Thursday, September 17, 2015

IoT Smart Home Scenarios for New Product Development Exploiting Patents

Patents can be exploited to identify new IoT (Internet of Things) smart home product development opportunity from scenarios analysis. The scenarios analysis can show potential interactions between the future users and the IoT smart home product via the specific usage of the product and behavior of the user under environments provided by the product functionality. Thus, the scenarios analysis exploiting patent information can provide the new IoT product concept (e.g., specific benefits to the user, product design, product functionality and the technology for the product).

The first step in the scenario development is to do patent search and review for the state of the art of IoT innovation for smart home applications. The searched patents that are related to the smart home applications should be analyzed to find the measurable user benefits provided by the value propositions (automation, energy management, care, safety, entertainment) and method/device/system to offer the value propositions. Then, develop a story of the future implementations of the state of the art of IoT innovation for smart home applications exploiting 5W1H - Who, When, Where, What, Why, How.

The stakeholders (users) in the scenario for the IoT smart home are usually the member of home who can be specified by age, gender, profession. The time can be the morning, afternoon, evening. The place can be the bedroom, living room, bathroom, kitchen and outside. Then, describe how the specific product (including system) that is implemented based on the patent disclosures performs (interacts with a user) to provide each value proposition under the circumstances for a specific purpose (expectations of the product’s future user or solutions for product’s future user’s problems). Base on the developed scenarios, potential improvements over the implemented product can be devised by listing new product features, functionality, UI/UX, integration method etc.

Followings summarize the key elements of the IoT smart home scenarios for each value proposition.

Home Automation
The smart home product should determine how to solve user’s problem or perform for a specific situation without constant guidance from the user. The smart home product should adapt to changing situation/environment. The smart home product should react properly to the changing situation/environment in accordance with the performance objectives. The smart home product should join the home networks without user’s manual configuration.

Home Energy Management
The smart home product should adapt the overall energy efficiency of the home to the comfort and quality of life. The smart home product should control the home heating for reducing energy consumption while ensuring comfort. The smart home product should control lighting based on user’s presence and environment.

Home Care
The smart home product should proactively act for caring the user under the environment/situation on behalf of the user. The smart home product should provide UI/UX depend on the user context.

Home Safety
The smart home product should provide private space protection and control against hazard home environment. The smart home product should measure of gas, carbon monoxide, fire, smoke, water and weather conditions.
The smart home product should provide remote access to home environment.

Home Entertainment

The smart home product should provide personalize entertainment to the user. The smart home product should exploit semantic information regarding the home entertainment devices.

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