# US 10,503,306 B2 · Pressure sensor comprising layer of discontinuous conductive patterns, device comprising the same, and apparatus and method for detecting pressure

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- Number: US 10,503,306 B2
- Document ID: US10503306B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/722,266
- Filed: 2017-10-02
- Published: 2018-04-05
- Granted: 2019-12-10
- Earliest claimed: 2016-09-30
- Assignees: Korea Institute of Science and Technology
- Applicants: Korea Institute of Science and Technology
- Inventors: Hyunjung Yi; Sungwoong Kim; Seungwoo Lee; Ki-Young Lee
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10503306B2

## CPC

- G06F 3/045: using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
- A61B 1/00097: {Sensors}
- A61B 5/02444: {Details of sensor (A61B5/02427 takes precedence)}
- G01L 1/205: {using distributed sensing elements}
- A61B 5/0215: by means inserted into the body
- A61B 2562/0247: Pressure sensors
- A61B 2562/046: in a matrix array
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- G01L: MEASURING FORCE, STRESS, TORQUE, WORK, MECHANICAL POWER, MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY, OR FLUID PRESSURE (weighing G01G)

## Abstract

Provided is a pressure sensor including: a first layer having first conductivity and at least one conductive region; a second layer contacting the first layer to be disposed thereon and having second conductivity; and a plurality of terminals that are electrically connected with the second layer and spaced apart from the at least one conductive region, wherein the at least one conductive region has electrical conductivity that is greater than or equal to that of the second layer.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A pressure sensor comprising:
a first layer comprising at least one conductive region having first electrical conductivity;
a second layer contacting the first layer to be disposed thereon and having second electrical conductivity; and
a plurality of terminals directly electrically connected to the second layer and spaced apart from and disposed outside the at least one conductive region,
wherein electrical conductivity of the at least one conductive region is the same as or greater than that of the second layer, and
wherein the at least one conductive region has a discontinuous pattern internally and is not directly but through the second layer electrically connected to the plurality of terminals.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein resistance of the first layer (first layer resistance, R1), resistance of the second layer (second layer resistance, R2), and resistance between the first layer and the second layer (contact resistance, R1-2) has a relationship of R1≤R2<R1-2 before application of external pressure.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein an electric current changes depending on application of pressure.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein the at least one conductive region has a line pattern disposed discontinuously in one direction or an island-type pattern disposed discontinuously in a plurality of directions.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein the discontinuous pattern has a rectangular, triangular, polygonal, circular, elliptical, stripe, or irregular shape, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein the discontinuous pattern has the same or different electrical conductivity.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein the first layer is disposed on a first substrate, and
the sum of areas of the at least one conductive region is in a range of about 25% to about 95% based on the total area of the first substrate.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein the first layer and the second layer each independently comprises at least one selected from gold (Au), silver (Ag), copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), platinum (Pt), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), an alloy or composite thereof, a conductive polymer, a conductive fiber, and a graphitic material.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first layer and the second layer includes at least one selected from a graphene sheet, a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) sheet, a graphene oxide sheet, a reduced graphene oxide sheet, a single-walled carbon nanotube, a double-walled carbon nanotube, a multi-walled carbon nanotube, fullerene, and a composite thereof.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The pressure sensor of claim 8, wherein the second layer comprises the graphitic material, and further comprises a phage binding to the graphitic material, wherein the phage binding is between the graphitic material and a peptide displayed on a coat protein of the phage or a fragment thereof.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The pressure sensor of claim 8, wherein the second layer comprises the graphitic material and a peptide binding to the graphitic material.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein an internal structure of the second layer is a network structure.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The pressure sensor of claim 12, wherein the network structure further comprises a nanoparticle.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The pressure sensor of claim 1, further comprising:
a first substrate disposed on the first layer; and
a second substrate disposed on a surface of the second layer not facing the first substrate.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The pressure sensor of claim 14, wherein at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate has an uneven structure including a convex portion, a concave portion, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The pressure sensor of claim 15, wherein a cross section of the convex portion or the concave portion has a triangular, square, polygonal, circular, oval, or irregular shape.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The pressure sensor of claim 14, wherein the first substrate, the second substrate, or both first and second substrates are each a flexible substrate.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

A device comprising the pressure sensor of claim 1.

### Claim 19

A method of sensing pressure by using a pressure sensor comprising a first layer having first electrical conductivity, a second layer having second electrical conductivity, and a plurality of terminals directly electrically connected to the second layer, the method comprising:
measuring initial resistance between each of the plurality of terminals;
detecting a changed resistance value between each of the plurality of terminals; and
determining a pressure intensity based on the changed resistance value between each of the plurality of terminals,
wherein the first layer comprises at least one conductive region having the first electrical conductivity and a discontinuous pattern internally, and
the plurality of terminals is spaced apart from and disposed outside the at least one conductive region, and not directly but through the second layer electrically connected to the at least one conductive region.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein
the second layer contacts the first layer to be disposed thereon.

### Claim 21 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the first electrical conductivity is the same as or greater than the second electrical conductivity.

### Claim 22 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20, wherein the at least one conductive region comprises a conductive region array of n*m (where n and m are each independently a natural number of 1 or more),
the plurality of terminals comprise, outside the conductive region array, a plurality of electrodes disposed in a horizontal direction and a plurality of electrodes disposed in a vertical direction, and
the method further comprises determining a pressure intensity and a pressure position to which the pressure is applied based on the changed resistance value between each of the plurality of terminals.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, wherein the determining of the pressure position comprises determining a pressure position by a combination of terminals whose changed resistance value is greater than a standard resistance value.

### Claim 24 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, wherein the conductive region array comprises conductive regions having different electrical conductivity each other.

### Claim 25

A pressure-sensing apparatus comprising:
a pressure sensor comprising a first layer having first electrical conductivity, a second layer having second electrical conductivity, and a plurality of terminals directly electrically connected to the second layer;
a resistance-measuring unit measuring resistance between each of the plurality of terminals; and
a processing unit measuring initial resistance between each of the plurality of terminals and detecting a changed resistance value between each of the plurality of terminals and determining a pressure intensity based on the changed resistance value between each of the plurality of terminals,
wherein the first layer comprises at least one conductive region having the first electrical conductivity and a discontinuous pattern internally, and
the plurality of terminals is spaced apart from and disposed outside the at least one conductive region, and not directly but through the second layer electrically connected to the at least one conductive region.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The pressure-sensing apparatus of claim 25, wherein
the second layer contacts the first layer to be disposed thereon.

### Claim 27 (depends on 25)

The pressure-sensing apparatus of claim 25, wherein the first electrical conductivity is the same as or greater than the second electrical conductivity.

### Claim 28 (depends on 26)

The pressure-sensing apparatus of claim 26, wherein the at least one conductive region comprises a conductive region array of n*m (where n and m are each independently a natural number of 1 or more),
the plurality of terminals comprise, outside the conductive region array, a plurality of electrodes disposed in a horizontal direction and a plurality of electrodes disposed in a vertical direction, and
the processing unit determines a pressure intensity and a pressure position to which the pressure is applied, based on a changed resistance value between each of the plurality of electrodes.

### Claim 29 (depends on 28)

The pressure-sensing apparatus of claim 28, wherein the processing unit determines a pressure position by a combination of terminals whose changed resistance value is greater than a standard resistance value.

### Claim 30 (depends on 28)

The pressure-sensing apparatus of claim 28, wherein the conductive region array comprises conductive regions having different electrical conductivity each other.

### Claim 31

A pressure sensor comprising:
a first layer comprising at least one conductive region having first electrical conductivity;
a second layer contacting the first layer to be disposed thereon and having second electrical conductivity; and
a plurality of terminals directly electrically connected to the second layer, not directly but through the second layer electrically connected to the at least one conductive region, and spaced apart from and disposed outside the at least one conductive region,
wherein the first layer comprises the plurality of terminals, and
wherein electrical conductivity of the at least one conductive region is the same as or greater than that of the second layer.

### Claim 32

A method of sensing pressure by using a pressure sensor comprising a first layer having first electrical conductivity, a second layer having second electrical conductivity, and a plurality of terminals directly electrically connected to the second layer, the method comprising:
measuring initial resistance between each of the plurality of terminals;
detecting a changed resistance value between each of the plurality of terminals; and
determining a pressure intensity based on the changed resistance value between each of the plurality of terminals,
wherein the plurality of terminals is spaced apart from and disposed outside the first layer, and not directly but through the second layer electrically connected to the first layer.

### Claim 33

A pressure-sensing apparatus comprising:
a pressure sensor comprising a first layer including at least one conductive region having first electrical conductivity, a second layer having second electrical conductivity, and a plurality of terminals directly electrically connected to the second layer;
a resistance-measuring unit measuring resistance between each of the plurality of terminals; and
a processing unit measuring initial resistance between each of the plurality of terminals, detecting a changed resistance value between each of the plurality of terminals, and determining a pressure intensity based on the changed resistance value between each of the plurality of terminals,
wherein the plurality of terminals is spaced apart from and disposed outside the at least one conductive region, and not directly but through the second layer electrically connected to the at least one conductive region.