Communication system for providing feedback data for at least one water consuming device

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing kitchen and bathroom devices lack integration and communication capabilities to provide personalized services based on user data, leading to inefficient operation and limited customization of functions.

Innovation Solution

A communication system that includes collection devices to capture user data, a controller to process and provide feedback data for water-consuming devices, allowing for personalized control of water flow, temperature, and patterns based on user biological characteristics, and integration with a home hub communication device for network connectivity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If collection devices are integrated into water consuming devices, then device complexity increases, but data collection capability improves

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser data collectionVSAvoiddevice structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system separates collection devices from water consuming devices, creating independent data collection units that can be strategically placed without modifying the water consuming devices themselves. This segmentation maintains device simplicity while enabling comprehensive user data collection through dedicated sensors positioned in optimal locations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Measurement precision

If multiple collection devices are deployed to capture comprehensive user data, then measurement precision improves, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser biological characteristic detectionVSAvoidsystem configuration
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The controller is designed to receive and process data from multiple different types of collection devices simultaneously, creating a universal processing platform. This multi-functional controller handles various biological characteristic data (temperature, heart rate, hydration, etc.) from diverse sensors without requiring separate processing systems, thereby improving measurement precision while controlling system complexity.

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

Solution Approach 2:

The controller acts as an intermediary between multiple collection devices and water consuming devices, centralizing data processing functions. This mediator approach allows comprehensive data collection from multiple sensors while maintaining simple configurations at each individual device, as the controller consolidates the complexity of coordinating multiple data sources.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If feedback data is provided in real-time to control water flow parameters, then service personalization improves, but information processing requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice customizationVSAvoiddata processing load
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The controller pre-processes user data as it is collected from various sensors, immediately converting raw data into actionable feedback parameters. This preliminary processing approach prepares data for real-time control decisions without accumulating large volumes of unprocessed information, enabling service personalization while managing data processing loads through continuous incremental processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3925500B1Communication system for providing feedback data for at least one water consuming device
Publication Date: 2023.03.01 KOHLER CO(US)
  • EP3925500B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3925500B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3925500B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A communication system for providing feedback data for at least one water consuming device comprising: at least one collection device configured to capture user data corresponding to a user; a data collection interface communicably coupled to the at least one collection device; a controller comprising a processor and memory, wherein the controller is communicably coupled to the data collection interface and the output interface, and wherein the controller is configured to: receive, via the data collection interface from the at least one collection device, the user data describing a biological characteristic of the user, determine feedback data corresponding to water flow from the water device based on the biological characteristic of the user described by the user data from the at least one collection device, and provide, via the output interface to the water consuming device, the feedback data for controlling the water flow from the water consuming device based on the user data.