# US 12,007,255 B2 · Position sensor system and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,007,255 B2 - Document ID: US12007255B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/185,521 - Filed: 2023-03-17 - Published: 2023-07-06 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2020-12-23 - Assignees: Melexis Technologies SA - Applicants: Melexis Technologies SA - Inventors: Christian Schott; Gael Close; Bruno Brajon - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12007255B2 ## CPC - G01D 5/145: {influenced by the relative movement between the Hall device and magnetic fields (see G01R33/06)} - G01D 5/244: influencing characteristics of pulses or pulse trains; generating pulses or pulse trains - G01D 5/24438: {Special design of the sensing element or scale} - G01D 5/2452: {incorporating two or more tracks having an (n, n+1, ...) relationship} - G01R 33/091: {Constructional adaptation of the sensor to specific applications} - G01D: MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVERED IN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) ## Abstract A position sensor system is arranged for determining a position of a sensor device movable along a predefined path relative to a magnetic source. The system includes the magnetic source and the sensor device. The magnetic source has a first plurality of magnetic pole pairs arranged along a first track and a second plurality of magnetic pole pairs arranged along a second track, centrelines of the tracks are spaced apart by a predefined track distance. The sensor device is configured for measuring at least two orthogonal magnetic field components at a first sensor location, and at least two second orthogonal magnetic field components at a second sensor location. The first and second sensor location are spaced apart by a predefined sensor distance smaller than the predefined track distance, in a direction transverse to the tracks. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A position sensor system for determining a position of a sensor device movable along a predefined path relative to a magnetic source or vice versa, the position sensor system comprising: said magnetic source comprising a first plurality of magnetic pole pairs arranged along a first track having a first periodicity, and comprising a second plurality of magnetic pole pairs arranged along a second track having a second periodicity different from the first periodicity, wherein a centreline of the first track is spaced from a centreline of the second track; said sensor device being configured for measuring a first set of a least two orthogonal magnetic field components at a first sensor location, and for measuring a second set of at least two orthogonal magnetic field components at a second sensor location, wherein the first sensor location is spaced from the second sensor location in a direction transverse to the tracks, wherein a code-free region is provided between the first track and the second track; and wherein the sensor device further comprises a processing unit configured for determining said position based on at least some or all of the measured signals; wherein a first orthogonal projection of the first sensor location and a second orthogonal projection of the second sensor location are located on opposite sides of the code free region, or wherein one of the first orthogonal projection and the second orthogonal projection is located in the code free region, and the other is located outside of the code free region. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The position sensor system according to claim 1, wherein a predefined sensor distance defined between the first sensor location and the second sensor location is in a range from 1.0 to 3.0 mm. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The position sensor system according to claim 1, wherein the position sensor system is an angular position sensor system. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The position sensor system according to claim 3, wherein the magnetic source is rotatable about a rotation axis; and wherein the first track and the second track are concentric circular tracks located in a single plane perpendicular to the rotation axis. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The position sensor system according to claim 3, wherein the magnetic source is rotatable about a rotation axis and wherein the first track and the second track are cylindrical tracks about said rotation axis, and spaced apart along said rotation axis; wherein the first track has a first outer radius, and the second track has a second outer radius equal to the first outer radius. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The position sensor system according to claim 3, wherein a ratio of the first number of pole pairs and the second number of pole pairs is (N−1)/N, where N is an integer number in a range from 5 to 32; or wherein a ratio of the first number of pole pairs and the second number of pole pairs is (N−2)/N, where N is an odd integer number in a range from 5 to 31. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The position sensor system according to claim 1, wherein the position sensor system is a linear position sensor system; and wherein the first track is a first linear segment, and the second track is a second linear segment parallel to the first linear segment. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The position sensor system according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is configured for: estimating a transverse position of the sensor device relative to the magnetic tracks, based on at least some or all of the measured magnetic field components; and determining the position of the sensor device based on at least some or all of the measured magnetic field components and based on the estimated transverse position. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The position sensor system according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is configured for: calculating a first set of quadrature components and a second set of quadrature components based on at least some or all of the measured components, using a predefined set of coefficients; and determining the position of the sensor device based on the first and second set of quadrature components. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The position sensor system according to claim 9, wherein a number of coefficients of the predefined set of coefficients is at most eight. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The position sensor system according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is configured for: estimating a transverse position of the sensor device relative to the magnetic tracks, based on at least some or all of the measured components, and determining a set of coefficients based on the estimated transverse position; and calculating a first set of quadrature components and a second set of quadrature components based on at least some or all of the measured components, using the set of coefficients determined in step b); determining the position of the sensor device based on the first and second set of quadrature components. ### Claim 12 A method of determining a position of a sensor device movable along a predefined path relative to a magnetic source or vice versa, the magnetic source comprising a first plurality of magnetic pole pairs arranged along a first track having a first periodicity, and comprising a second plurality of magnetic pole pairs arranged along a second track having a second periodicity different from the first periodicity, wherein a code-free region is provided between the first track and the second track; and wherein centrelines of the tracks are spaced apart, the method comprising: a) measuring at least two orthogonal magnetic field components at a first sensor location, and measuring at least two orthogonal magnetic field components at a second sensor location, spaced from the first sensor location; b) determining the position of the sensor device based on at least some or all of the measured magnetic field components; wherein a first orthogonal projection of the first sensor location and a second orthogonal projection of the second sensor location are located on opposite sides of the code free region, or wherein one of the first orthogonal projection and the second orthogonal projection is located in the code free region, and the other is located outside of the code free region. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, wherein step a) comprises: i) measuring at least two or at least three orthogonal magnetic field components at a first sensor location, and ii) measuring at least two or at least three orthogonal magnetic field components at a second sensor location, spaced from the first sensor location; and wherein step b) comprises: i) estimating a transverse position of the sensor device relative to the tracks based on at least some or all of the measured magnetic field components; ii) determining the position of the sensor device based on at least some or all of the measured magnetic field components and based on the estimated transverse position. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, wherein step b) comprises: i) calculating a first set of quadrature components and a second set of quadrature components based on at least some or all of the measured magnetic field components, using a set of equations with a predefined set of coefficients; ii) determining the position of the sensor device based on the first and second set of quadrature components. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, wherein a number of coefficients of the predefined set of coefficients is at most eight. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, wherein a number of equations of the set of equations is four. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, wherein a predefined sensor distance defined between the first sensor location and the second sensor location is in a range from 1.0 to 3.0 mm. ### Claim 18 A position sensor device movable along a predefined path relative to a magnetic source or vice versa, the position sensor device comprising: a first sensor structure configured for measuring a first set of a least two orthogonal magnetic field components at a first sensor location; a second sensor structure configured for measuring a second set of at least two orthogonal magnetic field components at a second sensor location; wherein the first sensor location is spaced from the second sensor location by a predefined sensor distance; wherein the sensor device further comprises a processing unit configured for determining a position of the sensor device based on at least some or all of the measured signals, said position of the sensor device being relative to a magnetic source comprising a first plurality of magnetic pole pairs arranged along a first track having a first periodicity, and comprising a second plurality of magnetic pole pairs arranged along a second track having a second periodicity different from the first periodicity, wherein a centreline of the first track is spaced from a centreline of the second track by a predefined track distance, and wherein a code-free region is provided between the first track and the second track; and wherein a first orthogonal projection of the first sensor location and a second orthogonal projection of the second sensor location are located on opposite sides of the code free region, or wherein one of the first orthogonal projection and the second orthogonal projection is located in the code free region, and the other is located outside of the code free region. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The position sensor device according to claim 18, wherein the processing unit is configured for: estimating a transverse position of the sensor device relative to the magnetic tracks, based on at least some or all of the measured magnetic field components; and determining the position of the sensor device based on at least some or all of the measured magnetic field components and based on the estimated transverse position. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The position sensor device according to claim 18, wherein the processing unit is configured for: calculating a first set of quadrature components and a second set of quadrature components based on at least some or all of the measured components, using a predefined set of coefficients; and determining the position of the sensor device based on the first and second set of quadrature components. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The position sensor device according to claim 18, wherein a number of coefficients of the predefined set of coefficients is at most eight. ### Claim 22 (depends on 18) The position sensor device according to claim 18, wherein the processing unit is configured for: estimating a transverse position of the sensor device relative to the magnetic tracks, based on at least some or all of the measured components, and determining a set of coefficients based on the estimated transverse position; and calculating a first set of quadrature components and a second set of quadrature components based on at least some or all of the measured components, using the set of coefficients determined in step b); determining the position of the sensor device based on the first and second set of quadrature components.