Sensor system integrated with a glove

• US 10,362,989 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2017
• Issued: 07/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BeBop Sensors, Inc.
• Original Assignee: BeBop Sensors, Inc.
• Inventors: McMillen, Keith A., Lobedan, Kyle, Wille, Gregory, Muller, Florian, Stinnett, Maxime
• Primary Examiner(s): Mercedes, Dismery
• Application Number:
  US15/621,935
• Publication Number:
  US 20170303853A1
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/741 Glove like input devices, e.g. "data gloves"
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/064 for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0261 Strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/76 Manipulators having means for providing feel, e.g. force or tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1114 Tracking parts of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6806 Gloves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6843 Monitoring or controlling sensor contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/18 using properties of piezo-resistive materials, i.e. materials of which the ohmic resistance varies according to changes in magnitude or direction of force applied to the material
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/2206 Special supports with preselected places to mount the resistance strain gauges; Mounting of supports
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/2293 of the semi-conductor type semi-conductor devices controllable by variations of applied mechanical force H01L29/84
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 25/00 Testing or calibrating of apparatus for measuring force, torque, work, mechanical power, or mechanical efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/228 using tactile array force sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• 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: H03K 17/964 Piezoelectric touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49156 with selective destruction of conductive paths

Abstract

Sensor systems are described that are designed to be integrated with gloves for the human hand. An array of sensors detects forces associated with action of a hand in the glove, and associated circuitry generates corresponding control information that may be used to control a wide variety of processes and devices.

Claims

1. A sensor system for integration with a glove, comprising:

a plurality of digit assemblies, each digit assembly being configured for alignment with a corresponding finger of the glove, each digit assembly including a flexible dielectric substrate, a plurality of sensor trace groups on a first surface of the flexible dielectric substrate, routing traces connected to each sensor trace group, the routing traces being adjacent a second surface of the flexible dielectric substrate opposite the first surface, and a plurality of patches of piezoresistive fabric, each patch being in direct contact with and forming a knuckle sensor with a corresponding one of the sensor trace groups; and

circuitry configured to activate and receive a knuckle signal from each knuckle sensor on each digit assembly using the corresponding routing traces, each knuckle signal representing lateral stretching of the corresponding patch of piezoresistive fabric caused by bending of a knuckle in the corresponding finger of the glove, the circuitry also being configured to generate digital information using the knuckle signals, the digital information representing movement of a hand in the glove.

2. The sensor system of claim 1, wherein each digit assembly includes a thermoplastic material by which the corresponding patches of piezoresistive fabric are thermally bonded to the corresponding sensor trace groups.

3. The sensor system of claim 1, wherein the sensor trace groups of each digit assembly and the routing traces of each digit assembly comprise flexible conductive ink.

4. The sensor system of claim 1, wherein each sensor trace group of each digit assembly includes two substantially parallel sensor traces aligned with a longitudinal axis of the corresponding digit assembly.

5. The sensor system of claim 1, wherein each sensor trace group of each digit assembly includes two sensor traces having interdigitated extensions.

6. The sensor system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of stiffeners, each stiffener being associated with a corresponding one of the knuckle sensors, each stiffener being applied to the corresponding patch of piezoresistive fabric.

7. The sensor system of claim 1, wherein each digit assembly further includes a haptic actuator connected to a fingertip-end of the digit assembly and configured to provide tactile stimulation to a fingertip in the glove.

8. The sensor system of claim 7, wherein the tactile stimulation provided by each haptic actuator represents contact between the corresponding fingertip and an object or surface in a virtual environment or at a location remote from the sensor system.

9. The sensor system of claim 7, wherein each haptic actuator includes a flexible metal membrane stretched over a rigid substrate, and wherein the flexible metal membrane shrinks or expands in response to activation by the circuitry.

10. The sensor system of claim 7, wherein the circuitry is configured to activate each haptic actuator with each of a plurality of waveforms, each waveform representing one or both of a nature of a surface being simulated, or a rate of movement across the surface.

11. The sensor system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to generate the digital information using calibration data that represent a range of motion for each knuckle sensor.

12. The sensor system of claim 11, wherein the circuitry is configured generate the digital information using the calibration data by interpolating between data values of the calibration data to generate position data for positions within the range of motion for each knuckle sensor.

13. The sensor system of claim 11, wherein the circuitry is configured to generate the calibration data for each user session, or wherein the circuitry is configured to save the calibration data for subsequent user sessions.

14. The sensor system of claim 1, wherein the digital information is configured for use by a computing device to control a virtual hand in a virtual environment, or wherein the digital information is configured for use by an electronic system to control a robotic device.

15. The sensor system of claim 1, further comprising a wireless transceiver configured to facilitate communication between the circuitry and a computing device.

16. The sensor system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of abductor assemblies, each abductor assembly being configured for alignment with a corresponding pair of the fingers of the glove, each abductor assembly including a flexible dielectric substrate, a sensor trace group on the flexible dielectric substrate, routing traces connected to the sensor trace group, and a patch of piezoresistive fabric, the patch forming an abductor sensor with the corresponding sensor trace group, wherein the circuitry is further configured to activate and receive an abductor signal from each abductor sensor on each abductor assembly using the corresponding routing traces, each abductor signal representing spreading of digits in the corresponding pair of the fingers of the glove, and wherein the circuitry is configured to generate the digital information using the abductor signals.

17. The sensor system of claim 1, further comprising an inertial measurement unit configured to generate inertial data representing an attitude of the hand in the glove.

18. The sensor system of claim 17, wherein the inertial measurement unit includes an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a magnetometer, and wherein the inertial data represents pitch, roll, and yaw of the hand in the glove.

19. A sensor system for integration with a glove, comprising:

a plurality of digit assemblies, each digit assembly being configured for alignment with a corresponding finger of the glove, each digit assembly including a flexible dielectric substrate, a plurality of sensor trace groups on a first surface of the flexible dielectric substrate, routing traces connected to each sensor trace group, the routing traces being adjacent a second surface of the flexible dielectric substrate opposite the first surface, and piezoresistive fabric, the flexible dielectric substrate of each digit assembly being a thermoplastic material by which the piezoresistive fabric is thermally bonded to and in direct contact with the corresponding sensor trace groups thereby forming a plurality of knuckle sensors;

a plurality of haptic actuators, each haptic actuator being disposed near a fingertip-end of a corresponding one of the digit assemblies and configured to provide tactile stimulation to a fingertip in the glove; and

a circuit board to which the digit assemblies are connected, the circuit board including circuitry configured to activate and receive a knuckle signal from each knuckle sensor on each digit assembly using the corresponding routing traces, each knuckle signal representing lateral stretching of the corresponding piezoresistive fabric caused by bending of a knuckle in the corresponding finger of the glove, the circuitry also being configured to generate digital information using the knuckle signals, the digital information representing movement of a hand in the glove, the circuitry also being configured to activate each of the haptic actuators.

20. The sensor system of claim 19, wherein the sensor trace groups of each digit assembly and the routing traces of each digit assembly comprise flexible conductive ink.

21. The sensor system of claim 19, wherein each sensor trace group of each digit assembly includes two substantially parallel sensor traces aligned with a longitudinal axis of the corresponding digit assembly.

22. The sensor system of claim 19, wherein each sensor trace group of each digit assembly includes two sensor traces having interdigitated extensions.

23. The sensor system of claim 19, further comprising a plurality of stiffeners, each stiffener being associated with a corresponding one of the knuckle sensors, each stiffener being applied to the corresponding piezoresistive fabric.

24. The sensor system of claim 19, wherein the circuitry is further configured to generate the digital information using calibration data that represent a range of motion for each knuckle sensor.

25. The sensor system of claim 24, wherein the circuitry is configured generate the digital information using the calibration data by interpolating between data values of the calibration data to generate position data for positions within the range of motion for each knuckle sensor.

26. The sensor system of claim 24, wherein the circuitry is configured to generate the calibration data for each user session, or wherein the circuitry is configured to save the calibration data for subsequent user sessions.

27. The sensor system of claim 19, wherein the digital information is configured for use by a computing device to control a virtual hand in a virtual environment, or wherein the digital information is configured for use by an electronic system to control a robotic device.

28. The sensor system of claim 19, further comprising a wireless transceiver configured to facilitate communication between the circuitry and a computing device.

29. The sensor system of claim 19, further comprising a plurality of abductor assemblies connected to the circuit board, each abductor assembly being configured for alignment with a corresponding pair of the fingers of the glove, each abductor assembly including a flexible dielectric substrate, a sensor trace group on the flexible dielectric substrate, routing traces connected to the sensor trace group, and piezoresistive fabric, the flexible dielectric substrate of each abductor assembly being thermoplastic material by which the piezoresistive fabric is thermally bonded to the corresponding sensor trace group thereby forming an abductor sensor, wherein the circuitry is further configured to activate and receive an abductor signal from each abductor sensor on each abductor assembly using the corresponding routing traces, each abductor signal representing spreading of digits in the corresponding pair of the fingers of the glove, and wherein the circuitry is configured to generate the digital information using the abductor signals.

30. The sensor system of claim 19, wherein the tactile stimulation provided by each haptic actuator represents contact between the corresponding fingertip and an object or surface in a virtual environment or at a location remote from the sensor system.

31. The sensor system of claim 19, wherein each haptic actuator includes a flexible metal membrane stretched over a rigid substrate, and wherein the flexible metal membrane shrinks or expands in response to activation by the circuitry.

32. The sensor system of claim 19, wherein the circuitry is configured to activate each haptic actuator with each of a plurality of waveforms, each waveform representing one or both of a nature of a surface being simulated, or a rate of movement across the surface.

33. The sensor system of claim 19, further comprising an inertial measurement unit configured to generate inertial data representing an attitude of the hand in the glove.

34. The sensor system of claim 33, wherein the inertial measurement unit includes an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a magnetometer, and wherein the inertial data represents pitch, roll, and yaw of the hand in the glove.