Counting sensor having a correction function

Counting sensor for counting the number of rotations or linear displacements of an object, wherein the counting sensor has the following:

• one single Wiegand module, which is composed of a Wiegand wire having a coil surrounding the Wiegand wire;
• at least one sensor element;
• a processing electronic circuit, which is connected to the sensor element, and which is configured to evaluate an output signal that is output from the sensor element;
• and
• a permanent magnet arrangement, which is movable relatively to the Wiegand module in one direction as well as in a direction that is opposite to said one direction, wherein the permanent magnet arrangement is configured to be arranged at the object such that the permanent magnet arrangement effects the rotations or linear displacements together with the object;
• wherein:
• upon movement of the permanent magnet arrangement in said one direction, the coil of the Wiegand module generates a voltage impulse, if a north pole or a south pole of the permanent magnet arrangement is located at a first position, and, upon movement of the permanent magnet arrangement in said opposite direction, the coil of the Wiegand module generates a voltage impulse, if the north pole or the south pole of the permanent magnet arrangement is located at a second position that is different from the first position,
• in an autonomous mode, in which the counting sensor is not supplied with outside energy, the processing electronic circuit is supplied with energy, which is provided by the Wiegand module,
• the processing electronic circuit is configured, after detecting the voltage impulse output from the Wiegand module
• (i) to obtain direction information about whether the permanent magnet arrangement moves in said one direction or in said opposite direction by the evaluation of the output signal of the sensor element, and
• (ii) to obtain magnetic pole information about whether the north pole or the south pole of the permanent magnet arrangement is located at the first or the second position by the evaluation of the output signal of the sensor element or by the determination of the polarity of the voltage impulse generated by the coil of the Wiegand module;
• a data storage for storing a value, which indicates the number of the rotations or of the linear displacements;
• and
• a tracking information storage for storing tracking information, which indicates whether the south pole or the north pole of the permanent magnet arrangement has come to pass a particular tracking position or not, wherein the north pole or the south pole is located at the tracking position, if a magnetic field, which corresponds to the north pole or to the south pole, is oriented parallel to the Wiegand wire and acts maximally on the magnetic domains of the Wiegand wire;
• wherein:
• the processing electronic circuit is configured
• (i) to incorporate both the direction informations and also the magnetic pole informations in a sequence, to determine the number of the rotations or of the linear displacements of the object on the basis of the direction informations and the magnetic pole informations, and to store the corresponding value [of said number] in the data storage, and
• (ii) to perform, on the basis of said sequence and the tracking information, an error detection to the effect whether one of the turns or one of the linear displacements of the object has not been recognized partially or completely, and
• (iii) to determine a corresponding correction of said number and to correct said value upon detection of an error;
• and wherein:
• if, in said sequence, consecutive direction informations and consecutive magnetic pole informations are identical, the error detection provides a result to the effect that an error is present, and the correction is determined as a function of the tracking information such that
• a. if the tracking information indicates that the magnetic pole, which is contained in the magnetic pole informations, has come to pass the tracking position in time between the receipt of the identical direction and magnetic pole informations, the value in the data storage is supplemented, and
• b. if the tracking information indicates that the magnetic pole, which is contained in the magnetic pole information, has not come to pass the tracking position in time between the receipt of the identical direction and magnetic pole informations, the value in the data storage is not changed.

Counting sensor for counting the number of rotations or linear displacements of an object, wherein the counting sensor has the following:

• one single Wiegand module, which is composed of a Wiegand wire having a coil surrounding the Wiegand wire;
• at least one sensor element;
• a processing electronic circuit, which is connected to the sensor element, and which is configured to evaluate an output signal that is output from the sensor element;
• and
• a permanent magnet arrangement, which is movable relatively to the Wiegand module in one direction as well as in a direction that is opposite to said one direction, wherein the permanent magnet arrangement is configured to be arranged at the object such that the permanent magnet arrangement effects the rotations or linear displacements together with the object;
• wherein:
• upon movement of the permanent magnet arrangement in said one direction, the coil of the Wiegand module generates a voltage impulse, if a north pole or a south pole of the permanent magnet arrangement is located at a first position, and, upon movement of the permanent magnet arrangement in said opposite direction, the coil of the Wiegand module generates a voltage impulse, if the north pole or the south pole of the permanent magnet arrangement is located at a second position that is different from the first position,
• in an autonomous mode, in which the counting sensor is not supplied with outside energy, the processing electronic circuit is supplied with energy, which is provided by the Wiegand module,
• the processing electronic circuit is configured, after detecting the voltage impulse output from the Wiegand module
• (i) to obtain direction information about whether the permanent magnet arrangement moves in said one direction or in said opposite direction by the evaluation of the output signal of the sensor element, and
• (ii) to obtain magnetic pole information about whether the north pole or the south pole of the permanent magnet arrangement is located at the first or the second position by the evaluation of the output signal of the sensor element or by the determination of the polarity of the voltage impulse generated by the coil of the Wiegand module;
• a data storage for storing a value, which indicates the number of the rotations or of the linear displacements;
• and
• a tracking information storage for storing tracking information, which indicates whether the south pole or the north pole of the permanent magnet arrangement has come to pass a particular tracking position or not, wherein the north pole or the south pole is located at the tracking position, if a magnetic field, which corresponds to the north pole or to the south pole, is oriented parallel to the Wiegand wire and acts maximally on the magnetic domains of the Wiegand wire;
• wherein:
• the processing electronic circuit is configured
• (i) to incorporate both the direction informations and also the magnetic pole informations in a sequence, to determine the number of the rotations or of the linear displacements of the object on the basis of the direction informations and the magnetic pole informations, and to store the corresponding value [of said number] in the data storage, and
• (ii) to perform, on the basis of said sequence and the tracking information, an error detection to the effect whether one of the turns or one of the linear displacements of the object has not been recognized partially or completely, and
• (iii) to determine a corresponding correction of said number and to correct said value upon detection of an error;
• and wherein
• the processing electronic circuit is configured
• to store the magnetic pole information, if the voltage impulse, which is generated by the Wiegand module, exceeds a medium voltage threshold, wherein the precedingly stored magnetic pole information is transferred beforehand to the tracking storage and serves as the tracking information, if the voltage impulse, which is generated by the Wiegand module, exceeds a lower voltage threshold, which is below the medium voltage threshold, and
• to determine, on the basis of the direction information and the magnetic pole information, the number of rotations or of the linear displacements of the object, and to store the corresponding value in the data storage, if the voltage impulse, which is generated by the Wiegand module, exceeds an upper voltage threshold, which is above the medium voltage threshold.