The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 28, 1994
Filed:
Feb. 11, 1992
Brian C McCormack, Danton, TX (US);
James R Cox, Irving, TX (US);
Richard H Wallace, Plano, TX (US);
Kevin S Hodge, Rowlett, TX (US);
Texas Instruments Incorporated, Dallas, TX (US);
Abstract
A detector assembly (20) detects motion by utilizing a plurality of motion detectors (22-28), each detector having a first finger (40) and a second finger (42 ). First finger (40 ) has a signal line (36) on the inner surface (32) and second finger (42) has a ground line (38) disposed on another portion of inner surface (32). Spacer (46) keeps fingers (40) and (42) out of physical contact in the normal position so that there is an open circuit between signal line (36) and ground line (38). When a moving object (50) strikes first finger (40), first finger (40) is deflected downward so that first finger (40) and second finger (42) make physical contact at contact point (48), thereby establishing a closed circuit between signal line (36) and ground line (38). In this fashion a detection pulse is generated. The substrate (30) of detector assembly (20 ) is made of a resilient, flexible material such as a synthetic resin, for enhanced sensitivity. Due to the enhanced sensitivity of detector assembly (20), the motion of objects (50) can be detected even though such motion is random, i.e. the motion of objects does not have to be precisely controlled in the vicinity of detector assembly (20).