Sensor apparatus, production method for a sensor apparatus having at least one magnetic core and method for determining a field strength of a magnetic field in at least one spatial direction

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9927497-B2
Application number	US-201415120951-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2014
Priority date	Feb 25, 2014
Publication date	Mar 27, 2018
Grant date	Mar 27, 2018

Abstract

A sensor apparatus having at least one magnet core, on at least one carrier surface, which encompasses at least one soft magnetic material and for which a respective longitudinal center plane, which is oriented perpendicularly to the carrier surface and divides the respective magnet core into two halves having an identical mass, is definable, at least one coil being on, around, and/or adjacent to the at least one magnet core, the at least one magnet core having in its interior sub-regions by which an initiation of a magnetization reversal of the respective magnet core is targetedly locally controllable since a drive energy to be applied for propagation of a magnetic domain wall is elevated. Also described is a manufacturing method for a sensor apparatus having at least one magnet core, and a method for ascertaining a field strength of a magnetic field in at least one spatial direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sensor apparatus, comprising:
at least one magnet core, disposed on at least one carrier surface, which encompasses at least one soft magnetic material;
at least one coil being disposed on, around, and/or adjacent to the at least one magnet core;
wherein the at least one magnet core has sub-regions in its interior by which an initiation of a magnetization reversal of the respective magnet core is targetedly locally controllable since a drive energy to be applied for propagation of a magnetic domain wall is elevated,
wherein a respective longitudinal center plane, which is oriented perpendicularly to the carrier surface and divides the respective magnet core into two halves having an identical mass, being definable for the at least one magnet core, and the at least one magnet core is embodied with at least one opening in its interior, with an asymmetrical shape with reference to its longitudinal center plane, and/or with an asymmetrical magnetic homogeneity with reference to its longitudinal center plane.

2. The sensor apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one magnet core having the at least one opening in its interior being embodied symmetrically with reference to its longitudinal center plane and/or asymmetrically with reference to its transverse center plane proceeding perpendicularly to its longitudinal center plane and to its carrier surface and dividing the respective magnet core into two further halves having an identical mass.

3. The sensor apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one magnet core having the at least one opening in its interior being embodied asymmetrically with reference to its longitudinal center plane and/or centrically symmetrically with reference to its center point.

4. The sensor apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one magnet core having the asymmetrical shape with reference to its longitudinal center plane is configured with at least one projecting segment and/or with at least one recessed segment on at least one outer surface of the respective magnet core.

5. The sensor apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the at least one magnet core having the asymmetrical shape with reference to its longitudinal center plane is configured symmetrically with reference to its transverse center plane.

6. The sensor apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the at least one magnet core having the asymmetrical shape with reference to its longitudinal center plane is configured centrically symmetrically with reference to its center point.

7. The sensor apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one magnet core having the asymmetrical magnetic homogeneity with reference to its longitudinal center plane also encompassing at least one saturation-magnetization-lowering material in addition to the soft magnetic material.

8. The sensor apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one magnet core having the asymmetrical magnetic homogeneity with reference to its longitudinal center plane also encompassing at least one saturation-magnetization-increasing material in addition to the soft magnetic material.

9. The sensor apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one magnet core having the asymmetrical magnetic homogeneity with reference to its longitudinal center plane also having an asymmetrical magnetic homogeneity with reference to its transverse center plane and/or a centrically symmetrical magnetic homogeneity with reference to its center point.

10. The sensor apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sensor apparatus includes one of a magnetometer component, a magnetometer, a compass component, and a compass.

11. A manufacturing method for a sensor apparatus having at least one magnet core, the method comprising:
configuring the at least one magnet core from at least one soft magnetic material on at least one associated carrier surface; and
disposing or configuring at least one coil on, around, and/or adjacent to the at least one magnet core;
wherein the at least one magnet core is configured with sub-regions in its interior, by which sub-regions an initiation of a magnetization reversal of the respective magnet core is targetedly locally controllable since a drive energy to be applied for propagation of a magnetic domain wall is elevated,
wherein the at least one magnet core is formed on the at least one associated carrier surface so that a respective longitudinal center plane, which is oriented perpendicularly to its carrier surface and divides the respective magnet core into two halves having an identical mass, is definable for the at least one magnet core, and the at least one magnet core is configured with at least one opening in its interior, with an asymmetrical shape with reference to its longitudinal center plane, and/or with an asymmetrical magnetic homogeneity with reference to its longitudinal center plane.

12. The manufacturing method of claim 11 , wherein the sensor apparatus includes one of a magnetometer component, a magnetometer, a compass component, and a compass.

13. A method for ascertaining a field strength of a magnetic field in at least one spatial direction, the method comprising:
generating an alternating magnetic field in at least one magnet core made up of at least one soft magnetic material, on its associated carrier surface, for each spatial direction, the respective magnet core having in its interior sub-regions by which an initiation of a magnetization reversal of the respective magnet core is targetedly locally controllable since a drive energy to be applied for propagation of a magnetic domain wall is elevated; and
ascertaining, during generation of the alternating magnetic field, an alternating field strength, generated during a magnetization reversal of the respective magnet core in the respective magnet core, of the alternating field along the respective spatial direction, and the ascertained alternating field strength being specified as the field strength of the magnetic field in the respective spatial direction; and
outputting the ascertained alternating field strength,
wherein the at least one magnet core is formed on the at least one associated carrier surface so that a respective longitudinal center plane, which is oriented perpendicularly to its carrier surface and divides the respective magnet core into two halves having an identical mass, is definable for the at least one magnet core, and the at least one magnet core is configured with at least one opening in its interior, with an asymmetrical shape with reference to its longitudinal center plane, and/or with an asymmetrical magnetic homogeneity with reference to its longitudinal center plane.

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Reichenbach Frank
• Gencol Sevki
• Eckstein Rainer
• Patak Christian
• Breitling Achim
• Dannenberg Arne
• Schatz Frank

Classifications

• G01R33/04 Primary

  using the flux-gate principle · CPC title

• G01R33/0011

  comprising means, e.g. flux concentrators, flux guides, for guiding or concentrating the magnetic flux, e.g. to the magnetic sensor · CPC title

• G01R33/0052

  Manufacturing aspects; Manufacturing of single devices, i.e. of semiconductor magnetic sensor chips (devices based on galvano-magnetic effect or the like H10N50/85) · CPC title