Patents by Inventor Benjamin D. Atkinson

Benjamin D. Atkinson has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Flexible printed pressure transducer with sensor diffusion stack materials and methods incorporating the same
    Patent number: 11460362
    Abstract: A portable sensing apparatus includes an attachment mechanism to secure the portable sensing apparatus to an object, a communications module and a flexible sensor communicatively coupled to the communications module. The flexible sensor is configured to mechanically deform in accordance with a shape of the object and includes a pair of diffusion layers disposed between a pair of contact layers that distribute the force received along outer surfaces of the flexible sensor across the diffusion layers. The flexible sensor includes a sensing layer disposed between the diffusion layers. The diffusion layers normalize the force received from the contact layers across the sensing layer. The sensing layer receives the force at a plurality of locations across a surface area of the sensing layer to determine a resultant pressure applied to the flexible sensor, and the communications module transmits an electrical signal indicative of the resultant pressure to an external device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Caleb M. Rogers, Benjamin D. Atkinson, Tyler Flood
  • FLEXIBLE PRINTED PRESSURE TRANSDUCER WITH SENSOR DIFFUSION STACK MATERIALS AND METHODS INCORPORATING THE SAME
    Publication number: 20210025772
    Abstract: A portable sensing apparatus includes an attachment mechanism to secure the portable sensing apparatus to an object, a communications module and a flexible sensor communicatively coupled to the communications module. The flexible sensor is configured to mechanically deform in accordance with a shape of the object and includes a pair of diffusion layers disposed between a pair of contact layers that distribute the force received along outer surfaces of the flexible sensor across the diffusion layers. The flexible sensor includes a sensing layer disposed between the diffusion layers. The diffusion layers normalize the force received from the contact layers across the sensing layer. The sensing layer receives the force at a plurality of locations across a surface area of the sensing layer to determine a resultant pressure applied to the flexible sensor, and the communications module transmits an electrical signal indicative of the resultant pressure to an external device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2019
    Publication date: January 28, 2021
    Applicant: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Caleb M. Rogers, Benjamin D. Atkinson, Tyler Flood