TUNABLE SENSING DEVICE

• US 20170108986A1
• Filed: 04/15/2016
• Published: 04/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: National Tsing Hua University
• Original Assignee: National Tsing Hua University
• Inventors: LAI, Wei-Cheng, FANG, Wei-Leun
• Application Number:
  US15/130,476
• Publication Number:
  US 20170108986A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 18/00 Testing or calibrating apparatus or arrangements provided for in groups G01D1/00 - G01D15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/142 using capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/148 using semiconductive material, e.g. silicon
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 25/00 Testing or calibrating of apparatus for measuring force, torque, work, mechanical power, or mechanical efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0802 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 21/00 Testing or calibrating of apparatus or devices covered by the preceding groups
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/975 using a capacitive movable element
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/94015 Mechanical, e.g. by displacement of a body, a shielding element, or a magnet, in or out of the sensing area
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 19/02 Loudspeakers H04R19/01 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/003 Mems transducers or their use

Abstract

A tunable sensing device includes a substrate, a deformable dielectric unit and a tunable member. The dielectric unit is disposed on the substrate and is formed with a receiving space. The tunable member is received in the receiving space and has a stiffness tunable by an external electric field or an external magnetic field.

Claims

1. A tunable sensing device, comprising:

a substrate;

a deformable dielectric unit that is disposed on said substrate, and that is formed with a receiving space; and

a tunable member that is received in said receiving space, and that has a stiffness tunable by an external electric field or an external magnetic field.

2. The tunable sensing device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an electrode unit that includes a first electrode and a second electrode, which are disposed in said dielectric unit, and are respectively disposed at two opposite sides of said tunable member.

3. The tunable sensing device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said tunable member includes an insulating fluid and a plurality of particles dispersed in said insulating fluid.

4. The tunable sensing device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said particles of said tunable member are dielectric particles that are capable of aligning along the external electric field for increasing said stiffness of said tunable member.

5. The tunable sensing device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said particles of said tunable member are magnetic particles that are capable of aligning along the external magnetic field for increasing said stiffness of said tunable member.

6. The tunable sensing device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said tunable member is an electrorheological fluid.

7. The tunable sensing device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said tunable member is a magnetorheological fluid.

8. The tunable sensing device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said tunable member is an electroactive polymer.

9. The tunable sensing device as claimed in claim 2, wherein a maximum capacitance value measured between said first and second electrodes when said tunable member is applied with the external electric field or the external magnetic field is larger than a maximum capacitance value measured between said first and second electrodes when said tunable member is not applied with the external electric field or the external magnetic field.

10. The tunable sensing device as claimed in claim 2, wherein a maximum capacitance value measured between said first and second electrodes when said tunable member is applied with the external electric field or the external magnetic field is different from a maximum capacitance value measured between said first and second electrodes when said tunable member is not applied with the external electric field or the external magnetic field.

11. The tunable sensing device as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

said dielectric unit has a bottom portion disposed on said substrate, a side portion extending from a periphery of said bottom portion away from said substrate, and a top portion connected to said side portion and opposite to said bottom portion;

said bottom portion, said side portion and said top portion cooperatively define said receiving space; and

said first electrode is disposed in said top portion and said second electrode is disposed in said bottom portion.

12. The tunable sensing device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said dielectric unit further has at least one through hole penetrating through said top portion, and being in spatial communication with said receiving space, and said dielectric unit includes a covering layer disposed on said top portion and covering said at least one through hole.

13. The tunable sensing device as claimed in claim 12, wherein said top portion of said dielectric unit is formed with a recess in which said second electrode is disposed.

14. The tunable sensing device as claimed in claim 12, wherein said covering layer is made of a material selected from the group consisting of parylene C, parylene D, parylene N, silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, polyimide, metal, and combinations thereof.