# US 11,994,441 B2 · Sensor device for environmental perception and/or for reliably gripping and manipulating objects > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,994,441 B2 - Document ID: US11994441B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/289,532 - Filed: 2019-10-29 - Published: 2021-12-23 - Granted: 2024-05-28 - Earliest claimed: 2018-10-29 - Assignees: Joanneum Research Forschungsgesellschaft mbH; Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt - Applicants: JOANNEUM RESEARCH Forschungsgesellschaft mbH; Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt - Inventors: Stephan Johann Mühlbacher-Karrer; Hubert Zangl; Herbert Gold; Georg Jakopic; Andreas Tschepp - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11994441B2 ## CPC - G01L 5/009: {Force sensors associated with material gripping devices} - G01D 5/24: by varying capacitance - G01L 1/16: using properties of piezoelectric devices - H03K 17/962: {Capacitive touch switches} - H03K 17/964: {Piezoelectric touch switches} - H10N 39/00: Integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one piezoelectric, electrostrictive or magnetostrictive element covered by groups H10N30/00 – H10N35/00 - H10W 90/00: Package configurations - H03K 17/965: Switches controlled by moving an element forming part of the switch - H10N 30/302: {Sensors} - H10N 30/857: Macromolecular compositions - H10N 30/878: {the principal material being non-metallic, e.g. oxide or carbon based} - G01L: MEASURING FORCE, STRESS, TORQUE, WORK, MECHANICAL POWER, MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY, OR FLUID PRESSURE (weighing G01G) - G01D: MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVERED IN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M) - H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A sensor device comprising at least a first substrate, a capacitive sensor for recording the approach of an object, a piezoelectric sensor for recording a pressure, wherein the capacitive sensor is arranged on a first side of the first substrate and the piezoelectric sensor is arranged on a second side of the first substrate, wherein the second side is opposite the first side, or wherein the capacitive sensor and the piezoelectric sensor are arranged on the same side of the substrate. ## Claims ### Claim 1 Sensor device (1), comprising: a first substrate (3); a capacitive sensor (4) for detecting an approach of an object, wherein at least a portion of the capacitive sensor (4) is arranged on a first side of the first substrate (3); a piezoelectric sensor (5) for detecting a pressure or a pressure change, wherein the piezoelectric sensor (5) is arranged in the sensor device (1) spaced from a second side of the first substrate (3), the second side of the first substrate (3) being opposite to the first side thereof; and a shield electrode (7) between the capacitive sensor (4) and the piezoelectric sensor (5), wherein the shield electrode (7) is electrically coupled to ground. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) Sensor device (1) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a second substrate (10); wherein the capacitive sensor (4) is arranged on the first substrate (3); and wherein the piezoelectric sensor (5) is arranged on the second substrate (10); and wherein the second substrate (10) is laminated onto the first substrate (3). ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) Sensor device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein a base surface of the capacitive sensor (4) substantially matches a base surface of the piezoelectric sensor (5). ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) Sensor device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shield electrode (7) is arranged on a second side of the first substrate (3). ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) Sensor device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the capacitive sensor (4) comprises: an electrode layer (4a); a bottom electrode (4b); wherein the electrode layer (4a) and the bottom electrode (4b) are insulated from one another by the first substrate (3). ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) Sensor device (1) as claimed in claim 5, wherein the electrode layer (4a) is arranged on the first side of the first substrate (3) and the bottom electrode (4b) is arranged on the second side of the first substrate (3). ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) Sensor device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric sensor (5) further comprises: a bottom electrode layer (5a); a ferroelectric copolymer layer (5b); and a top electrode layer (5c), wherein the ferroelectric copolymer layer (5b) is located between the top and bottom electrode layers (5a, 5c). ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) Sensor device (1) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the bottom electrode layer (5a) is formed from poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS). ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) Sensor device (1) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a lacquer layer (9) for protecting a surface of the sensor device (6). ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) Sensor device (1) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the lacquer layer (9) is formed on the capacitive sensor (4). ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) Sensor device (1) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a dielectric insulation layer (8) between the shield electrode (7) and the piezoelectric sensor (5). ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A system comprising: at least one sensor device (1) as claimed in claim 1; a device for approach recognition (17) for detecting a first signal (16) from the capacitive sensor (4), wherein the first signal (16) is an approach signal; and a device for contact recognition (19) for detecting a second signal (18) from the piezoelectric sensor (5), wherein the second signal (18) is a contact signal. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) Manipulator device, comprising at least one manipulator finger (14), wherein each individual manipulator finger (14) comprises at least one sensor device (1) as claimed in claim 1 for detecting a holding force in a tactile manner during a gripping procedure of the manipulator device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) Sensor device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the capacitive sensor (4) comprises: an electrode layer (4a); a bottom electrode (4b); and a first dielectric insulation layer (4c), wherein the electrode layer (4a) and the bottom electrode (4b) are insulated from one another by the first dielectric insulation layer (4c). ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) Sensor device (1) as claimed in claim 14, wherein the capacitive sensor (4) is wholly arranged on the first side of the first substrate (3). ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) Sensor device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the capacitive sensor (4) and the piezoelectric sensor (5) form a stack sensor (2).