Capacitance array sensor, bending and human body posture detection device and wearable article

Abstract

A capacitor array sensor comprises a first flexible circuit layer, a flexible spacing layer, a second flexible circuit layer and a plurality of capacitors. Wherein the first flexible circuit layer 1, the flexible spacing layer 2 and the second flexible circuit layer 3 are sequentially stacked. The capacitor comprises a first electrode 411, a second electrode 412 and a reference electrode 413, the first electrode 411 and the second electrode 412 are adjacently arranged on the first flexible circuit layer 1, and the reference electrode 413 is arranged on the second flexible circuit layer 3. An overlapping region exists between the reference electrode 413 and at least one of the first electrode 411 and the second electrode 412, and the area of the overlapping region changes along with the change of the bending degree of the capacitance array sensor. The capacitor array sensor can be integrated in a dynamic bending detection device, a wearable article and a human body posture dynamic detection device, and the problems that the sensor is low in response speed, low in accuracy and reliability, high in cost, high in environmental sensitivity, poor in durability, small in measurable range, incapable of being flexibly configured according to a specific shape and the like in form measurement are solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of measurement technology, and in particular to a capacitive array sensor, a dynamic bending detection device, a wearable article, and a human body posture dynamic detection device. Background Art

[0002] Morphological sensing technology aims to accurately capture and analyze changes in the shape, position, and posture of objects. For example, in the medical field, morphological sensing technology can achieve non-invasive, continuous posture tracking and analysis, thereby supporting the rehabilitation process and providing real-time feedback to promote the patient's physical health. Currently, the main existing technologies are as follows: inductive morphological sensing technology, optical fiber morphological sensing technology, and resistive morphological sensing technology.

[0003] Inductive sensing technology measures the shape and posture of an object based on the change in the inductance value output by the sensor. A typical application is to sew an inductive sensor on a wearable undergarment. The sensor is made of fine copper wire and is sewn on the fabric of the garment in a serpentine pattern, covering the measured human body area to sense the extension and uprightness of the human body in the sagittal plane and monitor the posture changes of the human body. When the sensed human body performs rehabilitation exercises or daily activities, any movement or change of the body will cause the deformation of the clothing, which will cause the shape of the sensor sewn on the clothing to change, and then cause the inductance value of the sensor to change. The posture changes of the human body can be monitored based on the change in the inductance value. Inductive sensing technology has the following disadvantages and problems: The sensor has a slow response speed and a large time delay, which may not be suitable for applications that require a fast response, such as high-intensity training or certain specific rehabilitation activities. Low accuracy and reliability, if the sensor is not properly attached to the carrier such as clothing or shifted during the activity, it may cause data reading errors. A special method is required to embed the sensor, which is costly and has a low service life for inductive sensing.

[0004] Fiber optic shape sensor (FOSS) can be defined as a fiber optic cable with multiple cores and embedded strain sensors. Its working principle is as follows: In each instrument section, the three-dimensional curvature is calculated by measuring the strain in different cores simultaneously. The longitudinal curvature function is determined from the strain values ​​sensed in the instrument section by interpolation or curve fitting, while the shape is reconstructed by numerical integration of the curvature. Fiber optic shape sensors have the following disadvantages and problems: Fiber optic shape sensors usually require the use of special multi-core optical fibers and high-precision optical instruments, which may lead to a high overall cost of the system. Fiber optic shape sensor systems are usually complex, involving sophisticated optical equipment and complex data processing algorithms. This not only requires operators to have certain expertise, but may also make the maintenance and troubleshooting process more complicated and time-consuming. Fiber optic shape sensors often have complex optical paths, and the wiring and installation of optical fibers may be subject to certain space and environmental restrictions. Deploying FOSS in complex or confined spaces may be challenging, and the laying and fixing of optical fibers need to be handled carefully to avoid damage.

[0005] Resistive shape sensors consist of two layers of high aspect ratio polyurethane-based nanofibers (platinum (Pt) coating) that form a microscopic mechanical interlocking through van der Waals forces when in contact. When a mechanical load (such as pressure, shear or torsion) is applied, the relative position between the fibers changes, resulting in a change in resistance or conductivity that can be detected as an electrical signal. The sensor uses the piezoresistive effect to convert mechanical deformation into an electrical signal. The tiny displacement between the fibers changes their contact resistance, thereby changing the current or voltage passing through the sensor. Resistive shape sensors have the following disadvantages and problems: The fabrication of the sensor involves the use of high aspect ratio nanofibers and platinum (Pt) coating processes. These processes require high-precision control and sophisticated manufacturing techniques, which may increase the complexity and cost of production. Due to the characteristics of platinum (Pt) and nanofiber structures, the sensor may be sensitive to environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity and chemicals. This sensitivity can reduce the durability, stability and service life of the sensor, which may limit its application in certain environments or require additional protection measures to ensure that performance is not affected. The technology for manufacturing high aspect ratio nanofibers may have certain limitations on the size and shape of the sensor. This may affect the suitability of the sensor for applications requiring a specific shape or flexible configuration.

[0006] The above information is presented only as background information to help understand the present disclosure. No confirmation or other related meaning is made as to whether any of the above can be used as prior art application with respect to the present disclosure. Summary of the invention

[0007] The embodiments of the present disclosure solve the problems of slow response speed, low accuracy and reliability, high cost, high environmental sensitivity, poor durability, small measurable range, and inability to be flexibly configured according to specific shapes in the aforementioned sensing system technology. A capacitive array sensor with high response speed, high accuracy, reliability and durability, low cost and flexible configuration is provided. A dynamic bending detection device is also provided to solve the problem of remote dynamic detection of the posture of the measured object. A wearable item is also provided to solve the problem of human body posture detection. A human body posture dynamic detection device is also provided to solve the problem of dynamic detection of human body posture. Capacitive array sensors and the aforementioned related devices can be used in the field of morphological sensing to perform morphological measurement on the measured object, and can achieve large-range, high-precision, high-refresh-rate, and offset-free real-time dynamic posture measurement.

[0008] A first aspect of the present disclosure provides a capacitive array sensor, comprising: a first flexible circuit layer 1, a flexible spacer layer 2, a second flexible circuit layer 3 and a plurality of capacitors 4;

[0009] Wherein, the first flexible circuit layer 1, the flexible spacer layer 2 and the second flexible circuit layer 3 are stacked in sequence;

[0010] The capacitor includes a first electrode 411, a second electrode 412 and a reference electrode 413, the first electrode 411 and the second electrode 412 are adjacently arranged on the first flexible circuit layer 1, and the reference electrode 413 is arranged on the second flexible circuit layer 3;

[0011] There is an overlapping region between the reference electrode 413 and at least one of the first electrode 411 and the second electrode 412 , and the area of ​​the overlapping region changes with the curvature of the capacitive array sensor.

[0012] For example, in at least one embodiment, there is a first overlapping region 414 between the reference electrode 413 and the first electrode 411, and there is a second overlapping region 415 between the reference electrode 413 and the second electrode 412, and at least a portion of the capacitive array sensor is bent along a bending direction, and one of the areas of the first overlapping region 414 and the second overlapping region 415 gradually increases along the bending direction, and the other gradually decreases along the bending direction.

[0013] For example, in at least one embodiment, a connector 5 is further included, which is disposed at the end of the capacitive array sensor and is configured to receive respective signals of the first electrode 411, the second electrode 412 and the reference electrode 413, and to connect to an external device to transmit the signals.

[0014] For example, in at least one embodiment, it also includes a fixing device 6 and / or a covering layer 7; the fixing device 6 is arranged at at least one end of the capacitive array sensor, and is configured to fixedly connect the first flexible circuit layer 1, the flexible spacer layer 2 and the second flexible circuit layer 3; the covering layer 7 fully or partially covers the first flexible circuit layer 1, the flexible spacer layer 2 and the second flexible circuit layer 3.

[0015] For example, in at least one embodiment, the first flexible circuit layer 1, the flexible spacer layer 2 and the second flexible circuit layer 3 are configured as flexible silicone circuit boards; and the covering layer 7 is configured as a flexible plastic layer.

[0016] For example, in at least one embodiment, the flexible spacer layer 2 includes a plurality of flexible spacers 21 , and the plurality of flexible spacers 21 are disposed between the first flexible circuit layer 1 and the second flexible circuit layer 3 and are stacked on top of each other.

[0017] For example, in at least one embodiment, the flexible spacer layer 2 includes 2-5 flexible spacer sheets 21 stacked on top of each other, and the flexible spacer sheets 21 are thin sheets with a thickness of 0-0.5 mm.

[0018] For example, in at least one embodiment, the first flexible circuit layer 1 , the second flexible circuit layer 3 , and the plurality of flexible spacers 21 can slide independently of each other.

[0019] For example, in at least one embodiment, the planar shapes of the first electrode 411 and the second electrode 412 are semicircular or triangular; the semicircular straight sides or triangular short sides of two adjacent first electrodes 411 and second electrodes 412 are adjacently arranged.

[0020] A second aspect of the present disclosure provides a dynamic bending detection device, comprising a capacitive array sensor as described in any one of the above items and a processor, wherein the processor receives a capacitive signal sent by the capacitive array sensor and generates a dynamic bending detection result based on the capacitive signal; the processor comprises an analog-to-digital conversion module, an expansion module, a microprocessing module and a display module; the analog-to-digital conversion module is configured to convert the capacitive signal collected by the capacitive array sensor and output the converted digital signal to the expansion module; the expansion module is configured to receive the digital signal output by the analog-to-digital conversion module and output it to the microprocessing module; the microprocessing module is configured to receive data output by the expansion module, process the data, and obtain the dynamic bending detection result; the display module is configured to receive and display the dynamic bending detection result output by the microprocessing module.

[0021] A third aspect of the present disclosure provides a wearable article, comprising any of the capacitive array sensors described above.

[0022] A fourth aspect of the present disclosure provides a human body posture dynamic detection device, comprising any of the capacitive array sensors described above, and the capacitive array sensor is configured to detect human body posture. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the drawings of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description only relate to some embodiments of the present disclosure, but are not limitations of the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional structural diagram of a capacitive array sensor in an initial state according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a cross-sectional structure of a capacitive array sensor in a bent state according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 3 is another cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of the initial state of the capacitive array sensor according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 4 is a schematic plan view of a first electrode and a second electrode in a semicircular shape according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 5 is a plan view schematically showing that the first electrode and the second electrode are triangular in shape according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] Figure 6 is a partial plan view of the first electrode and the second electrode according to an embodiment of the present disclosure being semicircular or triangular, and the reference electrode being rectangular;

[0030] Figure 7 is a diagram of a measurement principle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure clearer, the technical solution of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, not all of the embodiments. Based on the described embodiments of the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0032] Unless otherwise defined, the technical terms or scientific terms used in the present disclosure should be understood by people with ordinary skills in the field to which the present disclosure belongs. The "first", "second" and similar words used in the present disclosure do not indicate any order, quantity or importance, but are only used to distinguish different components. "Include" or "comprise" and similar words mean that the elements or objects appearing before the word cover the elements or objects listed after the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. "Connect" or "connected" and similar words are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but may include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. "Up", "down", "left", "right" and the like are only used to indicate relative positional relationships. When the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly. In the present disclosure, "multiple" refers to two or more.

[0033] According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 1 A capacitive array sensor is disclosed, comprising: a first flexible circuit layer 1, a flexible spacer layer 2, a second flexible circuit layer 3 and a plurality of capacitors 4. The first flexible circuit layer 1, the flexible spacer layer 2 and the second flexible circuit layer 3 are stacked in sequence. Any capacitor 4 includes an electrode pair consisting of a first electrode 411 and a second electrode 412, and a reference electrode 413. The first electrode 411 and the second electrode 412 included in any capacitor 4 are adjacently arranged on the first flexible circuit layer 1 to form an electrode pair. For each electrode pair, the first electrode 411 and the second electrode 412 contained therein are insulated and have a gap. The reference electrode 413 included in any capacitor 4 is arranged on the second flexible circuit layer 3, and the electrode pair consisting of the first electrode 411 and the second electrode 412 is arranged corresponding to the reference electrode 413, and there is an overlapping area. In any capacitor 4, there is a first overlapping area 414 between the reference electrode 413 and the first electrode 411, and there is a second overlapping area 415 between the reference electrode 413 and the second electrode 412.

[0034] In any capacitor 4, a capacitance value is generated between the first electrode 411 and the second electrode 412 and the reference electrode 413 respectively. Any capacitor 4 uses the difference between the two capacitance values ​​to generate the required differential capacitance value. The sensor array for bending measurement based on differential capacitance values ​​has the advantages of high precision and high refresh rate, and can perform large-range, non-offset shape and posture measurement.

[0035] Preferably, in at least one embodiment, Figure 1As shown, the capacitive array sensor also includes a connector 5. The connector 5 is disposed at the end of the capacitive array sensor, and is configured to receive signals from the first electrode 411, the second electrode 412, and the reference electrode 413, and to be connected to an external device to transmit the received signals. The connector 5 can be configured as a signal connector or a data interface in the prior art, and can transmit multiple signals collected by the capacitive array sensor to an external device.

[0036] Preferably, the external device includes a connecting board, which is connected to the connector 5 of one or more capacitive array sensors, receives the signal output by the connector 5 of one or more capacitive array sensors, and transmits the signal output by the connector 5 of one or more capacitive array sensors to the analog-to-digital conversion module.

[0037] Preferably, in at least one embodiment, Figure 1 As shown, the capacitive array sensor also includes a fixing device 6. The fixing device 6 is disposed at at least one end of the capacitive array sensor and is configured to fix the first flexible circuit layer 1, the flexible spacer layer 2, and the second flexible circuit layer 3. The fixing device 6 is conducive to eliminating the sliding caused by factors other than the bending of the capacitive array sensor between the first flexible circuit layer 1, the flexible spacer layer 2, and the second flexible circuit layer 3, thereby reducing the measurement error. The fixing device 6 can be integrated on the existing structure of the object to be measured, thereby ensuring that the capacitive array sensor remains stable on the object to be measured and avoiding misalignment between the layers.

[0038] Preferably, in at least one embodiment, Figure 1 As shown, the capacitive array sensor further includes a covering layer 7. The covering layer 7 covers all or part of the first flexible circuit layer 1, the flexible spacer layer 2, and the second flexible circuit layer 3. The covering layer 7 is also helpful in eliminating the sliding between the first flexible circuit layer 1, the flexible spacer layer 2, and the second flexible circuit layer 3 due to factors other than the bending of the capacitive array sensor, thereby reducing the measurement error and avoiding the misalignment between the layers.

[0039] Preferably, in at least one embodiment, the first flexible circuit layer 1, the flexible spacer layer 2, and the second flexible circuit layer 3 of the capacitive array sensor are integrated into a wearable item, such as being sewn inside a garment. By means of the structural features of the wearable item itself, it is ensured that when the measured object is not bent, the first flexible circuit layer 1, the flexible spacer layer 2, and the second flexible circuit layer 3 will not slide or misalign due to other factors.

[0040] Preferably, in at least one embodiment, the first flexible circuit layer 1, the flexible spacer layer 2 and the second flexible circuit layer 3 are configured as a flexible silicone circuit board, for example: an FPCB circuit board or other silicon-based material made of different dielectric materials in the prior art is selected. The larger the dielectric constant of the dielectric material, the smaller the thickness of the flexible circuit layer can be prepared; the smaller the thickness of the flexible circuit layer, the higher the measurement accuracy of the capacitive array sensor. Therefore, the most economical and applicable dielectric material can be selected to prepare a flexible silicone circuit board according to different measurement accuracy and sensor available space requirements.

[0041] Preferably, the coating layer 7 is configured as a flexible plastic layer. The flexible plastic layer is light and thin, which is helpful to avoid the coating layer 7 from having additional influence on the bending of the capacitive array sensor.

[0042] Preferably, there are gaps between the first flexible circuit layer 1, the flexible spacer layer 2, and the second flexible circuit layer 3 to ensure that when the capacitive array sensor is dynamically bent, each layer can slide independently.

[0043] According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 2 As shown, the stacked structure composed of the first flexible circuit layer 1, the flexible spacer layer 2 and the second flexible circuit layer 3 of the capacitive array sensor can be bent along the extension direction of the capacitor 4. When the stacked structure composed of the first flexible circuit layer 1, the flexible spacer layer 2 and the second flexible circuit layer 3 is bent, the first flexible circuit layer 1, the flexible spacer layer 2 and the second flexible circuit layer 3 can slide relative to each other. The relative sliding between the first flexible circuit layer 1, the flexible spacer layer 2 and the second flexible circuit layer 3 changes with the change of the curvature of the capacitive array sensor. Correspondingly, the area of ​​the overlapping region of the first overlapping region 414 and the second overlapping region 415 between the electrode pair composed of the first electrode 411 and the second electrode 412 and the reference electrode 413 also changes with the change of the curvature of the capacitive array sensor.

[0044] The area of ​​the overlapping area of ​​the first overlapping area 414 and the second overlapping area 415 changes, so that the differential capacitance value generated by the capacitor 4 changes accordingly. Therefore, according to the correspondence between the differential capacitance value generated by the predetermined capacitor 4 and the curvature of the capacitor array sensor area where the capacitor 4 is located, the curvature of the capacitor array sensor area where it is located can be determined based on the differential capacitance value generated by the capacitor 4. According to the differential capacitance values ​​generated by multiple capacitors 4 in the capacitor array sensor, the curvature of the capacitor array sensor area where each capacitor 4 is located can be determined, and then the shape of the capacitor array sensor can be obtained by fitting. When the capacitor array sensor is attached to the object to be measured, the shape and posture of the object to be measured can be determined according to the shape of the capacitor array sensor.

[0045] According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 2As shown, when the capacitive array sensor bends along the bending direction, the second flexible circuit layer 3 and the reference electrode 413 arranged thereon slide relative to the first flexible circuit layer 1 along the bending direction, and the area of ​​the first overlapping region 414 and the area of ​​the second overlapping region 415 gradually change with the sliding. Since the first electrode 411 and the second electrode 412 are arranged in pairs on the first flexible circuit layer 1, the relative position between the paired first electrode 411 and the second electrode 412 does not change, and one of the area of ​​the first overlapping region 414 and the area of ​​the second overlapping region 415 gradually increases along the bending direction, and the other gradually decreases along the bending direction. Compared with the differential capacitive sensor solution in which a single overlapping region changes while the other overlapping region does not change, the change in the differential capacitance value generated by any one of the capacitors 4 during sliding in this embodiment is doubled, and the corresponding measurement accuracy and sensitivity are also doubled.

[0046] It should be noted that in Figure 1 , Figure 2 An embodiment in which four capacitors 4 are arranged along the length direction and bent in a single direction is disclosed. Since any one capacitor 4 independently generates a differential capacitance value without being affected by other capacitors 4, in another embodiment, more capacitors 4 can be arranged in a larger range to achieve a larger range of measurements. Or the arrangement density of capacitors 4 can be increased per unit area to improve the accuracy of the measurement. In another embodiment, the object to be measured may have a reverse bend, such as a wavy line shape. The differential capacitance values ​​generated by multiple capacitors 4 can fit the surface shape and posture of the object to be measured, including protrusions and depressions.

[0047] According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 3 As shown, the flexible spacer layer 2 of the capacitive array sensor may include a plurality of flexible spacers 21, and the plurality of flexible spacers 21 are arranged between the first flexible circuit layer 1 and the second flexible circuit layer 3 and are stacked on each other. Preferably, the flexible spacer layer 2 includes 2-5 flexible spacers 21 stacked on each other, and the flexible spacers 21 are thin sheets with a thickness of 0-0.5 mm. Among them, the first flexible circuit layer 1, the second flexible circuit layer 3, and the plurality of flexible spacers 21 can slide independently. The use of a plurality of flexible spacers 21 can enhance the sliding performance of the flexible spacer layer 2. It is ensured that when the capacitive array sensor is bent, any two adjacent layers of the first flexible circuit layer 1, the plurality of flexible spacers 21, and the second flexible circuit layer 3 can slide independently without interfering with each other, so that the capacitive array sensor can better fit the measured object, which is conducive to enhancing the accuracy of measurement and the flexibility of application of the capacitive array sensor.

[0048] According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 4As shown, the plane shape of the first electrode 411 and the second electrode 412 is a semicircle; the semicircular straight sides of two adjacent first electrodes 411 and second electrodes 412 are arranged adjacent to each other. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the reference electrode 413 is arranged in a rectangular shape. Optionally, the reference electrode 413 can also be arranged in other shapes, such as a rhombus, a parallelogram, a trapezoid, a polygon with wide sides and a narrow middle, etc. Figure 6 As shown, when the plane shape of the first electrode 411 and the second electrode 412 is a relative semicircle, when the reference electrode 413 is unit displacement w relative to the first electrode 411 and the second electrode 412, the ratio of the area change of the overlapping region caused is greater than when the plane shape of the first electrode 411 and the second electrode 412 is a rectangle. In capacitor 4, the area change of the overlapping region will produce a change in capacitance value. When the ratio of the overlapping area change increases under the condition that other conditions remain unchanged, the change amount of capacitance value is also greater. Since the first electrode 411 and the second electrode 412 are both semicircular and the straight edges are adjacently arranged, one of the two overlapping areas increases and the other decreases during sliding, and the ratio of their changes increases, and the change amount of the two capacitance values ​​also increases, and the differential capacitance value change amount generated by capacitor 4 is further increased, specifically twice the change amount of a single capacitance value. When the capacitance array sensor is slightly bent, the differential capacitance value change amount generated by capacitor 4 will be more obvious, thereby improving the accuracy and sensitivity of the capacitance array sensor measurement.

[0049] According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 5 As shown, the planar shape of the first electrode 411 and the second electrode 412 is a triangle; the short sides of the triangles of two adjacent first electrodes 411 and second electrodes 412 are arranged adjacent to each other. Figure 6 As shown, when the plane shape of the first electrode 411 and the second electrode 412 is a triangle, when the reference electrode 413 is unit displacement w relative to the first electrode 411 and the second electrode 412, the ratio of the area change of the overlapping region caused is greater than when the plane shape of the first electrode 411 and the second electrode 412 is a rectangle or a semicircle. In capacitor 4, the area change of the overlapping region will produce a change in the capacitance value. When the ratio of the overlapping area change increases under the condition that other conditions remain unchanged, the change in the capacitance value is also greater. Since the first electrode 411 and the second electrode 412 are both triangles and are relatively arranged, one of the two overlapping areas increases and the other decreases during sliding, and the ratio of their changes increases, the change in the two capacitance values ​​also increases, and the change in the differential capacitance value generated by capacitor 4 is further increased, specifically twice the change in the single capacitance value. When the capacitance array sensor is slightly bent, the change in the differential capacitance value generated by capacitor 4 will be more obvious, thereby improving the accuracy and sensitivity of the capacitance array sensor measurement.

[0050] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a dynamic bending detection device is also provided. Figure 7As shown, the dynamic bending detection device includes a capacitor array sensor and a processor, the processor receives the capacitance signal sent by the capacitor array sensor, and generates a dynamic bending detection result based on the capacitance signal. The differential capacitance value generated by any capacitor 4 corresponds to the local bending degree of the area where the capacitor 4 is located, and changes with the change of the local bending degree of the area where the capacitor 4 is located on the capacitor array sensor.

[0051] The processor includes an analog-to-digital conversion module, an expansion module, a microprocessor module and a display module. The analog-to-digital conversion module is configured to convert the capacitance signal collected by the capacitance array sensor and output the converted digital signal to the expansion module. The analog-to-digital conversion module can be selected from the analog-to-digital conversion chip in the prior art, for example, the AD7746 analog-to-digital conversion chip.

[0052] The expansion module is configured to receive the digital signal output by the analog-to-digital conversion module and output it to the microprocessor module. The expansion module is used to expand the number of devices that can be connected to the bus to ensure accurate transmission of the signal. Since the capacitance array sensor can measure a large range, the number of capacitors configured accordingly is also large. The configuration of the expansion module is conducive to maintaining the precision and accuracy of the measurement when connecting multiple capacitance array sensors or multiple capacitors included in a single capacitance array sensor. The expansion module can be selected from the I2C expansion board in the prior art, for example, the TCA9548A expansion board is selected.

[0053] The microprocessing module is configured to receive data output by the extension module, process the data, and obtain dynamic bending detection results. The microprocessing module can calculate the local curvature of each capacitor area by performing data aggregation, preprocessing, analysis and calculation on the differential capacitance values ​​obtained by accurate measurement, and then calculate the shape and posture of the entire capacitor array sensor and the measured object. Based on the local curvature of the areas where multiple capacitors are located and the dynamic changes of the local curvature, the microprocessing module can reconstruct complex dynamic shapes and postures. It is conducive to real-time and accurate measurement and analysis of the dynamic shape and posture of the measured object. The microprocessing module can have wired or wireless communication functions in existing technologies such as Bluetooth and Wifi. The microprocessing module, for example, selects an Arduino Nano 33BLE model microprocessor.

[0054] The display module is configured to receive and display the dynamic bending detection results output by the microprocessor module. The display module is configured to facilitate the visualization of the measurement results and can intuitively display the dynamic results obtained by the measurement. The display module is, for example, a PC display interface.

[0055] The dynamic bending detection device can be widely used in fields such as robotics, human health monitoring and virtual reality.

[0056] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a wearable article is also provided, and the wearable article includes the capacitive array sensor in the previous embodiment. For example, the wearable article is a device that can be worn or installed on the human body, such as a watch, jewelry, accessories, electronic equipment, etc., and the capacitive array sensor of any of the aforementioned embodiments is integrated on the device. For example, the wearable article is clothing that can be worn on the human body, such as gloves, vests, underwear, pants, socks, etc., and the capacitive array sensor of any of the aforementioned embodiments is integrated on the clothing. For example, the capacitive array sensor of any of the aforementioned embodiments is integrated invisibly inside the wearable article to maintain the appearance of the wearable article. For example, the capacitive array sensor of any of the aforementioned embodiments is integrated visibly on the outside of the wearable article to facilitate integrated installation.

[0057] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a human body posture dynamic detection device is also provided, and the human body posture dynamic detection device includes any of the capacitive array sensors in the aforementioned embodiments, and the capacitive array sensor is configured to detect the posture of the human body. For example, the human body posture dynamic detection device can be used to perform health management of human body posture. For example, a capacitive array sensor can be embedded in clothing along the spine direction to detect the state of the spine, and used in scenarios such as spine diagnosis and correction. When teenagers wear clothing embedded with capacitive array sensors, by recording the spine shape data for a period of time, their daily habits and movement postures can be analyzed, and targeted corrections can be performed. The human body posture dynamic detection device is also applicable to other groups of people such as the elderly.

[0058] The human body posture dynamic detection device can not only collect one-dimensional posture data, but also collect two-dimensional posture data by adding capacitive array sensors in the two-dimensional direction. At this time, the clothing embedded with the capacitive array sensor can not only detect the one-dimensional state of the spine, but also detect the posture of the entire back of the human body, and construct a real-time two-dimensional graph of the back of the human body. At this time, the monitoring of the spine is more accurate, and the use scenarios of the device are also richer.

[0059] There are a few points to note:

[0060] (1) The drawings of the embodiments of the present disclosure only relate to the structures related to the embodiments of the present disclosure, and other structures may refer to the general design.

[0061] (2) For the sake of clarity, in the drawings used to describe the embodiments of the present disclosure, the thickness of the device, layer or region is exaggerated or reduced, that is, these drawings are not drawn according to the actual scale. It is understood that when an element such as a layer, film, region or substrate is referred to as being "on" or "under" another element, the element may be "directly" "on" or "under" the other element or there may be intermediate elements.

[0062] (3) In the absence of conflict, the embodiments of the present disclosure and the features therein may be combined with each other to obtain new embodiments.

[0063] The above are only specific implementations of the present disclosure, but the protection scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the protection scope of the present disclosure shall be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A capacitive array sensor, comprising: a first flexible circuit layer, a flexible spacer layer, a second flexible circuit layer, and a plurality of capacitors; Wherein, the first flexible circuit layer, the flexible spacer layer and the second flexible circuit layer 3 are stacked in sequence; The capacitor comprises a first electrode, a second electrode and a reference electrode, the first electrode and the second electrode are arranged adjacent to each other on the first flexible circuit layer, and the reference electrode is arranged on the second flexible circuit layer; An overlapping region exists between the reference electrode and at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode, and an area of ​​the overlapping region changes with a curvature of the capacitive array sensor.

2. The capacitive array sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: There is a first overlapping area between the reference electrode and the first electrode, There is a second overlapping area between the reference electrode and the second electrode, At least a portion of the capacitive array sensor is bent along a bending direction, and one of an area of ​​the first overlapping region and an area of ​​the second overlapping region gradually increases along the bending direction, and the other gradually decreases along the bending direction.

3. The capacitive array sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: A connector is also included. The connector is disposed at an end of the capacitive array sensor and is configured to receive signals from the first electrode, the second electrode, and the reference electrode, and to be connected to an external device to transmit the signals.

4. The capacitive array sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes fixtures and / or cladding; The fixing device is disposed at at least one end of the capacitive array sensor and is configured to fixedly connect the first flexible circuit layer, the flexible spacer layer and the second flexible circuit layer; The covering layer completely or partially covers the first flexible circuit layer, the flexible spacer layer and the second flexible circuit layer.

5. The capacitive array sensor according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first flexible circuit layer, the flexible spacer layer and the second flexible circuit layer are configured as a flexible silicone circuit board; The covering layer is configured as a flexible plastic layer.

6. The capacitive array sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flexible spacer layer includes a plurality of flexible spacers, and the plurality of flexible spacers are disposed between the first flexible circuit layer and the second flexible circuit layer and are stacked on each other.

7. The capacitive array sensor according to claim 6, characterized in that: The flexible spacer layer comprises 2-5 flexible spacer sheets stacked on each other, and the flexible spacer sheets are thin sheets with a thickness of 0-0.5 mm.

8. The capacitive array sensor according to claim 6, characterized in that: The first flexible circuit layer, the second flexible circuit layer, and the plurality of flexible spacers can slide independently of each other.

9. The capacitive array sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The planar shapes of the first electrode and the second electrode are semicircular or triangular; The semicircular straight sides or triangular short sides of two adjacent first electrodes and second electrodes are arranged adjacent to each other.

10. A dynamic bending detection device, characterized in that: A capacitive array sensor and a processor according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the processor receives a capacitive signal sent by the capacitive array sensor and generates a dynamic bending detection result based on the capacitive signal; The processor includes an analog-to-digital conversion module, an expansion module, a microprocessing module and a display module; The analog-to-digital conversion module is configured to convert the capacitance signal collected by the capacitance array sensor and output the converted digital signal to the expansion module; The expansion module is configured to receive the digital signal output by the analog-to-digital conversion module and output it to the microprocessing module; The micro-processing module is configured to receive the data output by the expansion module, process the data, and obtain the dynamic bending detection result; The display module is configured to receive and display the dynamic bending detection result output by the micro-processing module.

11. A wearable article, characterized in that: The wearable article comprises the capacitive array sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

12. A human body posture dynamic detection device, characterized in that: The human body posture dynamic detection device comprises the capacitive array sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 9, and the capacitive array sensor is configured to detect the posture of a human body.

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