Method of interacting with proximity sensor with a glove

• US 10,595,574 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2018
• Issued: 03/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Salter, Stuart C., Gardner, Cornel Lewis, Singer, Jeffrey, Desjarlais, Frank J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoey, Alissa L
• Application Number:
  US15/982,276
• Publication Number:
  US 20180263313A1
• Time in Patent Office: 677 Days
• Field of Search: 21618
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 19/0024 with accessories
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 19/0037 for fastening an article to the glove

Abstract

A glove is provided that includes a body configured to engage a hand and a plurality of finger sheaths configured to cover fingers of the hand. The glove also has an electrically conductive ink disposed at least at the tip of at least one of the finger sheaths to interact with a proximity sensor, such as a capacitive sensor.

Claims

1. A method of interacting a capacitive sensor with a hand wearing a glove, wherein the glove has a finger sheath that covers a finger of the hand, the method comprising the steps of:

applying a liquid conductive ink to the finger sheath;

drying the conductive ink; and

moving the finger sheath toward a proximity sensor to activate the proximity sensor with the dried conductive ink.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of applying the liquid conductive ink comprises placing at least a portion of the sheath in the liquid conductive ink.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of applying the liquid ink comprises spraying liquid ink onto the sheath.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of applying the ink comprising the step of applying liquid ink containing a conductive polymer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of applying the conductive ink comprises applying the conductive ink to at least a portion of the sheath.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of moving the sheath toward a proximity sensor comprises moving the sheath toward a capacitive sensor within a vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of applying the liquid conductive ink comprises applying the liquid conductive ink to an outer surface at the tip of the finger.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the conductive ink penetrates through and extends from an outside surface to an innermost surface of the glove to provide a conductive ground path through a thickness of the glove configured to ground the proximity sensor to a finger of the hand.

9. A method of interacting a capacitive sensor with a hand wearing a glove, wherein the glove has a body configured to engage and cover the hand, the method comprising the steps of:

applying a liquid conductive ink to the body;

drying the conductive ink; and

moving the body toward a proximity sensor to activate the proximity sensor with the dried conductive ink.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of applying the liquid conductive ink comprises placing at least a portion of the sheath in the liquid conductive ink.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of applying the liquid ink comprises spraying liquid ink onto the body.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of applying the ink comprising the step of applying liquid ink containing a conductive polymer.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of applying the conductive ink comprises applying the conductive ink to at least a portion of the body.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of moving the sheath toward a proximity sensor comprises moving the body toward a capacitive sensor within a vehicle.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of applying the liquid conductive ink comprises applying the liquid conductive ink to an outer surface at the tip of the finger.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the conductive ink penetrates through and extends from an outside surface to an innermost surface of the glove to provide a conductive ground path through a thickness of the glove configured to ground the proximity sensor to a finger of the hand.

17. A method of interacting a capacitive sensor with a hand wearing a glove, wherein the glove has a finger sheath that covers a finger of the hand, the method comprising the steps of:

applying an electrically conductive liquid material to at least a portion of the finger sheath; and

moving the finger sheath toward a proximity sensor to activate the proximity sensor with the electrically conductive material.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the electrically conductive material penetrates through and extends from an outside surface to an innermost surface of the glove to provide a conductive ground path through a thickness of the glove configured to ground the proximity sensor to a finger of the hand.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of applying the electrically conductive liquid material comprises applying a liquid conductive ink.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of drying the conductive ink.