Pressure sensor, acoustic microphone, blood pressure sensor, and touch panel

• US 9,921,114 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2016
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Fuji, Yoshihiko, Masunishi, Kei, Fukuzawa, Hideaki, Higashi, Yoshihiro, Hara, Michiko, Hori, Akio, Nagata, Tomohiko, Kaji, Shiori, Yuzawa, Akiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Caputo, Lisa
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROY, PUNAM P
• Application Number:
  US15/388,629
• Publication Number:
  US 20170102276A1
• Time in Patent Office: 453 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02141 Details of apparatus construction, e.g. pump units or housings therefor, cuff pressurising systems, arrangements of fluid conduits or circuits A61B5/02233, A61B5/0235 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/12 by measuring variations in the magnetic properties of materials resulting from the application of stress
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/205 using distributed sensing elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/2262 involving simple electrical bridges
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/2287 constructional details of the strain gauges adjustable resistors H01C10/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/2293 of the semi-conductor type semi-conductor devices controllable by variations of applied mechanical force H01L29/84
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/1627 of strain gauges using piezoresistors G01L5/162
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/0051 using variations in ohmic resistance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/028 associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/04 Structural association of microphone with electric circuitry therefor in deaf-aid sets H04R25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 19/005 using semiconductor materials
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 19/04 Microphones H04R19/01 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 7/00 Diaphragms for electromechanical transducers in general F16J3/00; Cones for musical instruments G10 cones, diaphragms or the like, for emitting or receiving sound in general G10K13/00; Mounting thereof

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a pressure sensor includes a film part, and a sensing unit. A circumscribing rectangle circumscribing a configuration of a film surface of the film part has a first side, a second side, a third side connected to one end of the first side and one end of the second side, a fourth side connected to one other end of the first side and one other end of the second side, and a centroid of the circumscribing rectangle. The circumscribing rectangle includes a first region enclosed by the first side, line segments connecting the centroid to the one end of the first side, and to the one other end of the first side. The sensing unit includes sensing elements provided on a portion of the film surface overlapping the first region. Each sensing element includes a first, second magnetic layers, and a spacer layer.

Claims

1. A pressure sensor, comprising:

a film part supported by a support unit, the film part being flexible, the film part having a film surface; and

a sensing unit fixed to the film surface,

the film surface having;

a first side extending in a first direction, the first direction being along the film surface;

a second side extending in the first direction to be separated from the first side;

a third side extending in a second direction to be connected to one end of the first side and one end of the second side, the second direction crossing the first direction and being along the film surface; and

a fourth side extending in the second direction to be separated from the third side and connected to one other end of the first side and one other end of the second side;

the sensing unit including a first sensing group, a second sensing group, a third sensing group, and a fourth sensing group,

the first sensing group including a plurality of first sensing elements, the second sensing group including a plurality of second sensing elements, the third sensing group including a plurality of third sensing elements, the fourth sensing group including a plurality of fourth sensing elements,

the first sensing elements being arranged along the first direction,

the second sensing elements being arranged along the first direction,

the third sensing elements being arranged along the second direction,

the fourth sensing elements being arranged along the second direction,

a distance in the second direction between each of the first sensing elements and the first side being shorter than a distance in the second direction between each of the first sensing elements and the second side,

a distance in the second direction between each of the second sensing elements and the second side being shorter than a distance in the second direction between each of the second sensing elements and the first side,

a distance in the first direction between each of the third sensing elements and the third side being shorter than a distance in the first direction between each of the third sensing elements and the fourth side,

the first sensing elements being connected in series with each other, the second sensing elements being connected in series with each other, the third sensing elements being connected in series with each other, the fourth sensing elements being connected in series with each other, each of the first sensing elements, the second sensing elements, the third sensing elements, and the fourth sensing elements including a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the film part, and a spacer layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer,

a first end of the first sensing group being connected with a first node of a bridge circuit,

a second end of the first sensing group being connected with a second node of the bridge circuit,

a third end of the second sensing group being connected with a third node of the bridge circuit,

a fourth end of the second sensing group being connected with a fourth node of the bridge circuit,

a fifth end of the third sensing group being connected with the second node,

a sixth end of the third sensing group being connected with the third node,

a seventh end of the fourth sensing group being connected with the first node,

an eighth end of the fourth sensing group being connected with the fourth node.

2. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein a first length of the first side is longer than a second length of the third side.

3. The sensor according to claim 2, wherein a ratio of the second length to the first length is not less than 0.25 and less than 1.0.

4. The sensor according to claim 2, wherein a ratio of the second length to the first length is not less than 0.64 and less than 1.0.

5. The sensor according to claim 2, wherein a ratio of the second length to the first length is not more than 0.25.

6. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first magnetic layer is a magnetization free layer, and

a magnetization direction of the magnetization free layer in a state in which an external pressure is not applied is different from the first direction and different from the second direction.

7. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first magnetic layer is a magnetization free layer, and the second magnetic layer is a magnetization fixed layer.

8. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein a length of the one of the first sensing elements in the first direction is not less than 0.1 micrometers and not more than 50 micrometers.

9. The sensor according to claim 1, further comprising the bridge circuit.

10. An acoustic microphone including the pressure sensor according to claim 1.

11. A blood pressure sensor including the pressure sensor according to claim 1.

12. A touch panel including the pressure sensor according to claim 1.