# US 12,181,312 B2 · Linear position sensing components > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,181,312 B2 - Document ID: US12181312B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/298,880 - Filed: 2023-04-11 - Published: 2023-08-10 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2021-03-10 - Assignees: Honeywell International Inc. - Applicants: Honeywell International Inc. - Inventors: Joseph M. Walling; John Jerred; Keith D. Larson; Michael Fettig; Stephen William Tillotson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12181312B2 ## CPC - G01D 5/20: by varying inductance, e.g. by a movable armature - G01D 5/2046: {by a movable ferromagnetic element, e.g. a core} - G01D 3/02: with provision for altering or correcting the law of variation - G01D 3/036: on measuring arrangements themselves - G01D 3/08: with provision for safeguarding the apparatus, e.g. against abnormal operation, against breakdown - 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 ## Abstract Methods, apparatuses and systems for providing a position sensing component are disclosed herein. An example position sensing component may comprise: a sensing coil; a moveable core disposed within the sensing coil; an oscillator circuit; and a feedback control circuit coupled to the oscillator circuit, wherein the position sensing component is configured to: maintain a fixed amplitude voltage in response to a variable current signal provided by the oscillator circuit in conjunction with the feedback control circuit, and generate an oscillator circuit output signal that is linearly proportional to a position of the moveable core with respect to the sensing coil. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A position sensing component comprising: a sensing coil; a moveable core; an oscillator circuit; a feedback control circuit coupled to the oscillator circuit, wherein the position sensing component is configured to: maintain a fixed amplitude voltage in response to a variable current signal provided by the oscillator circuit in conjunction with the feedback control circuit, and generate an oscillator output signal; a health monitoring circuit configured to provide an oscillator status output signal, wherein the position sensing component is operatively coupled with a controller component, wherein the oscillator status output signal is transmitted to the controller component; and a linearization circuit comprising a low-pass filter circuit utilizing a 2-pole filter to smooth the oscillator output signal into a direct-current (DC) voltage signal. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The position sensing component of claim 1, wherein the oscillator circuit is configured to provide the variable current signal to drive the sensing coil in conjunction with the moveable core. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The position sensing component of claim 2, wherein the oscillator output signal is further linearized by passing the oscillator output signal through the linearization circuit. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The position sensing component of claim 1, wherein the linearization circuit comprises an amplifier circuit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The position sensing component of claim 3, wherein the linearization circuit further comprises temperature compensation. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The position sensing component of claim 1, wherein the oscillator circuit comprises a modified Colpitts oscillator. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The position sensing component of claim 2, wherein the health monitoring circuit comprises a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) switch. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The position sensing component of claim 1, wherein the position sensing component comprises a direct-current (DC) input or a DC output. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The position sensing component of claim 1, wherein the position sensing component comprises an analog-to-digital-converter (ADC). ### Claim 10 A method for measuring a position of a moveable core with respect to a sensing coil of a position sensing component, the method comprising: generating, by an oscillator circuit, an oscillator output signal; generating, by a health monitoring circuit, an oscillator status output signal, wherein the position sensing component is operatively coupled with a controller component, and wherein the oscillator status output signal is transmitted to the controller component; and utilizing a 2-pole filter of a low-pass filter circuit to smooth the oscillator output signal into a direct-current (DC) voltage signal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, the oscillator circuit configured to provide a variable current signal to drive the sensing coil in conjunction with the moveable core. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, further comprising: linearizing, by a linearization circuit, the oscillator output signal. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, wherein the linearization circuit comprises the low-pass filter circuit and an amplifier circuit. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein the linearization circuit further comprises temperature compensation. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, wherein the oscillator circuit comprises a modified Colpitts oscillator. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, wherein the health monitoring circuit comprises a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) switch. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the position sensing component comprises a direct-current (DC) input or a DC output. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, wherein the position sensing component comprises an analog-to-digital-converter (ADC).