Digital Wear Sensor Circuit for Fast Low-Power Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wear sensors face challenges such as long measurement times, lack of redundancy, and increased complexity due to the need for multiple analogue to digital converters and programmable interface controllers, which also lead to higher power consumption and limited scalability.
Innovation Solution
A wear sensor with an electrical circuit comprising a sequence of discrete elements that can temporarily hold digital data values, allowing sequential transfer and reduction in the number of elements when wear occurs, eliminating the need for multiple converters and reducing measurement time and power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional resistor-based wear sensors use individual probing of each resistor to detect wear, then measurement accuracy is improved, but measurement time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the conventional mechanical/electrical probing method with an optical measurement system. A camera captures an image of all resistors simultaneously, and image processing algorithms automatically detect wear by analyzing the visual appearance of resistors. This substitution of optical detection for electrical probing dramatically reduces measurement time from sequential probing to a single snapshot capture.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by capturing the image of all resistors at once before any wear analysis is needed. The entire measurement process is prepared in advance with the camera positioned and focused, allowing immediate capture and analysis without sequential access or setup time for each individual resistor.
2Measurement precision
If Zener diodes are used in the wear sensor circuit to measure wear, then wear detection capability is improved, but power consumption increases and battery life decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the electrical Zener diode-based measurement system with an optical imaging system. Instead of using Zener diodes that require high voltage and consume significant power, the system uses a camera to capture images of resistors and processes these images to detect wear. This substitution eliminates the high power consumption associated with Zener diode operation while maintaining wear detection capability.
3Measurement precision
If multiple analogue to digital converters and programmable interface controllers are added to individually probe resistors, then wear detection accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the complex electrical probing system with multiple ADCs and controllers with a simple optical imaging system. A single camera captures images of all resistors simultaneously, and software-based image processing algorithms perform the analysis that would otherwise require multiple hardware controllers. This dramatically simplifies the hardware architecture while maintaining or improving measurement capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The imaging system serves multiple functions simultaneously: it captures images of all resistors at once, the image processing software performs wear detection, and the same system can potentially monitor other parameters. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for dedicated probing circuits for each resistor, reducing overall system complexity.
4Measurement precision
If the number of discrete elements in the wear sensor is increased to improve measurement resolution, then measurement precision is improved, but scalability and ease of installation are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the physical arrangement of discrete electrical elements with an optical field-based measurement system. The camera captures the entire array of resistors in a single image, and software algorithms provide the measurement resolution. This allows high measurement precision without increasing the physical complexity or reducing scalability, as the optical system can accommodate various numbers and arrangements of resistors without hardware changes.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a wear sensor, a method for sensing wear occurring to an object, and an equipment subject to wear. The present invention further relates to a wear sensing system comprising the wear sensor and a measuring device for measuring an amount of wear occurring to an object. The wear sensor comprises an electrical circuit comprising a sequence of discrete elements, each discrete element being capable to temporarily hold a digital data value, wherein the electrical circuit is configured to sequentially transfer the digital data value from a first discrete element on a first edge of the wear sensor to subsequent discrete elements toward a second edge of the wear sensor, wherein each discrete element is capable of being electrically decoupled from the electrical circuit, sequentially in a direction from the second edge by action of wear on the wear sensor. A number of discrete elements in the sequence is reduced when wear occurs on the wear sensor.