Voice-Activated Smart Card with LED and Vibration for Location

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users face difficulty in timely locating specific cards among numerous identical cards in their purse or wallet, leading to delays in usage such as payments or identification.

Innovation Solution

A smart card equipped with sensory-perceptible devices like light sources, speakers, and vibration motors that can be activated via voice commands or motion patterns, allowing users to distinguish and locate the card easily.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If users keep numerous cards in their purse or wallet, then they have all necessary cards for various purposes, but they face difficulty in timely locating a specific card among numerous identical cards

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenumber of cardsVSAvoidtime to locate card
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies color changes by incorporating light-emitting components (LEDs) that emit different colors to indicate different card states or types. This allows users to quickly distinguish between multiple cards based on color signals without having to physically examine each card, thereby reducing the time to locate a specific card while maintaining a large quantity of cards.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent incorporates vibration motors that generate mechanical vibrations to attract user attention to a specific card. When a card needs to be located, the corresponding card vibrates, creating a distinctive tactile signal that helps users quickly identify and retrieve the desired card from among many cards without time-consuming manual search.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #18Mechanical vibration

2Ease of manufacture

If cards are made identical in shape and appearance, then they maintain uniformity and ease of storage, but users cannot easily distinguish or locate a specific card

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecard uniformityVSAvoidcard distinguishability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by adding distinctive features (light-emitting components and vibration motors) to specific locations on or within individual cards. This allows each card to maintain the same overall shape and size for uniform storage, while possessing unique local characteristics through colored lights or vibration capabilities that enable easy distinction and location of specific cards.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

By incorporating vibration motors in specific cards, the patent creates a tactile differentiation mechanism. Cards with vibration motors can be activated to vibrate, providing a distinctive mechanical signal that helps users quickly identify and locate the desired card without compromising the uniform appearance and storage characteristics of the card deck.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #18Mechanical vibration

3Ease of operation

If sensory-perceptible devices are added to cards, then users can easily locate specific cards, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecard location easeVSAvoidcard structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent incorporates vibration motors as sensory-perceptible devices that provide tactile feedback to help users locate specific cards. While this adds some complexity to the card structure, the vibration mechanism is a relatively simple and reliable component that significantly improves card location ease by providing distinctive tactile signals that users can detect without visual inspection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #18Mechanical vibration

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses light-emitting components (LEDs) that produce color changes or color-coded signals to indicate card identity or state. This visual differentiation method adds minimal structural complexity while greatly enhancing ease of operation, as users can quickly identify and locate specific cards by observing color signals from a distance or without handling each card.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color changes

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 users to quickly identify and retrieve the smart card from a collection of similar cards by activating sensory devices, reducing the time and effort required to access the card for use.

Implementation Method 1

a light source configured to emit light from at least one of the two faces of the card-shaped body and/or a light source configured to emit light from one or more of the four edges of the card-shaped body

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight emission: Light Emitting Diode

Implementation Method 2

a speaker disposed on one of the two faces of the smart card apparatus and configured to output a predetermined audible response

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectroacoustic conversion:

Implementation Method 3

the one or more sensory-perceptible devices includes a tactile perceptible device... a vibration device

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectromechanical vibration:

Data Source

PatentUS20210216841A1Voice-activated interactive card device
Publication Date: 2021.07.15 BANK OF AMERICA CORP
  • US20210216841A1 patent drawing
  • US20210216841A1 patent drawing
  • US20210216841A1 patent drawing

AI summary

A smart card that is equipped with one or more sensory-perceptible devices that are capable of being activated in response to predetermined voice commands. Specifically, the smart card may be equipped with a light source, speaker, vibration motor, mechanical mechanism and/or the like, such that the card lights up, provides an audible sound, vibrates or the like in response to receiving a predetermined voice command. As a result of providing the voice command and activating the sensory-perceptible device, the user is readily able to distinguish and locate the card from amongst various cards stored in a purse, wallet or the like.