Position sensor device to determine a position of a moving device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9952065-B2
Application number	US-201414911023-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 30, 2014
Priority date	Aug 9, 2013
Publication date	Apr 24, 2018
Grant date	Apr 24, 2018

Abstract

A position sensor device to determine a position of a moving device comprises a detection unit to detect a signal generated by the moving device and an evaluation unit to determine a first position (α 0 (t1) ) specifying the position of the moving device at a first time (t 1 ). An error distance determination unit determines a velocity of the movement of the moving device and at least one error distance (α err1 , α err2 , α err3 ) specifying a distance by which the moving device moves on between the first time (t 1 ) and a second time (t 2 ) in dependence on the velocity and a propagation delay time (T pd ). A position correction unit is configured to determine a corrected position (α corr ) in dependence on the at least one error distance (α err1 , α err2 , α err3 ) and the first position (α 0 (t1) ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A position sensor device to determine a position of a moving device, comprising:
a detection unit to detect a signal generated by the moving device, the detection unit being configured to detect the signal at a first time;
an evaluation unit to determine a position of the moving device specifying the position of the moving device at a time by evaluating the detected signal,
wherein the evaluation unit is configured to determine a first position specifying the position of the moving device, at the first time;
an error distance determination unit to determine at least one error distance, the at least one error distance specifying a distance by which the moving device moves on between the first time and a second time, the second time being after the first time; and
a position correction unit having an output terminal to output a corrected position, the corrected position specifying the position of the moving device at the second time,
wherein the error distance determination unit is configured to determine a velocity of the movement of the moving device and to determine the at least one error distance in dependence on the velocity of the movement of the moving device and in dependence on a delay time specifying the time duration between the first time at which the signal generated by the moving device is detected and the second time at which the corrected position is output at the output terminal of the position correction unit, and
wherein the position correction unit is configured to determine the corrected position in dependence on the at least one error distance and the first position.

2. The position sensor device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the detection unit is configured to detect a rotating magnetic field of a rotating magnet, the detection unit being configured to detect the rotating magnetic field at the first time,
wherein the evaluation unit is configured to determine a rotating angle of the rotating magnet specifying the position of the rotating magnet at the time by evaluating the detected rotating magnetic field,
wherein the evaluation unit is configured to determine a first rotating angle specifying the position of the rotating magnet at the first time,
wherein the error distance determination unit is configured to determine at least one error angle, the at least one error angle specifying an angle by which the rotating magnet turns on between the first time and the second time,
wherein the position correction unit is configured to output a corrected rotating angle, the corrected rotating angle specifying the position of the rotating magnet at the second time,
wherein the error distance determination unit is configured to determine a velocity of the rotation of the rotating magnet and to determine the at least one error angle in dependence on the velocity of the rotation of the rotating magnet and in dependence on the delay time, and
wherein the position correction unit is configured to determine the corrected rotating angle in dependence on the at least one error angle and the first rotating angle.

3. The position sensor device as claimed in claim 2 , comprising:
an output terminal being coupled to the position correction unit to output the corrected rotating angle,
wherein the delay time is a propagation delay time specifying the time duration between the detection of the rotating magnetic field at the first time and the output of the corrected rotating angle at the output terminal.

4. The position sensor device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the error distance determination unit is configured to determine a first one of the at least one error angle, and
wherein the error distance determination unit is configured to determine the first error angle in dependence on the velocity of the rotation of the rotating magnet between the first time and a prior time.

5. The position sensor device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the evaluation unit is configured to evaluate the detected rotating magnetic field at the first time and the prior time,
wherein the evaluation unit is configured to determine a prior rotating angle of the rotating magnet specifying the position of the rotating magnet at the prior time, and
wherein the error distance determination unit is configured to determine the velocity of the rotation of the rotating magnet in dependence on a difference between the first rotating angle and the prior rotating angle and a difference between the first time and the prior time.

6. The position sensor device as claimed in claim 5 , comprising:
an oscillator circuit to provide a clock signal for operating the evaluation unit and the error distance determination unit,
wherein the evaluation unit is configured to evaluate the detected rotating magnetic field in a time interval being dependent on the clock signal to determine the first rotating angle and the prior rotating angle.

7. The position sensor device as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the evaluation unit is configured such that the time duration between the first time and the prior time is a multiple of an integer value of the time interval.

8. The position sensor device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the position correction unit is configured to determine the corrected rotating angle in dependence on a sum of the first rotating angle and the first error angle.

9. The position sensor device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the error distance determination unit is configured to determine an acceleration of the rotation of the rotating magnet and to determine a second one of the at least one error angle in dependence on the acceleration of the rotation of the rotating magnet and the delay time, and
wherein the position correction unit is configured to determine the corrected rotating angle in dependence on the second error angle.

10. The position sensor device as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the position correction unit is configured to determine the corrected rotating angle in dependence on a sum of the first rotating angle and the first error angle and the second error angle.

11. The position sensor device as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the error distance determination unit is configured to determine a change of the acceleration of the rotation of the rotating magnet and to determine a third one of the at least one error angle in dependence on the change of the acceleration of the rotation of the rotating magnet and the delay time, and
wherein the position correction unit is configured to determine the corrected rotating angle by adding the third error angle to the sum of the first rotating angle and the first error angle and the second error angle.

12. A method to determine a position of a moving device, comprising:
detecting a signal generated by the moving device at a first time;
determining a first position of the moving device by evaluating the detected position detected at the first time, the first position specifying the position of the moving device at the first time;
determining a velocity of the movement of the moving device;
determining at least one error distance,
wherein the at least one error distance specifies a distance by which the moving device moves on between the first time and a second time,
wherein the second time is after the first time;
determining a corrected position in dependence on the at least one error distance and the first position, the corrected position specifying the position of the moving device at the second time; and
outputting the corrected position,
wherein the at least one error distance is determined in dependence on the velocity of the movement of the moving device and a delay time, and
wherein the d

Assignees

• Ams Ag

Inventors

• Leoncavallo Ruggero
• Riedmueller Kurt

Classifications

• G01D5/24476 Primary

  Signal processing (G01D5/2448 - G01D5/24495 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01D5/24495

  using previous values · CPC title