Back to results
US 10,502,806 B2Granted
Magnetic field sensor
AssigneeInfineon Technologies AG
InventorsMario Motz, Wolfgang Scherr
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Devices and methods are provided where switches associated with a magnetic field sensor are used to provide error information. In particular, a device is provided that includes a magnetic field sensor, a plurality of switches associated with the magnetic field sensor, and a control circuit configured to control the plurality of switches and to provide at least one signal indicative of a fault based on operation of the switches.
Claims20
A device, comprising:
- a magnetic field sensor comprising a plurality of terminals used for applying a measurement current and reading out a plurality of measurement signals based on a plurality of spinning current phases of a spinning current scheme,
- a plurality of switches associated with the magnetic field sensor, wherein the plurality of switches are configured to change which of the plurality of terminals are used for applying the measurement current and which are used for reading out the plurality of measurement signals according to the spinning current scheme, and
- a control circuit configured to control the plurality of switches according to the plurality of spinning current phases of the spinning current scheme, to receive the plurality of measurement signals that are output from the magnetic field sensor, to determine a first average of a first set of the plurality of measurement signals, to determine a second average of a second set of the plurality of measurement signals, the second set of the plurality of measurement signals being different from the first set of the plurality of measurement signals, and to provide a signal indicative of a fault based on a comparison of the first average to the second average.
A magnetic field sensor device, comprising:
- a magnetic field sensor, the magnetic field sensor comprising a plurality of terminals;
- a biasing source;
- at least one analog-to-digital converter configured to output a plurality of measurement signals;
- a plurality of switches configured to change which of the plurality of terminals are used for applying the biasing source and which are used for reading out the plurality of measurement signals according to a plurality of phases of a spinning current scheme;
- a controller, the controller being configured to control the plurality of switches to couple the biasing source and the analog-to-digital converter selectively with the plurality of terminals during the plurality of phases;
- and
- a summing circuit configured to provide at least two partial sums of outputs of the analog-to-digital converter in different phases of the plurality of phases, wherein a first partial sum of outputs is a sum of a first set of the plurality of measurement signals read during a first set of adjacent phases of the plurality of phases and a second partial sum of outputs is a sum of a second set of the plurality of measurement signals read during a second set of adjacent phases of the plurality of phases, the second set of adjacent phases being different from the first set of adjacent phases.
4 more elements
A method, comprising:
- providing a magnetic field sensor comprising a plurality of terminals used for applying a measurement current and reading out a plurality of measurement signals based on a plurality of phases of a spinning current scheme;
- controlling switches associated with the magnetic field sensor, wherein the plurality of switches are configured to change which of the plurality of terminals are used for applying the measurement current and which are used for reading out the plurality of measurement signals according to the spinning current scheme, wherein controlling the switches comprises controlling at least some of the switches to provide a spinning current readout of the plurality of measurement signals in a plurality of phases;
- determining a first average of a first set of the plurality of measurement signals that are output from the magnetic field sensor;
- determining a second average of a second set of the plurality of measurement signals that are output from the magnetic field sensor, the second set of the plurality of measurement signals being different from the first set of the plurality of measurement signals;
- generating a comparison result based on comparing the first average to the second average;
- and
- providing error information based on the comparison result.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.