CN212072012U

CN212072012U - Sensing circuit, logic circuit board, joint control board, main controller board and robot

Info

Publication number: CN212072012U
Application number: CN201921546740.XU
Authority: CN
Inventors: 刘培超; 鞠政; 黄睿; 张俊鹏; 姚郎贤; 郎需林
Original assignee: Shenzhen Yuejiang Technology Co Ltd
Current assignee: Shenzhen Yuejiang Technology Co Ltd
Priority date: 2019-09-17
Filing date: 2019-09-17
Publication date: 2020-12-04
Anticipated expiration: 2029-09-17

Abstract

The application discloses sensing circuit, logic circuit board, joint control panel, master control board and robot. The sensing circuit comprises a connecting terminal and a detection circuit, wherein the connecting terminal is used for being coupled with an electrode on the electronic skin of the mechanical device; the detection circuit is coupled with the connecting terminal so as to detect the distance between the electrode and the external conductor or the change thereof by utilizing the capacitance between the electrode and the external conductor or the change thereof, and obtain an electric signal representing the distance between the electrode and the external conductor or the change thereof. Through the mode, the non-contact distance detection of the mechanical equipment on the grounding object can be realized.

Description

Sensing circuit, logic circuit board, joint control board, main controller board and robot

Technical Field

The application relates to the technical field of electronic skin sensing, in particular to a sensing circuit, a logic circuit board, a joint control board, a robot main control board, a robot control system and a robot.

Background

Currently, the main method for mechanical devices to detect an approaching object is through physical contact between the housing and the object. Taking a contact type resistance-type shell as an example, the resistance-type shell is deformed by contacting a proximity object with the robot. The existing sensors detect corresponding distance by detecting signals in direct contact, so that mechanical equipment is easily contacted with an object to easily cause damage to the object.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

The application mainly provides a sensing circuit, a logic circuit board, a joint control panel, a robot main control panel, a robot control system and a robot, and aims to solve the technical problem that mechanical equipment cannot realize non-contact distance detection on a grounding object.

In order to solve the technical problem, the application adopts a technical scheme that: a sensing circuit is provided. The sensing circuit comprises a connecting terminal for coupling with an electrode on the electronic skin of the mechanical device; and the detection circuit is coupled with the connecting terminal so as to detect the distance between the electrode and the external conductor or the change of the distance by utilizing the capacitance between the electrode and the external conductor or the change of the capacitance, and obtain an electric signal representing the distance between the electrode and the external conductor or the change of the distance.

In order to solve the above technical problem, another technical solution adopted by the present application is: a logic circuit board is provided. The logic circuit board comprises a microprocessor, a first communication terminal and a second communication terminal; the microprocessor is respectively coupled with the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal, the first communication terminal is used for being coupled with the sensing circuit, and the second communication terminal is used for being connected with the robot control board.

In order to solve the above technical problem, another technical solution adopted by the present application is: a joint control plate is provided. The joint control board comprises a microprocessor, a motor driving circuit, a first communication terminal and a second communication terminal; the microprocessor is respectively coupled with the motor driving circuit, the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal, the first communication terminal is used for being coupled with the logic circuit board, and the second communication terminal is used for being connected with a robot main control board; the motor driving circuit is used for driving the robot to move.

In order to solve the above technical problem, another technical solution adopted by the present application is: a robot master control board is provided. The robot main controller board comprises a microprocessor, a first communication terminal and a second communication terminal; the microprocessor is respectively coupled with the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal, the first communication terminal is used for being coupled with the logic circuit board or the joint control board, and the second communication terminal is used for being connected with the robot main control board; the microprocessor is used for processing the electric signal from the sensing circuit to obtain an electric signal representing the distance between the external conductor and the electrode or the change of the distance.

In order to solve the above technical problem, another technical solution adopted by the present application is: a robot control system is provided. The robot control system comprises the sensing circuit, the logic circuit board, the joint control board and the robot master control board.

In order to solve the above technical problem, another technical solution adopted by the present application is: a robot is provided. The robot comprises a robot control system as described above.

The beneficial effect of this application is: in contrast to the prior art, the sensing circuit disclosed in the present application, the detection circuit is coupled to the electrodes on the electronic skin via the connection terminals. When the approaching conductor approaches the electrode, the electrode and the approaching conductor can form a capacitor, when the relative position relation between the approaching conductor and the electrode changes, the capacitance value of the capacitor also changes, and the distance between the electrode and the conductor or the change of the distance can be further obtained by connecting the electrode with a detection circuit which generates an electric signal representing the capacitance or the change of the capacitance, so that the detection circuit of mechanical equipment can sense the approach of an external conductor, and the non-contact distance sensing is realized.

Drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly described below, it is obvious that the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application, and for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained according to the drawings without creative efforts.

FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an apparatus provided in an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of an electronic skin provided in an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 3 is a schematic block diagram of a circuit structure of a robot control system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of a communication architecture of a robot control system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 5 is a schematic circuit diagram of a sensing circuit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of an equivalent circuit of an oscillation circuit of a single oscillation mode according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 7 is another equivalent circuit diagram of an oscillation circuit of a single oscillation mode according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 8 is a schematic diagram of an equivalent circuit of a first oscillation circuit and a second oscillation circuit of a dual oscillation mode according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 9 is another equivalent circuit schematic diagram of a first oscillating circuit and a second oscillating circuit provided in an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 10 is a schematic structural diagram of a voltage step-down circuit according to an embodiment of the present application.

Detailed Description

The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application, and it is obvious that the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, and not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments, which can be derived by a person skilled in the art from the embodiments given herein without making any creative effort, shall fall within the protection scope of the present application.

The terms "first", "second" and "third" in the embodiments of the present application are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first," "second," or "third" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the feature. In the description of the present application, "plurality" means at least two, e.g., two, three, etc., unless explicitly specifically limited otherwise. Furthermore, the terms "include" and "have," as well as any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of steps or elements is not limited to only those steps or elements listed, but may alternatively include other steps or elements not listed, or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

Reference herein to "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the application. The appearances of the phrase in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments. It is explicitly and implicitly understood by one skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

Referring to fig. 1, fig. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The device of the present application is, for example, a mechanical apparatus, a mechanical device, and may specifically be a robot 1, and the robot 1 may include at least one joint 10, at least one mechanical arm 20, and at least one e-skin 30.

It should be noted that fig. 1 only shows the electronic skin 30 covering a part of the surface of the robot 1 by way of example, and it is understood that the electronic skin 30 may also cover the entire surface of the robot 1.

The robot 1 may comprise a base 40, the base 40 being connected to at least one joint 10 or a robot arm 20. The base 40 is placed on or fixed to a table/work surface to provide a stable working environment for the robot 1. Of course, the base 40 may also be movable, for example, the driving wheels are installed at the bottom of the base 40, and can drive the robot 1 to move, so that the robot 1 is convenient to adapt to a movable work scene, and the flexibility of the robot 1 is increased.

In this embodiment, the robot arm 20 is connected to one joint 10 at least one end portion. The joint 10 includes, for example, at least one driving member (not shown) capable of driving the robot arm 20 to swing. The robot 1 may include one joint 10 and one mechanical arm 20, and may also include a plurality of joints 10 and a plurality of mechanical arms 20, where the number of joints 10 and mechanical arms 20 is subject to the actual design and use requirements of the robot 1, and is not limited herein. When the number of the robot arms 20 is plural, the two robot arms 20 are rotatably connected by the joints 10 connected to the respective ends, and the movement of the robot arms 20 is realized by the relative rotation of at least two joints 10.

In some embodiments, robotic arm 20 includes a metal support (not shown) and a robotic control system 50. The robot control system 50 is coupled to the electronic skin 30, and the electronic skin 30 may be coated on the outer surface of the metal bracket. The metal support, such as a metal frame or housing of the robotic arm 20, can provide a field of attachment for the e-skin 30. It should be noted that the metal bracket is grounded to ensure the normal operation of the robot. The e-skin 30 may cooperate with a robotic control system 50 for controlling the operation of the robotic arm 20, such as rotating, swinging, obstacle avoidance, etc.

In other embodiments, joint 10 includes a joint support (not shown) and a robotic control system 50. The robot control system 50 is coupled to the e-skin 30, and the e-skin 30 may be wrapped around the outer surface of the joint support. Optionally, the material of the joint support is, for example, a conductive material such as metal, and the joint support may be grounded to ensure the normal operation of the robot 1. Of course, the rotation and driving of the robot arm 20 may also be performed by the joint 10, and the electronic skin 30 is used to control the joint 10 and the robot arm to perform operations, such as rotation, swing, obstacle avoidance, etc., in cooperation with the robot control system 50.

It is understood that the outer surface of the joint support of the at least one joint 10 and the outer surface of the metal support of the at least one robot arm 20 may be coated with the at least one electronic skin 30, and the robot control system 50 may be disposed in the robot arm 20 or the joint 10, as well as in the joint 10 and the robot arm 20. Of course, the robot arm 20 and the joint 10 may share the same robot control system 50, or different robot control systems 50 may be provided separately.

Referring to fig. 2, fig. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of an electronic skin according to an embodiment of the present application. The e-skin 30 may include a body 31 and at least one electrode 32, the electrode 32 being disposed on the body 31. The electrode 32 includes a sensing region 321 and a connection region 322 connected to each other. The sensing area 321 of the electrode 32 can form a second capacitance C2 with an adjacent external conductor (not shown), and the connection area 322 of the electrode 32 is used to transmit an electrical signal representing the capacitance or its variation to the robot control system 50.

When an external conductor, such as a human body, approaches the mechanical arm 20 and/or the joint 10, a second capacitance C2 is formed with the e-skin 30, and then the robot control system 50 may generate an electrical signal representing the capacitance or the change between the external conductor and the electrode 32 and calculate the distance or the change between the electrode 32 and the external conductor, so as to sense the distance between the external conductor (such as a human body) and the human body, and may send an instruction to the joint 10 and/or the mechanical arm 20 to control the robot 1 to make a corresponding response, so as to avoid or reduce the collision with the external conductor.

The electrodes 32 are covered on the outside of the robot arm 20 or joint 10, and the shape of the electrodes 32 matches the shape of the outside of the robot arm 20 or joint 10.

The electrode 32 is covered on the outer side of the robot arm 20 or the joint 10: the electrodes 32 are overlaid on the side of the arm 20 or joint 10 remote from the robot 1 to facilitate capacitance with approaching conductors.

The shape of the electrode 32 matches the shape of the outside of the robot arm 20 or joint 10, i.e., the shape of the side of the robot arm 20 or joint 10 to which the electrode 32 is attached conforms or substantially conforms to the shape of the outside surface of the robot arm 20 or joint 10.

Because the shape of the electrode 32 is matched with the shape of the outer side of the mechanical arm 20 or the joint 10, the electrode 32 is attached to the outer side of the mechanical arm 20 or the joint 10, so that a better fixing effect is obtained, the overall structural stability of the robot 1 can be enhanced, the service performance is improved, and the appearance of the robot 1 is more attractive.

Referring to fig. 3, fig. 3 is a schematic block diagram of a circuit structure of a robot control system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The robot control system 50 may include a sensing circuit 51, a logic circuit board 52, a joint control board 53, a robot master board 54. The sensing circuit 51 is coupled to a logic circuit board 52, the logic circuit board 52 is coupled to a joint control board 53, and the joint control board 53 is coupled to a robot master board 54. Of course, the logic circuit board 52 may also be directly coupled to the robot master board 54. Or the sensing circuit 51 may be directly coupled to the robotic control board. In the present application, the robot control board may be the joint control board 53 or the robot master control board 54.

In the case where the robot arm 20 includes the robot control system 50, the sensor circuit 51, the logic circuit board 52, the joint control board 53, and the robot master board 54 are not limited to being provided only on the robot arm 20, and a part of the circuit or the circuit board may be provided on the joint 10 or other parts of the robot. In the case where the joint 10 includes the robot control system 50, the sensing circuit 51, the logic circuit board 52, the joint control board 53, and the robot master board 54 are not limited to being provided only in the joint 10, and a part of the circuit or the circuit board may be provided in the robot arm 20 or other parts of the robot. For example, the robot arm 20 and the joint 10 share the same robot control system 50, the electronic skin 30 may be disposed on both the joint 10 and the robot arm 20, a sensing circuit 51 may be disposed in the robot arm 20, another sensing circuit 51 may be disposed in the joint 10, or the robot arm 20 and the joint 10 share one sensing circuit 51, the sensing circuits 51 of the joint 10 and the robot arm 20 may be coupled to the same logic circuit board 52, the logic circuit board 52 may be disposed in the joint 10, the logic circuit board 52 is coupled to a control board 53 of the joint 10, the control board 53 may be disposed in the joint 10, the control board 53 may be coupled to a robot master control board 54, and the robot master control board 54 may be disposed in the base 40, the joint 10, the robot arm 20, and the like of the robot.

Two or more of the sensing circuit 51, the logic circuit board 52, the joint control board 53, and the robot master board 54 may be integrated into the same circuit board. By reducing the number of the circuit boards, the occupied space and cost of the circuit boards and the flat cables can be reduced, and the loss or interference of electric signals in the transmission process between different circuit boards can be reduced, so that the distance between the electrode 32 and an external conductor or the change numerical value of the distance is more accurate.

Referring to fig. 4, fig. 4 is a schematic block diagram of a communication architecture of a robot control system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. It should be noted that fig. 4 only shows an exemplary communication architecture of the robot control system, and it is understood that the number of the sensing circuit 51, the logic circuit board 52, the joint control board 53 and the robot master board 54 may be increased or decreased according to actual needs. The sensing circuit 51 may include a communication terminal 511. The logic circuit board 52 includes a microprocessor 521, a first communication terminal 522 and a second communication terminal 523, the microprocessor 521 is coupled to the first communication terminal 522 and the second communication terminal 523 respectively, and the first communication terminal 522 is coupled to the communication terminal 511 of the sensing circuit 51. The joint control board 53 includes a microprocessor 531, a motor driving circuit 532, a first communication terminal 533 and a second communication terminal 534, the microprocessor 534 is coupled to the motor driving circuit 532, the first communication terminal 533 and the second communication terminal 534, respectively, and the motor driving circuit 532 is used for driving the robot 1 to move. The robot master board 54 includes a microprocessor 541, a first communication terminal 542 and a second communication terminal 543, the microprocessor 541 is coupled to the first communication terminal 542 and the second communication terminal 543, respectively, and the first communication terminal 542 is used for coupling the second communication terminal 523 of the logic circuit board 52 or the second communication terminal 533 of the joint control board 53.

The communication terminal 511 of the sensing circuit 51 is coupled to the first communication terminal 522 of the logic control board 52, the second communication terminal 523 of the logic circuit board 52 is coupled to the first communication terminal 533 of the joint control board 53 or the first communication terminal 542 of the master control board 54, the first communication terminal 542 of the master control board 54 is coupled to the second communication terminal 534 of the joint control board 53 or the second communication terminal 533 of the logic circuit board 52, and the second communication terminal 543 of the master control board 54 may be connected to other necessary circuits or components. The transmission of electrical signals between the circuit boards can be realized through the coupling relationship between the communication terminals between the circuit boards.

Alternatively, the second communication terminal 523 of the logic circuit board 52 and the first communication terminal 533 of the joint control board 53 are RS485 communication terminals.

In some other embodiments, the second communication terminal 523 of the logic circuit board 52 may also be directly coupled to the first communication terminal 542 of the main control board 54, and the logic circuit board 52 directly transmits the electrical signal to the main control board 54 through the second communication terminal 523, so that the joint control board 53 is omitted, and loss or interference of the electrical signal during transmission between different circuit boards can be reduced.

In this embodiment, the logic circuit board 52 is configured to send the first query information to the sensing circuit 51. The sensing circuit 51 is configured to send first response information including an electrical signal indicating a distance between the electrode 32 and an external conductor or a change thereof to the logic circuit board 52 in response to the first interrogation information, so that the logic circuit board 52 processes the electrical signal. The joint control board 53 is used to send second inquiry information to the logic circuit board 52. The logic circuit board 52 is configured to send second response information including the processed electric signal to the joint control board 53 in response to the second inquiry information. The joint control board 53 transmits the processed electric signal to the robot main controller board 54. The joint control board 53 is used for calculating the processed electrical signal to obtain an electrical signal representing the distance between the external conductor and the electrode 32 or the change thereof.

In this embodiment, the main controller board 54 is connected to the joint control board 53, the joint control board 53 is connected to the logic circuit board 52, the logic circuit board 52 is connected to the sensing circuit 51, the joint control board 53 sends inquiry information to the logic circuit board 52, the logic circuit board 52 returns an electrical signal sensed by the electronic skin 30 detected by the sensing circuit 51 to the joint control board 5354, and the joint control board 53 returns the electrical signal when the main controller board 54 sends inquiry information to the joint control board 53, so that the main controller board 54 can realize the unified management of the electronic skin 30 on the whole robot, and the application of the electronic skin 30 on the robot 1 can be realized more conveniently and reliably.

In the present embodiment, the logic circuit board 52 may supply power to the sensing circuit 51, for example, the logic circuit board 52 may include a first power terminal 524 and a second power terminal 525. The first power terminal 524 is coupled to the second power terminal 525 and the microprocessor 521, and is used for coupling an external power source. The second power terminal 525 is used for coupling with the sensing circuit 51, and may be particularly coupled with the power terminal 516 of the sensing circuit 51, so as to supply power to the sensing circuit 51.

The external power source coupled to the first power terminal 524 of the logic circuit board 52 may be from the joint control board 53. That is, the joint control board 53 may supply power to the logic circuit board 52. For example, the joint control board 53 includes a first power terminal 535 and a second power terminal 536. The first power terminal 535 is coupled to the second power terminal 536 and the microprocessor 531, and is used for coupling an external power source. The second power terminal 536 is used for coupling to the logic circuit board 52, and may be specifically coupled to the first power terminal 525 of the logic circuit board 52, so as to supply power to the logic circuit board 52.

The external power supply of the joint control board 53 may be an external power supply directly or may be from the main control board 54.

Referring to fig. 5, fig. 5 is a schematic circuit structure diagram of a sensing circuit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The sensor circuit 51 includes an oscillation circuit 512, a detection circuit 513, and a connection terminal 514. The oscillation circuit 512 and the detection circuit 513 are commonly coupled to a connection terminal 514, and the connection terminal 514 is coupled to the electrode 32 located on the electronic skin 30. The oscillation circuit 512 is coupled to the electrode 32 through a connection terminal 514 to change its oscillation frequency when an external conductor forms a capacitance near the electrode 32. The detection circuit 513 is coupled to the oscillation circuit 512 to detect the oscillation frequency of the oscillation circuit 512 and output an electrical signal representing the oscillation frequency.

In some embodiments, the oscillating circuit 512 oscillates in a single oscillation, and the detection circuit 513 may measure the oscillation frequency of the oscillating circuit 512. Referring to fig. 5, fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of an equivalent circuit of an oscillation circuit of a single oscillation mode according to the present application.

Specifically, the oscillating circuit 512 may include an inductor L and a first capacitor C1, where the inductor L and the first capacitor C1 form an oscillating circuit. The oscillation circuit 512 may be an LC parallel resonance type oscillation circuit 512 or an LC series resonance type oscillation circuit 512. The oscillating circuit 512 is coupled to the detecting circuit 513, and the detecting circuit 513 is configured to output an excitation signal to the oscillating circuit during the oscillation period, and specifically, the excitation signal may be output to the first terminal of the first capacitor C1 during the oscillation period. A first terminal of the first capacitor C1 is coupled to the connection terminal 514 and is coupled to the electrode 32 located on the electronic skin 30 via the connection terminal 514. In this way, the excitation signal output by the detection circuit 513 is output to the first end of the first capacitor C1, so that the oscillation circuit 512 oscillates in a single oscillation mode, and the detection circuit 513 detects the oscillation frequency of the oscillation circuit 512 or the frequency change thereof. Optionally, the first capacitor C1 has a capacitance value of 15-40 pF.

When the distance between the electrode 32 and the external conductor is less than a certain range, the electrode 32 and the external conductor form a second capacitance C2. The second capacitor C2 is connected to the oscillating circuit 512, so that the equivalent capacitance of the oscillating circuit 512 is changed, and the oscillation frequency of the oscillating circuit is changed. Thus, the change in the oscillation frequency is correlated with the second capacitance C2, and since the first capacitance C1 and the inductance L are known, the second capacitance C2 or data relating to the distance between the external conductor and the electrode 32, and the like can be calculated.

Referring to fig. 6, fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of an equivalent circuit of the oscillation circuit of the single oscillation mode according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. One case for a single oscillation implementation is: the second terminal of the first capacitor C1 is coupled to ground earth.

The whole oscillation period is as follows:

the oscillation frequency detected by the detection circuit 513 is:

referring to fig. 7, fig. 7 is another equivalent circuit diagram of an oscillation circuit of a single oscillation mode according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For another case of the single-oscillation embodiment, the oscillation circuit 512 may include a third capacitor C₃And a fourth capacitance C4. The capacitance of the ground terminal of the sensing circuit 51 to earth constitutes a third capacitance C3. The capacitor with the ground terminal coupled to the mechanical device constitutes a fourth capacitor C4. The fourth capacitor C4 is, for example, a capacitor generated by a metal conductor (e.g., a metal bracket, a knuckle bracket, or other metal plate additionally disposed) of the mechanical device, and the ground terminal of the fourth capacitor C4 is much larger than the third capacitor C3. Since the second terminal of the first capacitor C1 is grounded (signal ground) in this manner, the ground terminal of the sensing circuit 51 may be coupled to the second terminal of the first capacitor C1, or the second terminal of the second capacitor C2 may be used as the ground terminal of the sensing circuit 51. In this embodiment, except for explicitly illustrating the coupling to the ground earth, the rest of the grounds are the coupling signal ground or the power ground.

For example, the calculation of the oscillation frequency of the single oscillation for this case can be as follows:

since the grounding end is connected to the metal frame, it is equivalent to connect a large capacitor in parallel with the third capacitor C3I.e. the third capacitor C3 is connected in parallel with the fourth capacitor C4, actually increasing the equivalent capacitance of the third capacitor C3. That is to say that the above-mentioned formula is changed into,

therefore, β ≈ 1 above.

In the first half of the oscillation period:

in the second half of the oscillation period: t is₂＝T₁。

The oscillation frequency detected by the detection circuit 513 is:

wherein, T₁For the first half of the oscillation period, T₂The second half of the oscillation period, C_combBeta is the capacitance coefficient.

Since L, C1 is deterministic, β ≈ 1, f_sDetected by detection circuit 513, so f_sAlso certainly, C2 can thus be calculated according to the above formula.

In other embodiments, the oscillation circuit 512 oscillates in a dual oscillation mode, and the detection circuit 513 may measure the oscillation frequency of the oscillation circuit 512.

The sensing circuit 51 may include a switching circuit coupled to the oscillating circuit 512. The tank circuit 512 includes an inductor L and a first capacitor C1 that form a tank circuit. The oscillation circuit 512 may be an LC parallel resonance type oscillation circuit 512 or an LC series resonance type oscillation circuit 512.

The oscillation circuit 512 may include a first oscillation circuit 512a and a second oscillation circuit 512 b. In some cases, the first and

second oscillation circuits

512a and 512b may be considered to be two states of the oscillation circuit 512. The electrode 32 may belong to one of the first oscillation circuit 512a or the second oscillation circuit 512b, and the switching circuit may alternately switch the first oscillation circuit 512a and the second oscillation circuit 512 b. There are various cases where the switching circuit switches the first oscillation circuit 512a and the second oscillation circuit 512b, as follows:

in the first case, the switching circuit may realize switching of the first oscillation circuit 512a and the second oscillation circuit 512b by switching the connection position of the electrode 32 and the oscillation circuit 512. Referring to fig. 8, fig. 8 is a schematic diagram of an equivalent circuit of a first oscillation circuit and a second oscillation circuit of a dual oscillation mode according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The switching circuit couples the electrode 32 to the first terminal of the first capacitor C1 during the first half of the oscillation cycle, such that the first capacitor C1 and the electrode 32 are connected in series with the second capacitor C2 formed by the external conductor, and the inductor, the first capacitor C1 and the electrode 32 form the first oscillation circuit 512 a. That is, the electrode 32 is coupled to the first terminal of the first capacitor C1 during the first half-cycle of the oscillation cycle, which may be coupled via the connection terminal 514. The inductor, the first capacitor C1 and the electrode 32 form a first oscillating circuit 512a, for example, the detection circuit 513b can output an excitation signal to a first end of the first capacitor C1, so that a capacitance signal generated by a second capacitor C2 formed by the electrode 32 and an external conductor can affect an equivalent capacitance value of the oscillating circuit 512, and the inductor L, the first capacitor C1 and the electrode 32 form the first oscillating circuit 512 a.

The switching circuit couples the electrode 32 to the second terminal of the first capacitor C1 in the second half of the oscillation period, so that the oscillation circuit 512 does not include the electrode 32, and the inductor L and the first capacitor C1 form a second oscillation circuit 512 b. That is, the electrode 32 is coupled to the second terminal of the first capacitor in the second half of the oscillation period, and the two may be coupled through the connection terminal 514. The oscillating circuit 512 does not include the electrode 32, for example, the detection circuit 513 may output the excitation signal to the first terminal of the first capacitor C1, and the second terminal of the first capacitor C1 is grounded, so that the electrode 32 is equivalent to the ground, and the equivalent capacitance of the oscillating circuit 512 cannot be affected, that is, the oscillating circuit 512 does not include the electrode 32, and the second oscillating circuit 512 is composed of the inductor and the first capacitor C1.

In this case, the second terminal of the first capacitor C1 is grounded, and may be coupled to the ground terminal of the sensing circuit 51, or the second terminal of the first capacitor C1 may be used as the ground terminal of the sensing circuit 51.

In the second case, the switching circuit switches the first oscillation circuit 512a and the second oscillation circuit 512b by switching the output position of the excitation signal from the detection circuit 513 at the oscillation circuit 512. Referring to fig. 9, fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of another equivalent circuit of the first oscillation circuit and the second oscillation circuit according to the embodiment of the present application.

The electrode 32 is coupled to a first end of the first capacitor C1 and is used to form a second capacitor C2 with an external conductor. In this case, the connection relationship of the electrode 32 and the first end of the first capacitor C1 may be stable and constant. The switching circuit outputs the excitation signal outputted from the detection circuit 513 to the first terminal of the first capacitor C1 in the first half period of the oscillation cycle, the second terminal of the first capacitor C1 is grounded, and the inductor L, the first capacitor C1 and the electrode 32 constitute a first oscillation circuit 512 a. In this way, the capacitance signal generated by the capacitance formed by the external conductor and the electrode 32 affects the equivalent capacitance of the oscillation circuit 512, and the inductance L, the first capacitance C1 and the electrode 32 form the first oscillation circuit 512 a.

The switching circuit outputs the excitation signal output by the detection circuit 513 to the second end of the first capacitor C1 in the second half of the oscillation period, and the first end of the first capacitor C1 is grounded, so that the oscillation circuit 512 does not include the electrode 32, and the inductor and the first capacitor C1 form a second oscillation circuit 512. In this way, the electrode 32 is grounded through the first end of the first capacitor C1, so that the equivalent capacitance of the oscillating circuit 512 cannot be affected, and the oscillating circuit 512 does not include the electrode 32, and the inductor L and the first capacitor C1 form the second oscillating circuit 512 b.

In this case, the first terminal of the first capacitor C1 is grounded, and may be coupled to the ground terminal of the sensing circuit 51, or the first terminal of the first capacitor C1 may be the ground terminal of the sensing circuit 51.

For the first and second cases described above, the oscillation circuit 512 includes a third capacitor C3 and a fourth capacitor C4. The capacitance of the ground terminal of the sensing circuit 51 to ground constitutes a third capacitance C3. The capacitor with the ground terminal coupled to the mechanical device constitutes a fourth capacitor C4. The fourth capacitor C4 is, for example, a capacitor generated by a metal conductor (e.g., a metal bracket, a knuckle bracket, or other metal plate additionally disposed) of the mechanical device, and the ground terminal of the fourth capacitor C4 is much larger than the third capacitor C3.

For example, the calculation process of the oscillation frequency in the above two cases may be as follows:

since the grounding end is connected to the metal frame, it is equivalent to connect a large capacitor, i.e. the third capacitor C3 and the fourth capacitor C3 in parallel₄In parallel, the equivalent capacitance of the third capacitor C3 is actually increased. Therefore, β ≈ 1 above.

First half cycle of oscillation cycle:

second half period of oscillation period:

oscillation frequency f detected by detection circuit 513_s：

Oscillation frequency f detected by the single oscillation and double oscillation modes_sThe calculated C2, the distance between the conductor and the electrode 32 is further calculated, for example, by:

the distance d between the electrode 32 and the external conductor is calculated from C2:

wherein T1 is the first half period of the oscillation period, T2 is the second half period of the oscillation period, C_combIs equivalent capacitance, β is capacitance coefficient and dielectric constant, S is the facing area of the electrode 32 and the external conductor, and k is electrostatic force constant.

In this embodiment, an area between one third and two thirds of the area of each electrode 32 may be used as the area of the external conductor, and the area of the external conductor may be used as a parameter for detecting the electrical signal. From the calculation formula of the capacitance, the size of C2 is proportional to the facing area S between the electrode 32 and the external conductor and inversely proportional to the distance d between the electrode 32 and the external conductor. In the application, the area of the electrode 32 installed on the robot is fixed, the external conductors close to the electrode 32 can be conductive objects such as people, animals or other mechanical equipment, the sizes and the shapes are different, and when the same external conductor is close to the electrode 32 at different angles, the area opposite to the electrode 32 is also different. Thus constituting C₂May be equal to the area of each electrode 32, or may be smaller than the area of each electrode 32. After long-term research and experimental summarization of the inventor, a certain value between one third and two thirds of the area of the electrode 32 is taken as the area of the external conductor as a parameter of an electric signal, and under the condition that the positive facing area S between the external conductor and the electrode 32 is determined, the positive facing area S can be determined according to C₂The distance between the external conductor and the electrode 32, namely the distance between the external conductor and the robot, is calculated more accurately. Particularly, in the case that the external conductor is a human body, the second capacitance obtained by numerical calculation is more accurate.

Optionally, the oscillation circuit 512 may further include a fifth capacitor C5 and a sixth capacitor C6, a first terminal of the fifth capacitor C5 is connected to a first terminal of the sixth capacitor C6, a second terminal of the fifth capacitor C5 is connected to a first terminal of the first capacitor C1, a second terminal of the sixth capacitor C6 is connected to a second terminal of the first capacitor C1, and the first terminal of the fifth capacitor C5 is grounded. Optionally, the capacitance value of the fifth capacitor C5 is 10-20pF, optionally 18 pF. Optionally, the capacitance value of the sixth capacitor C6 is 10-20pF, optionally 18 pF. By connecting the fifth capacitor C5 and the sixth capacitor C6 in parallel in the oscillation circuit 512, the radiation effect of electromagnetic interference on the signal in the oscillation circuit 512 when the signal is transmitted to the detection circuit 513 can be reduced.

The oscillating circuit 512 may include a seventh capacitor C7 and an eighth capacitor C8, a first terminal of the seventh capacitor C7 is connected to a first terminal of the eighth capacitor C8, a second terminal of the seventh capacitor C7 is connected to a second terminal of the fifth capacitor C5, a second terminal of the eighth capacitor C8 is connected to a second terminal of the sixth capacitor C6, and the first terminal of the seventh capacitor C7 is grounded. The capacitance value of the seventh capacitor C7 may be selected to be 10-20pF, optionally 18 pF. The capacitance value of the eighth capacitor C8 may be selected to be 10-20pF, optionally 18 pF. By connecting the seventh capacitor C7 and the eighth capacitor C8 in parallel in the oscillating circuit 512, the sensitivity of the oscillating circuit 512 to electromagnetic interference can be reduced.

The oscillating circuit 512 may further include a first resistor R1 and a second resistor R2, the first resistor R1 is connected between the second terminal of the seventh capacitor C7 and the second terminal of the fifth capacitor C5, and the second resistor R2 is connected between the second terminal of the eighth capacitor C8 and the second terminal of the sixth capacitor C6. Optionally, the first resistor R1 has a resistance of 0-10 Ω, optionally 1-5 Ω. Optionally, the resistance of the second resistor R2 is 0-10 Ω, optionally 1-5 Ω. By providing the first resistor R1 and the second resistor R2, electromagnetic interference in the oscillation circuit 512 can be reduced.

The sensing circuit 51 may include a substrate (not shown), and a communication terminal 511, a power terminal 516, and a ground terminal 517 disposed on the substrate. The detection circuit 513 and the oscillation circuit 512 are integrated on the substrate. For example, the detection circuit 513 is integrated as a chip, and is integrated with the oscillation circuit 512 on the substrate. The connection terminal 514 may be provided on the substrate. Wherein the communication terminal 511 is used for outputting an electrical signal, the power terminal 516 is used for coupling with an external power source, and the connection terminal 514 is coupled with the first end or the second end of the first capacitor C1.

Optionally, the sensing circuit 51 is an FPC flexible circuit board. FPC flexible printed circuit boards, also called flexible boards, flexible circuit boards, are flexible printed circuit boards made of flexible insulating base materials (usually polyimide or polyester films) with high reliability. The flexible circuit board has the characteristics of high wiring density, light weight, thin thickness and good bending property. The flexible connector can be freely bent, wound and folded, can bear millions of dynamic bending without damaging the lead, can be randomly arranged according to the space layout requirement, and can be randomly moved and stretched in a three-dimensional space, so that the integration of component assembly and lead connection is realized. The adoption of the FPC flexible circuit board can reduce the thickness of the flat cable of the sensing circuit 51 and can reduce the weight and volume of the robot 1.

The detection circuit 513 is coupled to the communication terminal 511, the power terminal 516, and the ground terminal 517. The detection circuit 513 outputs an electric signal through the communication terminal 511. The power terminal 516 is coupled to a power source for supplying power to the sensing circuit 51. The ground terminal 517 provides a grounding function.

Further, the detection circuit 513 includes a first input terminal 5131, a second input terminal 5132, a detection power terminal 5133, a detection communication terminal 5134, and a detection ground terminal 5135. The first input terminal 5131 is coupled to a first terminal of the first capacitor C1, and the second input terminal 5132 is coupled to a second terminal of the first capacitor C1. The detection power supply terminal 5133 is coupled to an internal power supply. The internal power source may be formed by an external power source after performing a corresponding adaptation process, which will be described later. The detection communication terminal 5134 is coupled to the communication terminal 511, and the detection ground terminal 5135 is connected to the ground terminal 517. The detection communication terminal 5134 is, for example, an IIC communication terminal.

The detection circuit 513 may output the excitation signal to the oscillation circuit 512 through the first input terminal 5131 or the second input terminal 5132. In this manner, the detection circuit 513 can output the excitation signal to the first end of the first capacitor C1 through the first input terminal 5131 in accordance with the input method of the excitation signal to the single oscillation circuit 512. For example, when the excitation signal is output to the oscillation circuit 512 through the first input terminal 5131, the second input terminal 5132 may be grounded such that the first end of the first capacitor C1 receives the excitation signal and the second end of the first capacitor C1 is grounded. For example, when the excitation signal is outputted to the oscillation circuit 512 through the second input terminal 5132, the first input terminal 5131 may be grounded, so that the second terminal of the first capacitor C1 receives the excitation signal and the first terminal of the first capacitor C1 is grounded.

The sensing circuit 51 may include a ninth capacitor C9, a tenth capacitor C10, and an eleventh capacitor C11, a first terminal of the ninth capacitor C9, a first terminal of the tenth capacitor C10, and a first terminal of the eleventh capacitor C11 coupled to each other and coupled between the sensing power terminal 516 and the internal power source, a second terminal of the ninth capacitor C9, a second terminal of the tenth capacitor C10, and a second terminal of the eleventh capacitor C11 coupled to each other and grounded. Further, the capacitance values of the ninth capacitor C9, the tenth capacitor C10 and the eleventh capacitor C11 are different, for example, the capacitance value of the ninth capacitor C9 is 0.5-2 μ F, the capacitance value of the tenth capacitor C10 is 80-150nF, and the capacitance value of the eleventh capacitor C11 is 8-15 nF. Through the grounded capacitance that the output of internal power source is parallelly connected the difference of three capacity, can filter the ripple and the interference wave of different frequency bands, specifically speaking, the great electric capacity of electric capacity filters the interference of lower frequency, and the less electric capacity of electric capacity filters the interference of angle high frequency to reduce the interference of power noise to the signal of telecommunication.

Referring to fig. 10, fig. 10 is a schematic structural diagram of a voltage reduction circuit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The sensing circuit 51 may include a voltage step-down circuit 519. The voltage reducing circuit 519 is coupled to the power supply terminal 516, and is configured to reduce the voltage of an input external power supply and output an operating voltage to the detecting circuit 513 (or the power supply filter circuit) and the crystal oscillator circuit 518, for example, the external power supply of VCC _5V is input, and a VCC _3.3V power supply can be output as an internal power supply through the voltage reducing circuit 519, so that the sensing circuit 51 operates. The voltage-reducing circuit 519 has small output power supply ripple and low noise, so that the interference of power supply noise on electric signals can be reduced.

Specifically, the voltage-reducing circuit 519 includes a voltage-reducing chip 5191, a fifth resistor R5, a thirteenth capacitor C13, a fourteenth capacitor C14, a fifteenth capacitor C15, and a sixteenth capacitor C16, the buck chip 5191 includes an input interface 51911, a ground interface 51912 coupled to ground, an output interface 51913, a BYPASS pin 51914, and a switch pin 51915, where the input interface 51911 is coupled to a first end of a fifth resistor R5, a second end of the fifth resistor R5 is coupled to the power terminal 511, a first end of a thirteenth capacitor C13 and a first end of a fourteenth capacitor C14 are respectively coupled to a first end of the fifth resistor R5, a second end of the thirteenth capacitor C13 and a second end of the fourteenth capacitor C14 are grounded, the BYPASS pin 51914 is connected to a first end of a fifteenth capacitor C15, a second end of the fifteenth capacitor C15 is grounded, the output interface 51913 is configured to output an internal power source, a first end of the sixteenth capacitor C16 is coupled to the output interface 51913, and a second end of the sixteenth capacitor C16 is grounded. The resistance of the fifth resistor R5 is, for example, 100-150 Ω, the capacitance of the thirteenth capacitor C13 is, for example, 8-15 μ F, the capacitance of the fourteenth capacitor is, for example, 80-150nF, the capacitance of the fifteenth capacitor C15 is, for example, 5-15nF, and the capacitance of the sixteenth capacitor C16 is, for example, 0.8-3 μ F.

Referring to fig. 4, the detection circuit 513 may include a crystal terminal 517, and the sensing circuit 51 includes a crystal circuit 518 coupled to the crystal terminal 517. The crystal oscillator circuit 518 outputs a fixed crystal oscillator frequency to the detection circuit 513 through the crystal oscillator terminal 517 so that the detection circuit 513 can output an excitation signal to the oscillation circuit 512 within an oscillation period.

The crystal oscillator circuit 518 includes a crystal oscillator chip 5181, a third resistor R3, a fourth resistor R4, and a twelfth capacitor C12. The crystal oscillator chip 5181 includes a power pin 51811, an output pin 81822, and a ground pin 51833, where the power pin 51811 is coupled to an internal power supply and a first end of a twelfth capacitor C12, a second end of the twelfth capacitor C12 is grounded, the output pin 81822 is coupled to a second end of a third resistor R3, a first end of the third resistor R3 is connected to the crystal oscillator terminal 517 and a first end of a fourth resistor R4, and a second end of the fourth resistor R4 is grounded. The third resistor R3, the grounded fourth resistor R4 and the twelfth capacitor C12 are externally connected to two ends of the crystal oscillator chip 5181, so that the crystal oscillator chip 5181 obtains a gain to start oscillation, and the crystal oscillator circuit 518 is ensured to continuously oscillate at a fixed frequency.

The capacitance value of the twelfth capacitor C12 is for example 80-150nF, optionally 100 nF. The third resistor R3 has a resistance of, for example, 0-10 omega, optionally 1-5 omega. The fourth resistor R4 has a resistance of 40-60 Ω, for example, and may be selected to be 50 Ω.

After the crystal oscillator circuit 518 is operated, a corresponding signal can be output to the detection circuit 513, so that the detection circuit 513 is operated and an excitation signal is output to the oscillation circuit 512. When the external conductor approaches the electrode 32, the oscillation frequency of the oscillation circuit 512 is changed, so that the detection circuit 513 can detect the distance between the electrode 32 and the external conductor or the change thereof by using the capacitance between the electrode 32 and the external conductor or the change thereof, and obtain an electric signal representing the distance between the electrode 32 and the external conductor or the change thereof.

The detection circuit 513 detects an electrical signal of the oscillating circuit, which may comprise measurement DATA_XMeasured DATA DATA_XProportional to the measured oscillation frequency f_sAnd a preset reference frequency f_rThe ratio of (a) to (b). The formula is expressed as follows:

where K is a preset coefficient related to the attribute of the detection circuit 513, for example, K has a value range of 2¹⁴～2²⁸。

In one mode, the inductor L and the first capacitor C1 form an oscillating loop with a fixed oscillating frequency as a preset reference frequency f_r. In another mode, the crystal oscillation frequency of the crystal oscillation chip 5181 is taken as the preset reference oscillation frequency f_r。

In this embodiment, the number of the oscillation circuits 512 is at least two, and the detection circuits 513 are respectively coupled to different electrodes 32, and are configured to detect oscillation frequencies of at least two oscillation circuits 512 and correspondingly output at least two electrical signals. The different electrodes 32 may be different robotic arms 20, or different joints, or may be located at different positions on the same robotic arm 20, or different positions on the same joint.

The detection circuit 513 of the present application is coupled to the electrode 32 located on the electronic skin 30 through a connection terminal 514. When the approaching conductor approaches the electrode 32, the electrode 32 can form a capacitance with the approaching conductor, when the relative position relationship between the approaching conductor and the electrode 32 changes, the capacitance value of the capacitance also changes, and by connecting the electrode 32 to the detection circuit 513 generating an electric signal representing the capacitance or the change thereof, the distance between the electrode 32 and the conductor or the change thereof can be further obtained, so that the detection circuit 513 of the mechanical device can sense the approach of the external conductor, and the non-contact distance sensing is realized.

The microprocessor of the logic circuit board 52 receives the electrical signal representing the distance between the electrode 32 and the external conductor or the change thereof from the sensing circuit 51 through the first communication terminal 522, and performs filtering processing on the electrical signal to obtain a filtered electrical signal. The interference of noise in the circuit can be reduced by filtering the electric signal, and the accuracy of the electric signal is improved.

In one embodiment, the logic circuit board 52 outputs the filtered electrical signal to the joint control board 53 or the master control board 54 through the second communication terminal 523, and the microprocessor 531 of the joint control board 53 or the microprocessor 541 of the master control board 54 calculates the distance between the electrode 32 and the external conductor or the value of the change thereof from the electrical signal.

In another embodiment, the microprocessor 521 of the logic circuit board 52 receives an electric signal indicating the distance between the electrode 32 and the external conductor or a change thereof from the sensing circuit 51 through the first communication terminal 522, and calculates the value of the distance between the electrode 32 and the external conductor or a change thereof based on the electric signal.

The microprocessor, whether it is the logic circuit board 52, the joint control board 53 or the master control board 54, receives the measurement DATA DATA_XThe distance between the electrode 32 and the external conductor or the variation value thereof is calculated according to the electric signal, and the calculation can be performed as follows:

based on measurement DATA DATA_XAnd f_sThe relationship of (1):

wherein, CH_XFIN SEL is the configuration value of the register in the chip integrated by the detection circuit, the value of which is related to the chip used and can be configured, CH_XThe value of _ FIN _ SEL can be read from the chip.

For the single oscillation mode, T₁＝T₂According to the oscillation frequency f_sThe second capacitance C2 can be calculated by applying a differential integration method:

for the dual oscillation mode, according to the oscillation frequency f_sThe second capacitance C2 can be calculated by applying a differential integration method:

further, the capacitance value of the second capacitor C2. And the distance d of the electrode 32 from the external conductor is calculated according to the following formula:

where, is the dielectric constant, S is the facing area of the electrode 32 and the external conductor, and k is the electrostatic force constant.

Since the number of the oscillation circuits 512 is at least two, the detection circuit 513 is configured to detect the oscillation frequencies of at least two oscillation circuits 512 and output at least two kinds of electric signals accordingly. The microprocessor 541 of the master board 54 obtains at least two electrical signals from the sensing circuit 51, calculates each electrical signal from the sensing circuit 51, and obtains a respective electrical signal indicative of the distance between the external conductor and the electrode 32 or a change thereof.

In some embodiments, after microprocessor 541 of master control board 54 obtains the respective electrical signals indicative of the distance between the external conductor and electrode 32 or the change thereof, an electrical signal indicative of the smallest distance between the external conductor and electrode 32 or the largest change thereof is determined from the respective electrical signals indicative of the distance between the external conductor and electrode 32 or the change thereof as the electrical signal indicative of the distance between the external conductor and electrode 32 or the change thereof. For example, when an external conductor approaches the robot 1, the electrodes a and B on the robot 1 both sense the approach of the external conductor and generate electric signals representing the distance between the external conductor and the electrodes 32, respectively. The robot 1 can calculate the distance between the external conductor and each electrode 32 or the change thereof from the electric signal. And then selecting the electric signal corresponding to the minimum distance or the maximum distance change as the electric signal representing the distance between the external conductor and the robot 1 or the change of the distance. For example, if the distance between the external conductor and the electrode a is calculated to be longer than the lengths of the external conductor and the electrode B, the electric signal corresponding to the electrode a is selected as the electric signal representing the distance between the external conductor and the robot 1.

Alternatively, the robot 1 may determine, from the generated electric signals, an electric signal indicating that the distance between the external conductor and the electrode 32 is the smallest or the largest in change, as the electric signal indicating the distance between the external conductor and the robot 1 or the change thereof. For example, when an external conductor approaches the robot 1, the electrodes a and B on the robot 1 both sense the approach of the external conductor and generate electric signals representing the distance between the external conductor and the electrodes 32, respectively. The robot 1 can calculate the distance between the external conductor and each electrode 32 or the change thereof from the electric signal. And then selecting the electric signal corresponding to the minimum distance or the maximum distance change as the electric signal representing the distance between the external conductor and the metal frame of the robot 1 or the change of the distance. For example, if the distance between the external conductor and the electrode a is calculated to be longer than the length between the external conductor and the induction electrode B, the electric signal corresponding to the electrode a is selected as the electric signal representing the distance between the external conductor and the robot 1.

In other embodiments, after the microprocessor 541 of the master control board 54 obtains the respective electrical signals representing the distance between the external conductor and the electrode 32 or the change thereof, the coordinates of the external conductor relative to the robot may be calculated according to the respective electrical signals representing the distance between the external conductor and the electrode 32 or the change thereof and the coordinates of the corresponding electrode 32.

The coordinates of the electrode 32 are, for example, coordinates of the electrode 32 relative to the whole or some parts of the robot 1 in the current motion state of the robot 1, such as coordinates relative to the base 40 of the robot 1. Alternatively, the coordinates of the electrode 32 may be spatial coordinates with respect to the current motion environment of the robot 1. Alternatively, the calculated coordinates of the external conductor may be coordinates with respect to the whole or some parts of the robot 1. In the present embodiment, the more the robot 1 detects the approach of the external conductor, the more accurate the coordinates of the external conductor calculated from the electric signal and the coordinates of the corresponding electrode 32.

For example, both electrodes a and B on the robot 1 sense the proximity of an external conductor and generate electrical signals indicative of the distance between the external conductor and the electrodes 32, respectively. A coordinate system is established by taking the base 40 of the robot 1 as a center, the robot 1 acquires respective coordinates of the electrode a and the electrode B in the current motion state, and the coordinates of the external conductor are calculated according to the electric signal corresponding to each electrode 32 and the coordinates of the corresponding electrode 32.

In some embodiments, the coordinates and the changes of the external conductor may be calculated according to the changes of the electrical signals of the electrodes 32, and the moving track of the external conductor relative to the robot 1 is predicted based on the coordinates and the changes of the coordinates and the movement of the robot 1, so that the robot 1 can conveniently avoid the obstacle according to the moving track of the external conductor in a proper manner.

Each electrical signal from the sensing circuit 51 corresponds to a different electrode 32, and the different electrodes 32 are located at different positions on the same robot arm 20, at different positions on the same joint 10, or on different robot arms 20 or joints 10.

In summary, the detection circuit 513 of the present application is coupled to the electrode 32 on the electronic skin 30 through the connection terminal 514. When the approaching conductor approaches the electrode 32, the electrode 32 can form a capacitance with the approaching conductor, when the relative position relationship between the approaching conductor and the electrode 32 changes, the capacitance value of the capacitance also changes, and by connecting the electrode 32 to the detection circuit 513 generating an electric signal representing the capacitance or the change thereof, the distance between the electrode 32 and the conductor or the change thereof can be further obtained, so that the detection circuit 513 of the mechanical device can sense the approach of the external conductor, and the non-contact distance sensing is realized.

The above description is only an example of the present application and is not intended to limit the scope of the present application, and all modifications of equivalent structures and equivalent processes, which are made by the contents of the specification and the drawings, or which are directly or indirectly applied to other related technical fields, are intended to be included within the scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A sensing circuit, comprising:

a connection terminal for coupling an electrode located on an electronic skin of a mechanical device;

and the detection circuit is coupled with the connecting terminal so as to detect the distance between the electrode and the external conductor or the change of the distance by utilizing the capacitance between the electrode and the external conductor or the change of the capacitance, and obtain an electric signal representing the distance between the electrode and the external conductor or the change of the distance.

2. The sensing circuit of claim 1, comprising:

an oscillating circuit coupled to the connection terminal for coupling the electrode through the connection terminal to change an oscillating frequency thereof when an external conductor forms a capacitance near the electrode;

the detection circuit is specifically configured to couple to the oscillation circuit to detect the oscillation frequency and output the electrical signal representing the oscillation frequency.

3. The sensing circuit of claim 2,

the oscillating circuit comprises an inductor and a first capacitor which form an oscillating circuit, and the electrode is connected to the first end of the first capacitor and is used for forming a second capacitor with an external conductor;

the detection circuit is used for outputting an excitation signal to a first end of the first capacitor in an oscillation period, and a second end of the first capacitor is grounded.

4. The sensing circuit of claim 2, comprising:

a switching circuit coupled to the oscillation circuit;

wherein the oscillation circuit includes a first oscillation circuit and a second oscillation circuit, the electrode belongs to one of the first oscillation circuit or the second oscillation circuit, and the switching circuit alternately switches the first oscillation circuit and the second oscillation circuit.

5. The sensing circuit of claim 4,

the oscillating circuit comprises an inductor and a first capacitor which form an oscillating circuit;

the switching circuit couples the electrode to a first end of the first capacitor in a first half period of an oscillation cycle, so that the first capacitor and a second capacitor formed by the electrode and an external conductor are connected in series, and the inductor, the first capacitor and the electrode form the first oscillation circuit;

the switching circuit couples the electrode to the second terminal of the first capacitor in a second half of an oscillation period, so that the oscillation circuit does not include the electrode, and the inductor and the first capacitor form the second oscillation circuit.

6. The sensing circuit of claim 4,

the switching circuit outputs the excitation signal output by the detection circuit to a first end of the first capacitor in the first half period of the oscillation period, a second end of the first capacitor is grounded, and the inductor, the first capacitor and the electrode form the first oscillation circuit;

the switching circuit outputs the excitation signal output by the detection circuit to the second end of the first capacitor in the second half period of the oscillation period, and the first end of the first capacitor is grounded, so that the oscillation circuit does not comprise the electrode, and the inductor and the first capacitor form the second oscillation circuit.

7. The sensing circuit according to any one of claims 3, 5-6,

the oscillating circuit comprises a third capacitor and a fourth capacitor, the third capacitor is a capacitor of a grounding end of the sensing circuit to the ground, the fourth capacitor is a capacitor of the grounding end coupled to mechanical equipment, and the fourth capacitor is far larger than the third capacitor; the second terminal of the first capacitor is grounded, the ground terminal is coupled to the second terminal of the first capacitor, or the first terminal of the first capacitor is grounded, and the ground terminal is coupled to the first terminal of the first capacitor.

8. The sensing circuit of claim 7,

the fourth capacitor is a capacitor of which the grounding end is coupled to a metal frame of a main body on mechanical equipment; and/or the capacitance value of the first capacitor is 15-40 pF.

9. The sensing circuit according to any one of claims 3, 5-6,

the oscillating circuit comprises a fifth capacitor and a sixth capacitor, wherein the first end of the fifth capacitor is connected with the first end of the sixth capacitor, the second end of the fifth capacitor is connected with the first end of the first capacitor, and the second end of the sixth capacitor is connected with the second end of the first capacitor.

10. The sensing circuit of claim 9,

the oscillating circuit comprises a seventh capacitor and an eighth capacitor, wherein the first end of the seventh capacitor is connected with the first end of the eighth capacitor, the second end of the seventh capacitor is connected with the second end of the fifth capacitor, and the second end of the eighth capacitor is connected with the second end of the sixth capacitor.

11. The sensing circuit of claim 10,

the oscillating circuit comprises a first resistor and a second resistor, the first resistor is connected between the second end of the seventh capacitor and the second end of the fifth capacitor, and the second resistor is connected between the second end of the eighth capacitor and the second end of the sixth capacitor.

12. The sensing circuit of claim 11,

the first end of the fifth capacitor is grounded, and the first end of the seventh capacitor is grounded.

13. The sensing circuit of claim 12,

the capacitance value of fifth electric capacity is 10-20pF, the capacitance value of sixth electric capacity is 10-20pF, the capacitance value of seventh electric capacity is 10-20pF, the capacitance value of eighth electric capacity is 10-20pF, the resistance of first resistance is 0-10 omega, the resistance of second resistance is 0-10 omega.

14. The sensing circuit according to any one of claims 3, 5-6,

the sensing circuit comprises a substrate, a communication terminal, a power terminal and a grounding terminal, wherein the communication terminal, the power terminal and the grounding terminal are arranged on the substrate, the detection circuit and the oscillation circuit are integrated on the substrate, the detection circuit is coupled with the communication terminal, the power terminal and the grounding terminal, the connecting terminal is arranged on the substrate, and the oscillation circuit and the detection circuit are coupled with the connecting terminal together.

15. The sensing circuit of claim 14,

the sensing circuit is an FPC flexible circuit board.

16. The sensing circuit of claim 14,

the communication terminal is used for outputting the electric signal, the power supply terminal is used for being coupled with an external power supply, and the connecting terminal is coupled with the first end or the second end of the first capacitor.

17. The sensing circuit of claim 14,

the detection circuit comprises a first input terminal, a second input terminal, a detection power supply terminal, a detection communication terminal and a detection grounding terminal, wherein the first input terminal is coupled with the first end of the first capacitor, and the second input terminal is coupled with the second end of the first capacitor; the detection power supply terminal is coupled with an internal power supply, the detection communication terminal is coupled with the communication terminal, the detection grounding terminal is connected with the grounding terminal, and the detection communication terminal is an IIC communication terminal.

18. The sensing circuit of claim 17,

the sensing circuit comprises a ninth capacitor, a tenth capacitor and an eleventh capacitor, wherein a first end of the ninth capacitor, a first end of the tenth capacitor and a first end of the eleventh capacitor are coupled with each other and coupled between the detection power supply terminal and the internal power supply, and a second end of the ninth capacitor, a second end of the tenth capacitor and a second end of the eleventh capacitor are coupled with each other and grounded.

19. The sensing circuit of claim 18,

the capacitance value of the ninth capacitor is 0.5-2 muF, the capacitance value of the tenth capacitor is 80-150nF, and the capacitance value of the eleventh capacitor is 8-15 nF.

20. The sensing circuit of claim 17,

the detection circuit comprises a crystal oscillator terminal, the sensing circuit comprises a crystal oscillator circuit coupled with the crystal oscillator terminal, the crystal oscillator circuit comprises a crystal oscillator chip, a third resistor, a fourth resistor and a twelfth capacitor, the crystal oscillator chip comprises a power supply pin, an output pin and a grounding pin, the power supply pin is coupled with the internal power supply and a first end of the twelfth capacitor, a second end of the twelfth capacitor is grounded, the output pin is coupled with a second end of the third resistor, the first end of the third resistor is connected with the crystal oscillator terminal and a first end of the fourth resistor, and a second end of the fourth resistor is grounded.

21. The sensing circuit of claim 20,

the capacitance value of the twelfth capacitor is 80-150nF, the resistance value of the third resistor is 0-10 omega, and the resistance value of the fourth resistor is 40-60 omega.

22. The sensing circuit of claim 17,

the sensing circuit comprises a voltage reduction circuit, which is coupled to the power supply terminal and is configured to receive an external power supply, perform voltage reduction processing and output a working voltage to the detection circuit and the oscillation circuit, the voltage reduction circuit comprises a voltage reduction chip, a fifth resistor, a thirteenth capacitor, a fourteenth capacitor, a fifteenth capacitor and a sixteenth capacitor, the voltage reduction chip comprises an input interface, a ground interface coupled to ground, an output interface, a BYPASS pin and a switch pin, the input interface is coupled to a first end of the fifth resistor, a second end of the fifth resistor is coupled to the power supply terminal, a first end of the thirteenth capacitor and a first end of the fourteenth capacitor are respectively coupled to a first end of the fifth resistor, a second end of the thirteenth capacitor and a second end of the fourteenth capacitor are grounded, and the BYPASS pin is connected to a first end of the fifteenth capacitor, a second end of the fifteenth capacitor is grounded, the output interface is configured to output the internal power, a first end of the sixteenth capacitor is coupled to the output interface, and a second end of the sixteenth capacitor is grounded.

23. The sensing circuit of claim 22,

the resistance value of the fifth resistor is 100-150 omega, the capacitance value of the thirteenth capacitor is 8-15 muF, the capacitance value of the fourteenth capacitor is 80-150nF, the capacitance value of the fifteenth capacitor is 5-15nF, and the capacitance value of the sixteenth capacitor is 0.8-3 muF.

24. The sensing circuit according to any one of claims 3, 5-6,

and taking the area between one third and two thirds of the area of the electrode as the area of the external conductor, and taking the area of the external conductor as a parameter for detecting the electric signal.

25. The sensing circuit of claim 2,

the electrical signal comprises measurement data proportional to a ratio of the oscillation frequency to a preset reference frequency.

26. The sensing circuit of claim 2,

the number of the oscillation circuits is at least two, the oscillation circuits are respectively used for being coupled with different electrodes, and the detection circuit is used for detecting the oscillation frequency of at least two oscillation circuits and correspondingly outputting at least two electric signals.

27. A logic circuit board, comprising:

the device comprises a microprocessor, a first communication terminal and a second communication terminal;

wherein the microprocessor is coupled to the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal, respectively, the first communication terminal being adapted to be coupled to the sensing circuit according to any of claims 1-26.

28. The logic circuit board of claim 27, comprising:

the microprocessor is used for filtering the electric signal from the sensing circuit and outputting the filtered electric signal through the second communication terminal.

29. The logic circuit board of claim 28,

the second communication terminal is an RS485 communication terminal; and/or the second communication terminal is for coupling to a robot control board.

30. The logic circuit board of claim 27,

the microprocessor is used for processing the electric signal from the sensing circuit to obtain an electric signal representing the distance between the external conductor and the electrode or the change of the distance.

31. The logic circuit board of claim 27,

the logic circuit board comprises a first power supply terminal and a second power supply terminal, the first power supply terminal is coupled with the second power supply terminal and the microprocessor and is used for being coupled with an external power supply, and the second power supply terminal is used for being coupled with the sensing circuit and further supplying power to the sensing circuit.

32. A joint control plate, comprising:

the device comprises a microprocessor, a motor driving circuit, a first communication terminal and a second communication terminal;

wherein the microprocessor is respectively coupled with the motor driving circuit, the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal, the first communication terminal is used for being coupled with the logic circuit board according to claim 27, and the second communication terminal is used for being connected with a robot main control board;

the motor driving circuit is used for driving the robot to move.

33. The joint control plate of claim 32, comprising:

the microprocessor is used for processing the electric signals from the sensing circuit to obtain electric signals representing the distance between the external conductor and the electrode or the change of the distance, and sending the electric signals to the motor driving circuit so as to control the robot to avoid colliding with the external conductor or reduce the collision degree.

34. The joint control plate of claim 32, comprising:

the microprocessor is used for receiving the electric signal from the sensing circuit through the first communication terminal and transmitting the electric signal to the robot main control board through the second communication terminal.

35. The articular control plate of claim 32,

the joint control board comprises a first power supply terminal and a second power supply terminal, the first power supply terminal is coupled with the second power supply terminal and the microprocessor and is used for being coupled with an external power supply, and the second power supply terminal is used for being coupled with the logic circuit board and further supplying power for the logic circuit.

36. A robot master control board is characterized by comprising

wherein the microprocessor is coupled to the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal, respectively, and the first communication terminal is used for being coupled with the logic circuit board according to claim 27 or the joint control board according to claim 32;

37. The master board of claim 36,

the microprocessor is configured to process the electrical signal from the sensing circuit to obtain an electrical signal representing a distance or a change between the external conductor and the electrode, specifically:

the microprocessor obtains at least two electric signals from the sensing circuit, calculates each electric signal from the sensing circuit to obtain each electric signal representing the distance between the external conductor and the electrode or the change of the distance between the external conductor and the electrode, and determines the electric signal representing the minimum distance between the external conductor and the electrode or the maximum change of the distance between the external conductor and the electrode from the electric signals representing the distance between the external conductor and the electrode or the change of the distance between the external conductor and the electrode as the electric signal representing the distance between the external conductor and the electrode or the change of the distance between the external conductor and the electrode;

wherein each of the electrical signals from the sensing circuits corresponds to a different one of the electrodes, and the different electrodes are located at different positions of the same robotic arm or on different robotic arms.

38. The master board of claim 36,

the microprocessor obtains at least two electric signals from the sensing circuit, and calculates each electric signal from the sensing circuit to obtain each electric signal representing the distance between the external conductor and the electrode or the change of the distance;

the microprocessor, after obtaining an electrical signal indicative of the distance or change between the external conductor and the electrode, comprises:

calculating the coordinates of the external conductor according to the electric signals representing the distance between the external conductor and the electrode or the change of the distance between the external conductor and the electrode and the corresponding electrode coordinates of the electric signals;

39. A robot control system comprising the sensing circuit of claim 1, the logic circuit board of claim 27, the joint control board of claim 32, and the robot master board of claim 36.

40. The control system of claim 39,

two or more of the sensing circuit, the logic circuit board, the joint control board and the robot master control board are integrated into the same circuit board.

41. The control system of claim 39,

the logic circuit board is used for sending first inquiry information to the sensing circuit;

the sensing circuit is used for responding to the first inquiry information and sending first response information including an electric signal representing the distance between the electrode and the external conductor or the change of the distance to the logic control board so that the logic control board processes the electric signal;

the joint control board is used for sending second inquiry information to the logic circuit board;

the logic circuit board is used for responding to the second inquiry information and sending second response information including the processed electric signals to the joint control board;

the joint control panel is used for sending the processed electric signal to the robot main control panel.

42. A robot comprising a robot control system according to claim 39.

43. A robot as claimed in claim 42,

the robot comprises at least one joint, at least one mechanical arm and at least one piece of electronic skin, wherein the mechanical arm is connected with the joint, the mechanical arm comprises a metal bracket and the robot control system according to claim 39, and the electronic skin is coated on the metal bracket; and/or the joint comprises a joint support and the robot control system of claim 39, the electronic skin being coated on the joint support.