Back to results
US 2017/0303853 A1Published application
Sensor system integrated with a glove
AssigneeBeBop Sensors, Inc.
InventorsKeith A. McMillen, Kyle Lobedan, Gregory Wille, Florian Muller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Sensor systems are described that are designed to be integrated with gloves for the human hand. An array of sensors detects forces associated with action of a hand in the glove, and associated circuitry generates corresponding control information that may be used to control a wide variety of processes and devices.
Claims29
A sensor system for integration with a glove, comprising:
- a plurality of digit assemblies, each digit assembly being configured for alignment with a corresponding finger of the glove, each digit assembly including a flexible dielectric substrate, a plurality of sensor trace groups on the flexible dielectric substrate, routing traces connected to each sensor trace group, and a plurality of patches of piezoresistive fabric, each patch forming a knuckle sensor with a corresponding one of the sensor trace groups;
- a plurality of abductor assemblies, each abductor assembly being configured for alignment with a corresponding pair of the fingers of the glove, each abductor assembly including a flexible dielectric substrate, a sensor trace group on the flexible dielectric substrate, routing traces connected to the sensor trace group, and a patch of piezoresistive fabric, the patch forming an abductor sensor with the corresponding sensor trace group;
- and
- a circuit board to which the digit assemblies and the abductor assemblies are connected, the circuit board including circuitry configured to activate and receive a knuckle signal from each knuckle sensor on each digit assembly using the corresponding routing traces, each knuckle signal representing bending of a knuckle in the corresponding finger of the glove, the circuitry also being configured to activate and receive an abductor signal from each abductor sensor on each abductor assembly using the corresponding routing traces, each abductor signal representing spreading of digits in the corresponding pair of the fingers of the glove, the circuitry also being configured to generate digital information using the knuckle signals and the abductor signals, the digital information representing movement of a hand in the glove.
1 more element
A sensor system for integration with a glove, comprising:
- a plurality of digit assemblies, each digit assembly being configured for alignment with a corresponding finger of the glove, each digit assembly including a flexible dielectric substrate, a plurality of sensor trace groups on the flexible dielectric substrate, routing traces connected to each sensor trace group, and piezoresistive fabric, the flexible dielectric substrate of each digit assembly being a thermoplastic material by which the piezoresistive fabric is thermally bonded to the corresponding sensor trace groups thereby forming a plurality of knuckle sensors;
- a plurality of abductor assemblies, each abductor assembly being configured for alignment with a corresponding pair of the fingers of the glove, each abductor assembly including a flexible dielectric substrate, a sensor trace group on the flexible dielectric substrate, routing traces connected to the sensor trace group, and piezoresistive fabric, the flexible dielectric substrate of each abductor assembly being thermoplastic material by which the piezoresistive fabric is thermally bonded to the corresponding sensor trace group thereby forming an abductor sensor;
- and
- a circuit board to which the digit assemblies and the abductor assemblies are connected, the circuit board including circuitry configured to activate and receive a knuckle signal from each knuckle sensor on each digit assembly using the corresponding routing traces, each knuckle signal representing bending of a knuckle in the corresponding finger of the glove, the circuitry also being configured to activate and receive an abductor signal from each abductor sensor on each abductor assembly using the corresponding routing traces, each abductor signal representing spreading of digits in the corresponding pair of the fingers of the glove, the circuitry also being configured to generate digital information using the knuckle signals and the abductor signals, the digital information representing movement of a hand in the glove.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.