Pressure and optical sensitive device with deformable protrusions
First Claim
1. A touch-sensitive device adapted for use in conjunction with a source of signals, comprisingan overlay having at least one protrusion, said at least one protrusion being so disposed with respect to said source of signals and so adapted that contact between said at least one protrusion and said source of signals is increased when pressure is applied to said overlay and that signals from said source of signals that become trapped in said overlay by total internal reflection increase as a result of said increased contact, andmeans for providing detection signals indicative of the level of said trapped signals.
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Accused Products
Abstract
There is disclosed a tactile sensor comprised of a compliant overlay having a surface of spatially dispersed semi-spherical domes in registration with sequentially pulsed signal means, such as light emitting diodes. The domes adaptively collapse upon the application of pressure applied to the opposite surface of the overlay entrapping signals by reflection between the overlay surfaces. The entrapped signals migrate by reflection to the edges of the overlay for reception by photodetectors. The output from the photodetectors is then processed for determining the magnitude, location and profile of the pressure applied across the overlay. A feedback arrangement is also provided for controlling the magnitude of the externally applied pressure.
62 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A touch-sensitive device adapted for use in conjunction with a source of signals, comprising
an overlay having at least one protrusion, said at least one protrusion being so disposed with respect to said source of signals and so adapted that contact between said at least one protrusion and said source of signals is increased when pressure is applied to said overlay and that signals from said source of signals that become trapped in said overlay by total internal reflection increase as a result of said increased contact, and means for providing detection signals indicative of the level of said trapped signals.
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5. A tactile device comprising
a source of signals, a compliant overlay having at least one deformable protrusion, said at least one deformable protrusion being so disposed with respect to said source of signals that contact between said at least one deformable protrusion and said source of signals is increased when pressure is applied to said overlay and that signals from said source of signals that become trapped in said overlay by total internal reflection increase as a result of said increased contact, and means for providing detection signals which are a function of the level of said trapped signals.
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8. A tactile device, comprising
a source of signals, a compliant overlay having at least one protrusion, said at least one protrusion being so disposed with respect to said source of signals and so adapted that contact between said at least one protrusion and said source of signals is increased when pressure is applied to said overlay and that signals from said source of signals that become trapped in said overlay by total internal reflection increase as a result of said increased contact, means for providing detection signals indicative of the level of said trapped signals, and means for determining the level of said applied pressure as a function of the level of said detection signals.
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9. A sensor responsive to pressure, comprising
a plurality of signal sources, compliant material having a plurality of protrusions, individual ones of said protrusions being so disposed with respect to individual ones of said signal sources and so adapted that contact between said individual ones of said protrusions and said individual ones of said signal sources is increased when pressure is applied to said compliant material and that signals from said individual ones of said signal sources that become trapped in said overlay by total internal reflection increase as a result of said increased contact, and means for providing detection signals indicative of the level of said trapped signals from said individual ones of said signal sources.
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11. A tactile device comprising,
an array of individual sources of signals, an overlay having a plurality of protrusions, individual ones of said protrusions being in registration with respective individual ones of said sources of signals, said protrusions being adapted to collapse when pressure is applied to said overlay such that contact between individual ones of said protrusions and respective ones of said source of signals is increased, whereby there is an increase in the level of signals from said respective ones of said sources of signals that become trapped in said overlay by total internal reflection, and means for detecting said trapped signals and for providing detection signals which are a function of the level of said trapped signals.
Specification