Circuit and measuring system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9279702-B2
Application number	US-201414154995-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 14, 2014
Priority date	Jan 14, 2013
Publication date	Mar 8, 2016
Grant date	Mar 8, 2016

Abstract

A measuring system having a first magnetic field sensor, a second magnetic field sensor, an encoder, and an evaluation circuit to which the first magnetic field sensor and the second magnetic field sensor are connected. The evaluation circuit generates a first signal and a second measurement signal. The encoder generates a second magnetic field change with a second periodicity. The evaluation circuit generates a second signal with the second periodicity from the first measurement signal of the first magnetic field sensor and the second measurement signal of the second magnetic field sensor according to an absolute value function.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A measuring system comprising:
a magnetic field sensor array having a first magnetic field sensor integrated into a semiconductor chip for measuring a first component of a magnetic field in a first spatial direction, and a second magnetic field sensor integrated into a semiconductor chip for measuring a second component of the magnetic field in a second spatial direction, wherein the first spatial direction is orthogonal to the second spatial direction;
a movable encoder that has a plurality of pole pairs which generate a position-dependent first magnetic field change with a first periodicity in the magnetic field sensor array; and
an evaluation circuit connectable to the first magnetic field sensor and the second magnetic field sensor, the evaluation circuit adapted to generate a first signal with the first periodicity from a first measurement signal of the first magnetic field sensor and a second measurement signal of the second magnetic field sensor according to an arc tangent function,
wherein the moveable encoder is configured to generate a position-dependent second magnetic field change with a second periodicity in the magnetic field sensor array,
wherein the evaluation circuit is configured to generate a second signal with the second periodicity from the first measurement signal of the first magnetic field sensor and the second measurement signal of the second magnetic field sensor according to an absolute value function, and
wherein the evaluation circuit has a logic, which is configured to determine a position of the moveable encoder based on the first signal and the second signal.

2. The measuring system according to claim 1 , wherein the encoder generates the second magnetic field change via a change in an air gap width between the encoder and the magnetic field sensor array.

3. The measuring system according to claim 1 , wherein the logic compares a result of the absolute value function with a plurality of threshold values.

4. The measuring system according to claim 1 , wherein the encoder is a rotatory encoder that has a plurality of magnets, with each rotation of the encoder via a plurality of pole pairs.

5. The measuring system according to claim 4 , wherein a period of the second periodicity corresponds to a rotation of the moveable encoder, and wherein the position determined by the evaluation circuit is an angular position.

6. A measuring system comprising:
a magnetic field sensor array having a first magnetic field sensor integrated into a semiconductor chip for measuring a first component of a magnetic field in a first spatial direction, and a second magnetic field sensor integrated into a semiconductor chip for measuring a second component of the magnetic field in a second spatial direction;
an encoder that is movable and has a plurality of magnets, which with a movement of the encoder via a plurality of pole pairs generate a path-dependent first magnetic field change with a first periodicity in the magnetic field sensor array, wherein the first spatial direction is orthogonal to the second spatial direction; and
an evaluation circuit connected to the first magnetic field sensor and the second magnetic field sensor,
wherein the evaluation circuit is adapted to generate a first signal with the first periodicity from a first measurement signal of the first magnetic field sensor and a second measurement signal of the second magnetic field sensor according to an arc tangent function,
wherein the encoder is adapted to generate a path-dependent second magnetic field change with a second periodicity in the magnetic field sensor array, the second periodicity being greater than the first periodicity,
wherein the evaluation circuit is adapted to generate a second signal with the second periodicity from the first measurement signal of the first magnetic field sensor and the second measurement signal of the second magnetic field sensor according to an absolute value function, and
wherein the evaluation circuit has a logic that is adapted to determine a position of the encoder based on the first signal and the second signal.

7. The measuring system according to claim 6 , further comprising a track which the encoder is moveable along, wherein a period of the second periodicity corresponds to a stretch between endpoints of a track.

8. The measuring system according to claim 6 , wherein the encoder is movable along a track.

9. The measuring system according to claim 6 , wherein the encoder is a rotatory encoder that has a plurality of magnets, with each rotation of the encoder via a plurality of pole pairs.

10. The measuring system according to claim 9 , wherein the path-dependent first magnetic field change is a rotation angle-dependent magnetic field change and the path-dependent second magnetic field change is a rotation angle-dependent magnetic field change.

11. A measuring system comprising:
a magnetic field sensor array having a first magnetic field sensor integrated into a semiconductor chip for measuring a first component of a magnetic field in a first spatial direction, a second magnetic field sensor integrated into a semiconductor chip for measuring a second component of the magnetic field in a second spatial direction, and a magnet, wherein the first spatial direction is orthogonal to the second spatial direction;
a movable encoder influencing a magnetic field of the magnet, to generate a position-dependent first magnetic field change with a first periodicity in the magnetic field sensor array; and
an evaluation circuit connectable to the first magnetic field sensor and the second magnetic field sensor,
wherein the evaluation circuit is adapted to generate a first signal with the first periodicity from a first measurement signal of the first magnetic field sensor and a second measurement signal of the second magnetic field sensor according to an arc tangent function,
wherein the encoder generates a position-dependent second magnetic field change with a second periodicity in the magnetic field sensor array, the second periodicity being greater than the first periodicity,
wherein the evaluation circuit generates a second signal with the second periodicity from the first measurement signal of the first magnetic field sensor and the second measurement signal of the second magnetic field sensor according to an absolute value function, and
wherein the evaluation circuit has a logic that determines a position of the encoder based on the first signal and the second signal.

12. The measuring system according to claim 11 , wherein the encoder is movable along a track.

13. The measuring system according to claim 11 , wherein the moveable encoder is a rotationally moveable encoder that has teeth, a material of the teeth influencing a magnetic field of the magnet, the teeth of the encoder adapted to, with each rotation of the encoder, generate the position-dependent first magnetic field change, wherein the position-dependent first magnetic field change is a rotation angle-dependent first magnetic field change.

14. The measuring system according to claim 11 , wherein the position-dependent second magnetic field change is a rotation angle-dependent second magnetic field change, wherein a period of the second periodicity corresponds to a rotation of the encoder, and wherein the position determined by the evaluation circuit is a rotation angle position.

15. A measuring system comprising:
a magnetic field sensor array having a first magnetic field sensor integrated into a semiconductor chip for measuring a first component of a magnetic field in a first spatial direction and a second ma

Assignees

• Micronas Gmbh

Inventors

• Ritter Joachim
• Franke Joerg

Classifications

• G01R33/091

  Constructional adaptation of the sensor to specific applications · CPC title

• G01D5/16 Primary

  by varying resistance · CPC title

• G01R33/072

  Constructional adaptation of the sensor to specific applications · CPC title

• G01D5/145 Primary

  influenced by the relative movement between the Hall device and magnetic fields (see G01R33/06) · CPC title