Sensing arrangement

• US 7,813,534 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2004
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Hjelt, Kari, Ryhanen, Tapani
• Primary Examiner(s): Bella; Matthew C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rush; Eric
• Application Number:
  US10/763,805
• Publication Number:
  US 20050030724A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,455 Days
• Field of Search: 382/115, 382124-127, 29840-841, 361/760
• US Class Current: 382/124
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0531 Measuring skin impedance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1171 based on the shapes or appearances of their bodies or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/2405 by varying dielectric
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1306 non-optical, e.g. ultrasonic or capacitive sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1335 Combining adjacent partial images (e.g. slices) to create a composite input or reference pattern; Tracking a sweeping finger movement
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

The invention relates to an arrangement for sensing ambient conditions in electric equipment. These conditions may include verification of the user, the location of the equipment and various properties of the environment. The invention is preferably applied in mobile terminals. One idea of the invention is to provide a sensor arrangement with a substrate (663) that forms at least part of a sensor, and also serves as a substrate for other sensors (695-698). The substrate is preferably flexible so that it can be formed in a shape which is follows the shape of the device cover. The invention also describes a way to create two- or three-dimensional electrode structures that can be used to optimize the performance of the sensor. When the surface structure is designed to follow the shape of a finger, a very small pressure is required when sliding the finger along the sensor surface. This way the use of the sensor is ergonomic and the measurement is made very reliable.

Claims

1. A sensor arrangement comprising at least one sensor, at least one integrated signal processing circuit for the measurement of signals from the at least one sensor, and interconnecting wiring between the at least one sensor and the integrated circuit, the arrangement comprises a substrate, said substrate forming at least part of said interconnecting wiring and said substrate is further arranged to serve as a functional part of at least one said sensor, and wherein said substrate comprises means for forming a sensor together with a sensor part, wherein said substrate and said sensor part are galvanically separated, and wherein said substrate and said sensor part comprise means for transferring energy and measurement information inductively between said substrate and said sensor part.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said sensor part is a passive circuit.

3. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said sensor part comprises an active circuit further comprising means for measuring sensor information and means for transferring the measurement information inductively to said substrate.

4. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said sensor is a skin contact sensor.

5. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the arrangement further comprises a infrared light source, a infrared light detector and second measurement means for measuring absorption of infrared light from a finger.

6. An arrangement according to claim 5, wherein said infrared light source and said infrared light detector are located at opposite sides of a groove designed for the finger.

7. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said arrangement further comprises a temperature sensor for measuring ambient temperature.

8. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said arrangement further comprises a humidity sensor for sensing ambient humidity.

9. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said arrangement further comprises a pressure sensor.

10. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said arrangement further comprises a skin contact sensor.

11. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said arrangement further comprises a sensor fixed on the substrate.

12. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said arrangement comprises a biometric sensor.

13. A mobile terminal, wherein it includes a sensor arrangement according to claim 1.

14. A mobile terminal according to claim 13, wherein at least part of the sensor arrangement is encapsulated, such as molded, in a cover of the mobile terminal.