Inter-digit movement detection based on capacitive imaging

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12181276-B2
Application number	US-202318238735-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2023
Priority date	Aug 8, 2019
Publication date	Dec 31, 2024
Grant date	Dec 31, 2024

Abstract

A capacitive imaging glove includes electrodes implemented throughout the capacitive imaging glove and drive-sense circuits (DSCs) such that a DSC receives a reference signal generates a signal based thereon. The DSC provides the signal to a first electrode via a single line and simultaneously senses it. Note the signal is coupled from the first electrode to the second electrode via a gap therebetween. The DSC generates a digital signal representative of the electrical characteristic of the first electrode. Processing module(s), when enabled, is/are configured to execute operational instructions (e.g., stored in and/or retrieved from memory) to generate the reference signal, process the digital signal to determine the electrical characteristic of the first electrode, and process the electrical characteristic of the first electrode to determine a distance between the first electrode and the second electrode, and generate capacitive image data representative of a shape of the capacitive imaging glove.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A capacitive imaging glove operative to perform digit movement detection comprising:
a first electrode implemented within a first digit of the capacitive imaging glove;
a second electrode implemented within a second digit of the capacitive imaging glove;
a drive-sense circuit (DSC), wherein when enabled, the DSC configured to:
provide a signal to the first electrode and simultaneously to sense the signal, wherein sensing of the signal includes detection of an electrical characteristic of the first electrode, wherein the electrical characteristic of the first electrode is based on the signal coupled from the first electrode to the second electrode via a gap between the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein movement of at least one of the first digit of the capacitive imaging glove or the second digit of the capacitive imaging glove changes a distance between the first electrode and the second electrode; and
generate a digital signal representative of the electrical characteristic of the first electrode;

memory that stores operational instructions; and
one or more processing modules operably coupled to the DSC and the memory, wherein, the one or more processing modules, when enabled, is configured to execute the operational instructions to:
process the digital signal representative of the electrical characteristic of the first electrode to determine the electrical characteristic of the first electrode;
process the electrical characteristic of the first electrode to determine change of the distance between the first electrode and the second electrode that is based on the movement of at least one of the first digit of the capacitive imaging glove or the second digit of the capacitive imaging glove; and
generate capacitive image data representative of the movement of the at least one of the first digit of the capacitive imaging glove or the second digit of the capacitive imaging glove.

2. The capacitive imaging glove of claim 1 , wherein, the one or more processing modules, when enabled, is further configured to execute the operational instructions to:
process the digital signal representative of the electrical characteristic of the first electrode to determine a capacitance associated with the distance between the first electrode and the second electrode; and
calculate the distance between the first electrode and the second electrode based on the capacitance associated with the distance between the first electrode and the second electrode.

3. The capacitive imaging glove of claim 1 , wherein, the one or more processing modules, when enabled, is further configured to execute the operational instructions to:
process the digital signal representative of the electrical characteristic of the first electrode to determine a change of the capacitance that is based on movement of the at least one of the first digit of the capacitive imaging glove or the second digit of the capacitive imaging glove; and
calculate change of the distance between the first electrode and the second electrode based on the change of the capacitance that is based on movement of the at least one of the first digit of the capacitive imaging glove or the second digit of the capacitive imaging glove.

4. The capacitive imaging glove of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third electrode implemented within a third digit of the capacitive imaging glove; and wherein:
the electrical characteristic of the first electrode is also based on another signal coupled from a third electrode implemented within a third digit of the capacitive imaging glove via another gap between the first electrode and the third electrode, wherein another movement of at least one of the first digit of the capacitive imaging glove or the third digit of the capacitive imaging glove changes another distance between the first electrode and the third electrode.

5. The capacitive imaging glove of claim 4 , wherein, the one or more processing modules, when enabled, is further configured to execute the operational instructions to:
process the digital signal representative of the electrical characteristic of the first electrode to determine another capacitance associated with the another distance between the first electrode and the third electrode including a change of the another capacitance that is based on the another movement of the at least one of the first digit of the capacitive imaging glove or the third digit of the capacitive imaging glove; and
calculate the another distance between the first electrode and the third electrode based on the another capacitance associated with the another distance between the first electrode and the third electrode.

6. The capacitive imaging glove of claim 4 , wherein, the one or more processing modules, when enabled, is further configured to execute the operational instructions to:
process the digital signal representative of the electrical characteristic of the first electrode to determine another change of another capacitance that is based on the another movement of the at least one of the first digit of the capacitive imaging glove or the third digit of the capacitive imaging glove; and
calculate change of the distance between the first electrode and the second electrode based on the another change of the another capacitance that is based on the another movement of the at least one of the first digit of the capacitive imaging glove or the third digit of the capacitive imaging glove.

7. The capacitive imaging glove of claim 1 , wherein the electrical characteristic of the first electrode corresponds to at least one of an impedance, a capacitive reactance, or a capacitance of the first electrode.

8. The capacitive imaging glove of claim 1 , wherein, when enabled, the DSC is further configured to:
receive a reference signal;
generate the signal based on the reference signal; and
provide the signal to the first electrode via a single line and simultaneously to sense the signal via the single line.

9. The capacitive imaging glove of claim 8 , wherein, the one or more processing modules, when enabled, is further configured to execute the operational instructions to:
generate the reference signal; and
provide the reference signal to the DSC to be used by the DSC to generate the signal.

10. The capacitive imaging glove of claim 1 further comprising:
a plurality of drive-sense circuits (DSCs) including the DSC; and
a plurality of electrodes implemented throughout the capacitive imaging glove including the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein:
the DSC of the plurality of DSC operably coupled to the first electrode via a single line.

11. The capacitive imaging glove of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first electrode or the second electrode has a shape of a square, a rectangle, a circle, an oval, a diamond, a triangle, an arc, or a hexagon.

12. The capacitive imaging glove of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first electrode is implemented to curve around a portion of the first digit of the capacitive imaging glove or the second electrode is implemented to curve around a portion of the second digit of the capacitive imaging glove.

13. The capacitive imaging glove of claim 1 , wherein the DSC further comprises:
a power source circuit operably coupled to the first electrode via a single line, wherein, when enabled, the power source circuit is configured to provide the signal that includes an alternating current (AC) component via the single line coupling to the first electrode; and
a power source change detection circuit operably coupled to the power source circuit, wherein, when enabled, the power source change det

Assignees

• Sigmasense Llc

Inventors

• Gray Patrick Troy
• Morrison Gerald Dale
• Van Ostrand Daniel Keith
• Seger Jr Richard Stuart
• Short Shayne X
• Markison Timothy W

Classifications

• G01P15/18

  in two or more dimensions · CPC title

• A41D19/0024

  with accessories · CPC title

• G06F3/017

  Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883) · CPC title

• G06F3/014 Primary

  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