Sensor cord array and method with conductive sensors for detecting activity on or around an object

A method for sensing an event, comprising:

• a) providing a plurality of sensor cords in a parallel or substantially parallel arrangement, each of said sensor cords including a plurality of sensors disposed adjacent one another, each of said sensor cords comprising:
• a resilient top portion having at least one resilient conductive member;
• a resilient lower portion having a plurality of active sections and a plurality of resilient lower portion conductive members channeled and interconnected through the lower portion, the lower portion conductive members being separated by non-conductive material;
• each active section further comprising a layer of resilient conductive material at a top of the lower portion, resilient non-conductive material arranged over the lower conductive members to insulate the lower portion conductive members from the conductive layer, and a communicating conductive material passing through the non-conductive material to connect one of the conductive members to the resilient conducting material on top of the active section;
• b) sensing the event by way of activation of at least one sensor provided on at least one of said plurality of sensor cords;
• c) providing at least one control circuit at one end of each of said sensor cords, wherein each of said at least one control circuit is an integrated circuit that provides at least one of power, ground and signaling to said each of said sensor cords;
• and
• d) providing a non-conductive spacer between the resilient top portion and the resilient lower portion, wherein a gap in which no spacer material exists is also provided between the resilient top portion and the resilient lower portion,
• wherein the non-conductive spacer is made of a flexible material such that when a predetermined force is applied thereto, the resilient top portion and the resilient lower portion meet at a region corresponding to the gap.

A method for sensing an event, comprising:

• a) providing a plurality of sensor cords in a parallel or substantially parallel arrangement, each of said sensor cords including a plurality of sensors disposed adjacent one another, each of said sensor cords comprising:
• a resilient top portion having at least one resilient conductive member;
• a resilient lower portion having a plurality of active sections and a plurality of resilient lower portion conductive members channeled and interconnected through the lower portion, the lower portion conductive members being separated by non-conductive material;
• each active section further comprising a layer of resilient conductive material at a top of the lower portion, resilient non-conductive material arranged over the lower conductive members to insulate the lower portion conductive members from the conductive layer, and a communicating conductive material passing through the non-conductive material to connect one of the conductive members to the resilient conducting material on top of the active section;
• b) sensing the event by way of activation of at least one sensor provided on at least one of said plurality of sensor cords;
• c) providing at least one control circuit at one end of each of said sensor cords, wherein each of said at least one control circuit is an integrated circuit that provides at least one of power, ground and signaling to said each of said sensor cords;
• d) providing a non-conductive cover material that surrounds each of the plurality of sensors;
• and
• e) providing an outside protective cover that surrounds said non-conductive cover material, said outside protective cover operating as an EMI shield for the sensing device
• wherein the outside protective cover includes an inside protection portion provided between the resilient top portion and the resilient lower portion, wherein a gap in which no spacer material exists is also provided between the resilient top portion and the resilient lower portion.

A sensing device comprising:

• a plurality of sensor cords provided in a parallel or substantially parallel arrangement, each of the sensor cords including a plurality of sensors disposed adjacent one another, each of the plurality of sensors comprising:
• a resilient top portion having at least one resilient conductive member;
• a resilient lower portion having a plurality of active sections and a plurality of resilient lower portion conductive members channeled and interconnected through the lower portion, the lower portion conductive members being separated by non-conductive material;
• each active section further comprising a layer of resilient conductive material at a top of the lower portion, resilient non-conductive material arranged over the lower conductive members to insulate the lower portion conductive members from the conductive layer, and a communicating conductive material passing through the non-conductive material to connect one of the conductive members to the resilient conducting material on top of the active section;
• and
• at least one control circuit respectively provided at one end of each of said sensor cords, wherein said at least one control circuit is an integrated circuit that provides at least one of power, ground and signaling to said each of said sensor cords,
• wherein the at least one resilient conductive member has a sponge-like consistency in which a resistance value of the at least one resilient conductive member changes based on an amount of stretching applied to the at least one resilient conductive member.

A method for sensing an event, comprising:

• a) providing a plurality of sensor cords in a parallel or substantially parallel arrangement, each of said sensor cords including a plurality of sensors disposed adjacent one another, each of said sensor cords comprising:
• a resilient top portion having at least one resilient conductive member;
• a resilient lower portion having a plurality of active sections and a plurality of resilient lower portion conductive members channeled and interconnected through the lower portion, the lower portion conductive members being separated by non-conductive material;
• each active section further comprising a layer of resilient conductive material at a top of the lower portion, resilient non-conductive material arranged over the lower conductive members to insulate the lower portion conductive members from the conductive layer, and a communicating conductive material passing through the non-conductive material to connect one of the conductive members to the resilient conducting material on top of the active section;
• b) sensing the event by way of activation of at least one sensor provided on at least one of said plurality of sensor cords;
• and
• c) providing at least one control circuit at one end of each of said sensor cords, wherein each of said at least one control circuit is an integrated circuit that provides at least one of power, ground and signaling to said each of said sensor cords,
• wherein the resilient top portion has a plurality of active sections and a plurality of resilient upper portion conductive members channeled and interconnected through the top portion, the top portion conductive members being separated by non-conductive material, and
• wherein the at least one resilient conductive member has a sponge-like consistency in which a resistance value of the at least one resilient conductive member changes based on an amount of stretching applied to the at least one resilient conductive member.

A sensing device comprising:

• a plurality of sensor cords provided in a parallel or substantially parallel arrangement, each of the sensor cords including a plurality of sensors disposed adjacent one another, each of the plurality of sensors comprising:
• a resilient top portion having at least one resilient conductive member;
• a resilient lower portion having a plurality of active sections and a plurality of resilient lower portion conductive members channeled and interconnected through the lower portion, the lower portion conductive members being separated by non-conductive material;
• each active section further comprising a layer of resilient conductive material at a top of the lower portion, resilient non-conductive material arranged over the lower conductive members to insulate the lower portion conductive members from the conductive layer, and a communicating conductive material passing through the non-conductive material to connect one of the conductive members to the resilient conducting material on top of the active section;
• and
• at least one control circuit respectively provided at one end of each of said sensor cords, wherein said at least one control circuit is an integrated circuit that provides at least one of power, ground and signaling to said each of said sensor cords,
• wherein the at least one control circuit respectively provided at one end of each of said sensor cords comprises a plurality of said control circuits, and wherein said plurality of said control circuits are capable of detecting a plurality of separate contacts of respective top and lower portions of a plurality of said active sections of said plurality of sensors at a same moment in time.

A sensing device comprising:

• a plurality of sensor cords provided in a parallel or substantially parallel arrangement, each of the sensor cords including a plurality of sensors disposed adjacent one another, each of the plurality of sensors comprising:
• a resilient top portion having at least one resilient conductive member;
• a resilient lower portion having a plurality of active sections and a plurality of resilient lower portion conductive members channeled and interconnected through the lower portion, the lower portion conductive members being separated by non-conductive material;
• each active section further comprising a layer of resilient conductive material at a top of the lower portion, resilient non-conductive material arranged over the lower conductive members to insulate the lower portion conductive members from the conductive layer, and a communicating conductive material passing through the non-conductive material to connect one of the conductive members to the resilient conducting material on top of the active section;
• and
• at least one control circuit respectively provided at one end of each of said sensor cords, wherein said at least one control circuit is an integrated circuit that provides at least one of power, ground and signaling to said each of said sensor cords,
• wherein the at least one control circuit respectively provided at one end of each of said sensor cords provides each of power, ground and signaling to said each of said sensor cords.