Predictive maintenance of exercise machines with time-of-flight sensors
AssigneeSony Group Corporation
InventorsAnders Linge, Jens Rydberg, Henrik Bengtsson
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Abstract
A monitoring device performs a method of detecting a need for maintenance of an exercise machine comprising a time-of-flight, ToF, sensor. The method comprises obtaining a measurement signal from the ToF sensor at a predefined operating condition of the exercise machine. Based on the measurement signal, the method determines a measured distance between the ToF sensor and a reflective element in the exercise machine. The measured distance has been found to be responsive to accumulation of deposits on the ToF sensor and is thus evaluated by the method to detect a need for cleaning. The method thereby enables preventive maintenance.
Claims20
A method of determining a need for maintenance of an associated exercise machine including a time-of-flight sensor and a reflective element, the method comprising:
- obtaining a measurement signal from the time-of-flight sensor at a predefined operating condition of the exercise machine;
- determining, based on the measurement signal, a measured distance between the time-of-flight sensor and the reflective element;
- and
- determining the need for maintenance based on detecting a decrease in the measured distance over time.
An apparatus configured to determine a need for maintenance of an associated exercise machine including a time-of-flight sensor and a reflective element, the apparatus comprising:
- an input for receiving a measurement signal from the time-of-flight sensor;
- and
- logic configured to:
- obtain the measurement signal via the input, the measurement signal being generated by the time-of-flight sensor at a predefined operating condition of the exercise machine;
- determine, based on the measurement signal, a measured distance between the time-of-flight sensor and the reflective element;
- and
- determine the need for maintenance based on detecting a decrease in the measured distance over time.
A method of determining a need for maintenance of an associated exercise machine including a time-of-flight sensor and a reflective element, the method comprising:
- obtaining, by the time-of-flight sensor during a measurement period, a plurality of measurement values indicative of measured distance between the time-of-flight sensor and the reflective element, each of the measurement values corresponding to a respective signal pulse emitted by the time-of-flight sensor;
- computing one or more evaluation parameters as a function of the plurality of measurement values;
- and
- determining the need for maintenance based on detecting a decrease in the measured distance over time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.