Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US5010774?dq=oakley+5,387,949&ei=4yI4T8nkLYa80QG0xqnWAg
Timestamp: 2014-03-13 09:15:56
Document Index: 475441564

Matched Legal Cases: ['application No. 60', 'arts 84', 'arts 85', 'art 84', 'art 84', 'art 84', 'art 85']

Patent US5010774 - Distribution type tactile sensor - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsA distribution type tactile sensor, which comprises a plurality of electrodes provided in pairs at respective pressure sensing points on a pressure sensitive conductive rubber sheet capable of changing the electrical resistance responsive to compressive forces, and a rectifier element provided to respective...http://www.google.com/patents/US5010774?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US5010774 - Distribution type tactile sensorAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS5010774 APublication typeGrantApplication numberUS 07/381,710PCT numberPCT/JP1988/001122Publication dateApr 30, 1991Filing dateNov 4, 1988Priority dateNov 5, 1987Fee statusLapsedAlso published asWO1993014386A1Publication number07381710, 381710, PCT/1988/1122, PCT/JP/1988/001122, PCT/JP/1988/01122, PCT/JP/88/001122, PCT/JP/88/01122, PCT/JP1988/001122, PCT/JP1988/01122, PCT/JP1988001122, PCT/JP198801122, PCT/JP88/001122, PCT/JP88/01122, PCT/JP88001122, PCT/JP8801122, US 5010774 A, US 5010774A, US-A-5010774, US5010774 A, US5010774AInventorsKatsuhiko Kanamori, Kanaya Kikuo, Ryosuke MasudaOriginal AssigneeThe Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.Export CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (8), Referenced by (122), Classifications (24), Legal Events (7) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetDistribution type tactile sensorUS 5010774 AAbstract A distribution type tactile sensor, which comprises a plurality of electrodes provided in pairs at respective pressure sensing points on a pressure sensitive conductive rubber sheet capable of changing the electrical resistance responsive to compressive forces, and a rectifier element provided to respective electrodes for rectifying the current flowing across each pair of electrodes through the rubber sheet, the electrodes being divided into groups each comprising electrodes arranged in a line for respective polarities of the electrodes, electrodes in respective electrode groups being parallel connected to one another through electrode leads, and directions of the division of electrode groups divided for respective polarities being crossed with one another at respective pressure sensing points.
FIG. 1 is a view, taken for illustration of circuits used in the electrode part according to the invention disclosed in the before referred-to Japanese patent application No. 60-219245, in which the distribution type tactile sensor (touch sensor) indicated at 1, which is provided in a robot's hand (not shown) comprises 16 electrodes Eij (i, j=0�4). Four electrodes on the output side (hereinafter shown by Eo) are attached to each of four parallel arranged output electrode leads 2.sub.0 to 2.sub.3 and disposed on a front surface of a sheet-type pressure sensitive conductive rubber 3, and on the other, backside surface of the rubber 3, four feed electrode leads 4.sub.0 to 4.sub.3 having feed-side electrodes Ep (not shown) attached thereto at the points corresponding to the locations of the electrodes Eo are so disposed as to cross the electrode leads 2.sub.0 to 2.sub.3.
When a robot's hand having the above tactile sensor 1 is contacted against an object to be held by the robot's hand, a contact pressure is applied to the pressure sensitive conductive rubber 3 and its electrical resistance undergoes a lowering, corresponding to which a current flow takes place through electrodes Eij. Therefore, for example by connecting the electrode lead 4.sub.0 to a power source and by taking the current successively from each of the electrode leads 2.sub.0 to 2.sub.3, it is possible to detect the contact pressure at each of the locations at which the 16 electrodes Eij are provided. Accordingly, it is possible to control to a certain value the forces applied at various portions of the object being gripped or otherwise held by the robot's hand, so that the robot's hand can safely hold various objects which cannot stand a strong force application, such as eggs for example.
In the tactile sensor 1, it is necessary to mount 4000 or more switches, as stated above, on a square sensor board having a side length of about 32 cm, and to arrange electrode leads 4 for connecting all electrodes Ep to a power source above the switches. Accordingly, a problem is posed that the wiring cannot be performed with high efficiency. In view of this, and in order to miniaturize switches and build them in the touch sensor 1 so as to facilitate the wiring operation and also to reduce the overall size of the device, in the case of the prior art example illustrated in FIG. 1, it has been proposed that switching circuits made with use of FET's for the switching elements are collectively formed on a single switch board to provide a hybrid IC of 1 which is disposed on a backside of the touch sensor 1.
For avoiding complexity in the description, in FIGS. 4 and 5 electrode leads are shown to simply comprise the electrode leads 4.sub.1 and 4.sub.2 of FIG. 1 on the pressure bearing side and the electrode leads 2.sub.1 and 2.sub.2 of FIG. 1 on the backside, and the sensing points, namely the intersections of the leads, are shown to simply comprise P.sub.11, P.sub.12, P.sub.21 and Q. For purposes of explanation, it may be tentatively supposed that while respective points P are in contact with an object and are exerting a contact pressure, the point Q is not in contact with the object and that the electrical resistance at the point Q is to be determined.
Electrical resistances between intersections of electrode leads 2 and 4 are shown by R.sub.11, R.sub.12, R.sub.21 and R.sub.22 =∞ (∞ denotes that the electrical resistance of the rubber corresponds to that of an insulator). Now, as shown in FIG. 5, a voltage E may be impressed across electrode leads 2.sub.2 and 4.sub.2, wherein, although no current flow actually takes place across the resistance R.sub.22, a stray current I [=E/(R.sub.21 +R.sub.11 +R.sub.12 ] flows through a stray current circuit from the resistance R.sub.21 to the resistance R.sub.11 and further to the resistance R.sub.12 (R.sub.21 →R.sub.11 →R.sub.12), whereby it is erroneously determined that a force is applied at the point Q.
Actual tactile sensors have a number of sensing points, for example 8 current, it is impossible to detect accurate electrical resistance values.
FIG. 6 is a partial perspective view, showing essential portions of an 8 invention, in a disassembled condition. As shown, on the pressure bearing side of the pressure sensitive conductive rubber 3, there is superposed a printed circuit plate 6 having a printed wiring of electrode leads 4 and feed-side electrodes Ep. Electrode leads 4 are shown by broken lines to show that they are printed on the side of the plate 6 facing the pressure sensitive conductive rubber 3. Electrodes forming parts of the electrode leads 4 are provided with the electrodes Ep coated with a conductive coating material such as carbon black and graphite, and the surface of the plate 6 is made rust preventive.
On the other, or the backside, surface of the pressure sensitive conductive rubber 3, a printed circuit plate 8 is disposed, which is printed, on a front-side surface, with output-side electrodes Eo in an 8 arrangement and, on the backside, with electrode leads 2. The electrode leads 2 and 4 are arranged to cross one another (in the illustrated embodiment, they cross at right angles). Electrodes Eo and leads 2 are connected together by diodes D.
As can be seen from the foregoing description, there are 8 points in the sensing part of the tactile sensor according to the present invention, and these sensing points are divided into 8 groups, polarity by polarity. On each of the 8 electrode leads 2, 8 electrodes Eo are connected in a linear arrangement, and lines of electrodes Eo are parallel arranged. Similarly, 8 electrodes Ep are connected in a linear arrangement on each of the 8 electrode leads 4, and lines of electrodes Ep are parallel arranged.
As can be seen from a comparison between FIG. 5 and FIG. 8, a diode D in the tactile sensor 1 in FIG. 8 can prevent the stray current tending to flow through R.sub.11, so that in this tactile sensor 1, a stray current circuit of R.sub.21 →R.sub.11 →R.sub.12 is not formed. Therefore, for example where a contact force is applied at each of R.sub.11, R.sub.12 and R.sub.21 but not at R.sub.22, a voltage may be applied to the electrode lead 4.sub.2 and current may be taken from the electrode lead 2.sub.2, however, no output current will be produced as opposed to the before considered case of the prior art. That is to say, using the circuit shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, it is possible to accurately detect the current flowing across the electrodes Eij at the intersections of electrode leads 4 connected to a power source and the electrode leads 2 for taking out the current.
Then, as best seen from FIG. 10, on the electrodes Eo and Ep, a sheet-type pressure sensitive conductive rubber 3 is placed, on which superposed is a touch or contact member (surface forming member) 14 which may be referred to as a skin. This surface forming member 14 comprises a sheet formed by laminating on a fabric a soft foamed sheet capable of closely contacting an object to be handled, and under this surface forming member 14, an upper-side conductive film 16 is further disposed. The electrodes Eij (pairs of Eo and Ep) are provided, wherein a number of 4096 electrodes is provided within an area of about 32 cm a chessboard arrangement.
For the multiplexor shown at 18, for operating 64 output switches Si comprising FETS shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, use was made of a high signal output CMOS-IC, type 74HC238 (a surface mounting device, a product of NEC Corporation; this same description is applicable also to the below appearing CMOS-IC's.) as M.sub.1 to M.sub.8, and for the multiplexor shown by 20 for operating feed-side switches Sj, use was made as N.sub.1 to N.sub.8 of a low siganl output CMOS-IC's, type 74HC 138. In each of the CMOS-IC's, the elements comprise a 3-to-8 decoder, decoding one of 8 output lines under the condition of 3 selection inputs and 3 enabling inputs.
Thus, in order to operate 64 switches Si and 64 switches Sj, it is necessary to use 8 each of 74HC138 and 74HC 238. Therefore, for decoders for controlling 8 IC's, 74HC138, M.sub.9 and M.sub.10, were used for the multiplexors 20 and 18, respectively. Further, for the feed switches Sj for the illustrated embodiment, widely used digital transistors (DTB) were used.
In the circuit Ci for operating the output switches Si in the touch sensor 1, the No. i output pin of the 64 pins in the multiplexor 18 and the gate of FET of the switch Si were connected together by a capacitor C, and as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, a bias voltage of -3 V was impressed through a voltage divider circuit comprising resistances R.sub.2 and R.sub.3.
The above described embodiment operates as follows. From the 11th to 16th pins and the 19th pin (for enabling input) of the terminal 22 of the control device, address signals for operating feed switches Sj are sent to the feed multiplexor 20 for the electrodes Eij. Also, from the 1st to 6th pins and the 9th pin (for enabling input), address signals for operating output switches Si are sent to the output multiplexor 18. The respective signals are modified to operation signals through receiver circuits 24 and 26 and then transmitted to A to C pins of respective decoders M.sub.1 to M.sub.8 and N.sub.1 to N.sub.8, and signals for operating the decoders M.sub.1 to M.sub.8 and N.sub.1 to N.sub.8 are imparted to A to C pins of the decoders M.sub.9 and M.sub.10.
Decoders M.sub.9 and M.sub.10 issue signals for operating one of decoders M.sub.1 to M.sub.9 and N.sub.1 to N.sub.9, successively. To these decoders M.sub.1 to M.sub.9 and N.sub.1 to N.sub.9, and from the decoder M.sub.1 . . . or M.sub.8 or the decoder N.sub.1 . . . or N.sub.8 that is put into operation by the above signals, high signals are outputted for opening switches Sj and Si to be successively operated, whereby a voltage is impressed successively to the electrodes Eij, whereupon the current corresponding to the degree of compression force is taken out from the output terminal 28.
When an FET is used for the output switch element, the switching operation of gates in the case of FIG. 2 relies upon the H of the open collector of TTL, and it is further necessary to lower the impedance of the gates, so that it is required to effect a pulling up by the resistance R.sub.1 (for example, 1 kΩ). In this case, the length of time for outputting high signals because opening a gate is 1/64 of a total length of time (for there are 64 electrode leads i), and the output is L for the remaining 63/64 length of time, whereby a power of, for example, on the order of 10 mA flows to the resistance of 1 kΩ. A same situation as the above applies to the remaining 63 electrode leads, and as a whole, a power of 640 mA will flow in total, whereby a considerable heat generation takes place.
Now, with reference to FIG. 17, a description will be given of the essential points of a control system in the instance in which the distribution type tactile sensor according to the present invention is applied to control the holding power of a robot's hand. The tactile sensor used in the present embodiment comprises an 8 which was used for sensing contact pressure, and feed switches and output switches (8 switches on each of the feed side and the output side) were each adapted to an analog control. In FIG. 17, the robot's hand shown by 55 is controlled by a control device 56 based on detected signals from the tactile sensor 1. The control device 56 was composed of a one-chip microcomputer 57, an input/output device 58, an A/D converter 59 for converting current signals corresponding to contact pressures into digital values, and a D/A converter 60 for converting signals for controlling the holding power of the robot's hand 55 into analog signals.
FIGS. 25 and 26 show respectively in a perspective view a unit sensor 1o for attaching to a robot's hand, which comprises mutually separate sensor parts 84 and connector parts 85, of which the sensor part 84 is exchangeable. Unit sensors 1o are connected to one another by a mechanical liking member so that the sensor part 84 can be prevented from undergoing an excessive force application. In the condition in which the sensor part 84 and the connector part 85 are together assembled, the size of the unit sensor 1o is approximately 5
A multiplicity of unit sensors 1o is sealably embeded sensor by sensor in a rubbery block 102 having a convex contour. By way of an example, the blocks are of a size of about 6 mm in length in a longitudinal direction and about 8 mm in length in a lateral direction, and the unit sensors 1o have a size of about 3 mm electrodes Eo and Ep comprise parallel arranged rectangular electrodes, but they may comprise electrodes of any other shape, for example a comb-type shape.
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