Magnetic sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020124684-A1
Application number	US-201716470396-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 14, 2017
Priority date	Dec 16, 2016
Publication date	Apr 23, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for redundant measurements of a magnetic field originating from or influenced by a moveable object is described. The apparatus comprising at least one first magnetic field sensitive element measuring at least one magnetic field property of the magnetic field, wherein the at least one first magnetic field sensitive element is implemented on a first area of a semiconductor substrate, at least one second magnetic field sensitive element measuring at least one magnetic field property of the magnetic field, wherein the at least one second magnetic field sensitive element is implemented on a second area of said semiconductor substrate, and wherein the first and second areas are isolated from one another.

First claim

1 - 15 . (canceled)

16 . An apparatus for redundant measurements of a magnetic field originating from or influenced by a moveable object, the apparatus comprising:
at least one first magnetic field sensitive element measuring at least one magnetic field property of the magnetic field, wherein the at least one first magnetic field sensitive element is implemented on a first area of a semiconductor substrate; at least one second magnetic field sensitive element measuring at least one magnetic field property of the magnetic field, wherein the at least one second magnetic field sensitive element is implemented on a second area of said semiconductor substrate; and wherein the first and second areas are isolated from one another.

17 . The apparatus of claim 16 , further comprising:
a determination unit for determining at least one magnetic field property of the magnetic field at a virtual location based on the at least one magnetic field property of the magnetic field measured in the first area and/or the second area.

18 . The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the determination unit is adapted to perform the determination of the at least one magnetic field property of the magnetic field at the virtual location in a first time instance based on the at least one magnetic field property of the magnetic field measured in the first area and in a second time instance based on the at least one magnetic field property of the magnetic field measured in the second area.

19 . The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the determination unit adapted to compare at least one magnetic field property of the magnetic field at the virtual location determined based on the at least one magnetic field property of the magnetic field measured in the first area with at least one magnetic field property of the magnetic field at the virtual location determined based on the at least one magnetic field property of the magnetic field measured in the second area.

20 . The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the determination unit is adapted to provide at least one magnetic field property of the magnetic field at the virtual location determined based on the at least one magnetic field property of the magnetic field measured in the first area and/or at least one magnetic field property of the magnetic field at the virtual location determined based on the at least one magnetic field property of the magnetic field measured in the second area.

21 . The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein each area comprises contacts for connecting the areas separately to the determination unit.

22 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the at least one first magnetic field sensitive element and the at least one second magnetic field sensitive element are arranged in opposed pairs.

23 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the at least one first magnetic field sensitive element is arranged with a first distance to a common center point and the at least one second magnetic field sensitive element is arranged with a second distance to the common center point.

24 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the first and second magnetic field sensitive elements are equal in number.

25 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the first and second magnetic field sensitive elements are Hall sensing elements or magnetoresistance sensing elements.

26 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the first and second magnetic field sensitive elements measure the same magnetic field property of the magnetic field.

27 . The apparatus of claim 26 , wherein the measured magnetic field property is the magnetic field strength parallel or perpendicular to a surface of the semiconductor substrate.

28 . A method for redundant measurements of a magnetic field originating from or influenced by a moveable object with an apparatus, the method comprising:
measuring at least one magnetic field property of the magnetic field with at least one first magnetic field sensitive element; measuring at least one magnetic field property of the magnetic field with at least one second magnetic field sensitive element; and wherein the at least one first and at least one second magnetic field sensitive elements are implemented on a same semiconductor substrate on different isolated areas.

29 . The method of claim 28 , further comprising:
determining at least one magnetic field property of the magnetic field at a virtual location based on the at least one magnetic field property of the magnetic field measured in the first area and/or the second area.

30 . The method of claim 29 , further comprising:
comparing at least one magnetic field property of the magnetic field at the virtual location determined based on the at least one magnetic field property of the magnetic field measured in the first area with at least one magnetic field property of the magnetic field at the virtual location determined based on the at least one magnetic field property of the magnetic field measured in the second area.

Assignees

• Melexis Tech Sa

Inventors

• Burssens Jan-Willem
• Hiligsmann Vincent
• Barbut Lucian
• Huber Lindenberger Samuel
• Schott Christian

Classifications

• G01R33/007

  Environmental aspects, e.g. temperature variations, radiation, stray fields (G01R33/025 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01R33/09

  Magnetoresistive devices · CPC title

• G01R33/0005 Primary

  Geometrical arrangement of magnetic sensor elements; Apparatus combining different magnetic sensor types (G01R33/0206 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01R33/0047

  Housings or packaging of magnetic sensors (packaging of semiconductor devices H10W99/00); Holders · CPC title

• G01R33/07 Primary

  Hall effect devices · CPC title