Flexible imaging pressure sensor
First Claim
1. An imaging pressure sensor for providing an image of a textured surface, the sensor comprising:
- a) a flexible membrane conformable to the textured surface;
b) a flexible substrate capable of being affixed to a flexible surface without breaking;
c) at least two pressure sensor elements, wherein each pressure sensor element has an electrical resistance greater than 25 kΩ
responsive to a separation between a part of the membrane and a corresponding part of the substrate; and
d) a spacer disposed between and connected to the membrane and the substrate;
wherein each of the separations has a corresponding non-zero nominal value determined in part by the spacer;
wherein said substrate has a flexural rigidity DS and said membrane has a flexural rigidity DM, and wherein D M<
DS<
106 DM.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A sensor for a textured surface (e.g., a fingerprint) is provided. The sensor includes a flexible substrate and a flexible membrane supported above the substrate by one or more spacers. The sensor also includes multiple pressure sensor elements responsive to a separation between parts of the membrane and corresponding parts of the substrate. The membrane is conformable to the textured surface being sensed, so the variation in separation between substrate and membrane is representative of the textured surface being sensed. A preferred sensor array arrangement has a set of parallel substrate electrodes on the substrate facing the membrane and a set of parallel membrane electrodes on the membrane facing the substrate, where the substrate and membrane electrodes are perpendicular. The sensor array is preferably an entirely passive structure including no active electrical devices, to reduce cost. Row and column addressing circuitry can be provided as separate units (e.g., ASIC chips) to be hybrid integrated with the sensor array.
35 Citations
42 Claims
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1. An imaging pressure sensor for providing an image of a textured surface, the sensor comprising:
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a) a flexible membrane conformable to the textured surface; b) a flexible substrate capable of being affixed to a flexible surface without breaking; c) at least two pressure sensor elements, wherein each pressure sensor element has an electrical resistance greater than 25 kΩ
responsive to a separation between a part of the membrane and a corresponding part of the substrate; andd) a spacer disposed between and connected to the membrane and the substrate; wherein each of the separations has a corresponding non-zero nominal value determined in part by the spacer; wherein said substrate has a flexural rigidity DS and said membrane has a flexural rigidity DM, and wherein D M<
DS<
106 DM. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A method of making an imaging pressure sensor for providing an image of a textured surface, the method comprising:
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a) providing a flexible substrate capable of being affixed to a flexible surface without breaking; b) processing the substrate to form a substrate pattern; c) providing a flexible membrane conformable to the textured surface; d) processing the membrane to form a membrane pattern; e) providing a spacer; f) bonding the membrane, the spacer and the substrate together such that the spacer is sandwiched between the membrane and the substrate, and wherein the substrate pattern faces the membrane pattern; wherein the membrane and substrate patterns define at least two pressure sensor elements each having an electrical resistance greater than 25 kΩ
responsive to a separation between a part of the membrane and a corresponding part of the substrate;wherein each of the separations has a corresponding non-zero nominal value determined in part by the spacer; wherein said substrate has a flexural rigidity DS and said membrane has a flexural rigidity DM, and wherein D M<
DS<
106 DM. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33)
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34. A method of making an imaging pressure sensor for providing an image of a textured surface, the method comprising:
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a) providing a flexible substrate capable of being affixed to a flexible surface without breaking; b) processing the substrate to form a substrate pattern; c) providing a flexible membrane conformable to the textured surface; d) processing the membrane to form a membrane pattern; e) bonding the membrane and the substrate together such that the substrate pattern faces the membrane pattern; wherein the membrane and substrate patterns define at least two pressure sensor elements each having an electrical resistance greater than 25 kΩ
responsive to a separation between a part of the membrane and a corresponding part of the substrate;wherein each of the separations has a corresponding non-zero nominal value determined in part by a spacer formed by the membrane and substrate patterns; wherein said spacer comprises a local standoff corresponding to each of said pressure sensor elements, and wherein each local standoff comprises a pressure sensitive resistor. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36)
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37. A method for sensing a textured surface, the method comprising:
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a) providing a flexible membrane conformable to the textured surface; b) providing a flexible substrate capable of being affixed to a flexible surface without breaking; c) providing at least two pressure sensor elements, wherein each pressure sensor element has an electrical resistance greater than 25 kΩ
responsive to a separation between a part of the membrane and a corresponding part of the substrate; andd) providing a spacer disposed between and connected to the membrane and the substrate wherein each of the separations has a corresponding non-zero nominal value determined in part by the spacer; e) providing an output signal responsive to one or more signals from one or more of the pressure sensor elements; wherein said substrate has a flexural rigidity DS and said membrane has a flexural rigidity DM, and wherein DM<
DS<
106 DM. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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Specification