Sensor

Abstract

Embodiments of the present specification provide a sensor comprising: a flexible substrate; the first sensing structure and the second sensing structure each comprise a multi-layer structure arranged on the surface of the same side of the flexible substrate in the thickness direction, and all layers of each multi-layer structure are stacked in the thickness direction; and the processing circuit reads the parameters, related to the resistance or capacitance, of the first sensing structure and the second sensing structure, and determines the deformation of the flexible substrate in at least two dimensions according to the parameters.

Description

A sensor Technical Field

[0001] This specification relates to the technical field of electronic components, and in particular to a sensor. Background Art

[0002] With the gradual maturity of AR / VR technology and the rise of the metaverse concept, smart electronic devices are placing higher demands on human-computer interaction technology. Flexible angle sensors can be easily integrated into wearable devices such as smart clothing and smart gloves, enabling accurate recognition and reproduction of human movements. They are a key underlying technology of the metaverse and have garnered widespread attention and research. Different joints in the human body have varying degrees of freedom, placing different demands on sensors. For example, elbows and knees have only one degree of freedom, requiring only a single-axis bending sensor for relatively accurate motion capture. However, joints with multiple degrees of freedom, such as the shoulder, hip, wrist, and base of the thumb, place higher demands on sensors.

[0003] Therefore, how to improve the accuracy and convenience of sensors in detecting multi-degree-of-freedom bending motion is a technical problem that needs to be urgently solved in this field.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] One of the embodiments of this specification provides a sensor, comprising: a flexible substrate; a first sensing structure and a second sensing structure, wherein the first sensing structure and the second sensing structure each include a multilayer structure arranged on the same side surface in a thickness direction of the flexible substrate, with the layers of each multilayer structure stacked along the thickness direction; and a processing circuit, wherein the processing circuit reads parameters related to resistance or capacitance of the first sensing structure and the second sensing structure respectively, and determines the deformation of the flexible substrate in at least two dimensions based on the parameters.

[0006] One of the embodiments of this specification provides a smart glove, comprising: a glove body; the sensor; and a processor, configured to receive and process data collected by the sensor; wherein the sensor is located in any one or more areas of the glove body corresponding to the user's finger joints, metacarpophalangeal joints, metacarpal-wrist joints, and wrist joints.

[0007] One of the embodiments of this specification also provides a smart clothing, including: a clothing body; the sensor; and a processor, configured to receive and process data collected by the sensor; wherein the sensor is located in any one or more areas of the clothing body corresponding to the user's shoulder joint, spinal joint, hip joint, and ankle joint.

[0008] Additional features will be described in part in the following description and will become apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the following and accompanying drawings, or may be learned by practice or operation of the examples. The features of this specification may be realized and obtained by practicing or using the various aspects of the methods, tools, and combinations described in the following detailed examples. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] This specification will be further described in the form of exemplary embodiments, which will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are not limiting, and in these embodiments, like numbers represent like structures, wherein:

[0010] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a sensor framework according to some embodiments of this specification;

[0011] FIG2 is a schematic diagram showing the distribution of two sensing structures on a flexible substrate according to some embodiments of this specification;

[0012] FIG3 is a schematic diagram showing the distribution of two sensing structures on a flexible substrate according to yet other embodiments of this specification;

[0013] FIG4A is a schematic diagram showing the distribution of four sensing structures on a flexible substrate according to some embodiments of this specification;

[0014] FIG4B is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure along the Y-axis direction shown in FIG4A ;

[0015] FIG5A is a schematic diagram of a structure of a sensor without deformation according to some embodiments of this specification;

[0016] FIG5B is a schematic diagram of the deformation of the sensor shown in FIG5A after being stretched or compressed along the long axis;

[0017] FIG6 is a side view schematic diagram of the sensor shown in FIG5A after being bent and deformed around an axis parallel to the short axis direction;

[0018] FIG7 is a schematic top view of the sensor shown in FIG5A after being bent and deformed about an axis parallel to the thickness direction;

[0019] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of a flexible sensor with wrinkles;

[0020] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of a curve obtained by actual measurement of the sensor shown in FIG4A ;

[0021] FIG10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a sensor according to some embodiments of the present specification;

[0022] FIG11 is an equivalent circuit diagram of the sensor shown in FIG10 ;

[0023] FIG12 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a sensor according to yet other embodiments of the present specification;

[0024] FIG13 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the sensor provided with a connecting member according to FIG12 ;

[0025] FIG14 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a sensor according to some other embodiments of this specification;

[0026] FIG15 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a sensor according to some further embodiments of the present specification;

[0027] FIG16 is one of the cross-sectional schematic diagrams of a sensor according to some embodiments of this specification;

[0028] FIG17 is a second cross-sectional schematic diagram of a sensor according to some embodiments of this specification;

[0029] FIG18 is a third cross-sectional schematic diagram of a sensor according to some embodiments of this specification;

[0030] FIG19 is a fourth cross-sectional schematic diagram of a sensor according to some embodiments of this specification;

[0031] FIG20 is a fifth schematic cross-sectional view of a sensor according to some embodiments of this specification;

[0032] FIG21A is a schematic structural diagram of a smart glove according to some embodiments of this specification;

[0033] FIG21B is a schematic diagram of joints of a user's hand according to some embodiments of this specification;

[0034] FIG22A is a front view of a smart garment according to some embodiments of this specification;

[0035] FIG22B is a schematic diagram of the back side of a smart garment according to some embodiments of the present specification. Specific embodiments

[0036] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this specification, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some examples or embodiments of this specification. For ordinary technicians in this field, this specification can also be applied to other similar scenarios based on these drawings without paying any creative work. It should be understood that these exemplary embodiments are provided only to enable technicians in the relevant fields to better understand and implement this specification, and do not limit the scope of this specification in any way. Unless it is obvious from the language environment or otherwise explained, the same reference numerals in the figures represent the same structure or operation.

[0037] As used in this specification and claims, unless the context clearly indicates an exception, the words "a", "an", "an" and / or "the" do not specifically refer to the singular and may also include the plural, unless the context clearly indicates an exception. Generally speaking, the terms "include" and "comprise" only indicate the inclusion of the steps and elements that have been explicitly identified, and these steps and elements do not constitute an exclusive list. The method or apparatus may also include other steps or elements. The term "based on" means "at least in part based on." The term "one embodiment" means "at least one embodiment"; the term "another embodiment" means "at least one other embodiment."

[0038] In the description of this specification, it should be understood that the terms "upper" and "lower" etc. indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this specification and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on this specification.

[0039] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of the technical features being referred to. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one such feature. Throughout this specification, "plurality" means at least two, such as two or three, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0040] In this specification, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," "connect," "fixed," etc. should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they can refer to fixed connection, detachable connection, or integration; mechanical connection or electrical connection; direct connection or indirect connection through an intermediate medium; internal communication between two components or interaction between two components, unless otherwise specified. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this specification based on specific circumstances.

[0041] The embodiments of this specification provide a sensor that is easily deformed when subjected to an external force and converts the deformation into an electrical signal. When the sensor is set on an intelligent wearable device (such as a motion capture suit, an electromyographic suit, a motion capture glove, etc.), the electrical signal it generates can reflect the deformation direction, deformation size, etc. at the corresponding position. In some scenarios, the position of the sensor will produce more complex deformations. For example, when the sensor is worn near the user's shoulder joint, hip joint, or finger base joint, since these joints have at least two different degrees of freedom, the sensor will undergo multi-dimensional deformation (such as bending, stretching, compression, etc. in different directions). At this time, by arranging multiple sensing structures on the sensor in a specific manner and combining the electrical signals generated by these sensing structures, it is possible to sense the multi-dimensional deformation of the sensor position, thereby achieving accurate recognition and restoration of human body movements.

[0042] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a sensor framework according to some embodiments of the present specification.

[0043] As shown in FIG1 , in some embodiments, the sensor 1 may include a flexible substrate 11, a first sensing structure 12, and a second sensing structure 13. The first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13 each include a multilayer structure arranged on the same side surface of the flexible substrate 11 in the thickness direction, and the layers of each multilayer structure are stacked along the thickness direction. In some embodiments, the sensor 1 includes a processing circuit 16, which reads parameters related to resistance or capacitance of the first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13, respectively, and determines the deformation of the flexible substrate 11 in at least two dimensions based on the parameters. The multilayer structure is a structure formed by stacking layered structures. In some embodiments, the multilayer structure includes a second conductive layer, an intermediate layer, and a first conductive layer. In some embodiments, the multilayer structure includes a second conductive layer, a second intermediate layer, a third conductive layer, a first intermediate layer, and a first conductive layer. Specific layered structures included in the multilayer structure can be found below.

[0044] The flexible substrate 11 has a flexible property and is easily deformed (such as bending) when subjected to an external force. In some embodiments, in order to facilitate installation in a smart wearable device and to facilitate fitting with human joints, the flexible substrate may have a flat structure. In this case, the flexible substrate 11 has a thickness direction, which may be the Z-axis direction as shown in FIG2 . In order to sense the deformation of the flexible substrate 11, a sensing structure capable of converting physical deformation into an electrical signal may be provided on the flexible substrate 11. For example, the flexible substrate 11 may serve as a supporting substrate to provide support for the first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13.

[0045] The sensing structure (for example, the first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13) is a sensing structure that can be used to measure the bending deformation of the flexible substrate 11 (or the sensor 1). The first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13 both include multiple layered structures. The stacking of the layers of each multilayer structure along the thickness direction can be understood as: the layers of the multiple layered structures of the first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13 are arranged along the thickness direction of the flexible substrate 11 and stacked together. In some embodiments, the first sensing structure 12 or the second sensing structure 13 can be any one of a capacitive sensing structure, a resistive sensing structure and a capacitive-resistive composite sensing structure. The capacitive-resistive composite sensing structure is a sensing structure including capacitance and resistance, and the parameters (such as voltage, resistance) output by it are subject to the combined action of capacitance and resistance. It should be noted that the capacitive sensing structure or the capacitive-resistive composite sensing structure includes an element or structure with capacitance characteristics, and the element or structure with capacitance characteristics can be used to store electrical energy. An exemplary element or structure having capacitive properties includes two conductors (electrodes) and a dielectric layer located between the two conductors (electrodes). In some embodiments, the first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13 are respectively located on opposite sides of the flexible substrate 11 along the thickness direction. In some embodiments, the first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13 can be located on the same side of the flexible substrate 11 along the thickness direction. For details, please refer to Figures 2 and 3 and the related descriptions.

[0046] In some embodiments, the parameters of the sensor 1 can be read by the processing circuit 16. The parameter type specifically read by the processing circuit 16 is related to the structure of the processing circuit 16, the connection relationship between the processing circuit 16 and the sensor 1, the structure of the sensor 1, etc., and please refer to the relevant description below for details. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 16 may include a signal output device, and the signal output device may output an electrical signal (such as a voltage signal) to the sensor 1 so that the processing circuit 16 can read the corresponding parameters fed back by the sensor 1. In some embodiments, the sensing structure may be a resistance sensing structure. In this case, the signal output device may output a direct current signal to the sensor 1 so that the processing circuit 16 can read the change in resistance of the resistance sensing structure with deformation. In other embodiments, the sensing structure may be a capacitance sensing structure or a capacitance-resistance composite sensing structure. The signal output device may output an alternating current signal to the sensor 1 so that the processing circuit 16 can read the change in capacitance of the capacitance sensing structure or the capacitance-resistance composite sensing structure with deformation. As an example only, the signal output device may include a voltage output device. The voltage output device can output a voltage (DC voltage or AC voltage) to the sensor 1, and the processing circuit 16 can read the voltage fed back by the sensor 1 based on the voltage output to the sensor 1. In some embodiments, the voltage output device can output a square wave, a triangle wave, a sine wave, a pulse wave, or the like to the sensor 1. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 16 can read the detection parameters of the first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13 respectively; wherein the detection parameters include: parameters related to resistance or capacitance of the first sensing structure 12, parameters related to resistance and capacitance of the first sensing structure 12, parameters related to capacitance or resistance of the second sensing structure 13, or parameters related to resistance and capacitance of the second sensing structure 13. Relevant descriptions of the specific parameters included in the detection parameters can be found below.

[0047] When different sensing structures are arranged at different locations on the sensor 1, these sensing structures will respond differently to deformations of the flexible substrate 11 in different dimensions. When the flexible substrate 11 deforms in a certain dimension, the detection parameters generated by these sensing structures have characteristics corresponding to the deformation in that dimension; when the flexible substrate 11 deforms in another dimension, the detection parameters generated by these sensing structures have characteristics corresponding to that dimension. It is understood that the characteristics of the detection parameters generated by these sensing structures correspond one-to-one with the deformation dimension of the flexible substrate 11. Based on this, the deformation of the flexible substrate 11 can be identified based on the detection parameters of each sensing structure. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 16 can determine the deformation of the flexible substrate 11 in at least two dimensions using a specific algorithm based on the resistance or capacitance parameters of each sensing structure (e.g., the first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13). For example, the deformation of the flexible substrate 11 in at least two dimensions can be determined using a machine learning model, a mapping relationship, or a functional relationship. A description of the deformation in at least two dimensions is provided below.

[0048] When sensor 1 (flexible substrate 11) bends, the physical shape of at least a portion of the sensing structures (e.g., first sensing structure 12 and second sensing structure 13) located on flexible substrate 11 changes, thereby causing their corresponding resistance or capacitance to change. For example, bending of sensor 1 can cause the area of ​​first sensing structure 12 and second sensing structure 13 to change, thereby changing the resistance of first sensing structure 12 and second sensing structure 13. By collecting the resistance or resistance-related parameters of first sensing structure 12 and second sensing structure 13 and analyzing the changes in the resistance or resistance-related parameters of first sensing structure 12 and second sensing structure 13, the bending condition of sensor 1 (e.g., bending angle, bending direction) can be more accurately sensed.

[0049] FIG2 is a schematic diagram showing the distribution of two sensing structures on a flexible substrate according to some embodiments of this specification.

[0050] As shown in FIG2 , in some embodiments, the first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13 are distributed on both sides of the flexible substrate 11 along the thickness direction, and the projection of the first sensing structure 12 on the flexible substrate 11 at least partially overlaps with the projection of the second sensing structure 13 on the flexible substrate 11.

[0051] In some embodiments, the first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13 are symmetrically arranged along the flexible substrate 11 in the thickness direction. In this case, the projection of the first sensing structure 12 on the flexible substrate 11 completely overlaps with the projection of the second sensing structure 13 on the flexible substrate 11. When the first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13 are symmetrically arranged about the flexible substrate 11 in the thickness direction, the two sensing structures have the same response to some external disturbances (for example, the overall stretching or compression of the sensor 1 along a certain direction). In this case, the processing circuit 16 uses a differential processing algorithm based on the parameters related to resistance or capacitance of the sensing structures (for example, the first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13) to eliminate the impact of external disturbances on the sensor 1, thereby improving the sensitivity of determining deformation of the flexible substrate 11 in at least two dimensions.

[0052] In some embodiments, the flexible substrate 11 includes a short axis and a long axis perpendicular to the thickness direction. The multi-dimensional deformation produced by the sensor 1 (flexible substrate 11) shown in FIG2 includes at least bending deformation about an axis parallel to the short axis and tensile or compressive deformation along the long axis. The short axis can be the X-axis in FIG2 , and the long axis can be the Y-axis in FIG2 .

[0053] As shown in FIG2 , when the sensor 1 is bent about an axis parallel to the minor axis (i.e., the X-axis), the first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13 undergo tensile and compressive deformation, respectively. For example, the first sensing structure 12 is stretched and the second sensing structure 13 is compressed. At this point, the resistance (or capacitance) of the first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13 undergo opposite changes. In this case, the difference in resistance (or capacitance) between the first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13 can reflect the bending direction and degree of the sensor 1 about the axis parallel to the X-axis. Since the first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13 are stretched and compressed to essentially the same degree, the sum of their resistances (or capacitances) can remain essentially unchanged.

[0054] When sensor 1 is stretched or compressed along its longitudinal axis, first sensing structure 12 and second sensing structure 13 are stretched or compressed synchronously, causing their resistance (or capacitance) to change synchronously. In this case, the difference in resistance (or capacitance) between first sensing structure 12 and second sensing structure 13 remains essentially constant (or close to zero), while the sum of the two values ​​reflects the degree of stretching or compression of sensor 1 along its longitudinal axis.

[0055] In some embodiments, by comparing the resistance (or capacitance) characteristics of the first and second sensing structures 12, 13 in the aforementioned two dimensions, for example, the relationship between the sum (or difference) of the resistance (or capacitance) and the deformation of the flexible substrate 11, mutual interference between the deformations in the two dimensions can be avoided, effectively distinguishing the deformation of the flexible substrate 11 in the two dimensions. For example, when the sensor 1 is stretched or compressed as a whole, the first and second sensing structures 12, 13 will stretch or compress synchronously. This synchronous stretching or compression of the first and second sensing structures 12, 13 is considered common-mode interference. In this case, differential processing of the signals (such as resistance or capacitance) can eliminate this common-mode interference, rendering the sensor 1 insensitive to its own stretching or compression deformation and sensitive only to bending deformation about an axis parallel to the minor axis (i.e., the X-axis), enabling the sensor 1 to accurately detect bending deformation in this dimension. In other words, the difference in resistance (or capacitance) between the first and second sensing structures 12, 13 primarily reflects the bending deformation of the flexible substrate 11 about an axis parallel to the minor axis (i.e., the X-axis). Similarly, the sum of the resistance (or capacitance) of the first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13 primarily reflects the tensile or compressive deformation of the flexible substrate 11 along its longitudinal axis. The principles for detecting tensile or compressive deformation along its longitudinal axis are similar to those of the sensor 1 having four sensing structures. For details, see Figures 5A to 7 and the related descriptions.

[0056] FIG3 is a schematic diagram showing the distribution of two sensing structures on a flexible substrate according to some other embodiments of this specification.

[0057] As shown in Figure 3, in some embodiments, the flexible substrate 11 includes a long axis direction perpendicular to the thickness direction, the first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13 are distributed on the same side of the flexible substrate 11 in the thickness direction, and the first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13 are arranged side by side and both extend along the long axis direction of the flexible substrate 11.

[0058] In some embodiments, the first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13 are symmetrically arranged along a mid-section parallel to a plane formed by the thickness direction and the long axis direction, and the mid-section is located on the flexible substrate 11. When the first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13 are symmetrically arranged about the flexible substrate 11 along the mid-section, the two sensing structures have the same response to partial external interference (for example, the entire sensor 1 is stretched or compressed along a certain direction). In this case, the processing circuit 16 can eliminate the influence of the external interference on the sensor 1 through a differential processing algorithm based on the parameters related to resistance or capacitance of the sensing structures (for example, the first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13), thereby improving the sensitivity of determining the deformation of the flexible substrate 11 in at least two dimensions. For more information about the mid-section, please refer to Figures 4A and 4B and the related description.

[0059] In some embodiments, the dimensional deformation generated by the sensor 1 (flexible substrate 11 ) shown in FIG. 3 includes at least bending deformation around an axis parallel to the thickness direction and tensile or compressive deformation along the long axis direction.

[0060] As shown in FIG3 , when the sensor 1 is bent about an axis parallel to the thickness direction (i.e., the Z-axis), the first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13 undergo tensile and compressive deformation, respectively. For example, the first sensing structure 12 is stretched and the second sensing structure 13 is compressed. At this time, the resistance (or capacitance) of the first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13 undergo opposite changes. In this case, the difference in resistance (or capacitance) between the first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13 can reflect the bending direction and degree of the sensor 1 about the axis parallel to the Z-axis. Since the first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13 are stretched and compressed to essentially the same degree, the sum of their resistance (or capacitance) can remain essentially unchanged.

[0061] When the sensor 1 shown in FIG3 is stretched or compressed along its longitudinal axis, the first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13 are stretched or compressed synchronously, and the resistance (or capacitance) of the first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13 change synchronously. In this case, the difference in resistance (or capacitance) between the first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13 remains essentially constant (or close to zero), and the sum of the two reflects the degree of stretching or compression of the sensor 1 along its longitudinal axis.

[0062] In some embodiments, by comparing the resistance (or capacitance) characteristics of the first and second sensing structures 12, 13 in the aforementioned two dimensions, for example, the relationship between the sum (or difference) of the resistance (or capacitance) and the deformation of the flexible substrate 11, mutual interference between the deformations in the two dimensions can be avoided, effectively distinguishing the deformation of the flexible substrate 11 in the two dimensions. For example, when the sensor 1 is stretched or compressed as a whole, the first and second sensing structures 12, 13 will stretch or compress synchronously. This synchronous stretching or compression of the first and second sensing structures 12, 13 is considered common-mode interference. In this case, differential processing of the signals (such as resistance or capacitance) can eliminate this common-mode interference, rendering the sensor 1 insensitive to its own stretching or compression deformation and only sensitive to bending deformation along an axis parallel to the thickness direction (i.e., the Z-axis), allowing the sensor 1 to accurately detect bending deformation in this dimension. In other words, the difference in resistance (or capacitance) between the first and second sensing structures 12, 13 primarily reflects the bending deformation of the flexible substrate 11 about an axis parallel to the thickness direction (i.e., the Z-axis). Similarly, the sum of the resistance (or capacitance) of the first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13 primarily reflects the tensile or compressive deformation of the flexible substrate 11 along its longitudinal axis. The principles for detecting tensile or compressive deformation along its longitudinal axis are similar to those of the sensor 1 having four sensing structures. For details, see Figures 5A to 7 and the related descriptions.

[0063] In some embodiments, the sensor 1 shown in Figures 2 and 3 includes a shielding layer that surrounds the flexible substrate 11 to shield it from the outside world. For example, the first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13 are connected by a conductive connector. The connector is connected to the conductive electrodes on the first and second sensing structures 12 and 13 to form a shielding layer surrounding the flexible substrate 11. The shielding layer and connector are described below.

[0064] FIG4A is a schematic diagram showing the distribution of four sensing structures on a flexible substrate according to some embodiments of this specification; FIG4B is a schematic diagram showing the cross-sectional structure along the Y-axis as shown in FIG4A .

[0065] As shown in Figures 4A and 4B, in some embodiments, compared with Figure 3, the sensor 1 further includes a third sensing structure 14 and a fourth sensing structure 15, and the third sensing structure 14 and the fourth sensing structure 15 both include a multilayer structure arranged on the same side surface of the flexible substrate 11 in the thickness direction, and the layers of each multilayer structure are stacked along the thickness direction; wherein, the flexible substrate 11 includes a long axis direction and a short axis direction perpendicular to the thickness direction, the first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13 are distributed side by side on one side surface of the flexible substrate 11 along the thickness direction, and both extend along the long axis direction; the third sensing structure 14 and the fourth sensing structure 15 are distributed side by side on the other side surface of the flexible substrate 11 in the thickness direction, and both extend along the long axis direction.

[0066] In some embodiments, the processing circuit 16 reads parameters related to resistance or capacitance of the first sensing structure 12 , the second sensing structure 13 , the third sensing structure 14 , and the fourth sensing structure 15 , and determines deformation of the flexible substrate 11 in at least two dimensions based on these parameters.

[0067] In some embodiments, the dimensional deformation produced by the sensor 1 (flexible substrate 11) shown in FIG. 4A includes at least bending deformation about an axis parallel to the thickness direction, bending deformation about an axis parallel to the short axis direction, and tensile or compressive deformation along the long axis of the flexible substrate 11. For illustrative purposes, the following describes the resistance- or capacitance-related parameters of various sensing structures under different dimensional deformations, respectively, with reference to FIG. 5A , FIG. 5B , FIG. 6 , and FIG. 7 .

[0068] In some embodiments, parameters related to capacitance include: C1, C2, C3, C4, Ctotal, dCx, and dCz; where Ctotal = C1 + C2 + C3 + C4, dCx after a composite differential operation = (C1 + C2) - (C3 + C4), and dCz after a composite differential operation = (C1 + C3) - (C2 + C4). C1, C2, C3, and C4 represent the capacitance of the first sensing structure 12, the second sensing structure 13, the third sensing structure 14, and the fourth sensing structure 15, respectively. In some embodiments, parameters related to resistance include: R1, R2, R3, and R4. R1, R2, R3, and R4 represent the resistance of the first sensing structure 12, the second sensing structure 13, the third sensing structure 14, and the fourth sensing structure 15, respectively.

[0069] In some embodiments, the first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13 are symmetrically arranged about the first middle section S1, and the third sensing structure 14 and the fourth sensing structure 15 are symmetrically arranged about the first middle section S1. The first middle section S1 represents: a section in the flexible substrate 11 that is parallel to the plane formed by the thickness direction and the long axis direction; the first sensing structure 12 and the third sensing structure 14 are symmetrically arranged about the second middle section S2 of the flexible substrate 11, and the second sensing structure 13 and the fourth sensing structure 15 are symmetrically arranged about the second middle section S2. The second middle section S2 represents: a midplane parallel to the plane formed by the long axis direction and the short axis direction in the flexible substrate 11.

[0070] By providing four symmetrical sensing structures on sensor 1 and performing a composite differential operation, common-mode interference can be effectively eliminated during the process of identifying sensor bending deformation. As an example, when sensor 1 as a whole is stretched or compressed, the first sensing structure 12, the second sensing structure 13, the third sensing structure 14, and the fourth sensing structure 15 will stretch or compress synchronously. The stretching or compression of these four sensing structures is considered common-mode interference. By providing four sensing structures and performing composite differential processing on the signals, the dCx and dCz obtained remain unchanged, effectively eliminating this common-mode interference. This makes flexible sensor 1 insensitive to its own stretching or compression deformation and only sensitive to its own bending deformation, thereby increasing the accuracy of sensor 1.

[0071] FIG5A is a schematic diagram of a sensor without deformation according to some embodiments of the present specification; FIG5B is a schematic diagram of the deformation of the sensor shown in FIG5A after being stretched or compressed along the long axis.

[0072] In some embodiments, when the first sensing structure 12 , the second sensing structure 13 , the third sensing structure 14 and the fourth sensing structure 15 are all capacitive sensing structures, the sensor 1 can identify tensile or compressive deformation along the long axis of the flexible substrate 11 according to parameters related to capacitance.

[0073] In some embodiments, when the sensor 1 shown in FIG5A is not deformed, the capacitance of the four sensing structures can be obtained by the following formula (1). For illustrative purposes only, the four sensing structures of the sensor 1 are considered to be completely identical and symmetrical about the flexible substrate 11 (i.e., the first middle section S1 and the second middle section S2).

[0074] Wherein, ε0 represents the dielectric constant of vacuum; ε represents the relative dielectric constant of each of the four sensing structures (i.e., the intermediate layer, see below); d represents the thickness of each of the dielectric layers of the four sensing structures; A represents the area of ​​each of the four sensing structures on the plane formed by the major axis and the minor axis; L0 represents the initial length of each of the four sensing structures in the major axis direction of the flexible substrate 11; w represents the width of each of the four sensing structures in the minor axis direction of the flexible substrate 11.

[0075] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG5B , after the sensor 1 is stretched or compressed along its long axis (i.e., the Y-axis), the initial length L0 of each of the four sensing structures is stretched or compressed to Lx. Considering that the thickness of each of the four sensing structures changes very little, for ease of explanation, it is assumed that the thickness of each of the four sensing structures remains unchanged. Based on formula (1), the capacitance change of the four sensing structures is expressed as follows: formula (2).

[0076] At this time, Ctotal, dCx, and dCz are determined by the following formulas (3), (4), and (5), respectively. dCx=(C1+C2)-(C3+C4)=0 (4) dCz=(C1+C3)-(C2+C4)=0 (5)

[0077] When sensor 1 is stretched or compressed along its long axis, the four sensing structures will stretch or compress synchronously, and the capacitance of the four sensing structures will change synchronously. In this case, the sum of the capacitances of the four sensing structures can reflect the degree of stretching or compression of sensor 1 along the long axis (flexible substrate 11). According to formulas (2) and (3), Ctotal is only related to the length Lx of the sensing structure after the change, and Lx can be used to represent the stretching or compressing deformation of sensor 1 along its long axis. Therefore, Ctotal can be used to reflect the stretching or compressing deformation of sensor 1 (flexible substrate 11) along its long axis.

[0078] According to formula (4), dCx reflects the difference between the sum of the capacitance C1 of the first sensing structure 12 and the capacitance C2 of the second sensing structure 13, and the sum of the capacitance C3 of the third sensing structure 14 and the capacitance C4 of the fourth sensing structure 15. Referring to the structural distribution of the four sensing structures in FIG5B , it can be seen that the sum of the capacitance C1 of the first sensing structure 12 and the capacitance C2 of the second sensing structure 13, namely C1 + C2, can reflect the bending deformation of the upper side of the flexible substrate 11 in the thickness direction; the sum of the capacitance C3 of the third sensing structure 14 and the capacitance C4 of the fourth sensing structure 15, namely C3 + C4, can reflect the bending deformation of the lower side of the flexible substrate 11 in the thickness direction. Therefore, dCx is used to reflect the difference in bending deformation generated on the upper and lower side surfaces (i.e., the upper and lower side surfaces along the thickness direction) of the flexible substrate 11 when it is deformed. It is related to the bending deformation around an axis parallel to the short axis direction (i.e., the X-axis direction). Deformation caused by tension or compression along the long axis direction (i.e., the Y-axis direction) does not cause deformation difference between the upper and lower side surfaces of the flexible substrate 11, so dCx is a constant 0.

[0079] Similarly, according to formula (5), dCz is used to reflect the difference in bending deformation generated on the two side surfaces along the short axis direction when the flexible substrate 11 is deformed. dCz is only related to the bending deformation around an axis parallel to the thickness direction (i.e., the Z-axis direction). Deformation caused by tension or compression along the long axis direction (i.e., the Y-axis direction) does not cause a difference in deformation between the two side surfaces of the flexible substrate 11 along the short axis direction, so dCz is also a constant of 0.

[0080] In some embodiments, the sensor 1's output parameter Ctotal, which measures stretch or compression along the Y-axis, varies linearly with the stretched or compressed length Lx, exhibiting extremely high linearity. Both dCz and dCx are zero, unaffected by the stretched or compressed length Lx. Therefore, the sensor 1 can identify stretch or compressive deformation along the long axis of the flexible substrate 11 based on the capacitance-related parameter Ctotal.

[0081] FIG. 6 is a side view schematic diagram of the sensor shown in FIG. 5A after being bent and deformed around an axis parallel to the short axis direction.

[0082] In some embodiments, when the first sensing structure 12 , the second sensing structure 13 , the third sensing structure 14 and the fourth sensing structure 15 are all capacitive sensing structures, the sensor 1 can identify bending deformation along the flexible substrate 11 around an axis parallel to the short axis direction based on the parameter dCx related to capacitance.

[0083] As shown in FIG5A and FIG6, when the sensor 1 is bent and deformed along an axis parallel to the short axis direction (i.e., the X-axis direction), for the convenience of explanation, the sensor 1 after bending and deformation is approximately considered to be an arc, the first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13 are bent and stretched to L1, and the third sensing structure 14 and the fourth sensing structure 15 are bent and compressed to L3. Considering that the thickness of each of the four sensing structures changes very little, for the convenience of explanation, it is approximately considered that the thickness of each of the four sensing structures remains unchanged. According to formula (1), the capacitance C1 of the first sensing structure 12 and the capacitance C2 of the second sensing structure 13 change as follows (6), and the capacitance C3 of the third sensing structure 14 and the capacitance C4 of the fourth sensing structure 15 change as follows (7).

[0084] At this time, Ctotal, dCx, and dCz are determined by the following formulas (8), (9), and (10), respectively. dCz=(C1+C3)-(C2+C4)=0 (10)

[0085] Wherein, R0 represents the radius of the arc of the bending deformation of the flexible substrate 11; R1 represents the radius of the arc of the bending deformation of the first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13; R2 represents the radius of the arc of the bending deformation of the third sensing structure 14 and the fourth sensing structure 15; t represents the thickness of the sensor 1 as shown in FIG5A; L1 represents the length of the arc of the bending deformation of the first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13; L3 represents the length of the arc of the bending deformation of the third sensing structure 14 and the fourth sensing structure 15.

[0086] When the sensor 1 is bent and deformed along an axis parallel to the minor axis, for example, the first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13 are bent and stretched, and the third sensing structure 14 and the fourth sensing structure 15 are bent and compressed. At this time, the sum of the capacitance C1 of the first sensing structure 12 and the capacitance C2 of the second sensing structure 13, that is, C1+C2, and the sum of the capacitance C3 of the third sensing structure 14 and the capacitance C4 of the fourth sensing structure 15, that is, C3+C4, have an opposite change relationship. At this time, Ctotal obtained by adding the capacitances of the four sensing structures can offset the change trends of C1+C2 and C3+C4. That is, Ctotal is the constant shown in formula (8) at this time, and Ctotal cannot be used to reflect the bending deformation of the sensor 1 along the axis parallel to the minor axis.

[0087] In some embodiments, the output parameter dCx of sensor 1 after bending about an axis parallel to the minor axis (i.e., the X-axis) varies linearly and proportionally with the bending angle β, exhibiting extremely high linearity. Both dCz and Ctotal are constant and unaffected by the bending angle β. Therefore, sensor 1 can identify bending deformation about an axis parallel to the minor axis based on the capacitance-related parameter dCx.

[0088] It should be noted that, in addition to the four sensing structures described above, the sensor 1 may have three or more sensing structures distributed on both sides of the flexible substrate 11 along the thickness direction, and all extending along the long axis direction. As long as the deformations in different dimensions can be characterized by the resistance (or capacitance)-related parameters of these sensing structures, deformations in multiple dimensions can be identified. As an example only, there are three sensing structures on the sensor 1, two of which are distributed on the upper side of the flexible substrate and the other on the lower side of the flexible substrate. In this case, the resistance (or capacitance)-related parameters of the three sensing structures are also related to the bending deformation around the X-axis (or Z-axis). In this case, the bending deformation of the sensor 1 around the X-axis (or Z-axis) can also be calculated by combining the resistance (or capacitance)-related parameters generated by the three sensor structures.

[0089] FIG. 7 is a schematic top view of the sensor shown in FIG. 5A after being bent and deformed around an axis parallel to the thickness direction.

[0090] In some embodiments, when the first sensing structure 12 , the second sensing structure 13 , the third sensing structure 14 and the fourth sensing structure 15 are all capacitive sensing structures, the sensor 1 can identify bending deformation along the flexible substrate 11 around an axis parallel to the thickness direction based on the parameter dCz related to capacitance.

[0091] As shown in FIG5A and FIG7, when the sensor 1 is bent and deformed along an axis parallel to the thickness direction (i.e., the Z-axis direction), for the convenience of explanation, it is approximately considered that the sensor 1 after bending and deformation can be a circular arc, the first sensing structure 12 and the third sensing structure 14 (not shown in FIG7) are bent and stretched to L4, and the second sensing structure 13 and the fourth sensing structure 15 (not shown in FIG7) are bent and compressed to L2. Considering that the thickness of each of the four sensing structures changes very little, for the convenience of explanation, it is approximately considered that the thickness of each of the four sensing structures remains unchanged. Then, according to formula (1), it can be known that the capacitance C1 of the first sensing structure 12 and the capacitance C3 of the third sensing structure 14 are as follows (11), and the capacitance C2 of the second sensing structure 13 and the capacitance C4 of the fourth sensing structure 15 change to the following formula (12).

[0092] At this time, Ctotal, dCx, and dCz are determined by the following formulas (13), (14), and (15), respectively. dCx=(C1+C2)-(C3+C4)=0 (14)

[0093] Among them, r0 represents the radius of the arc of the bending deformation of the flexible substrate 11; r1 represents the radius of the arc of the bending deformation of the first sensing structure 12 and the third sensing structure 14; r2 represents the radius of the arc of the bending deformation of the second sensing structure 13 and the fourth sensing structure 15; L2 represents the length of the arc of the bending deformation of the first sensing structure 12 and the third sensing structure 14; L4 represents the length of the arc of the bending deformation of the second sensing structure 13 and the fourth sensing structure 15.

[0094] In some embodiments, the output parameter dCz of sensor 1 after bending about an axis parallel to the thickness direction (i.e., the Z-axis) varies linearly and proportionally with the bending angle α, exhibiting extremely high linearity. Both dCx and Ctotal are constant and unaffected by the bending angle α. Therefore, sensor 1 can identify bending deformation about an axis parallel to the thickness direction based on the capacitance-related parameter dCz.

[0095] In some embodiments, when the first sensing structure 12, the second sensing structure 13, the third sensing structure 14, and the fourth sensing structure 15 are all resistance sensing structures, the processing circuit 16 can determine the deformation of the flexible substrate 11 in at least two dimensions based on the resistance parameters related to the four sensing structures. For example, the resistances of the four sensing structures are: Substituting the areas of each sensing structure after deformation of the sensor 1 into the equation and performing a differential operation, a result similar to that of capacitance-related parameters can be obtained, enabling the processing circuit 16 to determine the bending deformation of the sensor 1 about an axis parallel to the thickness direction, the bending deformation about an axis parallel to the short axis direction, and the tensile or compressive deformation along the long axis of the flexible substrate. Here, ρ represents the resistivity of each of the four sensing structures (i.e., the middle layer, as described below).

[0096] In some embodiments, the processing circuit 16 is capable of identifying composite deformations of the sensor 1, including bending deformation about an axis parallel to the thickness direction, bending deformation about an axis parallel to the short axis direction, and tensile or compressive deformation along the long axis of the flexible substrate 11. For example, the processing circuit 16 can simultaneously calculate changes in capacitance-related parameters Ctotal, dCx, and dCz, thereby simultaneously recovering the components of deformation in different dimensions to restore the actual bending deformation of the sensor 1.

[0097] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the wrinkles on the flexible sensor. As shown in Figure 8, when the sensor 1 is subjected to multiple dimensions of composite deformation at the same time, the sensor 1 will wrinkle (Figure 8 shows wrinkles in the length direction l), which is equivalent to multiple bends (bending angles can include α1, α2, and α3). After geometric integration, it can be seen that α1, α2, and α3 do not need to be considered, and only the angle between the head and tail of the sensor 1 needs to be considered. In other words, no matter how many times the sensor 1 is bent, the length change of the upper and lower surfaces along the thickness direction of the sensor 1 is and All of these still hold true, and the length of the neutral line L0 remains unchanged, where α is the angle between the head and tail of the sensor 1, and x represents the width (thickness) of the sensor 1 in the bending direction, indicating that the four sensing structures of the sensor 1 can effectively prevent the influence of wrinkles.

[0098] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a curve obtained by actual measurement using the sensor shown in FIG. 4A .

[0099] As shown in Figure 9, when the sensor 1 is bent about an axis parallel to the short axis (i.e., the X-axis), dCx varies significantly with the bending angle, while Ctotal and dCz remain essentially stable. When the sensor 1 is bent about an axis parallel to the thickness direction (i.e., the Z-axis), dCz varies significantly with the bending angle, while Ctotal and dCx remain essentially stable. When the sensor 1 is stretched or compressed along the long axis (i.e., the Y-axis) of the flexible substrate 11, Ctotal varies significantly with the stretched or compressed length, while dCx and dCz remain essentially stable. Therefore, when the sensor 1 is bent, the capacitance-related output parameters Ctotal, dCx, and dCz of the sensor 1 remain highly independent and stable, enabling the processing circuit 16 to identify deformations of different dimensions based on Ctotal, dCx, and dCz.

[0100] In some embodiments, when the sensor 1 is in free bending motion (i.e., the sensor 1 has a complex deformation), dCx, dCz and Ctotal will all change. At this time, the free bending motion of the sensor 1 can be decoupled into bending deformation around an axis parallel to the thickness direction, bending deformation around an axis parallel to the short axis direction, and tensile or compressive deformation along the long axis direction, thereby restoring the actual bending motion of the sensor 1.

[0101] FIG10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a sensor according to some embodiments of the present specification.

[0102] In some embodiments, each sensing structure includes a second conductive layer, an intermediate layer, and a first conductive layer stacked sequentially away from the flexible substrate 11 along the thickness direction. As shown in FIG10 , the first sensing structure 12 includes a second conductive layer 122, intermediate layers 12-13, and a first conductive layer 121, stacked sequentially away from the flexible substrate 11; the second sensing structure 13 includes a second conductive layer 132, intermediate layers 12-13, and a first conductive layer 131, stacked sequentially away from the flexible substrate 11; the third sensing structure 14 includes a second conductive layer 142, intermediate layers 14-15, and a first conductive layer 141, stacked sequentially away from the flexible substrate 11; and the fourth sensing structure 15 includes a second conductive layer 152, intermediate layers 14-15, and a first conductive layer 151, stacked sequentially away from the flexible substrate 11. In some embodiments, the intermediate layers 12-13 are located between the first conductive layer 121 and the second conductive layer 122 of the first sensing structure 12 (or the first conductive layer 131 and the second conductive layer 132 of the second sensing structure 13); the intermediate layers 14-15 are located between the first conductive layer 141 and the second conductive layer 142 of the third sensing structure 14 (or the first conductive layer 151 and the second conductive layer 152 of the fourth sensing structure 15).

[0103] In some embodiments, the first and second conductive layers of each sensing structure comprise an elastic conductive material. The elastic conductive material can make the first and second conductive layers conductive and return to their original shape when the external force disappears. In some embodiments, the elastic conductive material includes, but is not limited to, conductive film, conductive ink, conductive polymer material, conductive gel, liquid metal, etc. In some embodiments, the first and second conductive layers comprise a conductive film, which is made by mixing conductive particles with a polymer material. In some embodiments, the polymer material includes, but is not limited to, silicone, rubber, or resin. In some embodiments, the first and second conductive layers comprise a conductive ink, which is made by mixing conductive particles with an ink material. The conductive ink can be printed to produce a conductive pattern. In some embodiments, the first and second conductive layers comprise a conductive polymer material, conductive gel, liquid metal, etc. In some embodiments, the conductive polymer material includes, but is not limited to, polypyrrole, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS), etc.

[0104] In some embodiments, the elastic conductive material includes an elastic material filled with conductive particles. The conductivity of the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer can be adjusted by adjusting the density of the conductive particles filled in the elastic material. In some embodiments, the elastic material includes silicone, rubber, resin, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), polyurethane, styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS), etc. In some embodiments, the conductive particles include metal powder and carbon powder, carbon nanotubes, silver nanowires, carbon black, graphite powder, graphene, etc.

[0105] In some embodiments, intermediate layers 12-13 and intermediate layers 14-15 comprise an elastic insulating material, in which case each sensing structure is a capacitive sensing structure. For example, the elastic insulating material includes silicone, rubber, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), etc. In some embodiments, intermediate layers 12-13 and intermediate layers 14-15 comprise a high-resistance elastic material, and the resistivity of intermediate layers 12-13 and intermediate layers 14-15 is greater than 1000 times the resistivity of the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer. In this case, each sensing structure is a capacitive-resistive composite sensing structure.

[0106] In some embodiments, the thickness of the second conductive layer and the first conductive layer of each sensing structure ranges from 1 to 100 um.

[0107] In some embodiments, the first conductive layer 121 of the first sensing structure 12 and the first conductive layer 131 of the second sensing structure 13 have the same size and shape, and their widths are both in the range of 0.5 to 10 mm. In some embodiments, the second conductive layer 122 of the first sensing structure 12 and the second conductive layer 132 of the second sensing structure 13 have the same size and shape, and their widths are both in the range of 0.5 to 10 mm. In some embodiments, the first conductive layer 141 of the third sensing structure 14 and the first conductive layer 151 of the fourth sensing structure 15 have the same size and shape, and their widths are both in the range of 0.5 to 10 mm. In some embodiments, the second conductive layer 142 of the third sensing structure 14 and the second conductive layer 152 of the fourth sensing structure 15 have the same size and shape, and their widths are both in the range of 0.5 to 10 mm.

[0108] In some embodiments, the spacing between the first conductive layer 121 of the first sensing structure 12 and the second conductive layer 13 of the second sensing structure 13 is in the range of 0.02 to 2 mm. In some embodiments, the spacing between the second conductive layer 122 of the first sensing structure 12 and the second conductive layer 132 of the second sensing structure 13 is in the range of 0.02 to 2 mm. In some embodiments, the spacing between the first conductive layer 141 of the third sensing structure 14 and the first conductive layer 151 of the fourth sensing structure 15 is in the range of 0.02 to 2 mm. In some embodiments, the spacing between the second conductive layer 142 of the third sensing structure 14 and the second conductive layer 152 of the fourth sensing structure 15 is in the range of 0.02 to 2 mm.

[0109] In some embodiments, the conductivity of the first conductive layer is greater than the conductivity of the intermediate layer.

[0110] Conductivity is a parameter used to describe the ease with which electric charges flow in a substance. Since the conductivity of the first conductive layer is greater than that of the second conductive layer, the first conductive layer has better conductivity. Therefore, the resistance of the first conductive layer is less than that of the second conductive layer. It should be noted that in this specification, the resistance of a component refers to the resistance between two surfaces of the component spaced apart along the thickness direction of the flexible substrate 11. The resistance of the first conductive layer refers to the resistance between two surfaces of the first conductive layer spaced apart along the thickness direction of the flexible substrate 11, and the resistance of the second conductive layer may refer to the resistance between two surfaces of the second conductive layer spaced apart along the thickness direction of the flexible substrate 11. In some embodiments, the conductivity of the first conductive layer may be more than 100 times that of the second conductive layer. In some embodiments, by setting the density of the conductive particles filled in the elastic material of the first conductive layer to be greater than the density of the conductive particles filled in the elastic material of the second conductive layer, the conductivity of the first conductive layer can be greater than that of the second conductive layer.

[0111] When the sensing structures (e.g., the first sensing structure 12, the second sensing structure 13, the third sensing structure 14, and the fourth sensing structure 15) are capacitor-resistance composite sensing structures or capacitive sensing structures, the resistance between two surfaces of the intermediate layer along the thickness direction of the flexible substrate 11 should not be too small to facilitate subsequent resistance measurement and analysis of resistance changes. In some embodiments, the resistance between two surfaces of the intermediate layer along the thickness direction of the flexible substrate 11 is greater than 0.8 MΩ. For example, when the sensing structures (e.g., the first sensing structure 12, the second sensing structure 13, the third sensing structure 14, and the fourth sensing structure 15) are capacitor-resistance composite sensing structures, the resistance between two surfaces of the intermediate layer along the thickness direction of the flexible substrate 11 may also be 0.8 MΩ to 15 GΩ. For another example, when the sensing structures (e.g., the first sensing structure 12, the second sensing structure 13, the third sensing structure 14, and the fourth sensing structure 15) are capacitive sensing structures, the resistance between the two surfaces of the intermediate layer spaced along the thickness direction of the flexible substrate 11 can be greater, for example, the resistance can be greater than 15 GΩ.

[0112] By setting the resistance between the two surfaces of the intermediate layer along the thickness direction of the flexible substrate 11 to be greater than 0.8 MΩ, the intermediate layer can be made conductive while having a sufficiently large resistance, thereby ensuring that the measurement of the resistance of the intermediate layer and the analysis of the change in resistance can accurately reflect the bending condition of the sensor 1.

[0113] In some embodiments, the relative dielectric constant of the intermediate layer is greater than 2. The relative dielectric constant is a physical parameter that characterizes the dielectric or polarization properties of a dielectric material. Its value is equal to the ratio of the capacitance of a capacitor of the same size made with the corresponding material as the dielectric medium to the capacitance of a capacitor made with a vacuum as the dielectric medium. The relative dielectric constant also characterizes the material's ability to store electricity, also known as relative permittivity. Materials with a relative dielectric constant greater than 2 are polar materials. In other words, an intermediate layer with a relative dielectric constant greater than 2 has a certain degree of electricity storage capacity. Therefore, the intermediate layer can be equivalent to a parallel combination of a resistor and a capacitor.

[0114] In some embodiments, the relative dielectric constant of the intermediate layer may be greater than or equal to 4. Preferably, the relative dielectric constant of the intermediate layer is greater than 5. In some embodiments, the relative dielectric constant of the intermediate layer is greater than 10.

[0115] Setting the relative dielectric constant of the intermediate layer to greater than 2 allows the intermediate layer to function as both a resistor and a capacitor. As the flexible sensor 1 bends, both the capacitance and resistance of the intermediate layer change with the deformation of the flexible substrate 11. Therefore, the parameters of the intermediate layer related to capacitance and resistance can reflect the bending of the sensor 1. In this embodiment, the simultaneous presence of capacitance and resistance to reflect the bending of the sensor 1 significantly improves the sensitivity and accuracy of the sensor 1.

[0116] In addition, by setting the resistance between the two surfaces of the intermediate layer along the thickness direction of the flexible substrate 11 to be greater than 0.8 MΩ, it can also be ensured that the intermediate layer can exhibit both better resistance performance and better capacitance performance, thereby ensuring the sensitivity and accuracy of the sensor 1.

[0117] In some embodiments, the first conductive layer of each sensing structure is a ground electrode.

[0118] By grounding the first conductive layer of each sensing structure, it can act as an electrical shielding layer, thereby shielding the influence of interference sources such as the human body on the sensor 1 and improving the stability of the sensor 1.

[0119] FIG. 11 is an equivalent circuit diagram of the sensor shown in FIG. 10 .

[0120] In some embodiments, the first conductive layer 121 of the first sensing structure 12, the first conductive layer 131 of the second sensing structure 13, the first conductive layer 141 of the third sensing structure 14, and the first conductive layer 151 of the fourth sensing structure 15 are all grounded. The second conductive layer 122 of the first sensing structure 12, the second conductive layer 132 of the second sensing structure 13, the second conductive layer 142 of the third sensing structure 14, and the second conductive layer 152 of the fourth sensing structure 15 are each connected to a voltage output device of a processing circuit via a fixed resistor having a resistance value of R0, thereby providing a pulsed AC voltage Vi having a peak voltage Vcc to the intermediate layers 12-13 and the intermediate layers 14-15. Leads are respectively extended from the first conductive layer 121 of the first sensing structure 12, the first conductive layer 131 of the second sensing structure 13, the first conductive layer 141 of the third sensing structure 14, and the first conductive layer 151 of the fourth sensing structure 15 to the flexible substrate 11 to connect to a processing circuit to read capacitance-related parameters of the intermediate layers 12-13 and the intermediate layers 14-15 of each sensing structure. As an example only, the second conductive layer 122 of the first sensing structure 12, the second conductive layer 132 of the second sensing structure 13, the second conductive layer 142 of the third sensing structure 14, and the second conductive layer 152 of the fourth sensing structure 15 can be connected to a voltage detection device to detect the voltages Vout1, Vout2, Vout3, and Vout4 output by the first sensing structure 12, the second sensing structure 13, the third sensing structure 14, and the fourth sensing structure 15, respectively. The equivalent circuit is shown in FIG11 , when the input Vi signal is a square wave pulse with a peak value of Vcc.

[0121] Wherein, Vout(x) represents the output voltage of the x-th sensing structure; Vcc represents the peak value of the square wave pulse electrical signal Vi is Vcc; R0 represents the resistance value of the fixed resistor; C(x) represents the capacitance value of the x-th sensing structure (middle layer), where x is 1, 2, 3, and 4; and t represents the measurement time. The magnitude of the output voltage of the x-th sensing structure is related to the capacitance of the x-th sensing structure (middle layer). In some embodiments, the capacitance value C(x) of each sensing structure can be calculated according to formula (16), and the capacitance-related parameters Ctotal, dCz, and dCx of the sensor 1 can be determined by the capacitance value of each sensing structure. When the sensor 1 is bent and deformed, the processing circuit 16 can identify deformations of different dimensions based on Ctotal, dCx, and dCz.

[0122] In some embodiments, when the middle layer of the sensing structure is a high-resistance material, it is equivalent to introducing a parallel resistor R(x) at both ends of each sensing structure capacitor C(x). Then the above calculation formula (16) is changed to:

[0123] Where R(x) represents the resistance value of the middle layer of the x-th sensing structure. In this case, the x-th sensing structure is a capacitor-resistor composite sensing structure, and the output voltage Vout(x) of the x-th sensing structure is the output result of the capacitor-resistor composite action. The processing circuit 16 can still determine the capacitance value C(x) of each sensing structure according to formula (17), thereby determining the capacitance-related parameters Ctotal, dCz, and dCx of the sensor 1, and then identify deformations of different dimensions based on Ctotal, dCx, and dCz.

[0124] FIG12 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a sensor according to yet other embodiments of the present specification.

[0125] In some embodiments, two sensing structures on the same side of the flexible substrate 11 share a common first conductive layer, and the second conductive layers of the two sensing structures are spaced apart along the short axis of the flexible substrate 11. As shown in Figure 12, the first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13 share the first conductive layers 121-131. The third sensing structure 14 and the fourth sensing structure 15 share the first conductive layers 141-151. In some embodiments, the first conductive layers 121-13 and the first conductive layers 141-151 have the same size and shape, with widths ranging from 0.52 to 12 mm.

[0126] In some embodiments, by grounding the first conductive layer 121-131 shared by the first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 12 and the first conductive layer 141-151 shared by the third sensing structure 14 and the fourth sensing structure 15, such an arrangement can form a complete shielding layer on the upper and lower surfaces of the sensor 1, thereby achieving a better effect of shielding external noise (for example, shielding the influence of interference sources such as the human body on the sensor 1). In addition, it also effectively simplifies the production process of the sensor 1.

[0127] FIG13 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the sensor provided with a connecting member according to FIG12 .

[0128] As shown in FIG. 13 , in some embodiments, the sensor 1 further includes a conductive connector 17 , which is disposed around the flexible substrate 11 and connected to the first conductive layer of each sensing structure to form a shielding layer of the sensor 1 .

[0129] In some embodiments, the first conductive layers 121-131 and the first conductive layers 141-151 are connected together by the connector 17 and connected to the ground electrode, and the peripheral side surface of the flexible substrate 11 is further sealed, so that the connector 17, the first conductive layers 121-131 and the first conductive layers 141-151 form a ground shielding layer that completely wraps the flexible substrate 11, thereby achieving the best effect of shielding external noise.

[0130] In some embodiments, the projections of the first conductive layers of the two sensing structures on the flexible substrate 11 overlap the projections of the second conductive layers of the two sensing structures on the flexible substrate 11. As shown in Figures 12 and 13, the projections of the first conductive layers 121-131 shared by the first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13 on the flexible substrate 11 overlap the projections of the second conductive layer 122 of the first sensing structure 12 and the second conductive layer 132 of the second sensing structure 13 on the flexible substrate 11. The projections of the first conductive layers 141-151 shared by the third sensing structure 14 and the fourth sensing structure 15 on the flexible substrate 11 overlap the projections of the second conductive layer 142 of the third sensing structure 14 and the second conductive layer 152 of the fourth sensing structure 15 on the flexible substrate 11.

[0131] In some embodiments, the projection of the first conductive layer shared by the two sensing structures on the flexible substrate 11 completely covers the projection of the second conductive layer on the flexible substrate 11, which can effectively reduce the number of pins arranged on the sensor 1 and reduce the difficulty of connecting the leads of the processing circuit.

[0132] As shown in FIG12 , in some embodiments, a side of the first conductive layer away from the flexible substrate 11 is covered with a first protective structure. In some embodiments, the first protective structure includes an upper protective layer 181 and a lower protective layer 182 .

[0133] As shown in FIG. 13 , in some embodiments, the exposed surface of the flexible substrate 11 is covered with a second protective structure 19 .

[0134] In some embodiments, the upper protective layer 181, the lower protective layer 182, and the second protective structure 19 are made of an insulating and elastic flexible material or a high-resistance and elastic flexible material. In some embodiments, the upper protective layer 181, the lower protective layer 182, and the second protective structure 19 include, but are not limited to, silicone, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), and the like. In some embodiments, the resistivity of the upper protective layer 181, the lower protective layer 182, and the second protective structure 19 is greater than or equal to the flexible substrate 11. In some embodiments, the thickness of the upper protective layer 181 and the lower protective layer 182 ranges from 1 to 100 μm.

[0135] Figures 12 and 13 illustrate the differences between the first and second protective structures 19. In the embodiment shown in Figure 12, the first protective structure covers and protects all edges of all conductive layers of the first and second sensing structures 12, 13, and all edges of all conductive layers of the third and fourth sensing structures 14, 15, respectively, through upper and lower protective layers 181 and 182. In contrast, in the embodiment shown in Figure 13, the second protective structure 19 covers and protects all edges of all conductive layers of all four sensing structures.

[0136] As shown in FIG12 , in some embodiments, upper protective layer 181 encompasses all edges of first conductive layers 121-131, second conductive layer 122, and second conductive layer 132 shared by first and second sensing structures 12 and 13. In some embodiments, lower protective layer 182 encompasses all edges of first conductive layers 141-151, second conductive layer 142, and second conductive layer 152 shared by third and fourth sensing structures 14 and 15. Providing this first protective structure effectively prevents damage to the internal sensing structure of sensor 1 during use and protects sensor 1 from additional noise introduced by contact with external conductors (e.g., the human body, liquids, etc.).

[0137] FIG14 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a sensor according to some other embodiments of the present specification.

[0138] In some embodiments, each sensing structure includes a second conductive layer, a second intermediate layer, a third conductive layer, a first intermediate layer, and a first conductive layer, stacked sequentially along the thickness direction away from the flexible substrate 11. As shown in FIG14 , the first sensing structure 12 includes a second conductive layer 122, a second intermediate layer 12-2, a third conductive layer 123, a first intermediate layer 12-1, and a first conductive layer 121, stacked sequentially along the thickness direction away from the flexible substrate 11. The second sensing structure 13 includes a second conductive layer 132, a second intermediate layer 13-2, a third conductive layer 133, a first intermediate layer 13-1, and a first conductive layer 131, stacked sequentially along the thickness direction away from the flexible substrate 11. The third sensing structure 14 includes a second conductive layer 142, a second intermediate layer 14-2, a third conductive layer 143, a first intermediate layer 14-1, and a first conductive layer 141, stacked sequentially along the thickness direction away from the flexible substrate 11. The fourth sensing structure 15 includes a second conductive layer 152 , a second intermediate layer 15 - 2 , a third conductive layer 153 , a first intermediate layer 15 - 1 and a first conductive layer 151 , which are sequentially stacked away from the flexible substrate 11 in the thickness direction.

[0139] In some embodiments, the parameters of the third conductive layer, the first conductive layer, and the second conductive layer of each sensing structure are consistent; the parameters of the second intermediate layer, the first intermediate layer, and the intermediate layer described above of each sensing structure are consistent. For the description of the specific material and size parameters of each structure, please refer to Figure 10 and its related description.

[0140] In some embodiments, by providing more conductive layers (such as the third conductive layer in FIG. 14 ) in a stacked manner along the thickness direction of each sensing structure, the sensitivity of the sensor 1 in detecting bending deformation in various dimensions can be effectively improved.

[0141] FIG15 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a sensor according to some further embodiments of the present specification.

[0142] As shown in FIG15 , in some embodiments, two sensing structures on the same side of the flexible substrate 11 share a common first conductive layer or a common second conductive layer, and the third conductive layers of the two sensing structures are spaced apart along the short axis of the flexible substrate 11. In some embodiments, both the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer are ground electrodes.

[0143] In some embodiments, the first conductive layer 121-131 and the second conductive layer 122-132 shared by the first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13, and the first conductive layer 141-151 and the second conductive layer 142-152 shared by the third sensing structure 14 and the fourth sensing structure 15 are all grounded; the first conductive layer 122-132 and the second conductive layer 142-152 are respectively connected to the voltage output device of the processing circuit through fixed resistors to provide pulsed AC voltage to the first intermediate layer 12-1, the second intermediate layer 12-2, the first intermediate layer 14-1 and the second intermediate layer 14-2. Leads are respectively extended from the first conductive layers 121-131 and second conductive layers 122-132 shared by the first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13, and from the first conductive layers 141-151 and second conductive layers 142-152 shared by the third sensing structure 14 and the fourth sensing structure 15, to the flexible substrate 11 for connection to a processing circuit to read capacitance-related parameters Ctotal, dCz, and dCx of each sensing structure (i.e., each first intermediate layer and second intermediate layer), enabling the processing circuit 16 to identify deformations of sensor 1 in different dimensions. In the embodiments shown in Figures 14 and 15, sensor 1 also includes a first protective structure or a second protective structure 19 as shown in Figures 12 and 13, covering and protecting all edges of all conductive layers of each sensing structure.

[0144] As shown in FIG15 , in some embodiments, the sensor 1 further includes a connector 17 , which is disposed around the periphery of the sensor. Two ends of the connector 17 are respectively connected to the first conductive layers on both sides of the flexible substrate 11 in the thickness direction.

[0145] In some embodiments, the first conductive layers 121-131 and the first conductive layers 141-151 on both sides of the flexible substrate 11 in the thickness direction are connected and grounded by the connector 17, and the peripheral side surface of the flexible substrate 11 is sealed, so that the connector 17, the first conductive layers 121-131 and the first conductive layers 141-151 form a ground shielding layer that completely wraps the flexible substrate 11, thereby achieving a better effect of shielding external noise.

[0146] FIG16 is one of the cross-sectional schematic diagrams of a sensor according to some embodiments of the present specification.

[0147] In some embodiments, each sensing structure includes an intermediate layer and a first conductive layer stacked sequentially away from the flexible substrate 11 in a thickness direction, and the flexible substrate 11 is made of an elastic conductive material.

[0148] As shown in FIG16 , the flexible substrate 11 made of elastic conductive material can conduct electricity, thereby effectively reducing the use of conductive layers in each sensing structure, so that the sensor 1 does not need to be provided with too many conductive layers, thereby effectively simplifying the preparation of the sensing structure.

[0149] As shown in Figure 16, in some embodiments, the electrical conductivity of the flexible substrate 11 is greater than the electrical conductivity of the intermediate layer. Since the electrical conductivity of the flexible substrate 11 is greater than the electrical conductivity of the intermediate layer (including the intermediate layers 12-13 and the intermediate layers 14-15), the conductive performance of the flexible substrate 11 is better. Therefore, the resistance of the flexible substrate 11 of each sensing structure is less than the resistance of the intermediate layer. The resistance of the flexible substrate 11 refers to the resistance between the two surfaces of the flexible substrate 11 spaced apart along the thickness direction, and the resistance of the intermediate layer refers to the resistance between the two surfaces of the intermediate layer spaced apart along the thickness direction. In some embodiments, the electrical conductivity of the flexible substrate 11 can be more than 100 times the electrical conductivity of the intermediate layer. In some embodiments, by setting the density of the conductive particles filled in the elastic material of the flexible substrate 11 to be greater than the density of the conductive particles filled in the elastic material of the intermediate layer, the electrical conductivity of the flexible substrate 11 can be greater than that of the intermediate layer.

[0150] In some embodiments, the resistance between two surfaces of the intermediate layer spaced apart along the thickness direction is greater than 0.8 MΩ.

[0151] In some embodiments, the relative dielectric constant of the intermediate layer is greater than 2. The intermediate layer can be equivalent to a parallel combination of a resistor and a capacitor. In some embodiments, the relative dielectric constant of the intermediate layer can also be greater than or equal to 4. Preferably, the relative dielectric constant of the intermediate layer is greater than 5. In some embodiments, the relative dielectric constant of the intermediate layer is greater than 10.

[0152] As shown in Figure 16, in some embodiments, the first conductive layer of each sensing structure is a ground electrode. In some embodiments, the first conductive layers of two sensing structures on the same side surface of the flexible substrate 11 are spaced apart along the short axis direction of the flexible substrate.

[0153] In some embodiments, grounding the first conductive layer of each sensing structure can act as an electrical shield, shielding sensor 1 from interference sources such as the human body and improving the stability of sensor 1. In some embodiments, grounding the first conductive layer of each sensing structure can form a complete shielding layer on the top and bottom surfaces of sensor 1, effectively shielding against external noise and simplifying the production process of sensor 1.

[0154] In some embodiments, the first conductive layer 121 of the first sensing structure 12, the first conductive layer 131 of the second sensing structure 13, the first conductive layer 141 of the third sensing structure 14, and the first conductive layer 151 of the fourth sensing structure 15 are all grounded. The flexible substrate 11 is connected to a voltage output device of a processing circuit via a fixed resistor to provide a pulsed AC voltage to the intermediate layers 12-13 and 14-15. Leads extend from the first conductive layer 121 of the first sensing structure 12, the first conductive layer 131 of the second sensing structure 13, the first conductive layer 141 of the third sensing structure 14, and the first conductive layer 151 of the fourth sensing structure 15 to the flexible substrate 11, respectively, to the processing circuit to read the capacitance-related parameters Ctotal, dCz, and dCx of each sensing structure (i.e., the intermediate layer), enabling the processing circuit 16 to identify deformations of different dimensions of the sensor 1. In the embodiment shown in FIG16, the sensor 1 also includes the first or second protective structure 19 shown in FIG12 and FIG13, covering and protecting all edges of all conductive layers of each sensing structure.

[0155] FIG17 is a second schematic cross-sectional view of a sensor according to some embodiments of the present specification.

[0156] As shown in FIG17 , in some embodiments, each sensing structure includes a second intermediate layer, a third conductive layer, a first intermediate layer, and a first conductive layer, stacked sequentially along the thickness direction away from the flexible substrate 11. In some embodiments, two sensing structures on the same side of the flexible substrate 11 share a common first conductive layer, and the third conductive layers of the two sensing structures are spaced apart along the short axis of the flexible substrate 11.

[0157] As shown in FIG17 , in some embodiments, the parameters of the third conductive layer of each sensing structure are consistent with the common first conductive layer; the parameters of the second intermediate layer, the first intermediate layer of each sensing structure are consistent with the intermediate layer described above. For the description of the specific material and size parameters of each structure, please refer to FIG10 and its related description.

[0158] In some embodiments, the projection of the first conductive layer shared by the two sensing structures on the flexible substrate 11 completely covers the projection of the third conductive layer on the flexible substrate 11, which can effectively reduce the number of pins arranged on the sensor 1 and reduce the difficulty of connecting the leads of the processing circuit.

[0159] As shown in Figure 17, in some embodiments, the first conductive layer 121-131 shared by the first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13 and the first conductive layer 141-151 shared by the third sensing structure 14 and the fourth sensing structure 15 are all grounded; the third conductive layer of each sensing structure is connected to the voltage output device of the processing circuit through a fixed resistor to provide a pulsed AC voltage to the first intermediate layer 12-1, the second intermediate layer 12-2, the first intermediate layer 14-1 and the second intermediate layer 14-2.

[0160] Leads are respectively extended from the first conductive layers 121-131 shared by the first sensing structure 12 and the second sensing structure 13, and from the first conductive layers 141-151 shared by the third sensing structure 14 and the fourth sensing structure 15, to the flexible substrate 11 for connection to a processing circuit to read capacitance-related parameters Ctotal, dCz, and dCx of each sensing structure (i.e., each first intermediate layer and second intermediate layer), thereby enabling the processing circuit 16 to identify deformations of the sensor 1 in different dimensions.

[0161] In some embodiments, the first conductive layer and the flexible substrate 11 are both ground electrodes.

[0162] In some embodiments, grounding the first conductive layer of each sensing structure's flexible substrate 11 can act as an electrical shield, shielding the sensor 1 from interference sources such as the human body and improving the stability of the sensor 1. In the embodiment shown in FIG17 , the sensor 1 also includes a first protective structure or a second protective structure 19 as shown in FIG12 and FIG13 , covering and protecting all edges of all conductive layers of each sensing structure to shield against noise interference from the external environment.

[0163] FIG18 is a third cross-sectional schematic diagram of a sensor according to some embodiments of this specification.

[0164] As shown in Figure 18, in some embodiments, the sensor 1 also includes a connector 17, which surrounds two sensing structures arranged on the same side of the flexible substrate 11, one end of the connector 17 is connected to the first conductive layer of the two sensing structures on the same side, and the other end of the connector is connected to the side of the flexible substrate 11 where the two sensing structures are located.

[0165] In some embodiments, the flexible substrate 11 and the first conductive layer shared by the two sensing structures on the same side are connected and grounded through the connector 17, and the peripheral side of the middle layer of each sensing structure is sealed, so that the connector 17, the flexible substrate 11 and the shared first conductive layer form a ground shielding layer that completely wraps the sensing structure, achieving the best effect of shielding external noise.

[0166] FIG19 is a fourth schematic cross-sectional view of a sensor according to some embodiments of the present specification.

[0167] In some embodiments, the sensor 1 further includes a plurality of sensing structures arranged along the width direction of the flexible substrate 11. As shown in FIG19, the sensor 1 includes a fifth sensing structure 11' and a sixth sensing structure 12'. The fifth sensing structure 11' and the sixth sensing structure 12' both include multilayer structures arranged on both side surfaces in the thickness direction, and the layers of each multilayer structure are stacked along the thickness direction. For example, the fifth sensing structure 11' includes a first conductive layer 111' and a second conductive layer 112', and the sixth sensing structure 12' includes a first conductive layer 121' and a second conductive layer 122'. As shown in FIG19, in some embodiments, the multilayer structure includes a second conductive layer, an intermediate layer, and a first conductive layer stacked sequentially away from the flexible substrate 11.

[0168] FIG20 is a fifth schematic cross-sectional view of a sensor according to some embodiments of the present specification.

[0169] In some embodiments, the three sensing structures on the same side surface of the flexible substrate 11 share a first conductive layer, and the second conductive layers of the three sensing structures are spaced apart along the short axis direction of the flexible substrate 11. As shown in FIG20 , in some embodiments, the first sensing structure 12, the second sensing structure 13, and the fifth sensing structure 11' share a first conductive layer 121'-131'. In some embodiments, the third sensing structure 14, the fourth sensing structure 15, and the sixth sensing structure 12' share a first conductive layer 141'-151'. In some embodiments, the first conductive layers 121'-131' and the first conductive layers 141'-151' have the same size and shape, and their widths are both in the range of 0.52 to 12 mm. The materials, shape, and dimensional parameters of the remaining structures of the sensor 1 in the embodiment shown in FIG20 remain unchanged, and a detailed description can be found in the above description.

[0170] In some embodiments, the flexible substrate 11 includes a short axis direction (i.e., X axis direction) and a long axis direction (i.e., Y axis direction) perpendicular to the thickness direction (i.e., Z axis direction), and the ratio of the size of the sensor 1 in the short axis direction to the size in the thickness direction ranges from 1:1 to 10:1.

[0171] If the ratio of the size of the sensor 1 in the short axis direction to the size in the thickness direction is too small, the manufacturing process of the sensor 1 will be more difficult; if the ratio of the size of the sensor 1 in the short axis direction to the size in the thickness direction is too large, the sensor 1 will wrinkle when it is bent around an axis parallel to the short axis direction, destroying the symmetry of each sensing structure, causing the output of the sensing structure (such as the output voltage) to be unstable, and making it impossible for the sensing structure on the sensor 1 to perform composite differential interference cancellation. In some embodiments, the ratio of the size of the sensor 1 in the short axis direction to the size in the thickness direction is within 55:1. Preferably, the ratio of the size of the sensor 1 in the short axis direction to the size in the thickness direction is 2:1 or 3:1.

[0172] In some embodiments, the processing circuit 16 reads parameters related to resistance or capacitance of each sensing structure and determines the deformation of the flexible substrate 11 in at least two dimensions based on the parameters. In some embodiments, the parameters are current values ​​or voltage values, and the processing circuit 16 determines the deformation of the flexible substrate 11 in at least two dimensions based on the current values ​​or voltage values. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 16 determines the capacitance or resistance of each sensing structure based on the current values ​​or voltage values, and determines the deformation of the flexible substrate 11 in at least two dimensions based on the capacitance or resistance values.

[0173] In some embodiments, the processing circuit 16 directly determines the deformation of the flexible substrate 11 in at least two dimensions based on the current or voltage values ​​of each sensing structure. For example, based on a mapping relationship between current or voltage values ​​and the deformation of the flexible substrate 11 in different dimensions, the processing circuit 16 measures the current or voltage values ​​of each sensing structure and obtains the deformation of the flexible substrate 11 in different dimensions based on this mapping relationship. In another example, a machine learning model is trained using historical current or voltage values ​​and historical dimensional deformations of the flexible substrate 11. The measured parameters of each sensing structure (such as actual current values ​​or historical actual values) are input into the machine learning model to obtain the deformation of the flexible substrate 11 in different dimensions.

[0174] In some embodiments, based on a mapping relationship between capacitance or resistance and the deformation of the flexible substrate 11 in different dimensions, the processing circuit 16 determines the capacitance or resistance of the sensing structure based on the current value or voltage value, and then determines the deformation of the flexible substrate 11 in different dimensions based on the mapping relationship. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 16 determines the capacitance or resistance of the sensing structure based on historical current values ​​or historical voltage values, trains a machine learning model based on the capacitance or resistance and the historical deformation of the flexible substrate 11 in different dimensions, calculates the capacitance or resistance based on the measured parameters of each sensing structure (such as the actual current value or historical actual value), and inputs the calculated capacitance or resistance into the machine learning model to obtain the deformation of the flexible substrate 11 in different dimensions.

[0175] FIG21A is a schematic diagram of the structure of a smart glove according to some embodiments of this specification; FIG21B is a schematic diagram of the joints of a user's hand according to some embodiments of this specification.

[0176] As shown in Figure 21A, in some embodiments, the smart glove 2 includes a glove body 21, a sensor 1 and a processor 3, and the processor 3 is configured to receive and process data collected by the sensor 1; wherein, the sensor 1 is located in any one or more areas of the glove body 21 corresponding to the user's finger joints 22, palm-wrist joints 23, and wrist joints 24.

[0177] Smart gloves 2 are devices used to capture the user's hand or finger movements. For example, smart gloves include motion capture gloves, sign language gloves, VR gloves, force feedback gloves, tactile feedback gloves, and the like. As shown in Figures 21A and 21B, in some embodiments, sensor 1-1 is placed on the back of the thumb joint (i.e., metacarpophalangeal joint) 22-1 in the glove body 21; sensor 1-2 is placed on the back of the index finger joint 22-2 in the glove body 21; sensor 1-3 is placed on the back of the middle finger joint 22-3 in the glove body 21; sensor 1-4 is placed on the back of the ring finger joint 22-4 in the glove body 21; and sensor 1-5 is placed on the back of the pinky finger joint 22-5 in the glove body 21. Because the base joints of the hand can bend and swing left and right, they provide two-dimensional bending motion information. At the same time, the back of the fingers also experience axial stretching due to bending. This, combined with the sensitive characteristics of sensor 1, allows sensor 1 to achieve complete and accurate hand or finger motion capture and smooth and natural motion reproduction.

[0178] As shown in Figures 21A and 21B, in some embodiments, sensors 1-6 are placed on the back of the wrist-metacarpal joint 23 where the thumb metacarpal bone connects to the wrist in the glove body 21. In some embodiments, sensor 1-0 can be placed on the back of the wrist joint 24, or on the side or front of the wrist joint 24. Similarly, the wrist-metacarpal joint 23 and wrist joint 24 of the hand can bend and swing left and right, and have two-dimensional bending motion information, so that 1-0 and sensor 1-6 can respectively capture the movement of the wrist joint and the movement of the wrist-metacarpal joint of the hand and restore the motion. Since other finger joints only have one-dimensional bending motion, sensor 1 in the embodiment of this description can be used, and other flexible sensors can also be used. In some embodiments, other flexible sensors include but are not limited to inductive, resistive, capacitive, fiber optic, etc. The user's complete hand motion capture and restoration can be achieved through the coordination of multiple sensors.

[0179] In some embodiments, data from sensor 1 is transmitted via wires to a control chip in processor 3, which analyzes and processes the motion data of the smart glove 2 and interacts with a host computer, such as a computer, mobile phone, or VR device. For example, this interaction includes controlling the power on and off of external devices, adjusting the volume, executing external device programs (such as controlling the movement of a game character), and providing fitness feedback.

[0180] FIG22A is a schematic diagram of the front view of a smart garment according to some embodiments of this specification; FIG22B is a schematic diagram of the back view of a smart garment according to some embodiments of this specification.

[0181] In some embodiments, the smart clothing 4 includes a clothing body 41, a sensor 1 and a processor, and the processor is configured to receive and process data collected by the sensor 1; wherein the sensor 1 is located in any one or more areas of the clothing body corresponding to the user's shoulder joint, spinal joint, hip joint, and ankle joint.

[0182] Smart clothing 4 refers to a device for capturing user body movements. As shown in Figures 22A and 22B, in some embodiments, sensors 1-7 and sensors 1-8 are placed on the front or back of the shoulder joints on both sides above the user's shoulders, respectively, to achieve motion capture of the user's shoulders. In some embodiments, the length range of sensors 1-7 and sensors 1-8 along the Y-axis direction covers the width of the shoulder joint and spans the arm root girth, so that the arm root girths on both sides of the shoulders are within the 1 / 3 range of the length of sensors 1-7 and sensors 1-8 along the Y-axis direction. In some embodiments, the length of sensors 1-7 and sensors 1-8 along the Y-axis direction is greater than 10cm. As shown in Figure 22B, in some embodiments, sensor 1-10 is placed at the spinal joint in the middle of the user's back, and the length range of sensor 1-10 along the Y-axis direction covers the entire spine of the user (i.e., from the coccyx to the neck). In some embodiments, the length of sensor 1-10 along the Y-axis direction is greater than 20cm. In some embodiments, sensors 1-7 and sensors 1-9 are placed at the hip joints on both sides of the user's body, respectively, for example, on both sides of the hip or on the front and back sides of the hip. In some embodiments, the length of the sensor 1-7 and the sensor 1-9 along the Y-axis direction covers the entire hip joint. In some embodiments, the length of the sensor 1-7 and the sensor 1-9 along the Y-axis direction is greater than 10 cm.

[0183] Since other joints of the body (such as the elbow, knee, and ankle joints) only have one-dimensional bending motion, the sensor 1 of this embodiment can be used, or other flexible sensors can be used. For example, in addition to the sensor 1 of this embodiment, other flexible sensors (including but not limited to inductive, capacitive, and resistive sensors) can be used for elbow, knee, and ankle joints that only have one-dimensional bending motion. This allows the user's body movements to be captured and restored through the coordination of multiple sensors.

[0184] In some embodiments, data from sensor 1 is transmitted via wires to a processor control chip, which analyzes and processes the motion data of smart clothing 4 and interacts with a host computer, such as a computer, mobile phone, or VR device. For example, this interaction includes controlling the power on and off of external devices, adjusting the volume, controlling the program progress of external devices (such as controlling the movement of a game character), and providing fitness feedback.

[0185] While the basic concepts have been described above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the detailed disclosure is merely illustrative and does not limit this specification. Although not explicitly stated herein, various modifications, improvements, and revisions to this specification may be made by those skilled in the art. Such modifications, improvements, and revisions are suggested in this specification and remain within the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments of this specification.

Claims

1. A sensor, comprising: Flexible substrate; A first sensing structure and a second sensing structure, wherein the first sensing structure and the second sensing structure each include a multilayer structure arranged on the same side surface in a thickness direction of the flexible substrate, and each layer of the multilayer structure is stacked along the thickness direction; as well as A processing circuit is provided, wherein the processing circuit reads parameters related to resistance or capacitance of the first sensing structure and the second sensing structure respectively, and determines deformation of the flexible substrate in at least two dimensions according to the parameters.

2. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein: The first sensing structure and the second sensing structure are distributed on both sides of the flexible substrate along the thickness direction, and a projection of the first sensing structure on the flexible substrate at least partially overlaps with a projection of the second sensing structure on the flexible substrate.

3. The sensor according to claim 2, wherein: The flexible substrate includes a short axis direction and a long axis direction perpendicular to the thickness direction, and the deformation in at least two dimensions includes bending deformation around an axis parallel to the short axis direction and stretching or compressing deformation along the long axis direction.

4. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein: The flexible substrate includes a long axis direction perpendicular to the thickness direction. The first sensing structure and the second sensing structure are distributed on the same side of the flexible substrate in the thickness direction. The first sensing structure and the second sensing structure are arranged side by side and both extend along the long axis direction of the flexible substrate.

5. The sensor according to claim 4, wherein: The deformation in at least two dimensions includes bending deformation around an axis parallel to the thickness direction and tensile or compressive deformation along the long axis direction.

6. The sensor according to claim 1, further comprising a third sensing structure and a fourth sensing structure, wherein the third sensing structure and the fourth sensing structure each comprise a multilayer structure arranged on the same side surface in the thickness direction, and each layer of each multilayer structure is stacked along the thickness direction; in, The flexible substrate includes a long axis direction and a short axis direction perpendicular to the thickness direction. The first sensing structure and the second sensing structure are distributed side by side on one side surface of the flexible substrate along the thickness direction, and both extend along the long axis direction; the third sensing structure and the fourth sensing structure are distributed side by side on the other side surface of the flexible substrate along the thickness direction, and both extend along the long axis direction.

7. The sensor according to claim 6, wherein: The processing circuit reads the parameters related to resistance or capacitance of the third sensing structure and the fourth sensing structure respectively, and determines the deformation of the flexible substrate in at least two dimensions based on the parameters related to resistance or capacitance of the first sensing structure and the second sensing structure, and the parameters related to resistance or capacitance of the third sensing structure and the fourth sensing structure.

8. The sensor according to claim 7, wherein: The deformation in at least two dimensions includes bending deformation around an axis parallel to the thickness direction, bending deformation around an axis parallel to the short axis direction, and stretching or compressing deformation along the long axis direction of the flexible substrate.

9. The sensor according to claim 6, wherein: The first sensing structure and the second sensing structure are symmetrically arranged about a first middle section, and the third sensing structure and the fourth sensing structure are symmetrically arranged about the first middle section, wherein the first middle section represents: a middle section of the flexible substrate parallel to a plane formed by the thickness direction and the long axis direction; The first sensing structure and the third sensing structure are symmetrically arranged about the second middle section of the flexible substrate, and the second sensing structure and the fourth sensing structure are symmetrically arranged about the second middle section, and the second middle section represents: a middle section parallel to a plane formed by the major axis direction and the minor axis direction in the flexible substrate.

10. The sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and 9, wherein: Each of the sensing structures includes a second conductive layer, an intermediate layer, and a first conductive layer which are sequentially stacked away from the flexible substrate along the thickness direction.

11. The sensor according to claim 10, wherein: The electrical conductivity of the first conductive layer is greater than the electrical conductivity of the intermediate layer.

12. The sensor according to claim 10, wherein: The resistance between two surfaces of the intermediate layer spaced apart in the thickness direction of the flexible substrate is greater than 0.8 MΩ.

13. The sensor according to claim 10, wherein: The relative dielectric constant of the intermediate layer is greater than 2.

14. The sensor according to claim 10, wherein: The first conductive layer of each of the sensing structures is a grounding electrode.

15. The sensor according to claim 14, wherein: The two sensing structures on the same side surface of the flexible substrate share a first conductive layer, and the second conductive layers of the two sensing structures are arranged at intervals along the short axis direction of the flexible substrate.

16. The sensor according to claim 14 or 15, wherein: The connecting member is disposed around the periphery of the sensor, and two ends of the connecting member are respectively connected to the first conductive layers on two side surfaces of the flexible substrate in the thickness direction.

17. The sensor according to claim 15, wherein: The projections of the first conductive layers of the two sensing structures on the flexible substrate cover the projections of the second conductive layers of the two sensing structures on the flexible substrate.

18. The sensor according to any one of claims 1-6 and 9, wherein each of the sensing structures comprises a second conductive layer, a second intermediate layer, a third conductive layer, a first intermediate layer and a first conductive layer which are sequentially stacked away from the flexible substrate along the thickness direction.

19. The sensor according to claim 18, wherein: The two sensing structures on the same side of the flexible substrate share a first conductive layer or a second conductive layer, and the third conductive layers of the two sensing structures are arranged at intervals along the short axis direction of the flexible substrate.

20. The sensor according to claim 19, wherein The first conductive layer and the second conductive layer are both ground electrodes.

21. The sensor according to claim 20, wherein: It also includes a connecting member, which is arranged around the periphery of the sensor, and two ends of the connecting member are respectively connected to the first conductive layers on the two side surfaces of the flexible substrate in the thickness direction.

22. [Corrected 13.05.2024 according to Rule 91] A sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and 9, wherein: Each of the sensing structures comprises an intermediate layer and a first conductive layer which are sequentially stacked away from the flexible substrate along the thickness direction, and the flexible substrate is made of an elastic conductive material.

23. [Corrected 13.05.2024 as per Rule 91] A sensor according to claim 22, wherein The electrical conductivity of the flexible substrate is greater than the electrical conductivity of the intermediate layer.

24. [Corrected 13.05.2024 as per Rule 91] A sensor according to claim 22, wherein The resistance between two surfaces of the intermediate layer spaced apart in the thickness direction is greater than 0.8 MΩ.

25. [Corrected 13.05.2024 as per Rule 91] A sensor according to claim 22, wherein The relative dielectric constant of the intermediate layer is greater than 2.

26. [Corrected 13.05.2024 as per Rule 91] A sensor according to claim 22, wherein The first conductive layer of each of the sensing structures is a grounding electrode.

27. [Corrected 13.05.2024 as per Rule 91] A sensor according to claim 26, wherein The first conductive layers of the two sensing structures on the same side surface of the flexible substrate are arranged at intervals along the short axis direction of the flexible substrate.

28. [Corrected on 13.05.2024 according to Rule 91] According to the sensor of claim 22, each of the sensing structures comprises a second intermediate layer, a third conductive layer, a first intermediate layer and a first conductive layer stacked in sequence away from the flexible substrate in the thickness direction.

29. [Corrected 13.05.2024 as per Rule 91] A sensor according to claim 28, wherein The two sensing structures on the same side of the flexible substrate share a first conductive layer, and the third conductive layers of the two sensing structures are arranged at intervals along the short axis direction of the flexible substrate.

30. [Corrected 13.05.2024 as per Rule 91] A sensor according to claim 29, wherein The first conductive layer and the flexible substrate are both ground electrodes.

31. [Corrected 13.05.2024 as per Rule 91] A sensor according to claim 29, wherein It also includes a connector, which surrounds two sensing structures arranged on the same side of the flexible substrate, one end of the connector is connected to the first conductive layer of the two sensing structures on the same side, and the other end of the connector is connected to the side of the flexible substrate where the two sensing structures are located.

32. [Corrected 13.05.2024 according to Rule 91] A sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 31, wherein The flexible substrate includes a short axis direction and a long axis direction perpendicular to the thickness direction, and the ratio of the dimension of the sensor in the short axis direction to the dimension in the thickness direction is in the range of 1:1 to 10:

1.

33. [Corrected 13.05.2024 as per Rule 91] A sensor according to claim 1, wherein The parameter is a current value or a voltage value, and the processing circuit determines the deformation of the flexible substrate in at least two dimensions based on the current value or the voltage value; or The processing circuit determines a capacitance or resistance value of each of the sensing structures based on the current value or the voltage value, and determines a deformation of the flexible substrate in at least two dimensions according to the capacitance or resistance value.

34. [Corrected 13.05.2024 according to Rule 91] A sensor according to any one of claims 10 to 33, wherein A side of the first conductive layer away from the flexible substrate is covered with a first protection structure.

35. [Corrected 13.05.2024 as per Rule 91] A sensor according to claim 34, wherein The exposed surface of the flexible substrate is covered with a second protective structure.

36. [Corrected 13.05.2024 in accordance with Rule 91] A smart glove comprising: Glove body; A sensor as described in any one of claims 1 to 35; as well as A processor configured to receive and process data collected by the sensor; Wherein, the sensor is located in any one or more areas of the glove body corresponding to the user's finger joints, metacarpophalangeal joints, palmar-wrist joints, and wrist joints.

37. [Corrected 13.05.2024 in accordance with Rule 91] A smart garment comprising: Clothing body; A sensor as described in any one of claims 1 to 35; as well as A processor configured to receive and process data collected by the sensor; Wherein, the sensor is located in any one or more areas of the clothing body corresponding to the user's shoulder joint, spinal joint, hip joint, and ankle joint.

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