Spatial Marker Counting with Fewer Sensors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing weightlifting machine sensor systems require a large number of sensors, leading to high costs and inefficiencies, and struggle to accurately detect weight plate movements without precise sensor adjustments for varying plate sizes.
Innovation Solution
A method and system using fewer sensors than weight plates, with sensors arranged along a movement axis, detecting markers based on predefined sequences and initial setups, allowing for flexible adaptation to different weight plate sizes and minimizing the travel distance required for detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a linear array of sensors is used to detect weight plates at all positions, then detection coverage is complete, but the number of sensors greatly exceeds the number of weight plates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary setup by specifying how many markers are preceding and following each sensor during initial configuration. This pre-established knowledge allows the system to determine marker positions without requiring sensors at every possible location, reducing the total sensor count while maintaining detection reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary computational layer that processes sensor readings combined with pre-stored configuration data (number of markers preceding/following each sensor). This intermediary processing enables the system to infer complete marker positions from partial sensor observations, allowing fewer sensors to achieve complete detection coverage.
2Quantity of substance
If the number of sensors is reduced to decrease cost, then system cost decreases, but detection precision and reliability are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system stores configuration information during preliminary setup, including the number of markers preceding and following each sensor. This pre-established knowledge compensates for the reduced sensor count by providing contextual information that enables accurate marker position determination even with fewer physical sensors.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from multiple sensors combined with pre-stored configuration data to determine marker positions. By integrating readings from fewer sensors with knowledge about marker distribution patterns, the system achieves accurate detection without requiring a dense sensor array.
3Ease of manufacture
If sensor distances are fixed during mounting, then installation is simplified, but the system cannot immediately detect moved weights
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary setup by storing configuration data about marker positions relative to sensors during initial installation. This pre-stored information enables immediate detection of weight movements without requiring complex real-time calculations or adjustments, maintaining both installation simplicity and rapid detection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically determines marker positions by combining fixed sensor readings with pre-stored configuration information about marker distribution. This dynamic processing of static sensor data with historical configuration knowledge enables immediate detection of weight movements while maintaining simple fixed sensor installation.
4Ease of manufacture
If sensors are spaced based on weight plate height multiples, then sensor positioning is standardized, but the system cannot support weight stacks with different plate sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The system achieves universality by storing configuration information during preliminary setup that describes the specific arrangement of markers relative to each sensor. This configuration data structure allows the same sensor array to adapt to different weight plate sizes and arrangements, enabling a single standardized sensor system to serve multiple different weight stack configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system handles different plate sizes by changing the stored configuration parameters (number of markers preceding and following each sensor) rather than changing the physical sensor positions. This parameter-based adaptation allows standardized sensor mounting to work with various weight plate dimensions and arrangements.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for counting spatially arranged, moving markers, the markers being arranged to move along a movement axis parallel to a sensors axis of sensors for detecting the markers during movement. The number of sensors is lower than the number of markers in order to decrease the cost of the sensors system. The present system supports stacks having objects, associated with the markers, of different sizes (such as weight plates of increasing height) or different weights.