Displacement Sensor Sleep Mode Power Reduction

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional displacement measuring apparatuses face challenges in reducing power consumption during sleep mode while ensuring that spindle rotation is accurately detected without skipping.

Innovation Solution

A displacement measuring apparatus that includes a displacement sensor, a signal processing unit, and an operation-mode control unit. In sleep mode, the signal processing unit performs a substitute calculation process at a reduced sampling frequency to calculate a substitute value related to the displacement or position, which is used to detect variations in the displacement sensor, triggering a mode switch to the measurement operation execution mode.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If the position (angle) is detected at a reduced frequency in sleep mode, then power consumption is reduced, but the spindle rotation may be missed and measurement accuracy deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidspindle position detection accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a substitute value that copies the essential information from the sensor signal without performing complete position calculation. This substitute value serves as a simplified representation that allows detection of spindle movement while consuming less power, resolving the contradiction between reduced power consumption and maintained measurement accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of performing complete position calculation at reduced frequency, the patent applies partial action by calculating only a substitute value from the sensor signal. This partial processing is sufficient to detect movement variations while avoiding the full computational overhead, thus reducing power consumption without sacrificing detection accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

2Measurement precision

If all signal processing is performed to calculate spindle position accurately, then measurement accuracy is improved, but power consumption increases and battery life shortens

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespindle position calculation accuracyVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a substitute value that copies the essential information from the sensor signal without performing complete position calculation. This substitute value serves as a simplified representation that allows detection of spindle movement while consuming less power, resolving the contradiction between reduced power consumption and maintained measurement accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of performing complete position calculation at reduced frequency, the patent applies partial action by calculating only a substitute value from the sensor signal. This partial processing is sufficient to detect movement variations while avoiding the full computational overhead, thus reducing power consumption without sacrificing detection accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Duration of action of moving object

If the signal processing unit operates in sleep mode with reduced frequency, then battery life is extended, but the response time to detect spindle movement increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebattery lifeVSAvoidresponse time to detect movement

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of moving objectVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a substitute value that copies the essential information from the sensor signal without performing complete position calculation. This substitute value serves as a simplified representation that allows detection of spindle movement while consuming less power, resolving the contradiction between reduced power consumption and maintained measurement accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of performing complete position calculation at reduced frequency, the patent applies partial action by calculating only a substitute value from the sensor signal. This partial processing is sufficient to detect movement variations while avoiding the full computational overhead, thus reducing power consumption without sacrificing detection accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS20250052558A1Displacement measuring apparatus

Publication Date: 2025.02.13 MITUTOYO CORP

AI summary

There is provided a displacement measuring apparatus capable of reducing power consumption in a sleep mode. An operation mode of a signal processing unit includes a measurement operation execution mode to calculate a displacement or position as a measurement value using a sensor signal from a displacement sensor, and a sleep mode to reduce power consumption compared to the measurement operation execution mode. In the sleep mode, the signal processing unit performs a substitute calculation process at a predetermined sampling frequency to calculate a substitute value related to the displacement or position using fewer sensor signals than in the measurement operation execution mode. The operation-mode control unit assumes that a variation of the displacement sensor has been detected when there is a variation in the substitute value, cancels the sleep mode, and switches the signal processing unit to the measurement operation execution mode.