ROLL-TO-ROLL COMPATIBLE PRESSURE SENSITIVE EVENT SENSING LABEL

• US 20100242629A1
• Filed: 03/26/2010
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CSEM Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique SA Recherche et Développement
• Original Assignee: CSEM Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique SA Recherche et Développement
• Inventors: Beierlein, Tilman, Basset, Guillaume, Leuenberger, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,448,530 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/862.625
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/035 Blister-type containers blisters in general B65D75/36
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/30 Compliance analysis for taking medication
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0418 with electronic history memory
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0427 with direct interaction with a dispensing or delivery system
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/205 using distributed sensing elements
• 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: H01G 13/00 Apparatus specially adapted for manufacturing capacitors; Processes specially adapted for manufacturing capacitors not provided for in groups H01G4/00 - H01G11/00

Abstract

The present invention discloses a smart label to be affixed on or integrated in an object and able to provide an electrical signal indicative of the applied pressure or force and/or the position of the applied pressure or force at a touch point on the object to which the label is affixed. The smart label comprises a layer structure and a detector system, the layer structure comprising of at least a stack of a first, a second and a third layer. The first and third layers comprise a flexible, electrically conductive or semiconductive material and at least two electrodes for connecting the layers to the detector system. The second layer comprises a flexible, deformable and compressible material. The second layer is electrically nonconductive or electrically conductive but less conductive than the first and third layers, wherein the second layer separates the first and third layers.

Claims

1. A smart label to be affixed on or integrated in an object, the smart label being able to provide an electrical signal indicative of at least one of the following:

the applied pressure, force, the position of the applied pressure at a touch point, and the position of the applied force at a touch point on the object to which the label is affixed,

wherein the smart label comprises a layer structure and a detector system, the layer structure comprising of at least a stack of a first, a second and a third layer, the first and third layers each comprising a flexible, electrically conductive or semiconductive material and at least two electrodes for connecting the layers to the detector system,

wherein the second layer comprises a flexible, deformable and compressible material, said second layer being electrically nonconductive or electrically conductive but less conductive than the first and third layers, said second layer separating said first and third layers, and

wherein said at least two electrodes from the first and third layers are arranged along one side of the layer structure.

2. The smart label according to claim 1 wherein the layer structure is fabricated by employing at least one of the following processes:

in a roll-to-roll, or reel-to-reel and sheet-to-sheet process.

3. The smart label according to claim 1 wherein the detector system comprises of electronics and an electrical power supply, one or both of the latter being integrated into or attached to the layer structure.

4. The smart label according to claim 1, wherein the said first, second and third layers are either one of the following:

transparent and semi-transparent.

5. The smart label according to claim 1, wherein the first and the third layers have a gradient of conductivity in at least one of a vertical and horizontal direction.

6. The smart label according to claim 1 wherein the position of the applied pressure or force at a touch point is provided as X-Y coordinates, wherein the X-Y coordinates are deduced from a sequence of analog resistance signal measurements between predetermined groups of said electrodes.

7. The smart label according to claim 1 wherein the second layer is a non-conductive spacer grid with air voids.

8. The smart label according to claim 7 wherein at least one of the first and the third layer comprises a microstructure so as to obtain a more linear resistance vs. force relationship at a touch point.

9. The smart label according to claim 1 wherein the first and second layer comprise a moderately conductive material and wherein the first layer comprises a pattern of highly conductive crosses and the third layer comprises a pattern highly conductive concentric circles, the patterns of crosses and circles being aligned to each other so as to obtain a more linear resistance vs. force relationship at a touch point.

10. The smart label according to claim 1 wherein the smart label can be customized in size by a simple cutting process.

11. The smart label according to claim 1 wherein the smart label is monolithically integrated into a package, especially in a blister package.