Method and apparatus for sensing position of contact along an elongated member
OwnerMaurice Zeldmaninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Objects contacted by mechanical fingers cause shunts that are touched at a position to contact resistance strips. Sensing resistance remaining between the shunt contact and one end of the resistance strip indicates position of contact along the finger. Shapes and alignments of objects are sensed by comparing positional information along several fingers.
Claims23
A sensing apparatus comprising at least one elongated member extending from a base member, touch positional sensing means disposed along at least a substantial part of said elongated member, said sensing means comprising an elongated resistance element disposed along said elongated member and elongated shunting means disposed in a generally side-by-side relation with said resistance element with a gap therebetween, a source of electrical potential connected at least one end of said resistance element, and resistance sensing means connected to one end of said resistance element and to said shunting means for sensing the resistance of the resistance element between a given reference point or points on said resistance element and a point or points of contact between said resistance element and said shunting means along said position sensing means, whereby the relative position of said point or points of contact along said position sensing means can be determined.
Touch position sensing finger apparatus comprising a palm mounted for movement, a finger mounted on the palm for movement with respect to the palm and touch positional sensing means mounted on at least one side of the finger for sensing position along the finger at which a relatively stationary object is encountered and touched by the finger, the sensing means comprising a resistance element extending along the finger and a shunt means extending along the finger parallel to the resistance element and resilient means extending along the finger and spacing the shunt means and the resistance element until a relatively stationary object is encountered and touched and further comprising potential means connected to one of the resistance element and shunt means and potential sensing means connected to one of the resistance element and shunt means for sensing potential drop associated within a portion of the resistance element remaining unshunted after contact of the resistance element and the shunting means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.