Consumer Electronic Appliances Research Articles

A Study on Consumer Behavior on Consumer Electronics and Home Appliances of Panasonic Products at Panasonic Brand Store, Naga Appliances, Bengaluru

Consumer Electronics and Home Appliances have become integral parts of contemporary living, shaping the way we interact with our surroundings and enhancing the quality of our daily lives. With the advent of smart technologies and sustainability concerns, the consumer electronics and home appliance market are witnessing dynamic shifts in consumer preferences, making it imperative to explore the underlying consumer behavior patterns. This paper delves into the intricate dynamics of consumer behavior within the distinct retail environment of the Panasonic Brand Store located at Naga Appliances in Bengaluru, seeking to unravel the myriad factors that shape consumers' choices, preferences, and purchasing decisions. Through an exploration of demographics, lifestyle choices, cultural influences, and technological trends, this research endeavors to provide valuable insights into how store visitors perceive the Panasonic brand, assess product quality, evaluate pricing, and consider after-sales services. It aims to assess the influence of demographic factors on purchase intentions, understand consumers' choices between Panasonic and other brands, analyze buying behavior across consumer segments, compare purchasing patterns with other brands, and evaluate consumer satisfaction within different socioeconomic groups.

Real‐Time Smartphone Charging from Recycled Aluminum Foil–Based Electromagnetic Energy Harvester

Harvesting energy from waste resources shows significant potential in low‐power electronics, self‐powered devices, and waste‐energy management. Herein, a possible mechanism is demonstrated to harvest waste electromagnetic (EM) energy produced by the induction heater where recycled aluminum foil is utilized as an energy‐harvester unit. As a consequence, ≈5.34 μW of harvested power is manifested under the operating condition of the induction heater. In this connection, a demonstration of the real‐time calculator operation, 26 blue light‐emitting diode lighting, and smartphone battery charging are presented. It indicates an excellent opportunity to harvest the abundantly available waste EM energy using the recycled and widely used food‐packaging Al foil. Thus, it is expected that the waste EM energy can be utilized to power up consumer electronic appliances.

Demand-Side Management for Improvement of the Power Quality in Smart Homes Using Non-Intrusive Identification of Appliance Usage Patterns with the True Power Factor

The proliferation of low-power consumer electronic appliances (LPCEAs) is on the rise in smart homes in order to save energy. On the flip side, the current harmonics induced due to these LPCEAs pollute low-voltage distribution systems’ (LVDSs’) supplies, leading to a poor power factor (PF). Further, the energy meters in an LVDS do not measure both the total harmonic distortion (THD) of the current and the PF, resulting in inaccurate billing for energy consumption. In addition, this impacts the useful lifetime of LPCEAs. A PF that takes the harmonic distortion into account is called the true power factor (TPF). It is imperative to measure it accurately. This article measures the TPF using a four-term minimal sidelobe cosine-windowed enhanced dual-spectrum line interpolated Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). The proposed method was used to measure the TPF with a National Instruments cRIO-9082 real-time (RT) system, and four different LPCEAs in a smart home were considered. The RT results exhibited that the TPF uniquely identified each usage pattern of the LPCEAs and could use them to improve the TPF by suggesting an alternative usage pattern to the consumer. A positive response behavior on the part of the consumer that is in their interest can improve the power quality in a demand-side management application.

Anodic dyeing of micro-arc oxidized aluminum with a cathodic pretreatment

Conventional anodized aluminum with diverse colors by surface dyeing has recently become widespread for consumer electronic appliances. Satisfactory performance, though, it failed to present good enough protection purpose. On the contrary, micro-arc oxidation (MAO) is a relatively new anodizing surface treatment to provide very high surface hardness and thus protection purpose but is incompatible with the dyeing process. In this study, we investigated a dyeing method for the MAO treated aluminum alloy by using a cathodic pretreatment to produce micropores over the MAO layer, as a result to absorb the anionic dye in a subsequent anodic treatment, thereby dyeing the MAO layer. The research results showed that the dyed MAO film achieved the optimal color saturation (L* a* b*)=(53.55, 1.17, −29.16) when the specimen was immersed in a blue dye to undergo a dyeing process with an applied anodic current of 1 A subsequent to the pretreatment at an applied cathodic voltage of 30V. Additionally, red and green dyes were also demonstrated to be feasible. Mechanism to make the MAO layer dyeable is proposed.

Super-resolution with adaptive macro-block topology applied to a multi-camera system

Super-Resolution (SR) consists in processing an image or a set of images in order to enhance the resolution of a video sequence or a single frame. In this paper, fusion SR techniques are considered, where High-Resolution (HR) images are constructed from several observed Low-Resolution (LR) images, thereby increasing the high-frequency components and removing the degradations caused by the recording process of LR imaging acquisition devices. This paper follows a strategy combining the selection of the most appropriate frames and adaptive sized Macro-Blocks (MBs) together with a Multi-Camera (MC) system. This proposal optimizes the spatial and temporal correlations between the recorded sequences, and minimizes the appearance of annoying artifacts at the same time, improving the quality of the super-resolved HR sequence and reducing the computational cost by more than a factor of two. This type of image enhancement systems has many applications in Consumer Electronics appliances related to imaging. More specifically, many camera suppliers are incorporating Super-Resolution in their high-end products.

An Embedded Real-Time Biometric Recognition System for Defense system

In this project, we propose a real-time embedded finger-vein recognition system for authentication on mobile devices. The system is implemented on an embedded platform and equipped with a novel finger-vein recognition algorithm. The proposed system consists of three hardware modules: image acquisition module, embedded main board, and human machine communication module. The structure diagram of the system is 1. The image acquisition module is used to collect finger-vein images. The Embedded main board including the Microcontroller chip, memory (flash), and communication port is used to execute the finger-vein recognition algorithm and communicate with the peripheral device. The human machine communication module (LED or keyboard) is used to display recognition results and receive inputs from users. Index Terms: finger-vein recognition; biometrics; mobile Devices; DSP I. Introduction Private information is traditionally provided by using Passwords or Personal Identification Numbers (PINs), which are easy to implement but is vulnerable to the risk of exposure and being forgotten. Biometrics, which uses human physiological or behavioral features for personal Identification, has attracted more and more attention and is becoming one of the most popular and promising alternatives to the traditional password or PIN based authentication techniques (1). Moreover, some multimedia content in consumer electronic appliances can be secured by biometrics (2). There is a long list of available biometric patterns, and many such systems have been developed and implemented, including those for the face, iris, fingerprint, palm print, hand shape, voice, signature, and gait. Notwithstanding this great and increasing variety of biometrics patterns, no biometric has yet been developed that is perfectly reliable or secure. For example, fingerprints and palm prints are usually frayed; voice, signatures, hand shapes and iris images are easily forged; face recognition can be made difficult by occlusions or face-lifts (3); and biometrics, such as fingerprints and iris and face recognition, are susceptible to spoofing attacks, that is, the biometric identifiers can be copied and used to create artifacts that can deceive many currently available biometric devices. The great challenge to biometrics is thus to improve recognition performance in terms of both accuracy and efficiency and be maximally resistant to deceptive practices. To this end, many researchers have sought to improve reliability and frustrate spoolers by developing biometrics that are highly individuating; yet at the same time, present a highly complex, hopefully insuperable challenge to those who wish to defeat them (4). Specially for consumer electronics applications, biometrics authentication systems need to be cost-efficient and easy to implement (5). The finger-vein is a promising biometric pattern for personal identification in terms of its security and convenience (6). Compared with other biometric traits, the finger-vein has the following advantages (7): (1) the vein is hidden inside the body and is mostly invisible to human eyes, so it is difficult to forge or steal. (2) The non-invasive and contactless capture of finger-veins ensures both convenience and hygiene for the user, and is thus more acceptable. (3) The finger-vein pattern can only be taken from a live body. Therefore, it is a natural and convincing proof that the subject whose finger-vein is successfully captured is alive. We designed a special device for acquiring high quality finger-vein images and propose a DSP based embedded platform to implement the finger-vein recognition system in the present study to achieve better recognition performance and reduce computational cost.The rest of this paper is organized as follows. An overview of the proposed system is given in Section 2. The device for finger-vein image acquisition is introduced in Section 3. Our recognition method is addressed in Section 4. Experimental results are then presented in Section 5. Finally, concluding remarks are given in Section 6.

Network agents for supporting consumers in the lifecycle management of individual parts

To realise a sustainable society, it is essential to promote the reuse of mechanical parts using lifecycle management. However, due to unpredictable consumer-behaviour patterns, it is difficult to manage products in the use phase of a product's lifecycle. The authors propose a product lifecycle management system using network agents and RFID tags attached to individual parts, to support consumers and promote part reuse in the use phase. We have developed prototype functions of the network agent system on the basis of the product lifecycle of consumer-electronic appliances. This paper describes the functions of a prototype network agent that are developed in order to support consumer activities in the product lifecycle, and results of a simulation to investigate its effectiveness. The functions of the prototype allow the network agent to control the environmental load of a product in the consumer use phase and predict a part failure.

Characteristics of butt-welded joints on AZ31 magnesium alloy using a Nd:YAG laser

Magnesium alloys are potentially useful as structural materials due to their higher strength/weight ratio, heat conductivity and recyclability compared to other alloys. These alloys have attracted the interest of modern manufacturing, such as the automobile, computer, communication and consumer electronic appliances industries. This study is related to the laser weldability of AZ31 magnesium alloy, an all-purpose wrought alloy with good strength and ductility. The effects of welding conditions on the weldability of butt joints were examined in more detail. In addition, the mechanical properties of butt-welded joints were investigated by tensile and hardness tests. On the other hand, because magnesium is sensitive in an oxidation environment, the effects of shielding conditions were examined by controlling the flow rate of the front and back shielding gas. As a result of this study, optimal conditions without weld defects were obtained. Consequently, a superior weld with nearly the equivalent strength and the half elongation of the base metal was obtained. The weldability, particularly the weld morphology, was clearly affected by the shielding conditions.

The Effect of Ultrasonic Treatment on Microstructural and Mechanical Properties of Cast Magnesium Alloys

Magnesium alloys are important light metals. In recent years, they have been widely applied in the aerospace and automotive industries, and in the manufacture of communication devices, consumer-electronics appliances and computer products. However, cast magnesium and magnesium alloys are subject to problems due to gas pores, inclusion particles, oxide films, and so on. How to reduce the harm caused by these defects and refine the structure to improve casting quality has become an important topic. In this study, we evaluate the effect on casting quality of an ultrasonic method for treating the melt. The method is based on the generation of cavitation bubbles from ultrasonic treatment of the melt, which induces dispersion and degassing action. Analysis of the microstructure and determination of the mechanical properties of the resultant castings are the basis for identifying the quality of the magnesium and magnesium alloys. The microstructure was evaluated using an optical microscope and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The elemental constituents of the inclusion particles and oxide films were identified using scanning electron microscopy in conjunction with an X-ray energy dispersive spectrometer and electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA). Finally, the mechanical properties of the magnesium and magnesium alloys, including the tensile strength, the elongation and the hardness, were also determined and discussed. In addition, variations in mechanical properties of cast aluminum and magnesium alloys by ultrasonic treatment are also discussed.

AZ31 마그네슘합금의 레이저 용접성에 미치는 공정변수의 영향

Magnesium alloys are potentially useful as structural materials due to higher strength/weight ratio, heat conductivity and recyclability compared to other alloys. These alloys have attracted the interest of modern manufacturing such as the automobile, computer, communication and consumer electronic appliances industries. Hence welding techniques are required to be developed for these applications. Laser are known to be an excellent tool for them. This paper presents the laser weldability of AZ31 magnesium alloy with CW Nd:YAG laser. The low viscosity and surface tension of the melt pool make magnesium more difficult to weld than steel. As a result of this study, optimal process parameters could be obtained without weld defects. Also it was certain that cutting methods had influence on butt weldability.

A simple control technique for single-SEPIC converter based multiple output SMPS with fully regulated and isolated outputs

Switched mode power supplies (SMPS) with multiple outputs are commonly used for powering up personal computers and many other consumer electronic appliances. Multiple output SMPS circuits normally employ several DC/DC converters for regulating the voltage in each of the outputs. In this paper, a single single ended primary inductance converter (SEPIC) is used to obtain multiple isolated and regulated DC outputs from a single unregulated DC input, so that the reliability and cost effectiveness of the system can be enhanced. Considering that a large number of SMPS are being used in various applications, it is essential to maintain good power quality at the AC mains side of the SMPS circuit adhering to the international standards. Average current control mode has been used in this paper to achieve unity power factor and sinusoidal current at the input side. A novel weighted error approach has been proposed to achieve excellent voltage regulation at all the outputs of the SMPS irrespective of the load variations and input supply fluctuations. The proposed system has been designed and simulated in a PSIM environment and implemented in hardware. The results obtained show an enhanced performance of the power supply in terms of its output voltage regulation and input power quality.

A research on the relationship between suppliers’ transaction-specific investments and perceived relational risks: The moderating roles of control mechanisms and relationship phases

This study examines the dynamic nature of suppliers’ perceived relational risks arising from transaction-specific investments (TSIs) in their relationship with manufacturers, and the moderating effects of contracts and relational norms, during the developmental process of manufacturer-supplier relationship. An empirical study was conducted with data collected from 261 suppliers and manufacturers in the Chinese consumer electronic appliances sector. We found that suppliers’ TSIs have a positive effect on their perceived relational risks, and in different phases of a relationship effect varies significantly. Results of the research also show that both contracts and relational norms have negative moderating effects on the relationship between suppliers’ TSIs and their perceived relational risks, and moderating effects during are different across various phases of a relationship.

Report from the third workshop on future directions of solid-state chemistry: The status of solid-state chemistry and its impact in the physical sciences

Report from the third workshop on future directions of solid-state chemistry: The status of solid-state chemistry and its impact in the physical sciences

ZigBee based Dynamic Control Scheme for Multiple Legacy IR Controllable Digital Consumer Devices

A universal remote control (URC) unit is an integrated device for controlling many different CE (consumer electronics) home appliances (with a single one). To control these various CE devices based on IR(infra-red) control signal, the URC unit has to have many preprogrammed control codes for controlling them because they are controlled with many different types of IR profile stated with lead code, control code, carrier frequency, duty cycle, duration and so forth. In this paper, we propose a dynamic control scheme for multiple legacy IR controllable digital CE appliances, which is based on IEEE 802.15.4, especially ZigBee protocol. The proposed scheme uses two main components. One is a URC unit using ZigBee based wireless network technology, WPAN (wireless personal area network). Another is a Z2IR (ZigBee to IR) conversion module which converts a control message transferred through the ZigBee network into an IR typed control signal. In this scheme, the list of CE devices to be controlled by the proposed URC, called as Z-URC (ZigBee based user remote control), is dynamically reconfigured. It is based on his location as a consumer with the proposed Z-URC goes from a room to any other place in his house. And, we apply a novel mechanism to minimize power consumption of the Z2IR module, which is based on ZigBee devices' on/off control mechanism using multiple timers. Furthermore, a user may configure its product and vendor identifiers (IDs) of the home appliance to be controlled by the IR control signal from the module. Based on this feature, the module informs Z-URC target appliance's information.

Diagnosis and Analysis of Oxide Films in Cast Magnesium Alloys by Ultrasonic-Vibration Treatment

Magnesium alloys with low density are important light metals, widely used in the aerospace and automotive industries and in the manufacture of communication devices, consumer-electronics appliances and computers products in recent years. However magnesium and magnesium alloys are the most reactive metals so that oxide films easily form on them during the melting or pouring process. These films are difficult to observe by optical micrograph. In this study we propose a simple method to observe oxide films entrapped in cast magnesium alloys. The oxide films are fractured as a result of cavitation erosion on the sample surface that occurs during ultrasonic-vibration treatment. The eroded areas become visible as differently shaped foggy marks. This method of observing and identifying foggy marks is shown to be useful in the diagnosis of oxide films in cast magnesium alloys. In addition, the presented method in the diagnosis of oxide films that formed on magnesium and aluminum alloys are also compared.

Mapping of user interfaces on electronic appliances

The purpose of this study was to investigate mapping of user interfaces on consumer electronic appliances. A digital clock with five different interface modes was chosen for the experiment. Forty elderly subjects (above 65 years) and 40 middle-aged subjects (45–64 years) participated in the study. Every subject had to complete three different tasks, namely time setting, alarm time setting and date setting. The researchers investigated what problems were encountered when performing these tasks and collected data such as operational time, the number of total inputs, subjective estimation and interview information. The findings of this study indicated that the interface modes had significant effects on operational time, the number of total inputs and subjective estimation. Finally, the study confirms that when the spatial relationship between buttons and display contents are clearly indicated, the operation is easier to complete.

Home networking

Audio-visual (AV) equipment represents the greatest portion of domestic expenditure on appliances, but has yet to acquire the extended features which networking brings. The IEEE1394 standard, otherwise known as FireWire, was designed to provide the necessary QoS from inception. It is particularly aimed at consumer electronic (CE) appliances and not just Windows and Mac computers. Wireless solutions have also been proposed for home networking for some time and have advocated their inherent benefit over wired networks. The IEEE802.11 standard is now widely used for computer networking and is almost reaching the point of affordability for mass consumption. It therefore enjoys the cost reduction benefits of mass produced devices.

Will Displays Be Everywhere?

The concept of ‘Ambient Intelligence’ predicts a future where consumer electronic appliances will be characterized by their being seen only when necessary. One of the few visible embodiments will be displays, which will be omnipresent yet still blend seamlessly into the background. This requires a breakthrough in low-cost, reel-to-reel mass production of flexible displays, based on printing technology. This presentation focuses on several key developments that will lead the way towards that goal.

Boxing clever [Toshiba's Unified Digital Architecture

The author describes how Toshiba's Unified Digital Architecture will enable the convergence of home entertainment and computing. The viable convergence platform combines the simplicity and reliability of consumer electronic (CE) appliances with a PC-like open extensible architecture optimised for the demands of A/V processing. Toshiba, a leading player in the CE appliance, PC and semiconductor industries, has formulated a proposal for a generic development platform for future-proof CE appliances designed expressly to satisfy these convergence criteria. The company has called its proposal the Unified Digital Platform (UDP). The UDP is designed to support a minimum set of common hardware components, comprising a RISC-based CPU, an MPEG -2 video decoder, an audio decoder (MPEG, Dolby), a graphics engine, a video interface, an audio interface and a network interface. Additional hardware components can be introduced to meet specific application requirements. Central to the UDP design is a data bus, the MM-bus (multimedia bus), designed to support data transfers between the system hardware components at rates consistent with the requirements of real-time A/V applications.

Design and implementation of an authentication protocol for home automation systems

This paper presents an authentication protocol using the SPEKE strong password method to address current information-security deficiencies found in most smart home automation systems. The protocol emphasizes analyzing the operation and security performances limited by practical low-cost micro-controller implementations (e.g. 8051 or 68HC11) of consumer electronic equipment and appliances.