Patent ID: 8266971
Filing Date: 2012-09-18
Classification: G01L,G10H

Abstract:
1. A force sensor comprising: a dielectric; a plurality of conductive carrier elements on one side of said dielectric; a plurality of conductive pickup elements on the opposite side of said dielectric; said pluralities of carrier and pickup elements being oriented to form a plurality of dielectric separated crossings; means for applying carrier signals to said carrier elements including means for generating a plurality of signals of predetermined frequencies; and a plurality of amplifiers each connected to one of the pickup elements for amplifying the carrier signals transmitted capacitively from multiple carrier elements to the respective pickup element at the crossings thereof; and frequency demultiplexing means connected to said plurality of amplifiers for separating the output of each respective amplifier into a plurality of component frequencies; and means for analyzing the amplitudes of each said component frequency to determine the distance between the carrier and pickup elements at one of the dielectric separated crossings; and means for restoring said pluralities of conductive elements to predetermined rest positions in the absence of external forces; whereby external forces varying the positions of said pluralities of carrier and pickup elements at each of the crossings thereof from said rest positions may be determined simultaneously and continuously.