JP2018160266A - Sensor system integrated with glove - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide sensors suitable for many applications for many sensor gloves.SOLUTION: An embodiment comprises: a first thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) substrate 802 having two or more sensor traces; a plurality of conductive traces 804 on the first TPU substrate; and piezoresistive fabric 806 thermally bonded to the first TPU substrate and being in contact with the two or more sensor traces. The piezoresistive fabric and the two or more sensor traces form sensors.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

  This application claims priority from US Provisional Application No. 62 / 072,798 (Attorney Docket No. BBOPP004P3) filed Oct. 30, 2014 under the name of the invention of Flexible Sensors and Applications. . This application also claims priority from US patent application Ser. No. 14 / 671,821, filed on Mar. 27, 2015 (Attorney Docket No. BBOPP004X2) filed on March 27, 2015 under the name of the invention of Flexible Sensors and Applications. To do. The entire disclosure of each of the above applications is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes.

  The demand for multiple technologies that bridge the gap between multiple computing devices and the physical world is increasing rapidly. These interfaces generally require some form of sensor technology to convert information from the physical domain to the digital domain. The "Internet of Things" anticipates the use of multiple sensors in a virtually unlimited range of applications. For many of them, conventional sensor technology is not well suited.

  According to various embodiments, multiple sensors and multiple uses of multiple sensors are provided. According to some embodiments, the sensor system includes a flexible substrate for alignment or integration with a portion of the globe. A plurality of conductive wiring groups formed directly on the substrate at a plurality of sensor positions correspond to at least some finger joints of a human hand. Each of these conductive wiring groups includes two or more conductive wirings. The resistance between the plurality of conductive wires in each of these conductive wire groups changes depending on the force applied to the piezoresistive material in contact with the conductive wire group. The circuit is configured to receive a signal from each of the plurality of conductive wiring groups and generate control information in response thereto. The control information represents a force with respect to the piezoresistive material in contact with each of the plurality of conductive wiring groups.

  According to one particular type of embodiments, the flexible substrate is a dielectric material and the piezoresistive material is a plurality of patches. Each patch of piezoresistive material contacts a corresponding one of the plurality of conductive wiring groups at a plurality of sensor locations. According to a more specific embodiment, the dielectric material is a thermoplastic material and the sensor system includes a second flexible substrate of thermoplastic material. The flexible substrate on which the plurality of conductive wiring groups are formed, the plurality of patches of piezoresistive material, and the second flexible substrate are thermally bonded together, so that the plurality of patches of piezoresistive material are It is fixed so as to be in contact with the conductive wiring group.

  According to another type of embodiments, the flexible substrate is a piezoresistive material, which may be, for example, a piezoresistive fabric.

  A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the various embodiments will be realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification and the drawings.

The some example of the some wiring pattern which can be integrated with a flexible substrate is shown.

2 shows several examples of various types of strain on a flexible substrate.

Fig. 3 shows a specific example of a sensor array.

FIG. 6 is a simplified block diagram of a sensor circuit suitable for use with various embodiments.

The example of the several relationship of the piezoresistive board | substrate, several conductive wiring, and several other conductive element in a single-sided and double-sided sensor mounting is shown.

3 shows another embodiment of a sensor array.

3 shows another embodiment of a sensor array.

2 illustrates an example of a cross section of a portion of a plurality of components of a sensor system.

An example of a sensor array integrated with a glove blank is shown.

3 shows another embodiment of a sensor array.

3 shows another embodiment of a sensor array.

  Multiple sensors and multiple sensor systems incorporating multiple piezoresistive materials are described in this disclosure. In particular, multiple sensor systems for integration with a human hand glove are described. A number of specific embodiments are described herein, including a number of expected best modes. Examples of these embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. However, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to these described examples. Rather, this disclosure is intended to cover multiple alternatives, modifications, and equivalents of these examples. In the following description, specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of these described embodiments. Some embodiments may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. Furthermore, well-known features may not be described in detail to facilitate clarity.

  The plurality of piezoresistive materials includes any of certain materials that exhibit a change in electrical resistance in response to a mechanical force or pressure applied to the material. One type of the multiple sensor systems described herein may or may not be formed directly on a flexible substrate of a piezoresistive material, such as a piezoresistive fabric or other flexible material. A plurality of conductive wirings integrated with a flexible substrate. Another type of the multiple sensor systems described herein may be integrated directly into the flexible dielectric substrate and directly into the dielectric substrate of flexible piezoresistive material that contacts multiple portions of the multiple wires. A plurality of conductive wirings formed or otherwise integrated with the dielectric substrate is included. When force or pressure is applied to such a sensor system, the resistance between the wires connected by the piezoresistive material represents the applied force and changes in a time-varying manner. A signal representing the magnitude of the applied force is generated based on the change in resistance. This signal is captured via multiple conductive traces (eg, as a voltage or current), digitized (eg, by an analog to digital converter), and (eg, by an associated processor or controller or appropriate control circuitry) Processed and mapped to control functions that can be used with virtually any type of process, device, or system (eg, by an associated processor, controller, or control circuit). The multiple output signals from such multiple sensor systems can also be, for example, bent, extended, twisted, rotated, of the substrate on which the sensor systems are formed or integrated. Can be used to detect various distortions and / or deformations, and so on.

  Form a sensor or sensor array that fits any arbitrary shape or volume by directly printing, screen printing, depositing, or otherwise forming multiple conductive traces on multiple flexible substrates Is possible. The piezoresistive material on which a plurality of wirings are formed or in contact with the plurality of wirings may be any of various woven and non-woven fabrics having a plurality of piezoresistance characteristics. The piezoresistive material is a variety of flexible, stretchable or otherwise deformable materials having multiple piezoresistive properties (eg, rubber or stretch fabrics such as spandex or open mesh fabrics) Multiple embodiments are also contemplated, which can be any of The plurality of conductive wirings may be formed on the piezoresistive material or the flexible dielectric substrate using any of various conductive inks or paints. Embodiments are also contemplated where the plurality of conductive traces are formed using any flexible conductive material that can be formed on a flexible substrate. Thus, although specific embodiments have been described with reference to specific materials and techniques, it should be understood that the scope of the disclosure is not so limited.

  For example, both single-sided and double-sided mountings where multiple conductive wiring can be printed on one or both sides of a flexible substrate are contemplated. As will be appreciated, double-sided mounting will require some mechanism to connect multiple conductive traces on one side of the board to multiple conductive traces on the other side. Some embodiments use multiple vias to establish this multiple connection through which conductive ink or paint is poured. Alternatively, multiple connections through the flexible substrate may be formed by multiple metal vias or rivets.

  Both single-sided and double-sided mounting may use a plurality of insulating materials formed over a plurality of conductive wirings. Thereby, a plurality of conductive wirings and a plurality of signal lines can be superimposed or stacked. For example, signal lines can be routed to a plurality of isolated structures in a manner similar to different layers of a printed circuit board.

  Multiple signal routing in and out of the flexible board can be achieved in various ways. Multiple embodiments of a particular type show that conductive rubber and non-conductive rubber alternate at a density that is typically orders of magnitude greater than the width of the conductive wires to which they connect (eg, at the edge of the substrate). A plurality of elastomer connectors (e.g., a plurality of ZEBRA® connectors) are used. Alternatively, a circuit board (possibly made of a flexible material such as Kapton) or a bundle of conductors may be riveted to this board. The use of multiple rivets may also provide mechanical reinforcement for this connection.

  Matching a plurality of conductive wirings or pads on both the flexible substrate and the circuit board can each face each other. One of the surfaces is coated with a layer of conductive adhesive (eg, a conductive epoxy such as Masterbond EP79 from Masterbond, Inc., Hackensack, NJ) and then paired with the other surface. Can be done. The conductive traces or pads can also be held together with a plurality of additional mechanical elements such as ultrasonic plastic welds or a plurality of rivets. If multiple conductive rivets are used to form multiple electrical connections to multiple conductive traces on the flexible substrate, a conductive adhesive may not be necessary. Multiple conductive yarns can also be used to connect multiple conductive traces of the flexible substrate to the external assembly.

  According to one particular type of embodiments, the piezoresistive material is a pressure sensitive fabric manufactured by Eeonyx Corporation of Pinole, California. The dough includes a plurality of conductive particles that are polymerized to maintain themselves in suspension in the dough. The substrate is a polyester felt selected for density and thickness uniformity. This is because it promotes better uniformity in the conductivity of the resulting piezoresistive fabric. That is, when a slurry containing a plurality of conductive particles is introduced, the mechanical uniformity of the substrate results in a more uniform distribution of the plurality of conductive particles. This fabric may be a woven fabric. Alternatively, the fabric may be a glossy fabric, for example a nonwoven such as a plurality of fibers joined together by chemical, mechanical, thermal or solvent treatment. For embodiments where multiple conductive traces are formed on a piezoresistive fabric, glossy material facilitates more accurate screen printing of multiple conductive inks than non-glossy material To give a smoother outer surface.

  The plurality of conductive particles in the dough may be any of a wide variety of materials including, for example, silver, copper, gold, aluminum, carbon, and the like. Some examples may use carbon graphene formed to grab the dough. A plurality of such materials may be manufactured using a plurality of techniques described in US Patent No. 7,468,332, Electroconductive Woven and Non-Woven Fabric, issued December 23, 2008. . The entire disclosure is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes. However, any flexible material that exhibits a change in resistance or conductivity when a force or pressure is applied to the material is suitable for multiple sensor embodiments as described herein. It should also be noted that waxing.

  In accordance with one particular type of embodiment, a plurality of conductive traces having varying levels of conductivity are described in, for example, E.M. of Wilmington, Delaware. I. Formed on flexible piezoresistive material or adjacent flexible dielectric substrate using multiple conductive silicone-based inks manufactured by Du Pont de Nemours and Company (DuPont) and / or Creative Materials, Aer, Massachusetts Is done. An example of a conductive ink suitable for implementing a plurality of highly conductive wires for use in various embodiments is a flexible, high temperature, electrically conductive ink, Creative Materials part number 125- 19. Examples of conductive inks for implementing lower conductive wirings for use in various embodiments are DuPont product numbers 7102 and 7105, both of which are carbon conductive compositions It is. Examples of multiple dielectric materials suitable for implementing multiple insulators for use in various embodiments are DuPont product numbers 5018 and 5036, each of which is a UV curable dielectric. And capsule material. These inks are flexible and durable, and can handle crease, washing and the like. The degree of conductivity for different wiring and applications is controlled by the amount or concentration of the plurality of conductive particles (eg, silver, copper, aluminum, carbon, etc.) suspended in the silicone. These inks can be printed from screen printing or inkjet printers. Another type of embodiment uses multiple conductive paints (eg, multiple carbon particles mixed with paint), such as those commonly used for EMI shielding and ESD protection.

  Examples of multiple sensors and multiple arrays of multiple sensors that can be used in various embodiments enabled by the present disclosure are filed on June 9, 2014 in the name of the invention Piezoresistive Sensors and Applications. US patent application Ser. No. 14 / 299,976 (Attorney Docket No. BBOPP004). The entire disclosure is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes. However, it should be noted that multiple embodiments using a variety of other suitable multiple sensor technologies are anticipated.

  By forming a plurality of sensors on a flexible substrate, a number of useful devices are possible. Many of these devices use such multiple sensors to generate multiple touch events, multiple touch event forces or pressures, multiple touch event durations, multiple touch event locations, The direction of the plurality of touch events and / or the speed of movement of the plurality of touch events are detected. The multiple output signals from such multiple sensors can also be, for example, bent, extended, twisted, rotated, etc., of the substrate on which they are formed or integrated. Can be used to detect various distortions and / or deformations. Information derived from such multiple sensors can be used to achieve a wide variety of controls and / or effects. Several examples of distortion and / or deformation are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. As will be appreciated, the specific details set forth are merely examples of the purpose of illustrating the scope of the technology that is enabled by the present disclosure.

  FIG. 1 shows an example of a sensor wiring pattern 100 integrated with the flexible substrate 102. The flexible substrate may be a piezoresistive material or a dielectric material. In the latter case, the flexible piezoresistive material is tightly integrated with the dielectric material and contacts the sensor wiring pattern. The wiring pattern 100 includes a plurality of conductive wiring pairs, one of which (wiring 104) provides a sensor signal to an associated circuit (not shown) and the other (wiring 106) is connected to ground or an appropriate reference. . Some representative examples of the other plurality of wiring patterns 108 to 116 are shown. In some embodiments, the plurality of wires of the wiring pattern can be formed directly on a flexible substrate, which can be, for example, a piezoresistive fabric, for example, by screen printing or printing. However, there are, among other things, multiple shapes of sensor wiring patterns, the number of wires associated with each sensor, the number of sensors, the spacing or placement, the relationship of multiple sensors to the substrate, the number of layers or substrates, and the characteristics of the substrate. It should be noted that it can vary significantly from application to application, and that the illustrated configurations are merely examples for illustrative purposes.

  FIG. 2 shows several examples of various types of strain on the flexible substrate 102 that can be detected by the sensor wiring pattern 100. FIG. 2A shows the substrate 102 in an undistorted state. FIG. 2B shows a side view of the substrate 102 in a bent state. FIG. 2C shows the substrate 102 in an extended state. FIG. 2D shows the substrate 102 in a state of being rotated with respect to the surrounding material. FIG. 2 (e) shows a side view of the substrate 102 in the twisted (ie, twisted) state due to the applied torque. In each of these scenarios, the resistance of the piezoresistive material in contact with the wiring pattern 100 changes in response to an applied force (eg, due to compression of multiple conductive particles or increased spacing in the piezoresistive material). Decrease or increase). This change (including its magnitude and time variability) can be detected by the sensor wiring pattern 100 and associated electronics (not shown).

  In accordance with the particular embodiment shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of sensor wiring patterns, for example, the movement of the human hand and the hand interaction with the physical world, the virtual representation of the hand in the virtual environment (or Formed on the stretchable material of the sensor globe 300, which can be used to convert any other virtual object) and its interaction. In another example, hand movement and interaction can be used to control a physical world robotic hand or device. The material from which the plurality of wiring patterns are formed may be a flexible piezoresistive material or a flexible dielectric material. Furthermore, in the latter case, the flexible piezoresistive material is tightly integrated with the flexible substrate on which the plurality of wiring patterns are formed, and contacts the plurality of wiring patterns at various sensor positions (ie, S1-S19).

  As shown, a plurality of wiring patterns corresponding to a portion of a plurality of sensors (eg, S1-S5 and S14-S18) are connected to various joints of a plurality of fingers (eg, a plurality of joints at the base, or A plurality of finger joints) and catches the distortion and / or deformation of the glove according to the bending and bending of the joints. Other sensors (eg, S6-S13 and S19) are placed to capture the glove stretch that occurs when, for example, multiple fingers of the hand are spread. Other sensors (not shown) may also be placed on the palm of the glove and / or on the tips of the fingers, and the bending and bending forces, as well as, for example, touching, grabbing Or a plurality of forces associated with contacting or otherwise contacting a plurality of objects or surfaces.

  Multiple portions of multiple conductive traces (eg, multiple signal routing traces) that are not intended to be part of a sensor may be shielded or insulated, resulting in any undesirable multiple contributions to multiple sensor signals. Reduce. That is, the plurality of portions of the plurality of conductive wirings that transmit the plurality of driving and sensing signals to and from the plurality of sensors include, for example, a dielectric between the piezoresistive material and the plurality of conductive wirings. A non-conductive material may be used to insulate from the piezoresistive material. According to some embodiments in which a plurality of conductive traces are formed on a flexible dielectric material, a plurality of separated pieces of piezoresistive material may be selectively placed at each sensor location.

  In the illustrated embodiment, there are 19 sensors, S1-S19. Each of the plurality of sensors includes two adjacent wires, each pattern of which includes a plurality of alternating turns. For example, see the enlarged view of sensor S4. One of the plurality of wirings 301 receives a drive signal, and the other wiring 302 transmits a sensor signal to an associated sensor circuit (not shown). The drive signal is, for example, permanently connected to a GPIO (General Purpose Input Output) pin such as a voltage reference, a signal source that may contain additional information contained in the drive signal, or an associated processor or controller. (Or temporarily) can be provided by connecting the wiring. As shown in the example of FIG. 3, the sensor signal may be generated using a voltage divider circuit, one of the resistors of the voltage divider circuit being between two wires passing through the intervening piezoresistive material. Includes resistance. The other resistor (represented by R1) can be included in the associated sensor circuit, for example. Since the resistance of the piezoresistive material changes with the applied force or pressure, the sensor signal also changes as a split part of the drive signal.

  Voltages are applied to multiple sensors (via multiple drive signals) and responsive (via multiple sensor signals), each output being a representation of the force applied to that sensor Generate a signal. As will also be appreciated, depending on the application, multiple embodiments with more or fewer sensors are envisaged.

  In accordance with various embodiments, different sets of sensors may be selectively energized and responsive, thereby allowing the number and overall area of the plurality of wires on the substrate, and (e.g., The multiple connections required to the sensor circuit on the associated PCB (which can be located in the notch 322) is reduced. For example, in the sensor system of FIG. 3, 19 sensors are driven via 11 drive signal outputs from a sensor circuit (not shown), and multiple sensor signals are sent to 2 sensors to the sensor circuit. Received via signal input. As shown, there are 13 connections between the flexible substrate on which the plurality of conductive traces are formed and the PCB of the notch 322. Optional for multiple sensor sets (eg, S6-S13 in one set and S1-S5 and S14-S19 in the other set) that provide multiple sensor signals to one of the two sensor signal inputs The voltages may be applied in any suitable order or pattern, so that any signal received on the corresponding sensor signal input may be correlated with the corresponding sensor drive signal by the sensor circuit.

  Because the multiple sensor signals in this embodiment are received by the sensor circuit via two different sensor signal inputs, the two sensors are connected to different sensor signal inputs to the sensor circuit. As long as the voltage can be applied simultaneously. Thereby, a plurality of drive signal lines can be shared. For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 3, eight sets of sensors are connected to common drive signal lines, ie, S2 and S8, S3 and S10, S4 and S12, S6 and S14, S7 and S15, S9 and S16, S11 and S17, And S13 and S19 are shared. The sharing of the plurality of common drive signal lines may be enabled by a plurality of insulators that allow the plurality of conductive lines to intersect in addition to an arrangement in which the plurality of conductive lines simply diverge. Several other suitable variations on this theme will be understood by those skilled in the art and are within the scope of this disclosure.

  In accordance with some embodiments, the PCB is described in US patent application Ser. No. 14 / 671,821, filed Mar. 27, 2015 under the name of the described Flexible Sensors and Applications. The number BBOPP004X2) may be connected to a plurality of conductive wires of the sensor array. The entire disclosure is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes. According to other embodiments, for example, conductive rubber and non-conductive rubber alternate at a density that is typically orders of magnitude greater than the width of the conductive wires to which they connect (eg, at the edges of the fabric). Any of a variety of techniques can be used to form such a connection, including a plurality of elastomeric connectors (eg, a plurality of ZEBRA® connectors) that replace each other. A variety of other suitable alternatives are available to those skilled in the art.

  FIG. 4 is a simplified diagram of a sensor circuit that may be provided on a PCB for use in the embodiments described herein. For example, in the embodiment described above with reference to FIG. 3, such a sensor circuit may be provided on the PCB at notch 322 and connected to a plurality of conductive traces associated with a plurality of sensors S1-S19. If a force is applied to one of the sensors, the resulting signal (captured via the corresponding wires) is received (eg, via multiplexer 402 and AD converter 404). And digitized and processed locally (eg, by processor 406) and / or connected (eg, via Bluetooth or other wireless connection, or via USB connection) Can be sent to the other device. Multiple sensors may be selectively energized by a sensor circuit (eg, under the control of processor 406 via DA converter 408 and multiplexer 410) to achieve generation of multiple sensor signals. The C8051F380-GM controller (provided by Silicon Labs, Austin, Texas) is an example of a processor suitable for use in various embodiments.

In addition to transmitting data to and from connected devices, power may be provided to the sensor circuit via a USB connection. Alternatively, multiple systems that transmit data wirelessly (eg, via Bluetooth®) use, for example, one or more batteries, solar cells, and / or mechanisms that collect mechanical energy. Any of a variety of mechanisms and techniques may be used to provide power to the sensor circuit.
LTC 3588 (provided by Linear Technology Corporation of Milpitas, Calif.) Is an example of an energy collection power supply that may be used with at least some of these diverse energy sources. Several other suitable variations will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. As will be appreciated, the sensor circuit shown in FIG. 4 is merely an example. A wide range of sensor circuit components, configurations, and functionality are expected.

  For example, both single-sided and double-sided mounting, where a plurality of conductive wirings can be formed on one or both sides of a flexible substrate, are contemplated. As will be appreciated, double-sided mounting will require some mechanism to connect multiple conductive traces on one side of the board to multiple conductive traces on the other side. Some embodiments use multiple vias to establish this multiple connection through which conductive ink or paint is poured. Alternatively or additionally, multiple connections through the substrate may be formed by multiple metal vias or rivets. FIG. 5 illustrates the use of a plurality of vias or rivets through a flexible substrate (eg, configuration 502) and a plurality of insulating materials that insulate a plurality of conductive traces from the substrate that is a piezoresistive material (eg, configuration 504). The use of Such multiple mechanisms allow multiple complex patterns and multiple signal routing by multiple wires in a manner similar to different layers of a single PCB.

  For example, assuming an embodiment in which multiple conductive traces are formed on a piezoresistive material, and referring again to FIG. 3, multiple signals are sent to multiple sensors of globe 300 and multiple sensors of globe 300 The plurality of conductive wirings transmitted from may be insulated from the underlying piezoresistive substrate by an insulating material. This is most clearly shown in the figure by a plurality of insulators 304 and 306, which are associated with a plurality of drive and sense signal lines connected to sensor S4. In addition, multiple sensing signal lines from multiple sensors are connected to each other on the opposite side (not shown) of the material illustrated in FIG. 3 through the use of multiple vias at locations 310-318.

  According to a particular embodiment of the sensor globe, and as shown in FIG. 6, a plurality of sensor wiring patterns (eg, 601-604) may be arranged in a generally cylindrical configuration around the wrist and may be two-dimensional (eg, , Detect wrist bends up, down, left, right). If all four sensors detect a similar response, this may mean that the wrist is twisted. However, this configuration may not provide enough information to determine the direction of twist. Thus, according to certain embodiments, the outer cylinder 608 may be attached to the inner cylinder 610 with at least two telescopic sensors (eg, 612 and 614). By comparing the outputs of these expansion sensors, the direction of rotation (eg, 616) and amount can be captured.

  FIG. 7 illustrates a particular type of embodiments of a sensor array 700 for use in a sensor glove in which a plurality of conductive traces are formed on a flexible dielectric substrate 702. As described above, the operation of sensor array 700 is similar to the operation of the sensor array of sensor globe 300. It should be noted that the illustrated configuration of the plurality of wirings can also be included in embodiments where the plurality of wirings are formed on the piezoresistive material.

  According to certain embodiments, the substrate 702 may be composed of a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) material, such as, for example, Product 3415 or 3914 of Bemis Associates, Inc. of Shirley, Massachusetts. The plurality of conductive wirings are, for example, E.M. of Wilmington, Delaware. I. Duct de Nemours and Company (DuPont) and / or screen printed on a substrate using conductive flexible inks, such as multiple conductive silicone-based inks manufactured by Creative Materials, Aer, Massachusetts . A plurality of patches of piezoresistive material (for example, the above-described Eeonyx fabric) are disposed in contact with the plurality of conductive wires at the positions of the plurality of sensors S1-S14. For example, see piezoresistive patch 704 of sensor S4. A second substrate (not shown) of TPU material is disposed across the array 700, the assembly is heated to thermally bond the components together and connect the piezoresistive patches to their respective sensor wiring. Fix to touch.

  The relationship of the components of this assembly will be understood with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 shows a flexible substrate 802 on which conductive wiring 804 is formed. The piezoresistive material 806 is maintained in contact with the wiring 804 by the second flexible substrate 808. In the illustrated example, the substrates 802 and 808 are TPU substrates, and the wiring 804 is a conductive ink that is screen-printed on the TPU substrate 802. According to a particular embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 9, a TPU substrate 802 is thermally bonded (eg, melted) with the assembly to another substrate, such as a dough glove blank 900, for example. It has an adhesive-barrier-adhesive (ABA) structure that makes it possible. The other TPU substrate 808 is shown as an adhesive-barrier (AB) structure, so that it only bonds to the assembly. However, multiple embodiments are anticipated where this substrate has an ABA structure that allows thermal bonding on both sides of the assembly.

  According to a more specific embodiment, for the purpose of amplifying the signals generated by the corresponding sensors, e.g. the stiffener force that resists bending of the joint at the base and compresses the piezoresistive material, A plurality of stiffeners (not shown) may be arranged in alignment with at least some of the plurality of piezoresistive patches and the corresponding plurality of wiring patterns. The stiffener may be a plastic film (eg, polyethylene terephthalate or PET). Alternatively, the stiffener may be another piece of fabric. As yet another alternative, a curable material, such as DuPont 5036 dielectric ink, may be silkscreened onto one of the multiple components in the stack. Or it may be printed. As will be appreciated, the plurality of stiffeners may be formed from a plurality of materials (eg, as illustrated in FIG. 8) unless the electrical connection between the plurality of conductive traces and the piezoresistive material is worse than necessary. It may be inserted at any point of the overlay.

  Referring to FIG. 7, a stiffener 706 (eg, of PET or other suitable material) may be bonded to the substrate 702 near multiple ends of the plurality of conductive traces, allowing insertion of the assembly into the connector 708. (See the exploded view in the lower right corner of the drawing). As will be appreciated, with the stiffener 706 and appropriate conductor spacing, this configuration allows the sensor array 700 to be connected to any of a wide variety of industry standards. According to a particular embodiment, connector 708 is a Molex ZIF flat flex connector, such as, for example, a Molex connector 52207-2860 (28 position connector) or a Molex connector 052210869 (8 position connector shown in FIG. 11).

  As described above, multiple sensor glove embodiments are contemplated where multiple sensors are placed on the palm of the globe and / or on multiple tips of multiple fingers, e.g., touching, grasping, Otherwise, contact with a plurality of objects or a plurality of surfaces is detected. An example of how such a sensor can be integrated with an array is shown in FIG. In the illustrated example, the flexible substrate 1002 includes a knob 1004 that extends beyond the sensor S4 and in which a plurality of conductive wirings of the sensor S15 are formed. The knob 1004 can be wound inside the glove (as indicated by the arrow) so that the knob 1004 matches the fingertip of the glove. Thus, any force acting on the fingertip of the glove (eg, with a fingertip in contact with the surface) will be detected by sensor S15. As will be appreciated, such multiple sensors may be integrated with the sensor array for the back of the hand as shown in FIG. Alternatively, such multiple sensors may be implemented as separate arrays for the palm and multiple fingertips.

  FIG. 11 shows an alternative design of sensor array 1100 for use with a sensor glove that includes only four elongated sensors, S1-S3 for the index, middle, and ring fingers, and S4 for the thumb. As will be appreciated, this simpler design may be easier and / or less expensive to manufacture and may be more than the multiple designs described above with reference to FIGS. May be sufficient or more suitable for such applications. Nevertheless, the sensor array 1100 operates in the same manner as the multiple sensor arrays described and may be configured using any technique. According to a particular embodiment, the substrate 1102 is composed of TPU material and the plurality of conductive traces are screen printed onto the substrate 1102 using conductive flexible ink as described above with reference to FIGS. Is done. A plurality of patches of piezoresistive material (eg, the above-described Eeonyx fabric) are placed in contact with the plurality of conductive traces at the plurality of sensor positions S1-S4. For example, see piezoresistive patch 1104 of sensor S3. A second substrate of TPU material (not shown) is disposed across the array 1100, the assembly is heated to thermally bond the components together and connect the piezoresistive patches to their respective sensor wires. Fix to touch.

  Similar to the sensor array 700, stiffeners (not shown) may be glued to the substrate 1102 near the ends of the plurality of conductive traces, allowing the assembly to be inserted into the connector 1108. As described above, the use of a stiffener allows the sensor array 1100 to be connected to any of a wide variety of industry standards, including, for example, a Molex connector 0522710869. In addition, as described above with reference to the sensor array 700, a plurality of stiffeners (not shown) are used to amplify a plurality of signals generated by the corresponding plurality of sensors. And the plurality of corresponding wiring patterns of the sensor array 1100 may be aligned with each other.

  As should be understood with reference to the above description, the multiple uses of multiple sensor gloves enabled by the present disclosure are numerous and varied. As described above, the movement of the human hand in such a sensor glove may be translated into multiple control systems, multiple devices, and multiple processes in both the real and virtual worlds. Using sensor globes, humans can interact with virtual objects with utilities in video and online games, and multiple objects in educational and artistic applications. For example, sensor gloves may be used to simulate surgery, playing virtual instruments, conducting virtual orchestras, drawing virtual artwork, and the like. More realistic computer-aided animation can be supported by converting multiple movements of the human hand into a virtual world. Multiple industrial applications may include remotely controlling a manufacturing device or robot that handles hazardous materials. As can be seen from the diversity of these examples, the range of applications is virtually unlimited. Accordingly, the scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by reference to a particular plurality of applications.

  Those skilled in the art will appreciate that changes in the form and details of the embodiments described herein can be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Further, although various advantages and aspects may have been described with reference to specific embodiments, the scope of the disclosure is limited by reference to such advantages and aspects. Should not.

Claims (16)

A sensor system,
A flexible substrate for alignment or integration with a portion of the globe;
A plurality of conductive wiring groups formed directly on the flexible substrate at a plurality of sensor positions corresponding to at least some finger joints of a human hand, each of the plurality of conductive wiring groups being two or more A plurality of conductive wiring groups, and a resistance between the plurality of conductive wirings in each of the plurality of conductive wiring groups is changed by a force on a piezoresistive material in contact with the conductive wiring group; ,
A circuit configured to receive a signal from each of the plurality of conductive wiring groups and generate control information in response thereto, wherein the control information is in contact with each of the plurality of conductive wiring groups A sensor system comprising: a circuit representing said force on the piezoresistive material.   The flexible substrate includes a dielectric material, the piezoresistive material includes a plurality of patches, and each patch of the piezoresistive material corresponds to one of the plurality of conductive wiring groups at the plurality of sensor positions. The sensor system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor system is in contact with one.   The dielectric material includes a thermoplastic material, and the sensor system further includes a second flexible substrate of the thermoplastic material, and the flexible substrate on which the plurality of conductive wiring groups are formed, the piezoresistive material of the piezoelectric material. The plurality of patches and the second flexible substrate are thermally bonded together, whereby the plurality of patches of piezoresistive material are fixed in contact with the corresponding plurality of conductive wiring groups. 2. The sensor system according to 2.   The sensor system according to claim 1, wherein the flexible substrate is the piezoresistive material.   The sensor system according to claim 4, wherein the piezoresistive material is a fabric.   The sensor system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the plurality of conductive wirings include conductive ink printed on the flexible substrate.   The sensor system of claim 6, wherein the conductive ink comprises an elastomeric ink that includes a plurality of conductive particles suspended therein.   The sensor system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the plurality of conductive wirings include a conductive paint deposited on the flexible substrate.   9. The subset of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a subset of the plurality of conductive trace groups is configured to sense a force caused by extension of the glove in response to spreading fingers of the human hand. The sensor system according to item.   10. A sensor system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a subset of the plurality of conductive trace groups is configured to sense forces caused by wrist flexion associated with the human hand.   The sensor system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein a subset of the plurality of conductive wiring groups is arranged so as to coincide with the palm of the human.   The sensor system according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein a subset of the plurality of conductive wiring groups is arranged to coincide with one or more of a plurality of fingertips of the human hand.   The sensor system according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the control information is configured for use by a computing device and controls a virtual hand of a virtual environment.   The sensor system according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the control information is configured for use by an electronic system and controls a robotic device.   The plurality of conductive wirings of the plurality of conductive wiring groups terminate at an edge portion of the flexible substrate, and the sensor system further includes a stiffener coupled to the flexible substrate at the edge portion of the flexible substrate, A stiffener provides rigidity of the flexible board and facilitates insertion of the edge of the flexible board into a connector for routing a plurality of the signals to and from the sensor system. The sensor system according to any one of claims 1 to 14.   The stiffener according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of stiffeners, each of the plurality of stiffeners being disposed adjacent to a corresponding one of the plurality of sensor positions. Sensor system.