Automatic Wireless Peripheral Pairing via Sensor Signal Correlation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current wireless pairing methods for electronic peripheral devices in sleep apnea treatment systems, such as CPAP machines, require user intervention and fail to automatically distinguish between correct and incorrect peripherals, leading to potential spurious pairing issues in environments with multiple devices.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that utilize correlation analysis between signals from a base unit sensor and peripheral device sensors to automatically pair the correct peripheral with the base unit, using a wireless communication protocol like Bluetooth, ensuring accurate and efficient pairing without user intervention.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If automatic wireless pairing is implemented without correlation analysis, then pairing speed is improved, but pairing accuracy deteriorates leading to spurious connections

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepairing speedVSAvoidpairing accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual pairing operations with an automated system that uses correlation analysis of sensor signals to identify and establish wireless connections. The base unit and peripheral devices automatically compare their sensor data patterns to determine correct pairings, eliminating the need for user intervention while ensuring accurate matching between devices.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If manual pairing intervention is required, then pairing accuracy is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepairing accuracyVSAvoiduser intervention requirement
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs self-service pairing by automatically analyzing correlation between sensor signals from the base unit and peripheral devices. The devices independently determine which peripherals should be paired based on signal correlation patterns, eliminating the need for user intervention while maintaining high pairing accuracy through automated signal analysis.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Ease of operation

If simple automatic pairing is used in multi-device environments, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to spurious pairing

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautomatic pairingVSAvoidspurious pairing risk
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements feedback through correlation analysis where the base unit continuously monitors and compares sensor signals from multiple peripheral devices. By analyzing the correlation patterns between its own sensor data and the data from connected peripherals, the system provides feedback to determine which devices are correctly paired, preventing spurious connections even in environments with multiple devices present.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP2936854B1Automatic pairing of wireless peripherals in a system such as pressure support respiratory therapy system
Publication Date: 2019.04.10 KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS NV
  • EP2936854B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2936854B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2936854B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3D

AI summary

An automatic wireless pairing method includes causing a base unit to wirelessly communicate with a number of wireless peripheral devices and wirelessly receive a peripheral device data signal from each of the wireless peripheral devices, wherein the peripheral device data signal received from each of the wireless peripheral devices is based on one or more measurements made by a sensor of the wireless peripheral device, analyzing in the base unit each of the peripheral device data signals, selecting in the base unit one or more of the wireless peripheral devices based on the analyzing of the peripheral device data signals, and responsive to the selecting step, establishing or maintaining wireless communication according to the wireless communications protocol between the base unit and the selected one or more of the wireless peripheral devices and not the wireless peripheral devices other than the selected one or more of the wireless peripheral devices.