Woven Fabric Sensor Bridge Path for Multi-Dimensional Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional woven fabric sensors face challenges with high power consumption and signal noise, limiting their effectiveness in multi-dimensional sensing applications, particularly in the automotive and healthcare sectors, due to the need for additional components and increased complexity.
Innovation Solution
A woven fabric sensor design featuring electrically conductive warps and non-conductive wefts with bridge sections that create an extended sensing area, reducing power consumption and enhancing sensitivity by increasing the magnitude of the detected signal while minimizing noise, allowing for capacitive and resistive sensing without the need for additional components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If additional components and sensors are added to derive more information from a single electrical source, then the functionality and information derivation capability are improved, but the power consumption, costs, complexity and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple sensing functions (capacitive and resistive sensing) into a single integrated fabric sensor structure. The conductive warp yarns and non-conductive weft yarns work together to provide both capacitive sensing (through the capacitor formed by conductive layers) and resistive sensing (through the resistance changes in the conductive path), eliminating the need for separate sensors and reducing overall system complexity while maintaining enhanced functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The fabric sensor structure is designed to perform multiple sensing functions simultaneously using the same physical components. The conductive warp yarns serve as both capacitive electrodes and resistive sensing elements, while the non-conductive weft yarns provide both mechanical separation and structural support. This multi-functionality allows a single sensor to derive multiple types of information (proximity, pressure, contact) without requiring additional specialized components
2Adaptability or versatility
If additional components and sensors are added to derive more information from a single electrical source, then the functionality and information derivation capability are improved, but the power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple sensing functions (capacitive and resistive sensing) into a single integrated fabric sensor structure. The conductive warp yarns and non-conductive weft yarns work together to provide both capacitive sensing (through the capacitor formed by conductive layers) and resistive sensing (through the resistance changes in the conductive path), eliminating the need for separate sensors and reducing overall system complexity while maintaining enhanced functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor structure utilizes the fabric's own mechanical properties and electrical characteristics to generate sensing signals without requiring external amplification or additional power-intensive components. The resistive changes in the conductive warp yarns and capacitive effects of the conductive layers naturally produce measurable signals that directly reflect physical quantities like pressure and proximity, reducing the need for active power-consuming signal processing hardware
3Measurement precision
If the sensing area is increased to improve sensitivity, then the signal magnitude increases, but the power consumption increases due to signal amplification requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends the sensing area by incorporating multiple conductive warp yarns arranged in parallel, creating a distributed sensing network across the fabric. Instead of relying on a single large sensor element that would require significant amplification, the multiple yarns provide spatial distribution of sensing points, allowing the system to achieve high sensitivity through distributed measurement rather than through amplified signals from a single location
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution results in a more efficient and accurate multi-dimensional sensing system with reduced power consumption and signal noise, enabling sensitive detection of parameters like proximity and pressure without amplification, and allowing for real-time processing of signals.
Implementation Method 1
The bridge path presses at least two parallel warps together so that the warps are electrically connected
Implementation Method 2
Capacitive sensing generally uses two layers of conductive materials separated by a non-conductive layer, to transfer charge that bounces from one conductive layer to the other conductive layer to create a sensor signal change corresponding to electrical resistance
Implementation Method 3
voltage differential requires two conductive layers to come into contact for a transfer of charge, resulting in a sensor signal change corresponding to electrical resistance
Data Source
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Figure 6~7b
AI summary
The invention concerns a woven fabric sensor (100) for multi-dimensional sensing comprising: a plurality of electrically conductive warps (10a to 10f) arranged parallel to each other, and at least one electrically non-conductive weft (20a to 20i) floating over or under the warp (10), characterized in that the weft (20a to 20i) comprises a bridge section (22a to 22i) floating over or under at least two electrically conductive warps (10a to 10f) for generating an electrically connecting bridge path (30a to 30e). The invention concerns further an operating method for analysing a single output signal generated by a woven fabric sensor (100) carried out by a control unit (230), the method comprising the followings steps: a) receiving a single input sensor signal (Sin1) having a signal value (SV1), b) analysing the signal value (SV1) for determining a magnitude of a sensing parameter, and c) generating a output signal (Sout) indicating the magnitude of the sensing parameter.