An Apple patent filing uncovered on Thursday describes an advanced mouse
that employs sensors to measure the level and location of force exerted
on its main button, as well as haptics systems for providing feedback.
As published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Apple's
application for a "Force Sensing Mouse" details a mouse peripheral that
not only varies its output based on how hard a user presses, but returns
confirmation feedback in the way of haptic vibrations.
The invention is largely built around a strain gauge operatively coupled
to a cantilever arm or beam. Employing the familiar Apple mouse design,
with a single large top portion acting as a button or buttons, the
accessory is able to easily and accurately transfer force through the
arm, onto the sensor.
For example, when a user presses down on the mouse, the cantilever beam
may bend, flex or twist, thus deforming the strain gauge that in turn
outputs a certain voltage to be translated into an input signal. By
processing voltage output, the mouse can estimate the amount of force
being applied by the user and generate a control signal accordingly.
As for haptic feedback, an electromagnet is disposed in the mouse's body
such that it hits the top button portion when activated. Alternatively,
embedded vibration motors or other haptic systems are placed in one or
more positions so as to provide adequate levels of feedback.
In practice, a user moves a UI cursor over an icon an exerts a first
force (button press) to select the asset, which triggers a preset
feedback force. A second, harder level of pressure induces the execution
of a command, like opening an app or folder, while the mouse responds
in kind with a more intense vibration. In this way, the user is able to
navigate, select and activate graphical assets with one button press,
getting feedback along the way.
Apple notes the pivot-style orientation of its mouse design might cause
distortion in readings as less force is transferred through to the
cantilever beam when a user presses down farther away from the pivot
point, while more force is transferred when closer to the mouse's
mechanical elements. To resolve this issue, and pinpoint finger
location, the invention proposes deploying a touch sensor like the one
found in Apple's Magic Mouse.
Alternatively, different types of sensors — piezoelectric force sensors,
force transducers, pressure sensor arrays, torque sensors and others —
can be used instead of the cantilever beam/strain gauge setup. The use
of multiple sensors or location tracking via multitouch provides even
more flexibility and introduces what are perhaps the patent's most
interesting embodiments.
For example, with location tracking activated, the mouse's top portion
can correspond to different locations on an operating system's UI.
In another embodiment, a button press is divided into "left force,"
"right force" and "middle force" depending on where the user presses or
where their fingers are when force a first force is exerted. Apple
offers the example of a flight simulator that maps right, left or middle
forces to a plane's directional controls (pitch, yaw and roll), while
applied force corresponds to speed or amplitude of movement.
Illustration of force sensing mouse with multiple cantilever arms (405).
It is unknown if Apple is working on a new mouse device, though the
existing Magic Mouse is nearly five years old. Apple's peripheral
releases are difficult to predict, though the Magic Mouse replaced the
preceding Mighty Mouse after the old multi-button version spent four
years on the market.
Apple's force sensing mouse patent application was first filed in 2013
and credits James E. Wright and Keith J. Hendren as its inventors.
iSweek（http://www.isweek.com/）- Industry sourcing & Wholesale industrial products
2016年1月12日星期二
Automotive Temperature & Humidity Sensor Market 2015-2019
Smart sensors
are defined as a combination of a sensing element, an analog to digital
converter (ADC), and an analog interface along with bus interface in one
housing. Digital sensors also have a similar circuitry, therefore all digital
sensors have been considered as smart sensors for this study.
In the automotive industry, smart sensors are utilized in applications like powertrain, body electronics, and alternative fuel vehicles (AFV). Rising demand for alternative powertrains along with alternative fuel vehicles is expected to drive the market for smart sensors in the automotive industry.
The market associated with the smart sensors for automotive application is poised to witness tremendous growth. Applications such as powertrain and AFV are expected to be high growth areas for smart relative humidity sensors.
This report covers the overall automotive temperature & humidity sensor market on the basis of different types of technology, packaging type, application, and geography. The major automotive applications considered for this study are powertrain, body electronics, and alternative fuel vehicles. The body electronics application has been further segmented into automatic HVAC control and auto defogger system.
Considering the geographical scenario of the automotive temperature & humidity sensor market APAC occupied the top position, followed by theAmericas
Some of the major industry players in the automotive temperature & humidity sensor market are Sensirion AG (Switzerland), STMicroelectronics (Switzerland), Analog Devices Inc. (U.S.), Melexis NV (Belgium), NXP Semiconductor (Netherlands), Continental AG (Germany), and Robert Bosch GmbH (Germany) among others.
Key Topics Covered:
1 Introduction
2 Research Methodology
3 Executive Summary
4 Premium Insights
5 Market Overview
6 Industry Trends
7 Market, By Sensor Type
8 Market, By Technology
9 Market, By Packaging Type
10 Market, By Application
11 Market, By Geography
12 Competitive Landscape
13 Company Profiles
- Analog Devices, Inc.
- Continental AG
-Delphi Automotive Plc
- Epcos AG
- Honeywell International Inc.
- Measurement Specialities Inc.
- Melexis NV
- NXP Semiconductors
- On Semiconductor Corporation
- Robert Bosch GMBH
- Sensata Technologies, Inc.
- Sensirion AG
- Stmicroelectronics
-Texas
In the automotive industry, smart sensors are utilized in applications like powertrain, body electronics, and alternative fuel vehicles (AFV). Rising demand for alternative powertrains along with alternative fuel vehicles is expected to drive the market for smart sensors in the automotive industry.
The market associated with the smart sensors for automotive application is poised to witness tremendous growth. Applications such as powertrain and AFV are expected to be high growth areas for smart relative humidity sensors.
This report covers the overall automotive temperature & humidity sensor market on the basis of different types of technology, packaging type, application, and geography. The major automotive applications considered for this study are powertrain, body electronics, and alternative fuel vehicles. The body electronics application has been further segmented into automatic HVAC control and auto defogger system.
Considering the geographical scenario of the automotive temperature & humidity sensor market APAC occupied the top position, followed by the
Some of the major industry players in the automotive temperature & humidity sensor market are Sensirion AG (Switzerland), STMicroelectronics (Switzerland), Analog Devices Inc. (U.S.), Melexis NV (Belgium), NXP Semiconductor (Netherlands), Continental AG (Germany), and Robert Bosch GmbH (Germany) among others.
Key Topics Covered:
1 Introduction
2 Research Methodology
3 Executive Summary
4 Premium Insights
5 Market Overview
6 Industry Trends
7 Market, By Sensor Type
8 Market, By Technology
9 Market, By Packaging Type
10 Market, By Application
11 Market, By Geography
12 Competitive Landscape
13 Company Profiles
- Analog Devices, Inc.
- Continental AG
-
- Epcos AG
- Honeywell International Inc.
- Measurement Specialities Inc.
- Melexis NV
- NXP Semiconductors
- On Semiconductor Corporation
- Robert Bosch GMBH
- Sensata Technologies, Inc.
- Sensirion AG
- Stmicroelectronics
-
Ultra-sensitive fiber-optic gas sensors are enhanced by metal-organic materials
Compared with low-cost electrochemical and metal-oxide gas sensors,
those based on optical absorption achieve high specificity, minimal
drift, fast response, and a much longer lifetime. They therefore offer
significant engineering potential for application in pollution
monitoring, environmental protection, hazardous-material detection,
early disease diagnosis, and the food industry. The absorption spectra
of gas molecules exhibit narrow lines—particularly in the IR region—due
to molecular vibrations at discrete energy levels. These narrow lines
represent the signatures of gas molecules and can therefore be used for
both their measurement and identification.
Most commercial mid-IR (2.5–10μm wavelength) gas-sensing technologies are based on benchtop Fourier-transform IR (FTIR) spectrometers and gas cells. These instruments are expensive and large, making them unsuitable for mobile or distributed sensing applications. The optical telecommunication industry has, however, developed miniaturized near-IR (NIR, 0.8–2.0μm wavelength) optical fibers and optoelectronic devices that are low cost and highly reliable. This has led to significant acceleration in the development of NIR sensors. The biggest challenge lies in the fact that most gases do not have fundamental vibration bands in NIR regions. The absorption must therefore come from overtones of the fundamental vibration bands, resulting in a relatively low detection sensitivity.
We have developed ultra-sensitive NIR fiber-optic gas sensors coated with a thin layer of metal-organic framework (MOF) materials for the detection of carbon dioxide (CO2). MOFs are a new class of highly porous crystalline material consisting of metal ions and bridging organic ligands that are linked together by coordination bonds. This class of material has been widely applied in chemical separation, gas storage, drug delivery, sensing, and catalysis applications due to the high surface areas that are enabled by its tunable nanostructured cavities. We have previously shown that an MOF film embedded with plasmonic nanoparticles enhances IR absorption at 2.7μm.7 In our NIR fiber-optic sensors, the MOF film coats the surface of the fiber core. This enables absorption of CO2 in the ambient environment and effectively increases the local CO2 concentration at the surface of the optical fiber. Interaction between the evanescent field and the gas analyte is thereby enhanced, leading to an increase in NIR detection sensitivity using a fiber that is only a few centimeters long.
To fabricate our NIR fiber-optic gas sensor, we grew nanoporous MOF materials on the surface of a fiber core: see Figure (a). To enable this process, we began by etching a 5cm region on the 1m-long single-mode fiber (SMF). After its protective polymer coating had been removed using a flame, the SMF was fixed onto a silicon substrate via UV epoxy. We then used a standard buffered oxide etchant (BOE) to etch away the cladding layer of the SMF. During the etching process, the fiber was connected to a 1.55μm laser diode and we used an optical power meter to monitor the optical transmission through the SMF.
When the transmitted optical power dropped by 1.5–2dB, the etching process was halted by removing the silicon substrate from the BOE and rinsing it with deionized water. We then grew the MOF on the surface of the etched region using the layer-by-layer (LBL) method.8 The SMF was first treated with oxygen plasma to increase the hydroxyl functional groups for MOF growth and then immersed in a 300mL ethanol solution, containing 10mM of the metal precursor (copper acetate) for 20min. The SMF was subsequently immersed in another 300mL ethanol solution containing 1mM of the organic ligand benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate (BTC) for 40min. Between each step, we rinsed the fiber with ethanol to remove the unreacted precursor ions or molecules to ensure uniform growth. The fiber was then naturally dried at room temperature for 10min. The copper-BTC MOF thin film was grown on SMF using the 40-cycle LBL method.
The experimental setup for CO2 sensing is shown in Figure (b). A tunable semiconductor laser diode and an amplified-spontaneous-emission light source are used to couple light into the fiber-optic sensor by fusion splicing another SMF with the gas sensor. The gas sensor is placed inside a gas cell, which is connected to CO2 and argon (Ar) gases. Light transmitted through the sensor is directly coupled to a power meter or an optical spectrum analyzer, and the data is collected by a computer. The gas flow rates can be tuned using mass-flow controllers (MFCs) with a flow range of 0–20mL min−1.
We determined the detection limit of our gas sensor by measuring the change of the transmission power as a function of CO2 concentration, which was varied by dilution with Ar. The lowest detectable concentration is about 20 parts per million (ppm): see Figure (a). The enhancement factor (γ), which we calculated based on the Beer-Lambert law, is shown in Figure (b). Evanescent field optical sensors usually have lower γ (1) is the combined result of the evanescent-field and MOF-concentration effects.
We have developed ultra-short NIR fiber-optic gas sensors based on MOF-coated optical fiber for CO2 sensing. Compared with conventional evanescent-field fiber-optic gas sensors, the sensing length is reduced to 5cm. This is made possible due to the MOF layer, which enables the selective concentration of CO2. Our device achieves a detection limit of 20ppm. To the best of our knowledge, this is the shortest and most sensitive NIR fiber-optic sensor for CO2 detection at the 1.57μm wavelength. In the future, we intend to use our ultra-sensitive NIR fiber-optic gas sensors for a variety of potential engineering applications, including methane-leakage detection and medical diagnosis.
iSweek（http://www.isweek.com/）- Industry sourcing & Wholesale industrial products
Most commercial mid-IR (2.5–10μm wavelength) gas-sensing technologies are based on benchtop Fourier-transform IR (FTIR) spectrometers and gas cells. These instruments are expensive and large, making them unsuitable for mobile or distributed sensing applications. The optical telecommunication industry has, however, developed miniaturized near-IR (NIR, 0.8–2.0μm wavelength) optical fibers and optoelectronic devices that are low cost and highly reliable. This has led to significant acceleration in the development of NIR sensors. The biggest challenge lies in the fact that most gases do not have fundamental vibration bands in NIR regions. The absorption must therefore come from overtones of the fundamental vibration bands, resulting in a relatively low detection sensitivity.
We have developed ultra-sensitive NIR fiber-optic gas sensors coated with a thin layer of metal-organic framework (MOF) materials for the detection of carbon dioxide (CO2). MOFs are a new class of highly porous crystalline material consisting of metal ions and bridging organic ligands that are linked together by coordination bonds. This class of material has been widely applied in chemical separation, gas storage, drug delivery, sensing, and catalysis applications due to the high surface areas that are enabled by its tunable nanostructured cavities. We have previously shown that an MOF film embedded with plasmonic nanoparticles enhances IR absorption at 2.7μm.7 In our NIR fiber-optic sensors, the MOF film coats the surface of the fiber core. This enables absorption of CO2 in the ambient environment and effectively increases the local CO2 concentration at the surface of the optical fiber. Interaction between the evanescent field and the gas analyte is thereby enhanced, leading to an increase in NIR detection sensitivity using a fiber that is only a few centimeters long.
To fabricate our NIR fiber-optic gas sensor, we grew nanoporous MOF materials on the surface of a fiber core: see Figure (a). To enable this process, we began by etching a 5cm region on the 1m-long single-mode fiber (SMF). After its protective polymer coating had been removed using a flame, the SMF was fixed onto a silicon substrate via UV epoxy. We then used a standard buffered oxide etchant (BOE) to etch away the cladding layer of the SMF. During the etching process, the fiber was connected to a 1.55μm laser diode and we used an optical power meter to monitor the optical transmission through the SMF.
When the transmitted optical power dropped by 1.5–2dB, the etching process was halted by removing the silicon substrate from the BOE and rinsing it with deionized water. We then grew the MOF on the surface of the etched region using the layer-by-layer (LBL) method.8 The SMF was first treated with oxygen plasma to increase the hydroxyl functional groups for MOF growth and then immersed in a 300mL ethanol solution, containing 10mM of the metal precursor (copper acetate) for 20min. The SMF was subsequently immersed in another 300mL ethanol solution containing 1mM of the organic ligand benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate (BTC) for 40min. Between each step, we rinsed the fiber with ethanol to remove the unreacted precursor ions or molecules to ensure uniform growth. The fiber was then naturally dried at room temperature for 10min. The copper-BTC MOF thin film was grown on SMF using the 40-cycle LBL method.
The experimental setup for CO2 sensing is shown in Figure (b). A tunable semiconductor laser diode and an amplified-spontaneous-emission light source are used to couple light into the fiber-optic sensor by fusion splicing another SMF with the gas sensor. The gas sensor is placed inside a gas cell, which is connected to CO2 and argon (Ar) gases. Light transmitted through the sensor is directly coupled to a power meter or an optical spectrum analyzer, and the data is collected by a computer. The gas flow rates can be tuned using mass-flow controllers (MFCs) with a flow range of 0–20mL min−1.
We determined the detection limit of our gas sensor by measuring the change of the transmission power as a function of CO2 concentration, which was varied by dilution with Ar. The lowest detectable concentration is about 20 parts per million (ppm): see Figure (a). The enhancement factor (γ), which we calculated based on the Beer-Lambert law, is shown in Figure (b). Evanescent field optical sensors usually have lower γ (1) is the combined result of the evanescent-field and MOF-concentration effects.
We have developed ultra-short NIR fiber-optic gas sensors based on MOF-coated optical fiber for CO2 sensing. Compared with conventional evanescent-field fiber-optic gas sensors, the sensing length is reduced to 5cm. This is made possible due to the MOF layer, which enables the selective concentration of CO2. Our device achieves a detection limit of 20ppm. To the best of our knowledge, this is the shortest and most sensitive NIR fiber-optic sensor for CO2 detection at the 1.57μm wavelength. In the future, we intend to use our ultra-sensitive NIR fiber-optic gas sensors for a variety of potential engineering applications, including methane-leakage detection and medical diagnosis.
iSweek（http://www.isweek.com/）- Industry sourcing & Wholesale industrial products
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