Abstract: The force or pressure sensor array of the present invention effectively has both flexibility and elasticity. Since the substrate itself is a kind of a polymer material, the substrate can be bent or expanded. Although silicon, which is a material of the semiconductor strain gauge, is easily broken and solid, mechanical flexibility can be secured if it is fabricated extremely thin.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a structure for attaching tactile sensors to a curved surface, comprising a sensor fixing unit configured to have at least part of one surface curved and to have a plurality of sensor insertion grooves, crossing each other, formed in the one surface in a matrix form; tactile sensor units formed in a matrix form, inserted into the respective sensor insertion grooves, and configured to detect external force; sealing units configured to seal the respective sensor insertion grooves; and a support unit configured to come in contact with one face of the sealing units or the sensor fixing units and to support the sensor fixing units. Accordingly, the tactile sensors can be easily attached to a curved surface, and mass production is possible.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a structure for attaching tactile sensors to a curved surface, comprising a sensor fixing unit configured to have at least part of one surface curved and to have a plurality of sensor insertion grooves, crossing each other, formed in the one surface in a matrix form; tactile sensor units formed in a matrix form, inserted into the respective sensor insertion grooves, and configured to detect external force; sealing units configured to seal the respective sensor insertion grooves; and a support unit configured to come in contact with one face of the sealing units or the sensor fixing units and to support the sensor fixing units. Accordingly, the tactile sensors can be easily attached to a curved surface, and mass production is possible.

Abstract: A slim mouse for mobile appliances includes a lower polymer film having a metal layer on an upper surface of the lower polymer film, an upper polymer film having a metal layer on a lower surface of the upper polymer film, a donut force sensor array including multiple force sensors, a weight-bumper spacer including a donut sensor portion and a click-detection sensor portion, a pad including a donut sensor portion and a click-detection sensor portion, and a click-detection force sensor.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are a mouse with capacitance sensors, a method for manufacturing the mouse and a method for constructing an algorithm for processing an input corresponding to force applied by a user's finger to the mouse. The mouse with capacitance sensors includes a bottom plate having a center point, a plurality of electrodes formed at regular intervals on the top face of the bottom plate and arranged apart from the center point of the bottom plate by an equal distance, a top plate bonded to the top faces of the electrodes and deformed by force applied by a pointing object, and an adhesive layer formed around the top plate and the bottom plate to combine the top plate and the bottom plate. When the pointing object touches the top plate, capacitance sensors are formed between the pointing object and the electrodes to recognize a travel distance, a travel direction and a moving speed of a cursor through the magnitude and direction of force applied by the pointing object.

Abstract: A tactile sensor for curved surfaces applicable to objects with multi-dimensional curvature and a small radius of curvature and a manufacturing method thereof are disclosed. The tactile sensor for curved surfaces includes a lower pattern including a plurality of lower polymer film layers spaced at specified intervals in a lower direction, lower metal layers disposed on the lower polymer film layers, and a number of lower resistors disposed on the lower metal layers, an upper pattern including a plurality of upper polymer film layers spaced at specified intervals in a direction perpendicular to the lower direction, upper metal layers disposed on the upper polymer film layers, and a number of upper resistors disposed below the upper metal layers to be electrically connected to the lower resistors, and a lower polymer layer and an upper polymer layer to bond the lower pattern and the upper pattern to each other.

Abstract: The force or pressure sensor array of the present invention effectively has both flexibility and elasticity. Since the substrate itself is a kind of a polymer material, the substrate can be bent or expanded. Although silicon, which is a material of the semiconductor strain gauge, is easily broken and solid, mechanical flexibility can be secured if it is fabricated extremely thin.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a brightness controllable LED illumination device using a tactile sensor sensing the intensity of force or the intensity of pressure. The brightness controllable LED illumination device includes at least one LED emitting light based on electric field formed between first and second electrodes; a tactile sensor sensing the intensity of force or pressure applied by a predetermined contact object and generating an output signal corresponding to the sensed intensity; and a controller connected to the tactile sensor and adjusting a variation in the electric field based on the output signal of the tactile sensor to control the brightness of the light emitted from the at least one LED.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an electroluminescence device capable of controlling the brightness thereof based on the intensity of force or the intensity of pressure. The electroluminescence device includes a substrate at least a part of which is transparent; a first electrode formed on the bottom face of the substrate; an emission layer formed underneath the first electrode; a second electrode formed underneath the emission layer; a tactile sensor formed underneath the second electrode and sensing the intensity of force or the intensity of pressure; and a controller connected to the tactile sensor and adjusting a variation in electric field between the first and second electrodes based on the output of the tactile sensor to control the brightness of light emitted from the emission layer.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed providing a user interface using a touch input unit comprising a touch screen configured to detect a contact position and a contact force. The method comprises a step of the touch input unit receiving a touch input signal generated by a touch of a user's pointing object, a step of executing a step of a position processing unit identifying a contact position, corresponding to the received touch input signal, and a step of an intensity processing unit analyzing an intensity pattern of contact force, corresponding to the received touch input signal, simultaneously or sequentially, a step of a control unit determining an event corresponding to the touch input signal based on the identified contact position and the analyzed intensity pattern of contact force, and a step of an output unit outputting the determined event to a display screen.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are a tactile sensor module including a sensing unit connected to an external electronic device through a UWB communication network and a UWB communication method using the tactile sensor module. The tactile sensor module includes the sensing unit which has a plurality of sensor cells and outputs an output signal corresponding tactile information on a force applied thereto by a user using a pointing object, and a UWB based module which wirelessly connects the sensing unit to the external electronic device to construct a UWB communication network, receives external data in the form of a UWB wireless communication signal from the external electronic device, converts the output signal into data that can be recognized by the external electronic device and transmits the converted data to the external electronic device as a UWB wireless communication signal.

Abstract: Disclosed are a touch screen using contact resistance type tactile sensors, which can adjust the density of an object to be displayed on a screen based on the variation of a contact position and a contact force and achieve a multi-touch recognizing function, a method for manufacturing the same, and an algorithm implementing method for the same. The touch screen using contact resistance type tactile sensors includes a lower display panel such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), a transparent upper substrate, and a plurality of contact resistance type tactile sensors arranged between the upper substrate and the lower panel along the edge of the screen. The touch screen senses a contact position and a contact force based on a contact resistance generated from the contact resistance type tactile sensors, and has a multi-touch recognizing function.

Abstract: A slim mouse for mobile appliances includes a lower polymer film having a metal layer on an upper surface of the lower polymer film, an upper polymer film having a metal layer on a lower surface of the upper polymer film, a donut force sensor array including multiple force sensors, a weight-bumper spacer including a donut sensor portion and a click-detection sensor portion, a pad including a donut sensor portion and a click-detection sensor portion, and a click-detection force sensor.

Abstract: A tactile sensor for curved surfaces applicable to objects with multi-dimensional curvature and a small radius of curvature and a manufacturing method thereof are disclosed. The tactile sensor for curved surfaces includes a lower pattern including a plurality of lower polymer film layers spaced at specified intervals in a lower direction, lower metal layers disposed on the lower polymer film layers, and a number of lower resistors disposed on the lower metal layers, an upper pattern including a plurality of upper polymer film layers spaced at specified intervals in a direction perpendicular to the lower direction, upper metal layers disposed on the upper polymer film layers, and a number of upper resistors disposed below the upper metal layers to be electrically connected to the lower resistors, and a lower polymer layer and an upper polymer layer to bond the lower pattern and the upper pattern to each other.

Abstract: A method for implementing a mouse algorithm using a plurality of pressure sensors is disclosed. The pressure sensors are used to freely move and rotate a mouse cursor in X, Y and Z directions, so that they can be applied as interface units for a slim device such as a mobile phone. The mouse algorithm processes a touch input. The pressure sensors are arranged in a ring shape and provide output values successively varying with magnitudes of forces applied thereto or pressures applied thereto. A moving direction of the mouse cursor is determined depending on a contact point detected through the output values and a moving distance and moving speed of the mouse cursor are determined in proportion to the magnitudes of the forces.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a touch input device and a method of acquiring a contact location and the intensity of force using the same. The touch input device may include a touch panel with which a pointing object is brought in contact, a location-processing unit for receiving a signal regarding a contact location from the touch panel and processing information about the contact location of the pointing object, an intensity-processing unit for receiving a signal regarding a change in capacitance between an upper electrode layer of the touch panel and the pointing object from the touch panel and processing information about an intensity of force of the pointing object, and a switching unit for selectively electrically connecting the location-processing unit and the intensity-processing unit to the touch panel, so that information about the location and the intensity of force, of the pointing object, can be acquired.

Abstract: Provided are a touch input device capable of acquiring information on whether a pointing object touches a touch panel, information on a touch point of the pointing object touching the touch panel and information on the magnitude of touch force of the pointing object and a method of controlling the same. The touch input device includes a touch panel having a plurality of electrically separated upper electrode strips formed on one side thereof and touched by a pointing object, a first switch electrically connecting the plurality of upper electrode strips to form a single electrode or two electrodes, and an information generator generating at least one of information on a touch point of the pointing object and information on the magnitude of touch force of the pointing object and information on whether the pointing object approaches the touch panel on the basis of a signal received from the touch panel according to a switched state of the first switch.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are a mouse with capacitance sensors, a method for manufacturing the mouse and a method for constructing an algorithm for processing an input corresponding to force applied by a user's finger to the mouse. The mouse with capacitance sensors includes a bottom plate having a center point, a plurality of electrodes formed at regular intervals on the top face of the bottom plate and arranged apart from the center point of the bottom plate by an equal distance, a top plate bonded to the top faces of the electrodes and deformed by force applied by a pointing object, and an adhesive layer formed around the top plate and the bottom plate to combine the top plate and the bottom plate. When the pointing object touches the top plate, capacitance sensors are formed between the pointing object and the electrodes to recognize a travel distance, a travel direction and a moving speed of a cursor through the magnitude and direction of force applied by the pointing object.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a sensor capable of sensing temperature or force applied by a user. According to an aspect of the present invention, the tactile sensor includes a polymer layer having a concave portion and a membrane on a lower portion, wherein the membrane is formed by a concave portion, a resistant layer formed on a part of the polymer layer, and a conduction layer formed around the resistant layer. According to another aspect of the present invention, the tactile sensor includes a first polymer layer, a resistant layer formed on a part of the first polymer layer, a conduction layer formed around the resistant layer, a second polymer layer provided over the conduction layer and having a concave portion formed therein, and a base layer connected to the second polymer layer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for providing a user interface depending on an action force, the apparatus comprising: a touch input unit for allowing a user to input a position or operation command thereto using a pointing object, being applied with the action force of the pointing object, and recognizing the applied position information; a tactile sensor placed on a bottom surface of the touch input unit, for detecting the action force and generating a predetermined signal; a control unit for determining an expression value of a transfer medium in response to the signal generated from the tactile sensor; and an expression unit for expressing the strength of the action force by outputting the transfer medium based on the expression value of the control unit.