Transducer array

• US 5,431,064 A
• Filed: 09/18/1992
• Issued: 07/11/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Home Row, Inc.
• Inventors: Franz, Patrick J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chilcot, Jr., Richard E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BIEGEL, RONALD L
• Application Number:
  US07/948,143
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: 73/862.046, 73/862.041, 73/862.68, 73/767, 382/4, 382/5, 338/49
• US Class Current: 73/862.68
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/146 for measuring force distributions, e.g. using force arrays G01L1/148 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/20 by measuring variations in ohmic resistance of solid materials or of electrically-conductive fluids of piezo-resistive materials G01L1/18; by making use of electrokinetic cells, i.e. liquid-containing cells wherein an electrical potential is produced or varied upon the application of stress
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/228 using tactile array force sensors
• 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 2221/012 Joy stick type
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2239/078 Variable resistance by variable contact area or point

Abstract

A pressure sensitive transducer array in which a plurality of transducers are connected in series and in parallel with one another. In one embodiment, a resistive layer is formed from carbon or silver ink on a polyester film. A plurality of conductive shunt elements having greater conductivity than the resistive layer is formed on a second polyester film. The films are placed adjacent to one another with the shunt elements contacting the resistive layer. Voltage is applied across the resistive layer and pressure is applied thereto. As the pressure increases, the number of current paths set up through contact points on the shunt elements increase thereby decreasing the resistance across the resistive layer and increasing current flow. In another embodiment a plurality of plate elements are contained in a plane on one side of a dielectric layer. A plurality of plate elements are contained in a plane on the other side of the dielectric layer. As the layer is pushed together responsive to force applied, total capacitance as measured across the planes of plate elements varies.

Claims

1. A transducer for generating a resistance value representative of force applied thereto comprising:

a conducting element having an exposed surface;

a first contact electrically connected to one side of said conducting element;

a second contact electrically connected to an opposite side of said conducting element;

means for creating a current flow in said conducting element;

a plurality of shunt elements each of which has an exposed surface generally directed toward the exposed surface on said conducting element;

means for urging said shunt element surfaces against said exposed surface of said conducting element;

wherein said shunt elements operated to shunt;

a portion of the current flow in said conducting element through said shunt elements when a current flow is created in said conducting element and said shunt element surfaces are urged against said exposed surface of said conducting element.

2. The transducer of claim 1 wherein said transducer further includes means for applying a progressively increasing force to said elements in a manner which increases electrical contact between said shunt surfaces and said exposed surface of said conducting element.

3. The transducer of claim 2 wherein said transducer further includes means for measuring the change in resistance in said conducting element responsive to variations in such force.

4. The transducer of claim 1 wherein said conducting element comprises a substantially planar layer.

5. The transducer of claim 4 wherein said transducer further comprises a substantially nonconducting substrate and wherein said conducting element comprises a layer of ink formed on said substrate.

6. The transducer of claim 5 wherein said ink carbon ink.

7. The transducer of claim 1 wherein said shunt elements are arranged in a substantially serial sequence between said first and second contacts.

8. The transducer of claim 1 wherein said shunt elements are arranged in a substantially serial sequence across and normal to a line between said first and second contacts.

9. The transducer of claim 1 wherein said shunt elements are generally arranged in both rows and columns between said first and second contacts.

10. The transducer of claim 9 wherein said rows are staggered relative to one another.

11. The transducer of claim 1 wherein said transducer further comprises a substantially nonconducting substrate and wherein said shunt elements each comprise a substantially planar layer of ink formed on said substrate.

12. The transducer of claim 11 wherein said ink comprises silver ink.

13. The transducer of claim 11 wherein said ink comprises carbon ink.

14. The transducer of claim 11 wherein said each of said shunt elements is substantially rectangular.

15. The transducer of claim 11 wherein each of said shunt elements is substantially hexagonal.

16. The transducer of claim 1 wherein said shunt elements and said conducting element have different conductivities.

17. The transducer of claim 16 wherein said shunt elements have a higher conductivity than said conducting element.

18. The transducer of claim 1 wherein substantially all of said shunt elements are each arranged in non-contacting relationship with one another.

19. A transducer for sensing force comprising:

a first substantially nonconducting film;

a substantially planar conducting element formed on said first film;

a first contact electrically connected to one side of said conducting element;

a second contact electrically connected to an opposite side of said conducting element;

a second substantially nonconducting film;

a plurality of shunt elements mounted on said second film to form a cluster of shunt elements, said second film being arranged opposite said first film with said conducting element and said shunt elements facing one another;

means for compressing said shunt elements against said conducting element; and

means for measuring the change in the resistance between said first and second contacts responsive to variations in electrical contact between said shunt elements and said conducting element.

20. The transducer of claim 19 wherein said means for compressing said shunt elements against said conducting element comprises:

a substantially planar support surface for supporting said films; and

a keyboard key having a lower surface disposed above said films and being urgeable thereagainst for compressing said films between said lower surface and said support surface.

21. The transducer of claim 19 wherein said conducting element comprises a layer of ink.

22. The transducer of claim 19 wherein said shunt elements are arranged in a pattern between said first and second contacts,

23. The transducer of claim 22 wherein said each of said shunt elements is substantially rectangular.

24. The transducer of claim 19 wherein said shunt elements comprise a substantially planar layer of ink.

25. The transducer of claim 24 wherein said ink comprises silver ink.

26. The transducer of claim 24 wherein said ink comprises carbon ink.

27. The transducer of claim 19 wherein said substantially planar conducting element is made of carbon material.

28. The transducer of claim 19 wherein said shunt elements and said conducting element have different conductivities.

29. The transducer of claim 28 wherein said shunt elements have a higher conductivity than said conducting element.

30. The transducer of claim 19 wherein substantially all of the shunt elements mounted on said second film are each arranged in non-contacting relationship with the other shunt elements mounted on said second film.

31. A method for making a transducer for generating a resistance value representative of force applied thereto comprising the steps of:

forming a substantially planar conducting element on a first planar surface;

connecting a first electrical contact to one side of the conducting element;

connecting a second electrical contact to an opposite side of said conducting element;

forming a plurality of shunt elements on a second planar surface; and

positioning said shunt elements generally opposite said planar conducting element.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the step of forming a substantially planar conducting element on a first planar surface comprises the step of forming a substantially planar conducting element on a substantially nonconducting film.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the step of forming a substantially planar conducting element comprises the step of screen printing the conductive element.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein said conducting element comprises carbon ink.

35. The method of claim 31 wherein the step of forming a plurality of shunt elements having a different conductivity from said conducting element on a second planar surface comprises the step of forming such shunt elements on a nonconducting film.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein the step of forming a plurality of shunt elements comprises the step of screen printing the shunt elements.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein said shunt elements comprise carbon ink.

38. The method of claim 36 wherein said shunt elements comprise silver ink.

39. The method of claim 31 wherein said shunt elements and said conducting element have different conductivities.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein said shunt elements have a higher conductivity than said conducting element.

41. The method of claim 31 wherein said method further includes the step of preselecting one of the following transducer operating characteristics:

linearity, sensitivity and noise level.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein the step of preselecting an operating characteristic of said transducer comprises the step of preselecting one of the following parameters:

shunt element size, shunt element resistance, number, shunt element shape, shunt element pattern and shunt element interconnection resistance.

43. A transducer for generating a resistance value representative of force applied thereto comprising:

a substantially nonconducting substrate;

a first contact electrically connected to one side of said conducting element;

a second contact electrically connected to an opposite side of said conducting element;

a substantially planar conducting element having an exposed surface, said conducting element comprising a layer of ink formed on said substrate;

a plurality of shunt elements each of which has an exposed surface generally directed toward the exposed surface on said conducting element; and

means for urging said shunt element surfaces against said exposed surface of said conducting element.

44. The transducer of claim 43 wherein said wherein said ink comprises carbon ink.

45. The transducer of claim 43 wherein said substantially all of said shunt elements are each arranged in non-contacting relationship with one another.

46. A transducer for generating a resistance value representative of force applied thereto comprising:

a conducting element having an exposed surface;

a first contact electrically connected to one side of said conducting element;

a second contact electrically connected to an opposite side of said conducting element;

a substantially nonconducting substrate;

a plurality of shunt elements, each of which comprises a substantially planar layer of ink formed on said substrate, each ink layer having an exposed surface generally directed toward the exposed surface on said conducting element; and

means for urging said shunt element surfaces against said exposed surface of said conducting element.

47. The transducer of claim 46 wherein said ink comprises silver ink.

48. The transducer of claim 46 wherein said ink comprises carbon ink.

49. The transducer of claim 46 wherein each of said shunt elements is substantially rectangular.

50. The transducer of claim 46 wherein substantially all of the ink layers formed on said substrate are each arranged in non-contacting relationship with the other ink layers formed on said substrate.

51. A transducer for sensing force comprising:

a first substantially nonconducting film;

a substantially planar conducting element formed on said first film;

a first contact electrically connected to one side of said conducting element;

a second contact electrically connected to an opposite side of said conducting element;

a second substantially nonconducting film;

a plurality of shunt elements mounted on said second film to form a cluster of shunt elements, said second film being arranged opposite said first film with said conducting element and said shunt elements facing one another and said shunt elements each comprising a layer of ink;

means for compressing said films together; and

means for measuring the change in resistance between said first and second contacts resulting from variations in electrical contact between said shunt elements and said conducting element.

52. The transducer of claim 51 wherein said ink comprises silver ink.

53. The transducer of claim 51 wherein said ink comprises carbon ink.

54. The transducer of claim 51 wherein substantially all of the shunt elements mounted on said second film are each arranged in non-contacting relationship with the other shunt elements mounted on said second film.

55. A transducer for sensing force comprising:

a first substantially nonconducting film;

a substantially planar conducting element formed on said first film, said conducting element being made of carbon material;

a first contact electrically connected to one side of said conducting element;

a second contact electrically connected to an opposite side of said conducting element;

a second substantially nonconducting film;

a plurality of shunt elements mounted on said second film to form a cluster of shunt elements, said second film being arranged opposite said first film with said conducting element and said shunt elements facing one another;

means for compressing said films together; and

means for measuring the change in resistance between said first and second contacts resulting from variations in electrical contact between said shunt elements and said conducting element.

56. The transducer of claim 55 wherein substantially all of the shunt elements mounted on said second film are each arranged in non-contacting relationship with the other shunt elements mounted on said second film.

57. A transducer for sensing force comprising:

a first substantially nonconducting film;

a substantially planar conducting element formed on said first film;

a first contact electrically connected to one side of said conducting element;

a second contact electrically connected to an opposite side of said conducting element;

a second substantially nonconducting film;

a plurality of shunt elements mounted on said second film to form a cluster of shunt elements, said second film being arranged opposite said first film with said conducting element and said shunt elements facing one another;

means for compressing said films together;

means for creating a current flow in said conducting element; and

means for shunting a portion of the current flow in said conducting element through said shunt elements when a current flow is created in said conducting element and said films are compressed together.

58. The transducer of claim 57 wherein substantially all of the shunt elements mounted on said second film are each arranged in non-contacting relationship with the other shunt elements mounted on said second film.