Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.

Tekscan, Inc.

Aac Acoustic Technologies (shenzhen) Co., Ltd.

Aac Technologies Holdings, Inc.

Fluidity Enterprises, Inc.

Slingshot Game Technology, Inc.

Sentek, Incorporated

Robert M Podoloff

Michael H Benjamin

Robert F Golden

William L Maness

Roger E Weiss

Jennie Kwo

Luis Alberto Pedraza

Tex K Monroe

Christopher George

Jay Winters

Gary Loomis

Gabor Papp

Ronald Anthony Vallette, Jr

Tex Kevin Monroe

Steve Potter

Camilo Aladro

Michael Harty

Arnon Ofaim

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to a thin, light, and portable system for measuring one or more parameters of a contact patch between a tire and a surface. The system may be configured with an array of sensors capable of being removable fixed to the surface. The array of sensors may measure the one or more parameters of the contact patch between the tire and the surface. Moreover, the system may include a scanner configured to interpret the measurements from the array of sensors as data and store the data.

Portable tire contact sensors

A force sensor for measuring force and/or pressures disclosed. In some embodiments, the sensor includes first and second layers, each layer having one or more electrodes arranged in a repeating, undulating pattern. Such an undulating pattern may include a serpentine pattern or a repeating v-shaped pattern. When arranged, the one or more electrodes on the first layer are placed in facing relationship and cross the one or more electrodes on the second layer to form a plurality of electrode intersections. When stretched, the one or more electrodes on the first layer move relative to the one or more electrodes on the second layer while creating new electrode intersections.

Stretchable force sensor having undulating patterned electrodes

An earpiece is disclosed. The earpiece includes a housing forming a volume therein, a number of sound holes arranged in the front end and rear end of the housing, a sound generator accommodated in the volume, an ear gel attached to a front end of the housing, a wire electrically connected to the sound generator, wherein a adjusting module is assembled to the housing, a plurality of front vents are disposed on the front end of the housing, and the amount of the front vents communicating with the volume is mechanically altered by the adjusting module.

Earpiece having adjustable front vent

A free standing, height adjustable ballet bar exercise device is provided. The device comprises a pair of legs, telescoping support arms pivotally attached to the legs and supporting a horizontal ballet bar disposed between the support arms, a lower cross bar connecting the legs intermediate their ends, an upper cross bar connecting the support arms, a backboard pivotally attached to the upper cross bar and releasably attached to the lower cross bar, and a floor board hingedly attached to the bottom edge of the backboard and adapted to lay flat on a floor to support the weight of the user. Preferably the backboard and floor board are covered by soft mats.

Free standing ballet bar exercise device

A simulator for snowboarding, skateboarding, water skiing and the like includes a substantially flat board having a support which permits three degrees of freedom of motion. The support can include a convex body which, in combination with a thrust receiving surface, forms a thrust bearing permitting the three degrees of freedom. The support can also include a rotary or turntable type of bearing permitting rotary motion. The simulator is instrumented to measure rotational motion and to provide an output signal compatible with a personal computer (PC) game port or a video game console input/output (I/O) port representative of rotational position of the board.

Snowboard apparatus

An apparatus for detecting a force applied using a pressure sensor, an alternating voltage applied to the pressure sensor, and means for detecting the output voltage from the sensor to determine the force applied. One embodiment applies the alternating voltage using a DC input voltage and a microcontroller for switching the voltage applied to the sensor.

Pressure sensor system and method of excitation for a pressure sensor

A seat occupant sensing system has a plurality of variable resistance force sensors located between a rigid seat support member and the floor of the vehicle. The force transferred from the rigid seat support member to the floor of the vehicle passes through said variable resistance force sensors which sense the magnitude of the force transferred therethrough and generate a signal which is indicative of the force transferred therethrough resistance force sensors interposed between a rigid seat support member and a rigid seat pan member such that the weight supported by the seat pan member is transferred from the seat pan member to the seat support member via said at least one variable resistance force sensor which senses the magnitude of the weight transferred therethrough. A device, such as a microprocessor, processes a signal from the variable resistance force sensors to determine the weight that the rigid seat pan member is bearing. The signal processing device may control the activation and operation of a safety device such as an airbag or seat belt pretensioner as a function of the presence of and weight of a seat occupant.

Seat occupant sensing system

A vehicle horn and control function switch that has compensation for wide temperature variations and preloads from surrounding material due to manufacturing processes and material aging. Due to the very thin physical thickness of the force sensor, the switch is useful when the sensors are mounted on the hub of a vehicle steering wheel adjacent to an airbag assembly. The switch comprises a force sensor and a temperature sensor mounted in the hub of a steering wheel. The force sensor is connected to the input of an operational amplifier that has an offsetting input network and an amplifying feedback network that are controlled from a programmable microcontroller. The output of the operational amplifier and the temperature sensor are connected to the programmable microcontroller. In operation, the programmable microcontroller reads a temperature signal from the temperature sensor and a quiescent force signal from the output of the operational amplifier and compensates the offsetting and amplifying of the operational amplifier for temperature variations and effects of preload conditions, respectively. When an actuating force signal applied to the force sensor, the force signal at an input to the programmable microcontroller exceeds a predetermined threshold and the programmable microcontroller activates an output, causing a horn or other control function to actuate.

Vehicle horn and control function switch with compensation and method of

A controller with a plurality of tactile sensors and a method of fabricating the controller is disclosed. The controller may be used for one, two or three parameter control in applications requiring manual user control of parameters such as temperature, volume, speed, direction and cursor position on a computer screen. The controller comprises two or more tactile sensors and a computing means. The centers of the tactile sensors are positioned at angles about a common center point. The computing means determines a magnitude and a direction of a resultant force from all the tactile sensors, using the force applied to each tactile sensor and the angle at which the center of each tactile sensor is oriented about a common center point. The configuration enables sensing applied force in two or more directions at angles from a common center point. Another parameter may be controlled based on the total force applied to all of the tactile sensors of the controller.

Controller with tactile sensors and method of fabricating same

A force and pressure sensor is provided having two sets of parallel electrodes which are positioned facing one another and arranged so that electrodes of one set cross the electrodes of the second set at an angle to create a plurality of electrode intersections. Pressure-sensitive resistive material lies between the electrodes at each intersection. An adhesive layer is applied to at least one of the electrode sets in areas between electrode intersections to secure the first and second electrode sets in facing relationship, the adhesive layer preferably being applied in a pattern which provides passages where the adhesive layer does not exist to allow air to escape from interior areas of the electrode set. The thickness of the adhesive layer may be adjusted to permit preloading or to provide a threshold level for the sensor. In order to permit electrodes of the electrode set to be trimmed around their periphery, electrical contact to each electrode of the electrode sets is made intermediate the ends of the electrodes. This is accomplished by providing an insulating layer over the rear of each electrode set having holes therein at the desired intersection points and having a plurality of connecting conductors on the back of the insulating sheet, one for each electrode, which make contact with the corresponding electrode through the hole in the insulating sheet.

Flexible tactile sensor for measuring foot pressure distributions and

A contact sensor for detecting points on a grid where the sensor is being contacted on opposing sides by teeth surfaces or other contacting points. The sensor is especially useful for measuring dental occlusion. The contact sensor includes two sets of parallel electrodes which are each formed on a thin, flexible supporting sheet. The electrodes are separated by a thin, pressure-sensitive resistive coating such as molydenum disulphide. Two such electrode structures are oriented at approximately right angles to create a grid where the intersecting electrodes cross separated by the resistive coatings. Several arrangements of resistive coating over electrodes as disclosed. In the absence of an external force, the material between the electrodes sets provides a high resistance between intersecting electrodes. The resistance between electrode intersections changes as pressure on opposite sides of the intersection changes. The sensor output is dynamic in that the resistance will vary as external pressure is repeatedly applied and removed. The sensor may be made extremely thin and can provide high resolution capable of distinguishing between contact points separated by 0.050 inches or less. A new circuit is provided which measures the resistance between each electrode intersection and provides an output representative of the opposing forces at the intersection. The circuit limits the maximum possible current which can flow in the sensor and provides increased resolution in measuring pressure between contacting surfaces.

Pressure and contact sensor system for measuring dental occlusion

A contact sensor for detecting points on a grid where the sensor is being contacted on opposing sides by teeth surfaces or other contacting points. The contact sensor includes two sets of parallel electrodes which are each formed of a thin, flexible supporting sheet. The electrodes are coated with a thin, resistive coating. Two such electrode structures are oriented at approximately right angles to create a grid where the intersecting electrodes cross separated by the resistive coatings. The resistive coatings may be made from conventional resisitive inks and are optionally separated by a separation material, such as talcum or mesh. In the absence of an external force, the material between the electrodes sets provides a high resistance between intersecting electrodes. The novel composition of the intermediate layer results in a structure which provides a 'switching' effect such that the resistance between electrodes is very high where there is no external pressure and changes to a comparatively low value at locations where external pressure is applied by two contacting points or surfaces. The sensor output is dynamic in the sense that the resistance will change back and forth between high and low resistance states as external pressure is repeatedly applied and removed. The sensor may be made extremely thin and can provide high resolution capable of distinguishing between contact points separated by 0.050 inches or less. Additionally, the sensor output may be provided by means of a small computer or similar digital processor which monitors the signals from the sensor grid and which provides an output which indicates the variation in contacting points with time.

Growing community of inventors

Framingham, MA, United States of America

Robert M Podoloff