US 11,506,517 B2 · Magnetic angular position sensor

Abstract

A magnetic angular position sensor system is described herein, which includes a shaft rotatable around a rotation axis, the shaft having a soft magnetic shaft end portion. The system further includes a sensor chip spaced apart from the shaft end portion in an axial direction and defining a sensor plane, which is substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis. At least four magnetic field sensor elements are integrated in the sensor chip, with two of the magnetic field sensor elements being spaced apart from each other and are sensitive to magnetic field components in a first direction and wherein two of the magnetic field sensor elements are spaced apart from each other and are only sensitive to magnetic field components in a second direction, whereby the first and the second direction are mutually non-parallel and the first and the second direction being perpendicular to the rotation axis.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for measuring an angular position of a shaft that includes a soft magnetic shaft end portion, comprising:

magnetizing the shaft end portion, the shaft end portion being formed such that magnetic field components in a first and a second direction in a sensor plane, which is substantially perpendicular to a rotation axis of the shaft, are rotationally symmetric with an order N, N being a finite integer ≥1;
sensing magnetic field components in the first direction at a first and a second location in the sensor plane, the second location being different from the first location;
sensing magnetic field components in the second direction at a third and a fourth location in the sensor plane, the fourth location being different from the third location;
and
calculating an angular position of the shaft with respect to the rotation axis of the shaft based on (i) a difference of the magnetic field components at the first and the second location, and (ii) a difference of the magnetic field components at the third and the fourth location.

2 more elements

A magnetic angular position sensor system for measuring an angular position of a shaft that includes a soft magnetic shaft end portion, comprising:

a magnetized shaft end portion formed such that magnetic field components in a first and a second direction in a sensor plane, which is substantially perpendicular to a rotation axis of the shaft, are rotationally symmetric with an order N, N being a finite integer ≥1;
a sensor chip comprising a plurality of magnetic field sensor elements, the sensor chip being configured to:
sense magnetic field components in the first direction at a first and a second location in the sensor plane, the second location being different from the first location;
and
sense magnetic field components in the second direction at a third and a fourth location in the sensor plane, the fourth location being different from the third location;
and
circuitry configured to calculate an angular position of the shaft with respect to the rotation axis of the shaft based on (i) a difference of the magnetic field components at the first and the second location, and (ii) a difference of the magnetic field components at the third and the fourth location.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Magnetic angular position sensor

Life of this patent

Magnetic angular position sensor

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20