Curvature measurement apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10704886-B2
Application number	US-201816145793-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2018
Priority date	Sep 29, 2017
Publication date	Jul 7, 2020
Grant date	Jul 7, 2020

Abstract

An embodiment relates to a curvature measurement apparatus. The apparatus includes a first curvature measurement unit configured to, upon a curvature of an object to be measured being relatively greater than a first curvature, measure the curvature of the object to be measured; and a second curvature measurement unit configured to, upon the curvature of the object to be measured being relatively smaller than a second curvature, measure the curvature of the object to be measured, the second curvature being relatively greater than or equal to the first curvature. The curvature measurement apparatus can improve an accuracy of a curvature of an object to be measured.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A curvature measurement apparatus, comprising:
a first curvature measurement unit configured to, upon a curvature of an object to be measured being relatively greater than a first curvature, measure the curvature of the object to be measured; and
a second curvature measurement unit configured to, upon the curvature of the object to be measured being relatively smaller than a second curvature, measure the curvature of the object to be measured, wherein the second curvature is relatively greater than or equal to the first curvature, wherein the object to be measured is a finger of a person, and the apparatus further includes:
a sheath body, configured to be worn on the finger, wherein the first curvature measurement unit and the second curvature measurement unit are disposed in the sheath body.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first curvature measurement unit comprises:
a resistive strain gauge sensor, having a shape extending along the object to be measured, wherein, upon the curvature of the object to be measured being relatively greater than the first curvature, the resistive strain gauge sensor is configured to bend as the object to be measured bends, to change a resistance of the resistive strain gauge sensor; and
a first curvature calculation unit, configured to calculate a curvature of the resistive strain gauge sensor according to the resistance of the resistive strain gauge sensor as changed, the curvature calculated being the curvature of the object measured.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first curvature calculation unit is configured to calculate a curvature of the resistive strain gauge sensor according to a first relationship curve according to which, the resistance of the resistive strain gauge sensor is configured to change as the curvature changes; and
the resistive strain gauge sensor is configured to cause a portion, of a first relationship curve and corresponding to the curvature of the resistive strain gauge sensor relatively greater than the first curvature, to be linear.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the second curvature measurement unit comprises:
a pressure sensor, configured to come into contact with the object to be measured, wherein, upon the curvature of the object to be measured being relatively smaller than the second curvature, the pressure sensor is configured to sense a pressure, applied by the object to be measured to the pressure sensor, as the object to be measured bends; and a second curvature calculation unit, configured to calculate the curvature of the object to be measured according to the pressure sensed by the pressure sensor.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second curvature measurement unit comprises:
a pressure sensor, configured to come into contact with the object to be measured, wherein, upon the curvature of the object to be measured being relatively smaller than the second curvature, the pressure sensor is configured to sense a pressure, applied by the object to be measured to the pressure sensor, as the object to be measured bends; and a second curvature calculation unit, configured to measure the curvature of the object according to the pressure sensed by the pressure sensor.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising:
an elastic component, configured to have an original shape extending along the object to be measured and configured to bend by a preset curvature, wherein
the pressure sensor is disposed in a direction in which the object to be measured bends, and upon the elastic component bending and changing the original shape as the object to be measured bends, the elastic component is configured to apply an elastic force to the object to be measured, so that a force corresponding to the elastic force applied by the elastic component is applied to the pressure sensor.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the second curvature calculation unit is configured to measure a curvature of the elastic component according to a second relationship curve, wherein the pressure, sensed by the pressure sensor, changes as the curvature of the elastic component changes, to use the curvature as the curvature of the object to be measured; and
the elastic component being configured to cause a portion of the second relationship curve, corresponding to the curvature of the elastic component relatively smaller than the second curvature, to be linear.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the preset curvature is the second curvature.

9. A curvature measurement method, comprising:
comparing a curvature of an object to be measured to a first curvature;
measuring the curvature of the object upon the curvature of the object being relatively greater than the first curvature;
comparing the curvature of the object to be measured to a second curvature, the second curvature being relatively greater than or equal to the first curvature; and
measuring the curvature of the object upon the curvature of the object being relatively smaller than the second curvature.

10. The curvature measurement method of claim 9 , wherein the comparing of the curvature of the object to be measured to the first curvature comprises:
changing a resistance bending a sensor having a shape extending along the object to be measured, as the object to be measured bends, upon the curvature of the object to be measured being relatively greater than the first curvature; and
calculating a curvature of the sensor, according to the resistance of the sensor as changed, the curvature calculated being the curvature of the object measured.

11. The curvature measurement method of claim 10 , wherein the comparing of the curvature of the object to be measured to the second curvature comprises:
sensing a pressure via a pressure sensor, upon the curvature of the object to be measured being relatively smaller than the second curvature, applied to the pressure sensor as the object to be measured bends; and measuring the curvature of the object to be measured according to the pressure sensed by the pressure sensor.

12. The curvature measurement method of claim 9 , wherein the comparing of the curvature of the object to be measured to the second curvature comprises:
sensing a pressure via a pressure sensor, upon the curvature of the object to be measured being relatively smaller than the second curvature, applied to the pressure sensor as the object to be measured bends; and measuring the curvature of the object to be measured according to the pressure sensed by the pressure sensor.

Assignees

• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Zhang chuan yu
• Zhuo Yue
• Li Dong
• Gong Zhang Rui

Classifications

• G01B21/32 Primary

  for measuring the deformation in a solid · CPC title

• G01B7/18

  using change in resistance · CPC title

• G06F3/014

  Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves · CPC title

• G01B7/287 Primary

  using a plurality of fixed, simultaneously operating transducers (G01B7/293 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01B7/293 Primary

  for measuring radius of curvature · CPC title