Calibration of force sensitive sensor device during its life cycle
A system for calibrating a dynamic force sensor during a life cycle of the dynamic force sensor includes a device for sensing data using the dynamic force sensor; a first calibration system, the device including the dynamic force sensor, a computing unit, and a memory associated with the computing unit; the first calibration system includes a reference sensor and a force inducer, the force inducer for applying a force to the dynamic force sensor and the reference sensor, the force being the same on the dynamic force sensor and the reference sensor, the first calibration system executing data acquisition of the force to determine a difference in a measurement by the dynamic force sensor and a measurement by the reference sensor, wherein the first calibration system calibrates the dynamic force sensor. A method is also disclosed.
1 . A system for calibrating a dynamic force sensor during a life cycle of the dynamic force sensor, the system comprising:
a device for sensing a plurality of data using the dynamic force sensor;
a first calibration system;
the device comprising the dynamic force sensor, a computing unit, and a memory associated with the computing unit;
the first calibration system comprising a reference sensor and a force inducer, the force inducer for applying the same force to both the dynamic force sensor and the reference sensor, the force being the same on the dynamic force sensor and the reference sensor simultaneously, the first calibration system executing data acquisition of the force to determine a difference in a measurement by the dynamic force sensor and a measurement by the reference sensor and applying the difference to adjust the dynamic force sensor's output to match the reference sensor,
wherein the first calibration system calibrates the dynamic force sensor during operation of the device without relying on historical usage data or material variability models alone.
2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a dynamic calibration system, the dynamic calibration system being stored in the memory of the computing unit and configured to adjust the dynamic force sensor based on variability over a predetermined period of time in addition to the first calibration system's reference-based adjustment.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the memory comprises a signal processing software for processing a signal from the dynamic force sensor to compute the difference relative to the reference sensor's signal.
4 . The system of claim 3 , further comprising a gain optimizer software for determining a gain over a predefined period of time based on the measurement difference from the reference sensor.
5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the first calibration system calibrates the dynamic force sensor according to a material variability of the dynamic force sensor in reference to a norm determined from the simultaneous force application of the reference sensor.
6 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the dynamic calibration system calibrates the dynamic force sensor according to variability over a predetermined period of time in combination with the first calibration system's reference-based difference.
7 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a wireless communications device disposed in the device for transmitting calibration data from the computing unit to a remote system.
8 . A method of calibrating a dynamic force sensor during a life cycle of the dynamic force sensor using a calibration system,
the system comprising:
a device for sensing a plurality of data using the dynamic force sensor;
a first calibration system;
the device comprising the dynamic force sensor, a computing unit, and a memory associated with the computing unit;
the first calibration system comprising a reference sensor and a force inducer, the force inducer for applying the same force to both the dynamic force sensor and the reference sensor, the force being the same on the dynamic force sensor and the reference sensor simultaneously, the first calibration system executing data acquisition of the force to determine a difference in a measurement by the dynamic force sensor and a measurement by the reference sensor and applying the difference to adjust the dynamic force sensor's output to match the reference sensor,
wherein the first calibration system calibrates the dynamic force sensor during operation of the device without relying on historical usage data or material variability models alone; the method comprising the steps of:
applying a force to the dynamic force sensor and the reference sensor, the force being the same on the dynamic force sensor and the reference sensor, and
measuring the output of the dynamic force sensors using data acquisition software.
9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising the step of:
applying a calibration calibration-value by gain adjuster software to the dynamic force sensor.
10 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising a dynamic calibration system,
wherein the step comprises the dynamic calibration system being stored in the memory of the computing unit and is configured to adjust based on variability in addition to the reference-based adjustment.
11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising using a parametrical or non-parametrical method to estimate from a signal level a multi-modal statistical distribution and tied to reference difference.
12 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising a step of determining and adjusting digital gain so that the fiducial point would be shifted to a static reference value to calibrate the dynamic force sensor based on the reference sensor's static value from simultaneous force applications.