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WO1998006058A1 - Systeme et procede d'adressage de capteurs resistifs multiples - Google Patents

Systeme et procede d'adressage de capteurs resistifs multiples Download PDF

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Publication number
WO1998006058A1
WO1998006058A1 PCT/US1997/012859 US9712859W WO9806058A1 WO 1998006058 A1 WO1998006058 A1 WO 1998006058A1 US 9712859 W US9712859 W US 9712859W WO 9806058 A1 WO9806058 A1 WO 9806058A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
sensors
sensor
addressing
predetermined
array
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/US1997/012859
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Saul Kato
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
SVEN TECHNOLOGIES
Original Assignee
SVEN TECHNOLOGIES
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by SVEN TECHNOLOGIES filed Critical SVEN TECHNOLOGIES
Priority to AU38897/97A priority Critical patent/AU3889797A/en
Publication of WO1998006058A1 publication Critical patent/WO1998006058A1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
    • G06G—ANALOGUE COMPUTERS
    • G06G7/00—Devices in which the computing operation is performed by varying electric or magnetic quantities
    • G06G7/04—Input or output devices

Definitions

  • This invention relates generally to a system and method for addressing a plurality of sensors in an array, and in particular, to a system and method for addressing a plurality of resistive sensors.
  • sensing devices have been used to sense various characteristics about a three-dimensional object.
  • one type of sensing device may be used to determine the surface contour of a three-dimensional object.
  • Another way to measure the surface contour of a three-dimensional object is to use a device that may measure the contour of an entire side of the object.
  • a sensing device that may have a plurality of sensors arranged in an array so that an entire side of the three-dimensional object may be measured.
  • These devices employ an array of sensors and are especially useful for larger objects.
  • these systems are
  • sensing devices having an array of sensors may use an array of analog-type resistive sensors, such as potentiometers, strain gauges, thermocouples and similar sensors that measure the resistance of the sensor to determine a characteristic of the object.
  • analog-type resistive sensors such as potentiometers, strain gauges, thermocouples and similar sensors that measure the resistance of the sensor to determine a characteristic of the object.
  • Each sensor in the array must be individually addressed so that the resistance of each sensor may be measured.
  • the invention provides an addressing system for an array of resistive sensors that
  • the invention provides an addressing system for an array of resistive sensors wherein there is less current leakage through the resistive sensors which makes the
  • the addressing system for an array of resistive sensors also may reduce the complexity of the addressing system since fewer addressing lines are required.
  • the addressing system in accordance with the invention may have a plurality of
  • each sensor having a variable resistance that assumes a predetermined value in accordance with a characteristic of an object being measured by the sensor, and the sensors are arranged in an array having rows and columns.
  • the system addresses a
  • predetermined sensor in said array by applying a first predetermined voltage to select a
  • a method of addressing a sensor within an array of sensors is also provided.
  • Figure 1 is a block diagram showing a sensing system that may use an addressing system in accordance with the invention
  • Figure 2 is a enlarged schematic view of a sensing array of Figure 1;
  • Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an example of an array of resistive sensor elements.
  • Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the addressing system in accordance with the invention that may be used with the resistive sensor array of Figure 3.
  • the invention is particularly applicable to an addressing system for an array of resistive sensors, such as potentiometers. It is in this context that the invention will be described. It will be appreciated, however, that the system and method in accordance with the invention has greater utility.
  • a device for measuring a characteristic of a three-dimensional object may use an array of resistive sensors to measure the characteristic.
  • Each of these resistive sensors may have a resistance that changes depending on the changing characteristic of the object. For example, a surface of the object that has more height may correspond to a lower resistance of the resistive sensor that is located over that surface.
  • the resistance values for each of the sensors needs to be measured so that the
  • the invention provides an addressing system that may be used to address an array of resistive sensors.
  • Figure 1 is a block diagram of a sensing system 20 that may incorporate the
  • the sensing system 20 may include a
  • sensing device 22 that may have a frame 23 and a plurality of sensors 24.
  • the sensing device may be used to measure the characteristic of a three dimensional object 26, that may be, for example, a vase.
  • the frame of the sensing device may secure the plurality of
  • Each of the sensors may be a resistive sensor, such as a potentiometer, a strain gauge, a thermocouple, or other sensors whose resistance varies depending on the measured quantity.
  • Each of the sensors in the array may be addressed by an addressing system 28.
  • the addressing system as described below in more detail,
  • the addressing system may also convert the measured resistance of each of the sensors into an analog electrical signal, and the analog electrical signal of the addressing system may be converted to a digital signal by an analog to digital converter (A/D) 30.
  • A/D analog to digital converter
  • the electrical digital output of the A/D converter may be fed into a computer interface 32 that interprets the digital signals and may generate, for example a representation of the object on a computer system 34 that may have a computer display 36.
  • the array of resistive sensors will now be briefly described.
  • FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the sensing device 20 that may be addressed by the addressing system in accordance with the invention.
  • the sensing device has the frame 23 and the plurality of sensors 24. As shown, the frame may hold the sensors so that there may be a predetermined spacing between the sensors. These sensors form an array of sensors.
  • the addressing system in accordance with the invention may address in not limited to any particular size or shape of array. Now, an array of resistive sensors will be described.
  • Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an array 50 of resistive sensors that may be addressed by the addressing system in accordance writh the invention.
  • the invention is not limited to the particular type of resistive sensors shown and may be any other type of resistive sensor, such as a potentiometer, a strain gauge, or a thermocouple.
  • the array 50 may have at least one row 52 of sensors and at least one column 54 of sensors.
  • the array may have at least one variable resistance sensor 56.
  • Each resistive sensor may have a first electrical contact 58 and a second electrical contact 60, and a
  • the resistive sensors are shown as resistors
  • the second electrical contact 62 that may be connected to, for example, the resistance varying portion of the
  • Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an addressing system 28 in accordance with the invention for an array 50 of resistive sensors. As described above, the array 50 may have
  • Each sensor 56 may have the first electrical contact 58, a second electrical contact 60 and a third electrical contact 62.
  • limiter 64 may be connected to the first electrical contact 58 of each sensor 56.
  • the current limiter may preferably be a diode, but may also be any other type of current limiting device.
  • the preferred diode may be a switching diode, such as model number BAS19 made by Diodes, Inc.
  • the current limiter permits current to flow through the
  • resistor from the first electrical contact 58 limits the amount of current that may leak from a sensor back through the current limiter even when the sensor has not been addressed.
  • the operation of the diode is well known in the art and will not be described here. Without the current limiter, the measured resistance values of any of the sensors in the array, as described in more detail below, are distorted.
  • the current limiter may preferable be incorporated into the addressing system. The addressing system will now be described.
  • the addressing system may have a first addressing sub-system 70 that may be address each row 52 of the array.
  • the first addressing sub-system may include a switching system 72, such as a multiplexer and a plurality of address lines 74 connected to the multiplexer.
  • the preferred multiplexer may be an 8 X 1 Analog Multiplexer/Demultiplexer, such as model number CD4051BCN manufactured by National Instruments, Inc.
  • the multiplexer as is known in the art, may select one of the addressing lines 74 based on control signals received from a digital controller that is not shown.
  • the digital controller may be, for example, a processor in a computer system, or a processor located within the sensing device.
  • the multiplexer 72 may select a first addressing line 75 that may select the first row of sensors.
  • a positive voltage may be provided, through the current limiter 64, to the first electrical contact 58 of each sensor in the row.
  • the positive voltage is provided by a +5 volt power supply 76.
  • the line that provides the positive voltage to the multiplexer also connects to an analog to digital converter 78 that may be used to measure the resistance of the sensor by measuring the current drawn by the resistor.
  • the analog to digital converter may convert the analog current signal to a digital signal which is then fed into a computer interface (not shown).
  • the computer interface then may convert the current signal into a resistance value in a
  • the computer interface may have a high impedance buffer so that the voltage applied to the sensors is not altered by the computer interface.
  • a second addressing sub-system 90 is provided to select a particular sensor within the selected row.
  • the second addressing sub-system 90 may have a switching device 92, such as a multiplexer and a plurality of addressing lines 94.
  • the preferred multiplexer may be another 8 X 1 Analog Multiplexer/Demultiplexer, such as of the same type as the
  • the multiplexer in the first addressing sub-system.
  • the multiplexer as is known in the art,
  • addressing lines 94 may select one of the addressing lines 94 based on control signals received from a digital
  • the digital controller may be, for example, a processor in a
  • addressing sub-system selects a particular column of sensors based on the digital control signals. For example, a first addressing line 95 selects a first column of sensors. When the column of sensors are selected by the multiplexer, a ground potential 96 may be
  • the first addressing sub-system 70 selects the first addressing line 75 connected to the first row of sensors and the second addressing
  • the sub-system 90 selects the first addressing line 95 connected to the first column of sensors.
  • the third electrical contact 62 of each resistor is not connected to anything.
  • only the particular sensor 100 will have a positive voltage applied to its first electrical contact and a ground potential applied to the second electrical contact.
  • the resistance of that particular sensor may then be measured by measuring the current flowing through the resistor.
  • the resistance of the sensor may then be measured by converting the measured current into a resistance, as is known in the art.
  • a different addressing line is selected by the column multiplexer 92 so that the second column of the sensors are selected. In this manner, the entire array of sensors may be addressed.
  • This resistive sensor addressing system uses fewer addressing lines than conventional resistive sensor addressing systems. For example, a conventional twenty- five sensor array that addresses each sensor individually would need 50 total lines to address the 25 sensors. By contrast, the addressing system in accordance with the invention will need only 10 addressing lines. As the number of sensors within the array increases, the disparity between the invention and conventional addressing systems becomes more pronounced. For example, for an array with 1024 sensors ( a 32 X 32 array), 2048 addressing lines would be required in a conventional resistive sensor addressing system, but only 64 addressing lines are needed for the addressing system in
  • the addressing system limits the current that may leak from sensors that are not currently being addressed by the current limiter.
  • the current leakage of the sensors occurs because resistive type sensors are analog devices that may have any number of resistance values, and may not have a resistance of zero. Thus, any time that a resistive sensor is connected to a power supply, some current may flow through the resistive sensor due to the non-zero resistance. Thus, in an array of sensors where a row of sensors is addressed and connected to a positive voltage, each of the sensors in the row or column may cause some current leakage. The sensor that is being measured does not have a current leakage because the other end of that sensor is connected to a ground potential. To limit the current leakage of the sensors not being measured, the current limiter may be used.
  • the leakage current causes the measurement of the current flowing through the desired resistive sensor to be distorted which distorts the resistance measurement as well.
  • the addressing system in accordance with the invention a voltage drop across the non-selected resistors is prevented because current may not leak from the resistive sensor back through the addressing line so that the measured resistance is not distorted.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mathematical Physics (AREA)
  • Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Measurement Of Length, Angles, Or The Like Using Electric Or Magnetic Means (AREA)

Abstract

Système (28) d'adressage d'un réseau (50) de capteurs résistifs, chaque capteur (56) présentant une résistance variable qui prend une valeur prédéterminée en fonction d'une caractéristique d'un objet en cours de mesurage par le capteur, et les capteurs étant disposés sous forme de réseau présentant des rangées (52) et des colonnes (54). Le système accède à un capteur prédéterminé dans le réseau en appliquant une première tension prédéterminée pour sélectionner une rangée particulière de capteurs comprenant le capteur prédéterminé, et en appliquant une deuxième tension prédéterminée pour sélectionner une colonne particulière de capteurs comprenant ledit capteur. Le système limite également le courant (64) passant à travers les capteurs du réseau autres que le capteur prédéterminé. Un procédé d'adressage d'un capteur dans un réseau de capteur est également décrit.
PCT/US1997/012859 1996-08-02 1997-07-31 Systeme et procede d'adressage de capteurs resistifs multiples Ceased WO1998006058A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU38897/97A AU3889797A (en) 1996-08-02 1997-07-31 System and method for addressing multiple resistive sensors

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US69175896A 1996-08-02 1996-08-02
US08/691,758 1996-08-02

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1998006058A1 true WO1998006058A1 (fr) 1998-02-12

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US1997/012859 Ceased WO1998006058A1 (fr) 1996-08-02 1997-07-31 Systeme et procede d'adressage de capteurs resistifs multiples

Country Status (2)

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AU (1) AU3889797A (fr)
WO (1) WO1998006058A1 (fr)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2555527A (en) * 2016-11-01 2018-05-02 Evonetix Ltd Current Control
US10295612B2 (en) 2016-04-05 2019-05-21 Apple Inc. Electronic device with resistive sensor array

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3676590A (en) * 1970-09-25 1972-07-11 Rca Corp Decoders and coupling circuits for solid state video pickup
US4752694A (en) * 1987-01-12 1988-06-21 Honeywell Inc. Array uniformity correction

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3676590A (en) * 1970-09-25 1972-07-11 Rca Corp Decoders and coupling circuits for solid state video pickup
US4752694A (en) * 1987-01-12 1988-06-21 Honeywell Inc. Array uniformity correction

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US10295612B2 (en) 2016-04-05 2019-05-21 Apple Inc. Electronic device with resistive sensor array
GB2555527A (en) * 2016-11-01 2018-05-02 Evonetix Ltd Current Control
GB2555481A (en) * 2016-11-01 2018-05-02 Evonetix Ltd Resistance measurement and current control
GB2555527B (en) * 2016-11-01 2019-06-05 Evonetix Ltd Current Control
GB2555481B (en) * 2016-11-01 2019-07-17 Evonetix Ltd Resistance measurement

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AU3889797A (en) 1998-02-25

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