Position and force measuring system

Claim 1

In combination: first and second substantially rigid bodies; spring means interconnecting said rigid bodies, said spring means extending along substantially the entire periphery of said substantially rigid bodies, said spring means restraining lateral movement between said first and second substantially rigid bodies; and means for producing electrical signals representing a change in distance between portions of said substantially rigid bodies in response to a force applied to one of said bodies.

Claim 17

A system for measuring the point of application of static or dynamic force on an input surface and simultaneously determining the magnitude of said static or dynamic force, comprising in combination: (a) an input plate with an exposed surface subject to the application of localized force applied so as to have a component which is normal to the point where the force is applied; (b) a base plate; (c) one or more springs coupling said input surface to said base plate, said one or more springs extending along the major portion of the peripheries of said input plate and said base plate, said one or more springs preventing lateral motion between said input surface and said rigid body; (d) four sensors operatively mounted at spaced-apart points, each of said sensors producing a signal varying with a component of the applied force acting upon said exposed surface; and (e) calculating means with inputs coupled to said sensors for deriving from signals therefrom two output signals proportional to the coordinates of the point of application of said force with reference to a pre-established set of axes and an output signal proportional to the magnitude of said input force, said calculating means comprising: (i) a first through fourth sensor amplifier means coupled to each of said sensors; (ii) first summing means for summing the outputs of said amplifiers; (iii) an inverter coupled to the output of said summing means, the output of said inverter producing a first output signal proportional to the magnitude of the vertical component of the input force; (iv) a first divider and a second divider, said first output signal being coupled to form the denominator signal for said dividers; (v) a second summing means, outputs of said first and second sensor amplifiers being coupled to an input of said second summing means; (vi) third summing means, an input of said third summing means being coupled to outputs of said second summing means and said third and fourth sensor amplifiers, the output of said third summing means forming the numerator signal of the first divider; (vii) fourth summing means, inputs of said fourth summing means being coupled to outputs of said first and fourth sensor amplifier; (viii) fifth summing means, inputs of said fifth summing means being coupled to outputs of said fourth summing means and said second and third sensor amplifiers, the output of said fifth summing means forming the numerator signal of the second divider, the outputs of said dividers representing the coordinates of the position of application of said force.

Claim 18

A system for measuring the point of application of static or dynamic force on an input surface and simultaneously determining the magnitude of said static or dynamic force, comprising in combination: (a) an input plate with an exposed surface subject to the application of localized force applied so as to have a component which is normal to the point where the force is applied; (b) a base plate; (c) one or more springs coupling said input surface to said base plate, said one or more springs extending along the major portion of the peripheries of said input plate and said base plate, said one or more springs preventing lateral motion between said input surface and said rigid body; (d) four sensors operatively mounted at spaced-apart points, each of said sensors producing a signal varying with a component of the applied force acting upon said exposed surface; and (e) calculating means with inputs coupled to said sensors for deriving from signals therefrom two output signals proportional to the coordinates of the point of application of said force with reference to a pre-established set of axes and an output signal proportional to the magnitude of said input force, said calculating means comprising: (i) a first through fourth sensor amplifier means coupled to each of said sensors; (ii) first summing means for summing the outputs of said amplifiers; (iii) an inverter coupled to the output of said summing means, the output of said inverter producing a first output signal proportional to the magnitude of the vertical component of the input force; (iv) a first divider and a second divider, said first output signal being coupled to form the denominator signal for said dividers; (v) a second summing means, outputs of said first and second sensor amplifiers being coupled to an input of said second summing means; (vi) third summing means, an input of said third summing means being coupled to outputs of said second summing means and said third and fourth sensor amplifiers, the output of said third summing means forming the numerator signal of the first divider; (vii) fourth summing means, inputs of said fourth summing means being coupled to outputs of said first and fourth sensor amplifier; (viii) fifth summing means, inputs of said fifth summing means being coupled to outputs of said fourth summing means and said second and third sensor amplifiers, the output of said fifth summing means forming the numerator signal of the second divider, the outputs of said dividers representing the coordinates of the position of application of said force.

Claim 19

A system for measuring the point of application of static or dynamic force on an input surface and simultaneously determining the magnitude of said static or dynamic force, comprising in combination: (a) an input plate with an exposed surface subject to the application of localized force applied so as to have a component which is normal to the point where the force is applied; (b) a base plate; (c) one or more springs coupling said input surface to said base plate, said one or more springs extending along the major portion of the peripheries of said input plate and said base plate, said one or more springs preventing lateral motion between said input surface and said rigid body; (d) four sensors operatively mounted at spaced-apart points, each of said sensors producing a signal varying with a component of the applied force acting upon said exposed surface; and (e) calculating means with inputs coupled to said sensors for deriving from signals therefrom two output signals proportional to the coordinates of the point of application of said force with reference to a pre-established set of axes and an output signal proportional to the magnitude of said input force, said calculating means comprising: (i) first through said fourth sensor amplifiers coupled to each of said sensors; (ii) means for summing outputs of all of said sensor amplifiers; (iii) an inverter coupled to the output of said summing means; (iv) first through fourth sample-and-hold circuits, inputs of each of said sample-and-hold circuits being coupled to outputs of said first through fourth sensor amplifiers respectively; and (v) means for sequentially coupling outputs of said sample-and-hold circuits to output utilization means in response to output signals from said inverter means.

Claim 20

A system for measuring the point of application of static or dynamic force on an input surface and simultaneously determining the magnitude of said static or dynamic force, comprising in combination: (a) an input plate with an exposed surface subject to the application of localized force applied so as to have a component which is normal to the point where the force is applied; (b) a base plate; (c) one or more springs coupling said input surface to said base plate, said one or more springs extending along the major portion of the peripheries of said input plate and said base plate, said one or more springs preventing lateral motion between said input surface and said rigid body; (d) four sensors operatively mounted at spaced-apart points, each of said sensors producing a signal varying with a component of the applied force acting upon said exposed surface; and (e) calculating means with inputs coupled to said sensors for deriving from signals therefrom two output signals proportional to the coordinates of the point of application of said force with reference to a pre-established set of axes and an output signal proportional to the magnitude of said input force, said calculating means comprising: (i) first through said fourth sensor amplifiers coupled to each of said sensors; (ii) means for summing outputs of all of said sensor amplifiers; (iii) an inverter coupled to the output of said summing means; (iv) first through fourth sample-and-hold circuits, inputs of each of said sample-and-hold circuits being coupled to outputs of said first through fourth sensor amplifiers respectively; and (v) means for sequentially coupling outputs of said sample-and-hold circuits to output utilization means in response to output signals from said inverter means.