US 11,747,471 B2
Predictive maintenance of exercise machines with time-of-flight sensors
Anders Linge, Kävlinge (SE); Jens Rydberg, Lund (SE); and Henrik Bengtsson, Lund (SE)
Assigned to Sony Group Corporation, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by SONY CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Jul. 16, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/930,745.
Claims priority of application No. 1951221-9 (SE), filed on Oct. 25, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0124028 A1, Apr. 29, 2021
Int. Cl. G01S 17/10 (2020.01); A63B 24/00 (2006.01); G01S 7/497 (2006.01)
CPC G01S 17/10 (2013.01) [A63B 24/00 (2013.01); A63B 2220/805 (2013.01); A63B 2220/833 (2013.01); A63B 2225/02 (2013.01); G01S 7/497 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. 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.