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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7721609 | Method and apparatus for sensing the force with which a button is pressed Disclosed is an apparatus for sensing a force, comprising an actuator having a conductive deformable surface, a substrate having a first conductive trace and a second conductive trace, a housing coupled to the actuator and to the substrate, holding the actuator in p... | 05/25/2010 |
| 7603917 | Full-axis sensor for detecting input force and torque A sensor (100) for detecting input force and/or torque with six degrees of freedom for use as a computer input device is provided. The sensor has a technically simple detection mechanism which obviates the need for complex and fragile securing components. A u... | 10/20/2009 |
| 7533582 | Force detector and acceleration detector and method of manufacturing the same An electrode layer is formed on the upper surface of a first substrate, and a processing for partially removing the substrate is carried out in order to allow the substrate to have flexibility. To the lower surface of the first substrate, a second substrate is conne... | 05/19/2009 |
| 7437954 | Six-axis force sensor A six-axis force sensor includes a pair of members, and at least three legs scatteringly disposed between the pair of members on the periphery of the members. Each leg includes a T-shaped leg consisting of a cross beam supported at both ends thereof by one of the pa... | 10/21/2008 |
| 7409876 | Authentication system having a flexible imaging pressure sensor A sensor for a textured surface (e.g., a fingerprint) is provided. The sensor includes a flexible substrate and a flexible membrane supported above the substrate by one or more spacers. The sensor also includes multiple pressure sensor elements responsive to a separ... | 08/12/2008 |
| 7373843 | Flexible imaging pressure sensor A sensor for a textured surface (e.g., a fingerprint) is provided. The sensor includes a flexible substrate and a flexible membrane supported above the substrate by one or more spacers. The sensor also includes multiple pressure sensor elements responsive to a separ... | 05/20/2008 |
| 7372281 | Capacitance type sensor A displacement electrode cooperates with four switch electrodes on a substrate to form respective switches SW1 to SW4. When all of the switches SW1 to SW4 are on, no X- and Y-axial outputs are activated and only a Z-axial output is activa... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7363814 | Multi-axial angular velocity sensor An angular velocity sensor for detecting angular velocity about a Z-axis in an XYZ coordinate system has a substrate oscillator, a flexible member for connecting the oscillator to a casing, a device for oscillating the oscillator in an X-axis direction, and a detect... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7363823 | Twin-headed toothbrush A toothbrush includes: a handle shaped and dimensioned to be grasped by a human hand; necks coupled to the handle; bristle supports coupled to the necks; and bristles coupled to the bristle supports. The toothbrush, through the bristles coupled to the bristle suppor... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7360456 | Six-axis sensor A sensor strain causer can be made into a simple shape, and the attachment work for strain gauges is made easy. In a multiaxial sensor 1 for measuring one or more of multiaxial force, moment, acceleration, and angular acceleration, externally applied, a plura... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7360455 | Force detector and acceleration detector and method of manufacturing the same An electrode layer is formed on the upper surface of a first substrate, and a processing for partially removing the substrate is carried out in order to allow the substrate to have flexibility. To the lower surface of the first substrate, a second substrate is conne... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7350424 | Acceleration sensor A low-cost breakable inertial threshold sensor using mainly micro-machining silicon technology constructed on a silicon-wafer or on some other brittle material according to the MEMS process. The sensor comprises a first body portion, a second body portion, and detec... | 04/01/2008 |
| 7348498 | Partially voided anti-pads A printed circuit board comprises a conductive layer and a via transecting the conductive layer. The printed circuit board comprises a pattern of conductive material having a plurality of voids in the conductive layer near the via. ... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7331226 | Force measurement system for an isometric exercise device A force measurement system includes an effector device with a hollow interior, an inner support secured within the hollow interior of the effector device, and at least one sensor secured at a selected location to the inner support and configured to measure a force a... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7320253 | Stress detection method for sensor device with multiple axis sensor and sensor device employing this method The present invention provides the stress detection method for force sensor device with multiple axis sensor device and force sensor device employing this method, whose installation angle is arbitrary. The stress detection method includes, first and second force sen... | 01/22/2008 |
| 7312615 | System and method for communicating calibration data A Force/Torque (FT) sensor includes memory for storing calibration data associated with the FT sensor. Force and torque analog signals are output to a data acquisition (DAQ) system. The digital calibration data is output to the DAQ system as a digital bitstream comp... | 12/25/2007 |
| 7258026 | Sensor with a plurality of sensor elements arranged with respect to a substrate A sensor for measuring a parameter applied to a surface is provided. The sensor includes at least one substrate layer, a plurality of individual sensor elements operatively arranged with respect to the substrate layer, and a conductive trace disposed on the substrat... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7253616 | Microelectromechanical magnetometer An apparatus comprising a substrate and a MEM device. The MEM includes a comb capacitor and a magnetic element physically connected to one electrode of the comb capacitor. The magnetic element is capable of moving the one electrode in a manner that alters a capacita... | 08/07/2007 |
| 7253803 | Force feedback interface device with sensor A force feedback mouse interface device connected to a host computer and providing realistic force feedback to a user. The mouse interface device includes a mouse object and a linkage coupled to the mouse that includes a plurality of members rotatably coupled to eac... | 08/07/2007 |
| 7249522 | Optical measuring device The invention relates to a measuring device, comprising a housing having two opposing measuring surfaces, to each of which there are assigned a phototransmitter and photoreceiver disposed in the interior of said housing, each measuring surface having an opening whic... | 07/31/2007 |
| 7231802 | Apparatus for detecting a physical quantity acting as an external force and method for testing and manufacturing the apparatus A sensor comprises a semiconductor pellet (10) including a working portion (11) adapted to undergo action of a force, a fixed portion (13) fixed on the sensor body, and a flexible portion (13) having flexibility formed therebetween, a wor... | 06/19/2007 |
| 7219561 | Force-detecting device Forces and moments are detected in a distinguishing manner by a simple structure. A supporting member (20) is positioned below a force receiving member (10), which receives forces to be detected, and between these components, four columnar force transm... | 05/22/2007 |
| 7194905 | Acceleration sensor A three-axis acceleration sensor having a simple construction is provided for improving shock resistance without lowering sensor sensitivity. An acceleration sensor for detecting acceleration in three orthogonal directions comprises an electrode substrate pai... | 03/27/2007 |
| 7174793 | Sensor sheet In a sensor sheet of the present invention, a large number of sensor cells, each having capacitance element electrodes corresponding to an X-axis direction, a Y-axis direction and a Z-axis direction and a displacement electrode arranged to form capacitance elements ... | 02/13/2007 |
| 7152485 | Acceleration detector An electrode layer is formed on the upper surface of a first substrate, and a processing for partially removing the substrate is carried out in order to allow the substrate to have flexibility. To the lower surface of the first substrate, a second substrate is conne... | 12/26/2006 |
| 7146865 | Piezoresistive strain concentrator A piezoresistive device senses mechanical input and converts mechanical movement of at least two relatively movable parts into an electrical output. An SOI substrate is provided. A gap extends across a portion of the substrate. The gap defines the at least two relat... | 12/12/2006 |
| 7121147 | Force detection device Forces and moments are detected in a distinguishing manner by a simple structure. A supporting member (20) is positioned below a force receiving member (10), which receives forces to be detected, and between these components, at least two columnar forc... | 10/17/2006 |
| 7123028 | Force detector The invention provides a force detector in which power consumption is suppressed. Four electrodes E11 through E14 are formed on a substrate, and an elastic deformable body formed of a rubber film is disposed thereon. A conductive coating is applied on ... | 10/17/2006 |
| 7104134 | Piezoelectric cantilever pressure sensor A piezoelectric cantilever pressure sensor has a substrate and a piezoelectric cantilever having a base portion attached to the substrate and a beam portion suspended over a cavity. The piezoelectric cantilever contains a piezoelectric layer sandwiched between two e... | 09/12/2006 |
| 7106313 | Force feedback interface device with force functionality button A force feedback mouse interface device connected to a host computer and providing realistic force feedback to a user. The mouse interface device includes a mouse object and a linkage coupled to the mouse that includes a plurality of members rotatably coupled to eac... | 09/12/2006 |
| 7075527 | Input device of rotational operation quantity and operating device using this An efficient rotational-operation-quantity input device suitable to be built into a small electrical appliance is provided. An operational force applied by an operator is input in time series as a coordinate value (x, y) in an XY two-dimensional rectangular coordina... | 07/11/2006 |
| 7059188 | Angular velocity sensor A flexible substrate (110) having flexibility and a fixed substrate (120) disposed so as to oppose it are supported at their peripheral portions by a sensor casing (140). An oscillator (130) is fixed on the lower surface of the flexible s... | 06/13/2006 |
| 7059202 | Multi-axis force/torque sensor and data acquisition system A multi-axis force analyzer and data acquisition system is disclosed. Using non-invasive structure, parts to be tested are analyzed without obstructing user access or defacing the object in any way. Accordingly, the forces required to open and close a container can ... | 06/13/2006 |
| 7061062 | Integrated circuit with unified input device, microprocessor and display systems An integrated circuit having at least one micromechanical element thereon is described comprising a support substrate, a sensor element electrically connected to a logic circuit, and the logic circuit electrically connected to a semiconductor visual display element.... | 06/13/2006 |
| 7055398 | Apparatus and method of belt dynamic tension measurement A method and apparatus for measuring an operating front end accessory belt tension using a hubload transducer and a torque transducer. The hubload transducer comprises concentric rings with a strainable member disposed in a coplanar fashion between an inner and oute... | 06/06/2006 |
| 7058488 | Vehicle testing apparatus for measuring a propensity of a vehicle to roll over A vehicle testing apparatus for subjecting a vehicle to a compound force includes a support disposed in a plane for supporting the vehicle, and a mechanism coupled to the support for moving the support along at least one of three perpendicular axes. The mechanism su... | 06/06/2006 |
| 7047820 | Apparatus and method for testing material performance There is provided an apparatus (LCPA) for measuring a load applied to a quantity of material. The LCPA includes a load cell assembly sandwiched between an inner plate and an outer plate. The load cell assembly measures the load applied to the quantity of material wh... | 05/23/2006 |
| 7046158 | Method and apparatus for sensing seat occupancy Method and apparatus for identifying and categorizing the weight and characteristics of the occupant currently occupying a vehicle seat. The method for identifying and categorizing the occupant or object involves measuring the deflection of the upper surface of the ... | 05/16/2006 |
| 7032454 | Piezoelectric cantilever pressure sensor array A piezoelectric cantilever pressure sensor array is disclosed. The piezoelectric cantilever pressure sensor array contains a substrate, a readout circuit, and piezoelectric cantilever pressure sensors electrically connected to the readout circuit. Each piezoelectric... | 04/25/2006 |
| 7021154 | Force sensing element A force sensing element is provided with a gauge portion and a plurality of electrodes. The gauge portion is formed of an n-type semiconductor substrate whose (100)-face serves as a main face, a p-type semiconductor substrate whose (110)-face serves as a main face, ... | 04/04/2006 |
