Wireless Battery Pack Control for Multiple Heated Garments
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Solution Overview
Problem
Heated garments require individual battery packs for power and manual control of heating levels, which is inconvenient for users wearing multiple garments and lacks centralized control or communication with external devices.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack with a controller and wireless communication capabilities allows for external control of multiple heated garments, enabling bi-directional communication for power management and heating level adjustment through a single battery pack.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a user wears multiple heated garments with individual battery packs, then each garment can be powered independently, but the user must manage multiple battery packs and control interfaces, increasing operational complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple battery packs into a single centralized power source that can power multiple heated garments simultaneously. This single battery pack includes a controller that manages power distribution to multiple garments, eliminating the need for users to carry and manage multiple separate battery packs while maintaining the ability to independently control each garment's heating levels through wireless communication.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a centralized controller in the battery pack that acts as an intermediary between the user and multiple heated garments. This controller communicates wirelessly with each garment, receiving heating level commands and transmitting status information, thereby simplifying user interaction while enabling coordinated control of multiple garments from a single interface.
2Adaptability or versatility
If heating levels are controlled at each heated garment with manual buttons, then each garment can be adjusted independently, but there is no centralized control or communication with external devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical button-based control interface on each heated garment with wireless electronic communication. The battery pack's controller communicates heating level commands wirelessly to each garment's controller, eliminating the need for physical buttons on the garments themselves while maintaining independent control capability. This substitution reduces mechanical components and simplifies the overall control system.
Solution Approach 2:
The centralized controller in the battery pack serves multiple functions: it manages power distribution to multiple garments, communicates heating level commands wirelessly, receives status information from each garment, and interfaces with external devices. This single controller performs what previously required separate control systems on each garment, reducing overall system complexity.
3Reliability
If each heated garment has its own battery pack, then power management is decentralized, but the user cannot efficiently manage power distribution or monitor overall status
Solution Approach 1:
The patent consolidates multiple distributed battery packs into a single centralized battery pack that supplies power to all heated garments. This centralized power source includes a controller that monitors battery charge levels, manages power distribution to multiple garments, and collects status information from each garment, providing the user with comprehensive system-wide information through a single interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback system where the centralized controller in the battery pack receives status information from each heated garment (such as temperature, power consumption, and operational state) and uses this information to manage power distribution efficiently. The controller can adjust power allocation based on real-time feedback from each garment, optimizing overall system performance and battery utilization.
Data Source
AI summary
A power source for a heated garment. The power source includes a housing, one or more battery cells located within the housing, a user interface positioned on the housing, an electrical interface positioned on the housing for connecting to the heated garment, and a controller located within the housing and including an electronic processor and a memory, the controller coupled to the battery cells, the user interface, and the electrical interface. The controller is configured to communicate with the heated garment and a device. Communicating with a device includes at least one of transmitting the status of the battery cells, receiving heated garment preset temperature information, and receiving desired temperature information. Communicating with the heated garment includes at least one of enabling heated garment components, receiving temperature information, receiving garment type information, and controlling heated zones within the heated garment.