Embroidered sensor assembly

• US 10,082,913 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2015
• Issued: 09/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Moller, Christian Juland, Holbery, James David, Weiss, John Guido Atkins, Fitz-Coy, Aric A., Rodgers-Ahnen, Stephanie Jo
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Kent
• Assistant Examiner(s): MORALES FERNANDEZ, BENJAMIN
• Application Number:
  US14/708,277
• Publication Number:
  US 20160328043A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,234 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04102 Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes

Abstract

Embroidered sensor assemblies are described that are formed on a flexible substrate, such as a suitable fabric material. Conductive patterns are embroidered into the flexible substrate to form an array of sensors that can be configured in various ways and used in many different applications. A sensor assembly can implement touch sensitive sensors arranged to recognize input by measuring capacitance. The sensor assembly can also implement pressure and/or force sensitive controls for an input device, such as a keyboard. Other types of sensing are also contemplated such as detection of proximity, motion, flow, gestures, and/or strain. A conductive pattern can be formed in a single layer of material and/or via a single continuous run of conductive material. The embroidered sensor assembly is flexible and therefore can be shaped to conform to various different kinds of objects and form “smart” surfaces for those objects.

Claims

1. A sensor assembly comprising:

a flexible substrate;

a pattern of conductive wires embroidered onto the flexible substrate to form an array of touch sensitive sensors, the pattern of conductive wires including a first conductive wire and a second conductive wire;

a first node formed by additional material stitched at a first intersection point in the pattern of conductive wires, the first intersection point corresponding to a region in the pattern of conductive wires where the first conductive wire intersects the second conductive wire; and

an interface disposed on the flexible substrate and in communication with the pattern of conductive wires.

2. The sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the pattern of conductive wires is formed as a single layer.

3. The sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the array of touch sensitive sensors comprises electrodes formed by intersections of the pattern of conductive wires.

4. The sensor assembly as described in claim 1, wherein the array of touch sensitive sensors is arranged to enable detection of distortions in an electrostatic field applied to the array, the distortions measurable as changes in capacitance.

5. The sensor assembly as described in claim 1, wherein the first conductive wire extends through the flexible substrate in a first direction, the second conductive wire extends through the flexible substrate in a second direction, and wherein the first direction is substantially orthogonal to the second direction.

6. The sensor assembly as described in claim 1, wherein the conductive wires comprise insulated metal wires.

7. The sensor assembly as described in claim 1, wherein the flexible substrate comprises a fabric material.

8. The sensor assembly as described in claim 1, wherein the sensor assembly is embedded within a rigid structure.

9. The sensor assembly as described in claim 1, wherein the sensor assembly is configured to attach to a cover having control indications to form a flexible input device having a plurality of touch sensitive controls.

10. A device comprising:

a flexible substrate having an arrangement of conductive wires embroidered onto the flexible substrate, the arrangement of the conductive wires including a plurality of conductive nodes formed at intersections between the embroidered conductive wires, one or more of the conductive nodes including raised protrusions comprising portions of additional material stitched onto the flexible substrate; and

a sensor controller operable to detect input signals via the arrangement of conductive wires and initiate control actions to control functionality of the device responsive to detection of the input signals.

11. The device as described in claim 10, wherein the device comprises a rigid object in which the arrangement of conductive wires is embedded.

12. The device as described in claim 10, wherein the conductive wires comprise mutual-capacitive sensors designed to form a touch sensitive surface for the device, the mutual-capacitive sensors including a pattern of driving lines and sensing lines corresponding to the embroidered conductive wires.

13. The device as described in claim 10, wherein the arrangement of conductive wires is configured as a pattern of sensors that enable measurement of strain based on positional relationships between the conductive nodes formed by the pattern of the conductive wires.

14. The device as described in claim 10, wherein the device further comprises an interface connectable to a computing device, the interface enabling communication of data associated with the input signals to the computing device for processing.

15. The device as described in claim 10, wherein the arrangement of conductive wires forms a pattern of sensors that are embroidered onto a single layer of the flexible substrate.

20. The device as described in claim 10, wherein the device comprises a flexible input device having a plurality of controls corresponding to nodes formed by the arrangement of sensors.

16. An apparatus comprising a rigid structure encompassing an embedded sensor assembly, the embedded sensor assembly including:

a flexible substrate; and

a pattern of insulated conductive wires embroidered onto the flexible substrate to form an array of nodes operable as mutual-capacitive sensors that enable detection of distortions in an electrostatic field applied to the array of nodes, the array of nodes formed by intersections of the insulated conductive wires, one or more of the nodes including additional material stitched onto the flexible substrate in a region associated with the intersection, the additional material protruding away from a surface of the flexible substrate.

17. The apparatus as described in claim 16, wherein the rigid structure comprises a thermoformed material surrounding a single layer of the flexible substrate having the pattern of insulated conductive wires.

18. The apparatus as described in claim 16, wherein the rigid structure comprises a thermoformed material and the flexible substrate comprises a permeable fabric that acts as a scrim for reinforcement of the rigid structure, the thermoformed material of the rigid structure penetrating the permeable fabric to form a supporting structure that extends from the thermoformed material through the permeable fabric to provide the reinforcement.

19. The apparatus as described in claim 16, wherein the embedded sensor assembly creates a touch sensitive surface for the apparatus.