simple operation with reduced installation space, cost, and enhanced information display, offering new design possibilities and improved user experience through gesture recognition similar to smartphone usage.
Implementation Method 1
a projection unit (2) for projecting the operating and display elements onto a projection surface (4)
Implementation Method 2
a light source (5) for radiation in the non-visible range, in particular in the infrared range
Implementation Method 3
a camera for recording reflected rays from the light source to detect operation of the operating elements on the projection surface
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~7
AI summary
The vacuum cleaner (1) has control- and display elements for controlling the cleaner and displaying information. A projection unit (2) projects the control- and display elements on a projection surface (4). A light source (5) i.e. infra-red light source, radiates light beams in a non-viewable region i.e. infrared region, and a camera receives the reflected beams of the light source to detect an operation of the control elements on the projection surface. The projection unit comprises a laser and/or multiple LEDs. The projection surface is located on a floor area.