Electrical probe-position sensor

• US 6,151,013 A
• Filed: 11/03/1997
• Issued: 11/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sentech Incorporated (General Dynamics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sentech Incorporated (General Dynamics Corporation)
• Inventors: Huang, Jianming
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala, Bipin H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHANG, KENT WU
• Application Number:
  US08/963,420
• Time in Patent Office: 1,114 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/178, 345/179, 345/156, 345/174, 178/18.01, 178/18.03, 178/18.05, 338/68
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact

Abstract

An improved position responsive sensor is disclosed comprising a substrate having first and second parallel, conductive strips at the edges in electrical contact with high resistance coating on the top surface and low resistance coating on the bottom surface respectively. A d. c. voltage is applied to the top surface of substrate, at the same time an a. c. voltage is applied to the bottom surface. An electrical conductive probe or a flexible resistive sheet is used to detected both d. c. and a. c. voltage between the contact point and the ground, whereby the electrical output signals are accurately related to the x and y coordinates of the contacted point on the top surface of substrate.

Claims

1. A sensor comprising:

a substrate having a top surface, a bottom surface and four edges,

means for providing uniform resistive materials on most of the top and bottom surfaces,

four edges connecting means for joining the respective pairs of conductive strips to the respective edges, means for connecting the opposed strips to the resistive material on the top surface or bottom surface,

means for applying d. c. and a. c. voltage to the top and bottom surfaces of said substrate respectively at the same time.

2. A sensor as recited in claim 1 wherein said substrate is formed of glass.

3. A sensor as recited in claim 1 wherein said substrate is formed of plastic.

4. A sensor as recited in claim 1 wherein said substrate is curved.

5. The sensor of claim 1 further comprising:

a conductive probe for electrically contacting the top surface of the resistive material at a point whose x and y planar coordinates are to be determined; and

output from connecting between the conductive probe and ground conductive strips being responsive to a potential difference between the ground conductive strip and the contacted point on the resistive material whereby electrical output signals are accurately related to the x and y coordinates of the contacted point on the resistive material.

7. A sensor as recited in claim 1 wherein said substrate is formed of glass.

8. A sensor as recited in claim 1 wherein said substrate is formed of plastic.

9. A sensor as recited in claim 1 wherein said substrate is curved.

6. A sensor comprising:

a substrate having a top surface, a bottom surface and four edges,

means to provide uniform resistive materials on most of the top and bottom surfaces,

four edges connecting means joining the respective pairs of conductive strips to the respective edges, said means to connect the opposed strips to the resistive material on the top surface or bottom surface,

a flexible resistive sheet spacing from the top resistive surface of substrate means for insulation, but depression means for electrically contacting of said the flexible resistive sheet and the top resistive surface of the substrate,

means to apply d. c. and a. c. voltage to the top and bottom surfaces respectively at the same time.