Film-type pressure sensor E.G. for article of footwear

• US 9,404,817 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2012
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IEE International Electronics & Engineering SA (Aerospace Hi-Tech Holding Group Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: IEE International Electronics & Engineering SA (Aerospace Hi-Tech Holding Group Company Limited)
• Inventors: Steier, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): CAPUTO, LISA M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Tran M
• Application Number:
  US14/128,728
• Publication Number:
  US 20140144251A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,510 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/34 with electrical or electronic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/38 with power sources
• CPC Class Codes: A43D 1/027 Shoe fit indicating devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/08 Sensors provided with means for identification, e.g. barcodes or memory chips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1038 Measuring plantar pressure during gait
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6807 Footwear
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/205 using distributed sensing elements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0334 Foot operated pointing devices

Abstract

A film-type pressure sensor includes a carrier structure including a first carrier film, a second carrier film and a spacer film arranged between the first and second carrier films, where one or more pressure-sensing cells are disposed in the carrier structure, each of which includes an electrode arrangement for producing an impedance change in response to a compressive force, an electrical interface is provided for mechanically and electrically connecting the pressure sensor to an evaluation circuit, where some terminals of the interface are connected with the electrode arrangements of the cells so as to allow them to be read out, such that one or more electrical components interconnect at least two of the terminals in pairs so as to form a combination of terminal pair impedances that represents coded information relating to the pressure sensor.

Claims

1. Film-type pressure sensor comprising:

a carrier structure comprising a first carrier film, a second carrier film and a spacer film arranged between said first and second carrier films,

one or more pressure-sensing cells disposed in said carrier structure, in which said spacer has an opening allowing flexure of said first and/or said second carrier film toward each other under a compressive force, and in which an electrode arrangement is disposed for producing an impedance change in response to said compressive force; and

an electrical interface for mechanically and electrically connecting said film-type pressure sensor to an evaluation circuit, said electrical interface comprising a plurality of cell-specific terminals, at least some of which are electrically connected to said the electrode arrangements of said pressure-sensing cells so as to allow them to be read out when said evaluation circuit is connected to said film-type pressure sensor;

wherein said film-type pressure sensor comprises one or more electrical components that forms an interconnection pattern between one of the said plurality of cell-specific terminals and another additional terminal so as to form a combination of terminal pair impedances,

wherein said evaluation circuit detects said combination of terminal pair impedances that represents uniquely coded identifying information, that would identify a particular type of said film-type pressure sensor, when said evaluation circuit is connected to said film-type pressure sensor, and

wherein the coded identifying information is readable by said evaluation circuit before triggering said film-type pressure sensor.

2. Film-type pressure sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein said one or more electrical components are embedded in-between said first and second carrier films.

3. Film-type pressure sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein said one or more electrical components are printed and/or laminated on said first and/or said second carrier film.

4. Film-type pressure sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein said one or more electrical components comprise at least one of resistors and conductors.

5. Film-type pressure sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein said electrical interface comprises a common terminal connected to the electrode arrangements of all of said one or more pressure-sensing cells and one or more cell-specific terminals connected to the electrode arrangement of one of said one or more pressure-sensing cells, such that impedance changes produced by said electrode arrangements appear between said common terminal and said cell-specific terminals.

6. Film-type pressure sensor as claimed in claim 5, wherein said electrical interface comprises at least one additional terminal, and wherein said one or more electrical components interconnect said at least one additional terminal with one or more of said cell-specific terminals.

7. Film-type pressure sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein said evaluation circuit is connected to said electrical interface, said evaluation circuit being configured to measure impedances of the electrode arrangements of said pressure-sensing cells and said terminal pair impedances.

8. Film-type pressure sensor as claimed in claim 7, said evaluation circuit having implemented therein a library allowing decoding of said coded identifying information.

9. Film-type pressure sensor as claimed in claim 8, wherein said evaluation circuit is configured to carry out self-adjustments depending on said coded identifying information.

10. Kit, comprising said film-type pressure sensor as claimed in claim 1, and an evaluation device comprising the evaluation circuit connectable to said electrical interface, said evaluation circuit being configured to measure impedances of the electrode arrangements of said pressure-sensing cells and said terminal pair impedances.

11. Kit as claimed in claim 10, said evaluation circuit having implemented therein a library allowing decoding of said coded identifying information.

12. Kit as claimed in claim 10, wherein said evaluation circuit is configured to carry out self-adjustments depending on said coded identifying information.

13. The film-type pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein the coded identifying information generated according to the terminal pair impedances identifies the film-type pressure sensor as a particular type of film-type pressure sensor among a plurality of different types of film-type pressure sensors compatible with the evaluation circuit.