US 12,429,971 B2
Soft phasic electronic tactile sensing elements for characterization of touch
Cyril Bounakoff, Albiez-Montrond (FR); Jacques Beauvais, Gatineau (CA); François Michaud, Sherbrooke (CA); and Jonathan Genest, Sherbrooke (CA)
Appl. No. 18/843,462
Filed by SOCPRA SCIENCES ET GÉNIE S.E.C., Sherbrooke (CA)
PCT Filed Mar. 6, 2023, PCT No. PCT/CA2023/050291
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 3, 2024,
PCT Pub. No. WO2023/164784, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 7, 2023.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/316,679, filed on Mar. 4, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2025/0190066 A1, Jun. 12, 2025
Int. Cl. G06F 3/041 (2006.01); G06F 3/045 (2006.01); G06F 3/047 (2006.01)
CPC G06F 3/04146 (2019.05) [G06F 3/045 (2013.01); G06F 3/047 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A touch-sensitive device comprising:
at least one loosely connected three-dimensional network of conductive particles encapsulated between a bottom viscoelastic layer and a top viscoelastic layer, wherein at least a portion of said at least one loosely connected three-dimensional network of conductive particles is free from viscoelastic material;
a portion of said at least one loosely connected three-dimensional network having an initial local resistivity, a second local resistivity higher than said initial local resistivity when said portion of said at least one loosely connected three-dimensional network undergoes a local stretch, and a third local resistivity lower than said second local resistivity when said portion of said at least one loosely connected three-dimensional network undergoes a local compression;
said second local resistivity resulting from decreased connection between local conductive particles of said portion of said at least one loosely connected three-dimensional network being brought apart from one another during said local stretch; and
said third local resistivity resulting from increased connection between said local conductive particles being brought closer to one another during said local compression;
wherein said local stretch resulting from a partial deflection of said at least one loosely connected three-dimensional network resulting from a partial compression of said touch-sensitive device;
wherein said local compression resulting from a further deflection of said at least one loosely connected three-dimensional network resulting from a further compression of said touch-sensitive device;
wherein a local resistivity of said portion of said at least one loosely connected three-dimensional network undergoes both an increase and a decrease during each of contact establishment and contact release of said touch-sensitive device having a phasic response to contact; and
wherein a rate of at least one of said increase and said decrease of said local resistivity as a function of time depends on a rate of deflection and/or a magnitude of deflection of said contact.