Battery Vacuum Runtime Display Using Energy and Power Tracking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional cordless vacuum cleaners lack an effective and user-friendly method to display the remaining running time of the accumulator, providing only qualitative indications through light-emitting diodes or LCD displays, which do not offer a direct and quantitative assessment of the battery life.

Innovation Solution

A device comprising a determination unit, calculation unit, and display device that calculates and displays the remaining running time in plain text by determining the available electrical energy and power consumption of the vacuum cleaner, allowing users to assess the battery life directly and quantitatively.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If conventional display devices (light-emitting diodes or LCD displays) are used to indicate charging or discharging status, then the device complexity is reduced, but the information provided is only qualitative and does not offer direct quantitative assessment of remaining battery life

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation qualityVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the display parameter from qualitative indicators (LED colors or LCD bars) to quantitative plain text display showing exact remaining time in minutes and seconds. This provides precise information about battery status while maintaining reasonable device complexity by using standard display components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Adaptability or versatility

If discrete power levels are used to control the vacuum cleaner, then the adaptability to different cleaning needs is improved, but the power consumption varies making remaining time calculation more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower level adaptabilityVSAvoidcalculation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-measuring the power consumption at each discrete power level during calibration. These measurements are stored in memory, allowing the remaining time calculation to simply retrieve and use pre-determined values rather than performing complex real-time calculations, thus reducing computational complexity while maintaining adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2750576B1Device and method for displaying the remaining run time of a battery vacuum cleaner
Publication Date: 2016.10.26 BSH HAUSGERATE GMBH
  • EP2750576B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2750576B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2750576B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A device for indicating the remaining running time of a battery-powered vacuum cleaner is proposed, comprising a detection unit, a tracking unit, a calculation unit and a display unit. The detection unit is designed to detect energy currently available from the battery. The tracking unit is designed to determine the current power consumption of the vacuum cleaner. The calculation unit is designed to calculate the remaining running time on the basis of the currently available electrical energy detected and the current power consumption determined. The display unit is designed to display the calculated remaining running time as plain text.