Flux coupling sensor
AssigneeMelexis Technologies SA
InventorsWolfram Kluge, David Ihle, Jorg Rudiger, Sascha Beyer
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Abstract
An apparatus for sensing a position of a target, in particular for offset invariant sensing of the position of the target, is described as well as a corresponding method. The apparatus comprises at least three sensor elements. At least one sensor element of the at least three sensor elements generates a first magnetic field. At least two sensor elements of the at least three sensor elements receive a second magnetic field associated with the first magnetic field. The at least two sensor elements of the at least three sensor elements form at least one sensor element pair and provide a signal indicative of the position of the target.
Claims18
An apparatus for sensing a position of a target, the apparatus comprising:
- a semiconductor chip that includes at least three sensor elements arranged in one or more layers of a substrate of the semiconductor chip;
- wherein at least one sensor element of the at least three sensor elements generates a first magnetic field,
- wherein at least two sensor elements of the at least three sensor elements receive a second magnetic field associated with the first magnetic field,
- wherein the at least two sensor elements of the at least three sensor elements form at least one sensor element pair and provide a signal indicative of the position of the target,
- wherein the at least one sensor element of the at least three sensor elements generating the first magnetic field at least partially and spatially overlaps with the at least two sensor elements of the at least three sensor elements such that an at least partial overlap exists between the at least one sensor element of the at least three sensor elements generating the first magnetic field and the at least two sensor elements of the at least three sensor elements, and
- wherein the at least partial overlap is configured so that the at least two sensor elements of the at least three sensor elements encounter counteracting magnetic flux from the generated first magnetic field.
An apparatus for sensing a position of a target, in particular for offset invariant sensing of the position of the target, the apparatus comprising:
- at least three sensor elements;
- wherein at least one sensor element of the at least three sensor elements generates a first magnetic field,
- wherein at least two sensor elements of the at least three sensor elements receive a second magnetic field associated with the first magnetic field and wherein the at least two sensor elements of the at least three sensor elements form at least one sensor element pair and provide a signal indicative of the position of the target,
- wherein the at least one sensor element of the at least three sensor elements generating the first magnetic field at least partially and spatially overlaps with the at least two sensor elements of the at least three sensor elements such that an at least partial overlap exists between the at least one sensor element of the at least three sensor elements generating the first magnetic field and the at least two sensor elements of the at least three sensor elements, and
- wherein the at least partial overlap is configured so that the at least two sensor elements of the at least three sensor elements encounter counteracting magnetic flux from the generated first magnetic field.
A method for sensing the position of a target, the method comprising:
- providing a semiconductor chip that includes at least three sensor elements arranged in one or more layers of a substrate of the semiconductor chip;
- generating a first magnetic field by at least one sensor element of at least three sensor elements;
- receiving a second magnetic field by at least two sensor elements of the at least three sensor elements, wherein the second magnetic field is associated with the first magnetic field, and wherein the at least one sensor element of the at least three sensor elements generating the first magnetic field at least partially and spatially overlaps with the at least two sensor elements of the at least three sensor elements such that an at least partial overlap exists between the at least one sensor element of the at least three sensor elements generating the first magnetic field and the at least two sensor elements of the at least three sensor elements, and
- due to the at least partial overlap, the at least two sensor elements of the at least three sensor elements encounter counteracting magnetic flux from the generated first magnetic field;
- and
- calculating a signal from signals outputted by the at least two sensor elements of the at least three sensor elements receiving the second magnetic field, wherein the signal is indicative of the position of the target.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.