Matrix pressure sensor with neural network, and calibration method

Matrix pressure sensor (1), comprising: a matrix (2) of tactile pixels (10) at least some of which have a reciprocal crosstalk effect between them, a neural network (30) for processing an image (I.sub.P_MES) of the response from the sensor and providing a corrected image (I.sub.P_COR), this network having been trained from an augmented database (BD.sub.AUG) comprising: real homogeneous pressing data measured by applying a homogeneous pressure (P.sub.R) to at least some of the pixels, better still to all of the pixels of the matrix, and additional partial pressing data produced through simulation by applying binary masks (MAS) to the real homogeneous pressing data, so as to simulate partial pressing without a crosstalk effect with the pixels situated outside partial pressing areas.

Introduced are an apparatus for correcting an offset of a pressure sensor in a fuel cell system including a first pressure sensor and a second pressure sensor, which are installed between a rear end of a fuel supply valve of a hydrogen supply system and an anode inlet, and a method of correcting an offset using the same. The apparatus includes an offset corrector that calculates offsets between the sensors from a condition of same pressure of each of the sensors and corrects offsets with respect to the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor using the calculated offsets.

Introduced are an apparatus for correcting an offset of a pressure sensor in a fuel cell system including a first pressure sensor and a second pressure sensor, which are installed between a rear end of a fuel supply valve of a hydrogen supply system and an anode inlet, and a method of correcting an offset using the same. The apparatus includes an offset corrector that calculates offsets between the sensors from a condition of same pressure of each of the sensors and corrects offsets with respect to the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor using the calculated offsets.

A signal processing method includes receiving a signal that rises in response to a physical change and falls in response to an opposite physical change that is opposite to the physical change from a sensor that is a stretchable sensor and outputs the signal, and correcting a signal lag as either a rising of a received signal that has been received from the sensor lags with respect to a falling of the received signal, or the falling of the received signal lags with respect to the rising of the received signal.

A signal processing method includes receiving a signal that rises in response to a physical change and falls in response to an opposite physical change that is opposite to the physical change from a sensor that is a stretchable sensor and outputs the signal, and correcting a signal lag as either a rising of a received signal that has been received from the sensor lags with respect to a falling of the received signal, or the falling of the received signal lags with respect to the rising of the received signal.

In a method for calibrating at least one sensor, wherein the sensor includes at least one piezoelectric element with at least one electrode, and wherein at least one electrode is embodied as a measurement electrode, it is provided as essential to the invention that an electrical excitation voltage is applied to at least one further electrode of the piezoelectric element, embodied as a calibration electrode, to create a mechanical deformation of the piezoelectric element, that the voltage induced by the deformation of the piezoelectric element is captured with at least one measurement electrode, and that the applied excitation voltage and captured voltage are compared.

In a method for calibrating at least one sensor, wherein the sensor includes at least one piezoelectric element with at least one electrode, and wherein at least one electrode is embodied as a measurement electrode, it is provided as essential to the invention that an electrical excitation voltage is applied to at least one further electrode of the piezoelectric element, embodied as a calibration electrode, to create a mechanical deformation of the piezoelectric element, that the voltage induced by the deformation of the piezoelectric element is captured with at least one measurement electrode, and that the applied excitation voltage and captured voltage are compared.

A simulation device for the screw joint simulation of a nutrunner includes a test connecting element rigidly connected to a brake unit. The nutrunner can be coupled to the test connecting element and activated to exert a torque that rotates the test connecting element about an axis of rotation. Activation of the brake unit brakes the test connecting element. A torque transducer includes a rotational angle transducer for measuring a rotational angle by which the test connecting element rotates about the rotation axis. The simulation device includes a zero mark, and the brake unit can be adjusted to a zero angle with respect to the zero mark.

A simulation device for the screw joint simulation of a nutrunner includes a test connecting element rigidly connected to a brake unit. The nutrunner can be coupled to the test connecting element and activated to exert a torque that rotates the test connecting element about an axis of rotation. Activation of the brake unit brakes the test connecting element. A torque transducer includes a rotational angle transducer for measuring a rotational angle by which the test connecting element rotates about the rotation axis. The simulation device includes a zero mark, and the brake unit can be adjusted to a zero angle with respect to the zero mark.

A calibrated load cell includes a monolithic load beam having a first region, a second region on a distal end of the load beam from the first region for receiving a force from a load, and a third region arranged between the first and second regions, wherein the third region comprises a recess on one side of the load beam. A strain gauge is arranged in the recess for detecting a deformation of the third region from the load and for generating a strain gauge output signal proportional to the deformation of the third region. The load cell also includes a microcontroller arranged in the recess for receiving and processing the strain gauge output signal to produce a load cell output signal that represents the load on a load cell output cable. The microcontroller transforms the strain gauge output signal based on calibration parameters to produce the load cell output signal as a calibrated load cell output signal.