Smart Home Robot Control Based on Visitor Presence Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Smart housing devices, such as sweeping robots, face reduced effectiveness and inconvenience to users due to visitor mobility and noise during operation, especially when many visitors are present, as they struggle to adapt their operations accordingly.

Innovation Solution

The method involves a smart housing device that acquires visitor information within a predetermined range, determining a target state based on visitor data, and adjusting its operations to optimize performance, such as entering a muted or stopped state when necessary, using techniques like device identifier quantity comparison or image analysis to assess visitor presence and activity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the sweeping robot performs cleaning operations continuously, then productivity is improved, but visitor mobility is hindered and noise is generated causing inconvenience

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning effectivenessVSAvoidnoise and movement disruption to visitors
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The robot dynamically adjusts its working state based on real-time visitor detection. When visitors are detected within the preset range, the robot transitions from working state to charging state, allowing flexible adaptation to changing environmental conditions and resolving the conflict between continuous cleaning and visitor comfort

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback control by detecting visitor presence and using this information to control the robot's state transitions. The detection module continuously monitors the environment and provides feedback to the control module, which adjusts the robot's operations accordingly, balancing productivity with visitor convenience

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Ease of operation

If the robot enters unconventional working state to avoid visitors, then visitor convenience is improved, but working effectiveness decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevisitor convenienceVSAvoidcleaning effectiveness
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The robot performs preliminary detection of visitor presence before initiating cleaning operations. By detecting visitors in advance and preemptively transitioning to charging state when visitors are detected, the robot avoids conflicts before they occur, maintaining visitor convenience while minimizing impact on overall cleaning effectiveness

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The robot employs periodic detection cycles to monitor visitor presence and alternates between working and charging states based on detection results. This periodic action allows the robot to maximize cleaning effectiveness during visitor-free periods while ensuring visitor convenience during occupied periods

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

3Measurement precision

If the robot uses multiple detection methods (device identifier and image analysis), then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevisitor detection accuracyVSAvoiddetection system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The detection system is segmented into two independent modules: a first detection module using device identifiers and a second detection module using image analysis. Each module operates independently with its own processing logic, allowing high measurement precision through multiple detection methods while managing device complexity through modular architecture

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The robot employs multiple detection methods that serve universal purposes - both device identifier detection and image analysis can identify visitor presence, allowing the system to achieve high measurement precision through redundant verification while the modular design keeps each component relatively simple

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3026509B1Method and apparatus for controlling smart home device
Publication Date: 2022.01.05 XIAOMI INC
  • EP3026509B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3026509B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3B
  • EP3026509B1 patent drawingFigure 4A~4B

AI summary

The present disclosure relates to a method and an apparatus for controlling a smart housing device. The method includes: acquiring (101) a target state of the smart housing device, the target state being a state determined according to visitor information within a predetermined range; and performing (102) an operation corresponding to the target state. The smart housing device may acquire a target state determined according to visitor information within a predetermined range, and perform an operation corresponding to the target state. Since the smart housing device may flexibly perform different operations according to the practical visits, working efficiency may be improved. Especially when there are a large number of visitors within the predetermined range, the smart housing device may automatically enter an unconventional working state, such that inconvenience caused by movement and noise to the visitors may be prevented, thereby improving overall performance of the smart housing device.