# US 9,435,700 B2 · Transducer arrangement for measuring load variations

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- Number: US 9,435,700 B2
- Document ID: US9435700B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/893,891
- Filed: 2014-05-20
- Published: 2016-04-28
- Granted: 2016-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 2013-05-29
- Assignees: Iee International Electronics & Engineering S.A.
- Applicants: IEE International Electronics & Engineering S.A.
- Inventors: Werner Bieck; Edmund Marx
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9435700B2

## CPC

- G01L 1/225: {Measuring circuits therefor}
- A43B 3/34: with electrical or electronic arrangements
- A43B 13/00: Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units
- G01L 1/16: using properties of piezoelectric devices
- G01L 1/20: by measuring variations in ohmic resistance of solid materials or of electrically-conductive fluids (of piezo-resistive materials G01L1/18); by making use of electrokinetic cells, i.e. liquid-containing cells wherein an electrical potential is produced or varied upon the application of stress
- G01L 1/2287: {constructional details of the strain gauges (adjustable resistors H01C10/00)}
- G01L 5/00: Apparatus for, or methods of, measuring force, work, mechanical power, or torque, specially adapted for specific purposes
- G06F 3/04883: for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
- G01L: MEASURING FORCE, STRESS, TORQUE, WORK, MECHANICAL POWER, MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY, OR FLUID PRESSURE (weighing G01G)
- A43B: CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

The invention relates to a transducer arrangement for converting a load variation into one or more electrical output signals. The transducer arrangement comprises at least one transducer element and an evaluation unit operatively connected to the transducer element. The transducer arrangement can be used amongst others, for healthcare applications, sport leisure activities, impact detection for safety applications in the automotive industry as well as for safety surveillance systems in the industry.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A transducer arrangement for converting a load variation into one or more electrical output signals, said transducer arrangement comprising:
at least one transducer element, and
an evaluation unit operatively connected to said transducer element,
wherein said transducer element comprises a combination of a first transducer and a second transducer, and
wherein said evaluation unit comprises:
a first evaluation circuit associated to said first transducer for converting static load or quasi-static load variations into a first output signal,
a second evaluation circuit associated to said second transducer for converting a highly dynamic load variations into a second output signal, and
an output circuit operatively connected to said first evaluation circuit and said second evaluation circuit for outputting at least one of said first electrical output signal and said second electrical output signal.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A transducer arrangement according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said first transducer and said second transducer is foil-based.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A transducer arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said first transducer is a foil type pressure sensor comprising:
a first carrier foil,
a second carrier foil being kept apart from said first carrier foil by one or more spacers arranged between said first carrier foil and said second carrier foil, and
at least two electrodes and a layer of pressure sensitive material arranged in an active area of said first transducer, said pressure sensitive material connecting said first electrode and said second electrode;
wherein in response to a low dynamic load variation acting onto said active area, said first carrier foil approaches said second carrier foil changing said resistance measured between said first electrode and said second electrode.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A transducer arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said second transducer is an electret based pressure sensor or a piezoelectric pressure sensor, said electret based pressure sensor or said piezoelectric pressure sensor comprising a sensing foil.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A transducer arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said first transducer and said second transducer are arranged one above the other.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

A transducer arrangement according to claim 3, wherein at least one of said first carrier foil and said second carrier foil comprises said sensing foil.

### Claim 7 (depends on 3)

A transducer arrangement according to claim 3, wherein said one or more spacers comprises said sensing foil.

### Claim 8 (depends on 3)

A transducer arrangement according to claim 3, wherein said first evaluation circuit comprises a R-circuit and said second evaluation circuit comprises a R-C circuit:
said low dynamic load variation being evaluated by said R-circuit and outputted as a first change in voltage of said first output signal over said time period Δt, and
said high dynamic load variation being evaluated by said R-C circuit and outputted as a second change in voltage of said second output signal over said time period Δt.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

A transducer arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said evaluation unit comprises a central processing unit, said output circuit being, in operating state, directly or wirelessly coupled to a central processing unit, said central processing unit processing said first electrical output signal and said second electrical output signal.