Sensor system integrated with a glove

• US 9,710,060 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2015
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BeBop Sensors, Inc.
• Original Assignee: BeBop Sensors, Inc.
• Inventors: Lobedan, Kyle, McMillen, Keith A.
• Primary Examiner(s): MERCEDES, DISMERY E
• Application Number:
  US14/928,058
• Publication Number:
  US 20160070347A1
• Time in Patent Office: 627 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/064 for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6806 Gloves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6843 Monitoring or controlling sensor contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/18 using properties of piezo-resistive materials, i.e. materials of which the ohmic resistance varies according to changes in magnitude or direction of force applied to the material
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/964 Piezoelectric touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49156 with selective destruction of conductive paths

Abstract

Sensor systems are described that are designed to be integrated with gloves for the human hand. An array of sensors detects forces associated with action of a hand in the glove, and associated circuitry generates corresponding control information that may be used to control a wide variety of processes and devices.

Claims

1. A sensor system, comprising:

a flexible dielectric substrate for alignment or integration with a portion of a glove;

a plurality of conductive trace groups integrated with the substrate, each of the conductive trace groups including two or more conductive traces, each of the conductive trace groups having a signal routing portion and a sensor portion, each of the sensor portions being at a corresponding sensor location on the substrate that corresponds to a portion of a human hand;

a plurality of patches of flexible piezoresistive material, each of the patches of piezoresistive material being aligned and in contact with the sensor portion of a corresponding one of the conductive trace groups, wherein resistance between the conductive traces in the sensor portion of each of the conductive trace groups varies with force on the corresponding patch of piezoresistive material; and

circuitry configured to receive a signal from each of the conductive trace groups via the corresponding signal routing portion and to generate control information in response thereto, the control information representing the force on the corresponding patch of piezoresistive material.

2. The sensor system of claim 1, wherein the flexible dielectric substrate comprises a thermoplastic material, the sensor system further comprising a second flexible substrate of the thermoplastic material, wherein the flexible substrate on which the conductive trace groups are formed, the patches of piezoresistive material, and the second flexible substrate are thermally bonded together such that the patches of piezoresistive material are secured in contact with the sensor portions of the corresponding conductive trace groups.

3. The sensor system of claim 1, wherein the piezoresistive material is a fabric.

4. The sensor system of claim 1, wherein the conductive traces comprise conductive ink printed on the flexible substrate, or conductive paint deposited on the flexible substrate.

5. The sensor system of claim 1, wherein a subset of the conductive trace groups is configured to sense force caused by stretching of the glove in response to spreading apart of fingers of the human hand.

6. The sensor system of claim 1, wherein a subset of the conductive trace groups is configured to sense force caused by flexing of a wrist of the human hand.

7. The sensor system of claim 1, wherein a subset of the conductive trace groups is positioned to coincide with a palm of the human hand.

8. The sensor system of claim 1, wherein a subset of the conductive trace groups is positioned to coincide with one or more fingertips of the human hand.

9. The sensor system of claim 1, wherein the control information is configured for use by a computing device to control a virtual hand in a virtual environment.

10. The sensor system of claim 1, wherein the control information is configured for use by an electronic system to control a robotic device.

11. The sensor system of claim 1, wherein the conductive traces of the conductive trace groups terminate at an edge of the flexible substrate, the sensor system further comprising a stiffener coupled to the flexible substrate at the edge of the flexible substrate, the stiffener providing rigidity of the flexible substrate to facilitate insertion of the edge of the flexible substrate into a connector for routing of the signals to and from the sensor system.

12. The sensor system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of stiffeners, each of the stiffeners being positioned adjacent a corresponding one of the sensor locations.

13. The sensor system of claim 1, wherein, for each of a subset of the conductive trace groups, portions of the two or more conductive traces of the conductive trace group that correspond to the sensor portion of the conductive trace group include extensions that alternate.

14. A sensor system, comprising:

a flexible piezoresistive substrate for alignment or integration with a portion of a glove;

a plurality of conductive trace groups integrated with the piezoresistive substrate, each of the conductive trace groups including two or more conductive traces, each of the conductive trace groups having a signal routing portion and a sensor portion, each of the sensor portions being integrated with the piezoresistive substrate at a corresponding sensor location on the piezoresistive substrate that corresponds to a portion of a human hand, wherein resistance between the conductive traces in the sensor portion of each of the conductive trace groups varies with force on a corresponding portion of the piezoresistive material; and

circuitry configured to receive a signal from each of the conductive trace groups via the corresponding signal routing portion and to generate control information in response thereto, the control information representing the force on the corresponding portion of the piezoresistive material.

15. The sensor system of claim 14, wherein the flexible piezoresistive substrate is a fabric.

16. The sensor system of claim 14, wherein the conductive traces comprise conductive ink printed on the flexible piezoresistive substrate, or conductive paint deposited on the flexible piezoresistive substrate.

17. The sensor system of claim 14, wherein a subset of the conductive trace groups is configured to sense force caused by stretching of the glove in response to spreading apart of fingers of the human hand.

18. The sensor system of claim 14, wherein a subset of the conductive trace groups is configured to sense force caused by flexing of a wrist of the human hand.

19. The sensor system of claim 14, wherein a subset of the conductive trace groups is positioned to coincide with a palm of the human hand.

20. The sensor system of claim 14, wherein a subset of the conductive trace groups is positioned to coincide with one or more fingertips of the human hand.

21. The sensor system of claim 14, wherein the control information is configured for use by a computing device to control a virtual hand in a virtual environment.

22. The sensor system of claim 14, wherein the control information is configured for use by an electronic system to control a robotic device.

23. The sensor system of claim 14, wherein the conductive traces of the conductive trace groups terminate at an edge of the flexible substrate, the sensor system further comprising a stiffener coupled to the flexible substrate at the edge of the flexible substrate, the stiffener providing rigidity of the flexible substrate to facilitate insertion of the edge of the flexible substrate into a connector for routing of the signals to and from the sensor system.

24. The sensor system of claim 14, further comprising a plurality of stiffeners, each of the stiffeners being positioned adjacent a corresponding one of the sensor locations.

25. The sensor system of claim 14, wherein, for each of a subset of the conductive trace groups, portions of the two or more conductive traces of the conductive trace group that correspond to the sensor portion of the conductive trace group include extensions that alternate.