Pressure responsive sensor having controlled scanning speed

• US 5,756,904 A
• Filed: 08/30/1996
• Issued: 05/26/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tekscan, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tekscan, Inc.
• Inventors: Howard, Paul, Oreper, Boris
• Primary Examiner(s): NOLAND, THOMAS
• Application Number:
  US08/706,409
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 73/1.59, 73/1.15, 73/862.046, 73/721, 73/862.628
• US Class Current: 73/862.046
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 19/05 for determining occlusion
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/205 using distributed sensing elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/228 using tactile array force sensors

Abstract

A circuit and various sensor arrays are provided which facilitate the scanning of an array of pressure responsive points at higher speed than is possible with currently available circuits and sensor arrays and also provides greater flexibility in selecting scanning speed and in making a tradeoff between scanning speed and resolution. These objectives are achieved by providing a sensor array having T sets of drive electrodes, with pressure points in a predetermined pattern intersected by drive electrodes of each set and a sense electrode for each pressure point of a set. A test signal is applied simultaneously to the drive electrodes of each set, with a different test signal being applied to each set, each test signal flowing through a drive electrode to which the test signal is applied, and through pressure points intersected by such drive electrode for which the resistance is in a lowered resistance state, to the sense electrode intersecting the point, and through sensor output lines to which the sense electrodes are selectively connected. The sense electrodes may be selectively connected to an output circuit which may for example provide a separate A/D converter for each sensor output line or may multiplex the sensor output lines to a single A/D converter. For one embodiment of the invention, T=1 so that a single test pulse may be applied simultaneously to all of the pressure points of the sensor array. Various techniques are also provided for enhancing resolution in areas of interest while sacrificing resolution in areas which are not of interest so as to permit higher speed scanning to be performed without significant sacrifice in resolution.

Claims

1. A circuit for scanning an array of pressure responsive pressure points, each of which points is defined by the intersection of a selected drive electrode and a selected sense electrode, there being a pressure sensitive resistance between the electrodes intersecting at each of said points, the circuit comprising:

a test signal generator adapted to generate T test signals during each scan of said array;

a sensor array having T sets of drive electrodes, each of which sets has at least one drive electrode, and at least one of which sets has a plurality of drive electrodes, there being pressure points in a predetermined pattern intersected by the drive electrodes of each set, a sense electrode for each pressure point of a set, a test signal being applied simultaneously to the drive electrodes of each set, and a different test signal being applied to each set, each test signal flowing through a drive electrode to which the test signal is applied, and through pressure points intersected by such drive electrode for which the resistance is in a lowered resistance state, to the sense electrode intersecting the point, and sensor output lines to which said sense electrodes are selectively connected; and

an output circuit to which said sensor output lines are selectively connected.

2. A circuit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the number of the pressure points for each set is a constant S, there being S sensor output lines from the sensor array.

3. A circuit as claimed in claim 2 wherein the S pressure points for each set are divided equally among the drive electrodes of the set.

4. A circuit as claimed in claim 2 wherein each of the sets has the same number of drive electrodes.

5. A circuit as claimed in claim 2 wherein the S pressure points of each set are divided so that some electrodes intersect more pressure points than others, resolution being higher in the area of the electrodes intersecting more pressure points.

6. A circuit as claimed in claim 2 wherein some of said sets have fewer drive electrodes than others, resolution being higher in the areas of the sets having fewer drive electrodes.

7. A circuit as claimed in claim 2 wherein said output circuit includes a separate A/D converter for each sensor output line through which test signals from the corresponding electrodes are applied.

8. A circuit as claimed in claim 2 wherein said output circuit includes a single A/D converter through which test signals on said sensor output lines are applied, and a multiplexer for selectively applying test signals on the sensor output lines to the A/D converter.

9. A circuit as claimed in claim 1 wherein T=1 so that there is only one set containing all drive electrodes, the single test signal therefore being applied to all sensor points simultaneously.

10. A circuit as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least selected sense electrodes are connected to at least two different sensor output lines, and wherein said output circuit includes a scanner for sequentially sampling said sensor output lines in a manner such that the sensor output lines connected to a sense electrode are sampled at spaced time intervals.

11. A sensor array for use in a circuit for scanning an array of pressure responsive sensor points by applying at least one test signal through the sensor array comprising:

T sets of drive electrodes, each of which sets has at least one drive electrode, and at least one of which sets has a plurality of drive electrodes, there being pressure points in a predetermined pattern intersected by the drive electrodes of each set, a sense electrode for each pressure point of a set, a test signal applied to a set of drive electrodes flowing through a drive electrode, and through pressure points intersected by such drive electrode for which the resistance is in a lowered resistance state, to a sense electrode at the point;

an input through which a test pulse may be applied to each of said T sets of interconnected drive electrodes; and

sensor output lines to which said sense electrode are selectively connected.

12. A sensor as claimed in claim 11 wherein the number of the pressure points for each set is a constant S, there being S sensor output lines from the sensor array.

13. A sensor as claimed in claim 12 wherein the S pressure points for each set are divided equally among the drive electrodes of the set.

14. A sensor as claimed in claim 12 wherein each of the sets has the same number of drive electrodes.

15. A sensor as claimed in claim 12 wherein the S pressure points of each set are divided so that some electrodes intersect more pressure points than others, resolution being higher in the area of the electrodes intersecting more pressure points.

16. A sensor as claimed in claim 12 wherein some of said sets have more drive electrodes than others, resolution being higher in the areas of the sets having fewer drive electrodes.

17. A sensor as claimed in claim 11 wherein T=1, all of the drive electrodes of the sensor array being connected to form a single set.

18. A sensor as claimed in claim 11 wherein at least selected sense electrodes are connected to at least two different sensor output lines.

19. A circuit for scanning an array of pressure responsive sensor points which includes at least two sensor arrays of claim 11 stacked adjacent each other and adapted to be placed between surfaces for which differential pressure is to be measured, the speed at which sensing can be performed by the circuit using a given sensor array being inversely proportional to the value T for the array, and further including means for connecting a selected one of said sensor arrays into the circuit depending on the desired sensing speed.

20. A circuit as claimed in claim 19 including a test pulse generator for applying a separate test pulse to the input for each of said T sets of interconnected drive electrodes, and an output circuit to which the outputs from said sense electrodes are connected.