The present invention aims at providing a cover structure of a tactile sensor and a tactile sensor that can secure sufficient adhesion between a sensor body and a covering layer without providing an adhesive layer and have no possibility of causing a sensor to make detection error due to the covering layer formed thereon. A cover structure of a tactile sensor according to the present invention includes a sensor body 2 and a covering layer 3 made of elastic body molded on the sensor body 2. The covering layer 3 includes at least two layers of an outer layer 32 disposed as the outermost layer and an inner layer 31 disposed to come in contact with the sensor body 2 and having a higher adhesiveness and a lower hardness than those of the outer layer 32, and is integrally molded with the sensor body 2 by the cast molding. It is preferable that the sensor body 2 be disposed on the top surface of the base 4, the covering layer 3 cover over the sensor body 2 and the base 4, and the inner layer 31 do not cover the bottom surface of the base 4.

A load detection apparatus includes a load input portion having a input surface, and an output surface; a flexure element including on annular portion including a contacting portion configured to make contact with at least a part of the output surface, and a support portion; a set of sensors disposed on a reverse surface opposite to a surface provided with the contacting portion in the annular portion, each of the set of sensors being configured to detect distortion corresponding to an input load; a set of calculation portions configured to calculate a set of magnitudes of the load by use of respective detection results obtained by the set of sensors; and an abnormality determination portion configured to determine whether the set of sensors and the set of calculation portions have no abnormality, by comparing the set of magnitudes of the load with each other.

The present invention relates to a method of associating at least one state in a plurality of states to a new value output by a drifting sensor, the method comprising: /a/ receiving a signal from the sensor, said signal comprising a plurality of values; /b/clustering the values of said signal into a number of clusters equal to the number of the plurality of states, each cluster being associated with a respective state in the plurality of states; /c/ for the new value of the signal, associating at least one state in said plurality of states or a probability rating representing the probability to be associated with one state in said plurality of states for said new value of the signal, the associated state or the associated probability rating being determined based on at least distances (d.sub.H, d.sub.L) of said new value of the signal to respective clusters.

The present invention relates to a method of associating at least one state in a plurality of states to a new value output by a drifting sensor, the method comprising: /a/ receiving a signal from the sensor, said signal comprising a plurality of values; /b/clustering the values of said signal into a number of clusters equal to the number of the plurality of states, each cluster being associated with a respective state in the plurality of states; /c/ for the new value of the signal, associating at least one state in said plurality of states or a probability rating representing the probability to be associated with one state in said plurality of states for said new value of the signal, the associated state or the associated probability rating being determined based on at least distances (d.sub.H, d.sub.L) of said new value of the signal to respective clusters.

A device able to sense pressure from multiple directions includes a substrate and an elastic member comprising a bottom end and a touch end. The bottom end is arranged on the substrate, and the touch end is configured to receive an external force. A group of pressure detecting units are arranged on the touch end, each pressure detecting unit is a curved shape and comprises a first end and a second end, the first end being fixed on the substrate, and the second end is fixed with the elastic member. Distances between each first end and the bottom end are same, and a first signal processing unit is electrically connected with the at least two detecting units.

A device able to sense pressure from multiple directions includes a substrate and an elastic member comprising a bottom end and a touch end. The bottom end is arranged on the substrate, and the touch end is configured to receive an external force. A group of pressure detecting units are arranged on the touch end, each pressure detecting unit is a curved shape and comprises a first end and a second end, the first end being fixed on the substrate, and the second end is fixed with the elastic member. Distances between each first end and the bottom end are same, and a first signal processing unit is electrically connected with the at least two detecting units.

A pressure sensor includes: a base substrate including an embossed pattern; a first conductive layer disposed on the base substrate; a pressure sensitive material layer disposed on the first conductive layer such that its electrical characteristic is varied corresponding to a strain applied thereto, the pressure sensitive material layer including a dielectric and nanoparticles dispersed in the dielectric; and a second conductive layer disposed on the pressure sensitive material layer, wherein the dielectric and the nanoparticle include materials having pyroelectricities of polarities opposite to each other.

There is provided a load sensor including: a pressing shaft configured to transmit a load in an axial direction of the pressing shaft; a sensor element configured to measure the load being transmitted by the pressing shaft; and a load limiting means configured to limit the load applied to the sensor element and protect the sensor element from being applied with excessive load, the load limiting means being configured to be deformable by the load when the load transmitted by the pressing shaft exceeds an allowable measurement range set for the sensor element.

There is provided a load sensor including: a pressing shaft configured to transmit a load in an axial direction of the pressing shaft; a sensor element configured to measure the load being transmitted by the pressing shaft; and a load limiting means configured to limit the load applied to the sensor element and protect the sensor element from being applied with excessive load, the load limiting means being configured to be deformable by the load when the load transmitted by the pressing shaft exceeds an allowable measurement range set for the sensor element.

A force sensor includes first and second substrates. The second substrate faces the first substrate. A driving electrode is disposed on a first surface of the first substrate facing the second substrate. A sensing electrode is disposed on the first surface of the first substrate and is spaced apart from the driving electrode. A force sensitive layer is disposed on a first surface of the second substrate, facing the first substrate. The driving electrode includes a main driving protrusion that protrudes from a side surface of the driving electrode, facing the sensing electrode.