Method for calibrating a resistive contact sensor

• US 10,001,894 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2014
• Issued: 06/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R&D Core Limited
• Original Assignee: R&D Core Limited
• Inventors: Papakostas, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Jansen, II, Michael J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Quiles, Ivelisse Martinez
• Application Number:
  US14/766,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20160048245A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,590 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2203/01 Woven wire screen
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2205/002 fixed to operating part
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2205/004 fixed to substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2239/078 Variable resistance by variable contact area or point

Abstract

A method of operating a contact sensor and a method of calibration of a contact sensor. The contact sensor comprises an array of discrete and spaced apart sensing elements (102, 202) connected to a resistive element (101, 201) with the location or size of a contact being detectable by measurement of one or more electrical parameter(s) relating to impedance steps along the resistive element (101, 201) is described. The method of operating involves determining a length of the sensing element between the contact and the resistive element and using this to compensate for a parasitic resistance present in the measured resistance of the resistive element. The method of calibration comprises applying one or more calibration contact(s) at a plurality of locations across the sensing elements (102, 202) to be calibrated; monitoring changes in at least one electrical parameter during the time that the calibration contact(s) are applied; and recording information relating to variation in the at least one electrical parameter, the information allowing assessment of the variation in each impedance step across the measured sensing elements. This enables the later use of the sensor to take into account any variation in the impedance steps.

Claims

1. A method of calibration of a contact sensor apparatus comprising an array of discrete and spaced apart sensing elements connected to a resistive element with a location or size of a contact being detectable by measurement of one or more electrical parameter(s) relating to impedance steps along the resistive element, the method comprising:

applying one or more calibration contact(s) at a plurality of locations across the sensing elements to be calibrated;

monitoring changes in at least one electrical parameter of the one or more electrical parameter(s) during a time that the one or more calibration contact(s) are applied, wherein the at least one electrical parameter is related to a resistance of the resistive element along its length as the one or more calibration contact(s) short different impedance steps thereof;

recording information relating to variation in the at least one electrical parameter, the recorded information allowing assessment of variation in each impedance step along the resistive element; and

wherein at least one of the location and the size of the contact is corrected based on the recorded information relating to the variation in the at least one electrical parameter.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising measuring a resistance across the resistive element with one or more impedance steps shorted out, and calculating a resistance for individual impedance steps based on the measured resistance during calibration and a known total resistance for the resistive element.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one electrical parameter is related to a resistance of a part of the resistive element between two contacts.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one electrical parameter is a voltage or current relating to resistance of a portion of the resistive element extending from one end of the resistive element to a point on the resistive element corresponding to a location of the plurality of locations of the one or more calibration contact(s).

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the recording information relating to variation in the at least one electrical parameter comprises recording a table of a measurement of the at least one electrical parameter and/or of information relating to a resistance for the impedance steps relating to each element of the sensing elements.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising using a calibration mode during which the contact sensor apparatus is configured for a continuous measurement of the at least one electrical parameter.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 being used for calibration of sensors capable of sensing in two dimensions, wherein the applying one or more calibration contact(s) at the plurality of locations includes applying a first calibration contact at a plurality of locations along a first dimension of the array of discrete and space apart sensing elements, and applying a second calibration contact at a plurality of locations along a second dimension of the array of discrete and space apart sensing elements.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 being used for calibration of sensors capable of sensing in two dimensions, wherein the applying one or more calibration contact(s) at the plurality of locations includes applying a calibration contact at a plurality of locations along both a first dimension of the array of discrete and space apart sensing elements and along a second dimension of the array of discrete and space apart sensing elements.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the applying one or more calibration contact(s) at the plurality of locations across the sensing elements to be calibrated includes a continuous movement of at least one calibration contact on a sensing surface of the contact sensor apparatus.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein a speed of the continuous movement of the at least one calibration contact is equal to or less than one tenth of a spacing between the sensing elements multiplied by a sampling rate used in measuring the at least one electrical parameter(s) and divided by a number of dimensions of the contact sensor apparatus when the contact sensor apparatus is arranged to measure a calibration contact in more than one dimension.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the applying one or more calibration contact(s) at the plurality of locations across the sensing elements to be calibrated comprises sequential placement of a calibration contact at several known locations that are spaced apart across a sensor area with a plurality of sensing elements between each location.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the applying one or more calibration contact(s) at the plurality of locations across the sensing elements to be calibrated comprises simultaneous placement of multiple calibration contacts at several known locations that are spaced apart across a sensor area with a plurality of sensing elements between each location.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein a movement or spaced locations of the one or more calibration contact(s) align with a dimension measured by the sensing elements.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1 comprising determining if a level of variation in resistance of the impedance steps falls below a preset threshold to thereby determine that the contact sensor apparatus is of sufficient quality and/or accuracy.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1 comprising identifying unusual measurements indicative of a shorted, damaged or broken sensing element.

16. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the contact sensor apparatus comprises a layer with sensing elements in a form of multiple conductive traces and arranged so that a contact on a sensing surface of the contact sensor apparatus completes an electrical circuit involving one or more conductive traces of the multiple conductive traces, whereby a location and/or area of the contact can be determined by identifying the one or more conductive traces that are involved.

17. A non-transitory computer program product comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor of the contact sensor apparatus, causes the contact sensor apparatus to perform the method of claim 1.

18. A contact sensor apparatus comprising an array of discrete and spaced apart sensing elements connected to a resistive element with a location or size of a contact being detectable by measurement of one or more electrical parameter(s) relating to impedance steps along the resistive element;

and a processor;

wherein the processor is arranged to, in response to one or more calibration contact(s) applied at a plurality of locations across the sensing elements to be calibrated, monitor changes in at least one electrical parameter of the one or more electrical parameter(s) during a time that the one or more calibration contact(s) are applied, wherein the at least one electrical parameter is related to a resistance of the resistive element along its length as the one or more calibration contact(s) short different impedance steps thereof; and

record information relating to variation in the at least one electrical parameter, the recorded information allowing assessment of variation in each impedance step along the resistive element;

wherein at least one of the location and the size of the contact is corrected based on the recorded information relating to the variation in the at least one electrical parameter.

19. The contact sensor apparatus as claimed in claim 18 comprising a layer with sensing elements in a form of multiple conductive traces and arranged so that a contact on a sensing surface of the contact sensor apparatus completes an electrical circuit involving one or more conductive traces of the multiple conductive traces, whereby a location and/or area of the contact can be determined by identifying the one or more conductive traces that are involved.