Pressure sensitive transducer assembly and control method for a system including such an assembly

摘要

Pressure sensitive transducer assembly that includes a force sensing resistor. The force sensing resistor includes: first and second substrates; at least a first and a second electrically conductive traces on the inner surface of the first substrate including interdigitated fingers defining a sensitive area; and a resistive layer facing the sensitive area. The force sensing resistor includes an auxiliary trace on the inner surface of the first substrate connecting the first trace to the second trace through a constant resistance that is not dependent on the force applied to the substrates. The constant resistance being of a value largely greater than the value of the variable resistance which can be measured indirectly between the fingers when an external force is applied to the substrates. A system and a control method are also proposed.

主权项

1. A pressure sensitive transducer assembly that includes a force sensing resistor, said force sensing resistor comprising:
a first substrate and a second substrate each having inner surfaces, wherein at least one of the substrates is flexible in order to move towards the other one of the substrates in response to an applied force; electrically conductive traces on the inner surface of at least the first substrate, said electrically conductive traces including a first trace including a first set of fingers interdigitated with a second set of fingers pertaining to a second trace so as to define together a sensitive area responsive to the applied force, the first set of fingers and the second set of fingers being electrically separated from one another on the inner surface of the first substrate; a resistive layer on the inner surface of the second substrate such that the resistive layer is facing the first set of fingers such that, in response to the force being applied to the flexible one of the substrates, the resistive layer contacts and electrically connects fingers of the first set of fingers to fingers of the second set of fingers together in a manner effective to exhibit a variable resistance dependent upon resistivity of the resistive layer and dependent upon the applied force; and an auxiliary trace on the inner surface of one of the substrates connecting the first trace to the second trace through a constant resistance that is not dependent on the force applied to the substrates, said constant resistance being of a value largely greater than the value of the variable resistance which can be measured indirectly between the traces through the fingers when the external force is applied to the assembly.