Water Appliance Feedback Hub for Personalized Device Coordination

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing kitchen and bathroom devices lack the ability to seamlessly integrate and coordinate their functions based on user identity and preferences, leading to inefficient and non-personalized experiences.

Innovation Solution

A system of intelligent appliances connected through a home hub communication device that collects and analyzes user data to provide customized services, allowing devices to communicate and adjust settings based on user identity, preferences, and environmental conditions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If household appliances operate independently without integration, then device complexity is reduced, but user experience personalization and coordination between devices deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepersonalization capabilityVSAvoidsystem integration complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a home hub as an intermediary device that collects sensor data from multiple appliances, processes user identity information, and coordinates device functions. This mediator approach enables personalized user experiences across devices without requiring direct integration between each appliance, thus improving adaptability while managing system complexity through centralized coordination.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If appliances collect and analyze user data, then user experience personalization improves, but data processing requirements and system resources increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser identity recognitionVSAvoiddata processing energy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the data processing function from individual appliances and relocates it to a centralized server. The home hub collects sensor data and transmits it to the server for analysis, while appliances only perform basic data collection and execution of received commands. This extraction approach enables user identity recognition and personalization while reducing the energy consumption and processing burden on each individual appliance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Productivity

If devices are connected through a home hub, then coordination and personalized services improve, but communication infrastructure complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice coordination efficiencyVSAvoidcommunication system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the communication functions of multiple appliances into a unified home hub system. Instead of each device maintaining separate communication protocols and connections, all devices communicate through the home hub using standardized interfaces. This merging approach improves device coordination efficiency and enables personalized services while simplifying the overall communication infrastructure through centralized management.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS11921794B2Feedback for water consuming appliance

Publication Date: 2024.03.05 KOHLER CO(US)

AI summary

A communication system provides feedback data for at least one water consuming device. The communication system includes a data collection interface, a controller, and an output interface. The data collection interface is configured to receive user data from at least one collection device. The controller is configured to perform an analysis of the user data from the at least one collection device. The output interface is configured to provide feedback data based on the analysis of the user data to a water consuming device.