Patent ID: 7944008
Filing Date: 2011-05-17
Classification: G01L

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for capacitively sensing force or pressure, the apparatus comprising: a substrate; a plurality of elongated substrate electrodes disposed at the substrate; a membrane configured to deflect in response to force or pressure applied to the membrane; a plurality of elongated membrane electrodes disposed at the membrane, wherein each of at least two of the plurality of membrane electrodes intersects each of at least two of the plurality of substrate electrodes forming a multi-dimensional array of capacitive elements having a capacitive element at each intersection; and a plurality of separators fixedly connected with the substrate and separating the substrate and the membrane, thereby forming a plurality of sensor regions of the apparatus with sensor regions positioned between adjacent separators of the plurality of separators each including at least one capacitive element; wherein a membrane portion of each sensor region is mechanically decoupled from a membrane portion of each adjacent sensor region; wherein the substrate is cylindrical with a central substrate axis extending along a center of the cylindrical substrate; and wherein the substrate comprises: