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US 6,684,717 B2Granted
High resolution pressure-sensing device having an insulating flexible matrix loaded with filler particles
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorsTongbi Jiang, Zhiqiang Wu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A high-resolution pressure-sensing device is disclosed. The device includes an insulating flexible matrix having a plurality of filler particles. Application of a force to the matrix causes compression of the matrix. This results in the filler particles occupying a greater amount of space within the matrix relative to when no force is applied. A detector attached to the matrix detects or measures the volume of the filler particles relative to the volume of the matrix, and therefore determines the force applied to the matrix. Preferably, the resistivity of the matrix is inversely proportional to the volume percent of the filler particles, in which case the detector is a resistance-measuring circuit.
Claims42
A method of detecting pressure comprising:
- detecting change in a resistance of a matrix into which a plurality of conductive filler particles are loaded, the resistance decreasing as a force applied to the matrix increases;
- and
- developing a contour profile by comparing the resistance of a plurality of adjacent matrixes.
A method of detecting pressure comprising:
- detecting change in a resistance of a matrix into which a plurality of conductive filler particles are loaded, the resistance decreasing as a force applied to the matrix increases;
- and
- providing a resistance distribution.
A method of detecting pressure comprising:
- detecting change in a resistance of a matrix along an axis perpendicular to an axis along which a force is applied to the matrix into which a plurality of conductive filler particles are loaded, the resistance decreasing as the force applied to the matrix increases;
- and
- providing a resistance distribution.
A method of detecting pressure comprising:
- detecting change in a resistance of a matrix along an axis coincidental to an axis along which a force is applied to the matrix into which a plurality of conductive filler particles are loaded, the resistance decreasing as the force applied to the matrix increases;
- and
- providing a resistance distribution.
A method of detecting pressure comprising:
- providing an array of pressure sensing units of an insulating flexible matrix;
- detecting change in a resistance of the matrix into which a plurality of conductive filler particles are loaded, the resistance decreasing as a force applied to the matrix increases;
- and
- providing a resistance distribution.
1 more element
A method of detecting pressure comprising:
- providing an array of pressure sensing units of an insulating flexible matrix;
- detecting change in a resistance of the matrix along an axis perpendicular to an axis along which a force is applied to the matrix into which a plurality of conductive filler particles are loaded, the resistance decreasing as the force applied to the matrix increases;
- and
- providing a resistance distribution.
1 more element
A method of detecting pressure comprising:
- providing an array of pressure sensing units of an insulating flexible matrix;
- detecting change in a resistance of the matrix along an axis coincidental to an axis along which a force is applied to the matrix into which a plurality of conductive filler particles are loaded, the resistance decreasing as the force applied to the matrix increases;
- and
- providing a resistance distribution.
1 more element
An electrical pressure-sensitive grid comprising:
- an insulating flexible matrix;
- a plurality of conductive filler particles loaded into the matrix, the matrix having a volume percent of filler particles that increases as a force applied to the matrix increases and a resistance that decreases as the volume percent of filler particles increases;
- a circuit operatively coupled to the matrix to detect change in the resistance of the matrix;
- wherein the circuit detects change in the resistance across the one or more sections of the matrix;
- and
- wherein the circuit provides a resistance distribution.
3 more elements
An electrical pressure-sensitive grid comprising:
- an array of pressure sensing units wherein each unit comprises:
- an insulating flexible matrix;
- a plurality of conductive filler particles loaded into the matrix, the matrix having a volume percent of filler particles that increases as a force applied to the matrix increases and a resistance that decreases as the volume percent of filler particles increases;
- and
- a circuit operatively coupled to the matrix to detect change in the resistance of the matrix;
- and
- wherein the circuit detects change in the resistance across the one or more sections of the matrix along an axis perpendicular to an axis along which the force is applied to the matrix.
4 more elements
An electrical pressure-sensitive grid comprising:
- an insulating flexible matrix;
- a plurality of conductive filler particles loaded into the matrix, the matrix having a volume percent of filler particles that increases as a force applied to the matrix increases and a resistance that decreases as the volume percent of filler particles increases;
- a circuit operatively coupled to the matrix to measure change in the resistance of the the matrix;
- wherein the circuit measures change in the resistance across the one or more sections of the matrix;
- and
- wherein the circuit provides a resistance distribution.
3 more elements
An electrical pressure-sensitive grid comprising:
- an insulating flexible matrix;
- a plurality of conductive filler particles loaded into the matrix, the matrix having a volume percent of filler particles that increases as a force applied to the matrix increases and a resistance that decreases as the volume percent of filler particles increases;
- a circuit operatively coupled to the matrix to measure change in the resistance of the matrix;
- and
- wherein the circuit measures change in the resistance across the one or more sections of the matrix along an axis perpendicular to an axis along which the force is applied to the matrix.
2 more elements
An electrical pressure-sensitive grid comprising:
- an array of pressure sensing units wherein each unit comprises:
- an insulating flexible matrix;
- a plurality of conductive filler particles loaded into the matrix, the matrix having a volume percent of filler particles that increases as a force applied to the matrix increases and a resistance that decreases as the volume percent of filler particles increases;
- a circuit operatively coupled to the matrix to measure change in the resistance of the matrix;
- and
- wherein the circuit measures change in the resistance across the one or more sections of the matrix along an axis perpendicular to an axis along which the force is applied to the matrix.
3 more elements
An apparatus comprising an electrical pressure-sensitive grid of pressure-sensitive devices, each device comprising:
- an insulating flexible matrix;
- a plurality of conductive filler particles loaded into the matrix, the matrix having a volume percent of filler particles that increases as a force applied by a contacting subject to the matrix increases and a resistance that decreases as the volume percent of filler particles increases;
- a circuit operatively coupled to the matrix to measure change in the resistance of the matrix;
- wherein the circuit measures change in the resistance across the one or more sections of the matrix along an axis perpendicular to an axis along which the force is applied to the matrix;
- and
- wherein the pressure-sensitive grid provides a resistance distribution corresponding to a contour profile of the contacting subject.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.