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US 12,742,836 B2Granted
Magnetoimpedance sensor
AssigneeRockwell Collins, Inc.
InventorDavid W. Cripe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Applied magnetic fields are evaluated using portions of the B-H curve of a material exposed to the applied magnetic field. The portions of the B-H curve being evaluated may reside near the top and bottom of the curve where non-linear results in the curve occur. Selective sampling of nonlinear regions of the B-H curve are performed to determine the direction and strength of the applied magnetic field.
Claims19
A method for determining an applied magnetic field, the method comprising:
- applying an alternating excitation voltage to a first magnetoimpedance sensor, the first magnetoimpedance sensor comprising a winding and a core material;
- applying the alternating excitation voltage to a second magnetoimpedance sensor, the second magnetoimpedance sensor comprising a winding and a core material, the second magnetoimpedance sensor electrically connected in parallel to the first magnetoimpedance sensor;
- biasing the applied excitation voltage with an applied DC current;
- sampling a resultant output at a node positioned between the applied voltage and the alternating excitation voltages from the first magnetoimpedance sensor and the second magnetoimpedance sensor;
- and
- determining an applied external magnetic field exposed to the first magnetoimpedance sensor,
- wherein the applied DC current operates to limit outputs of the first magnetoimpedance sensor and the second magnetoimpedance sensor to fall outside of a linear region of a B-H curve of the first magnetoimpedance sensor, and
- wherein the outputs of the first magnetoimpedance sensor and the second magnetoimpedance sensor are combined to generate a zero net output.
5 more elements
A circuit for determining an applied magnetic field, the circuit comprising:
- an alternating excitation voltage source electrically coupled to a first magnetoimpedance sensor, the first magnetoimpedance sensor comprising a winding and a core material, the alternating excitation voltage source electrically coupled in parallel to a second magnetoimpedance sensor, the second magnetoimpedance sensor comprising a winding and a core material;
- a biasing current source configured and electrically connected to apply a biasing DC current to a node coupled in parallel to both the first magnetoimpedance sensor and the second magnetoimpedance sensor;
- and
- a choke positioned between the biasing current source and the alternating excitation voltage,
- wherein the biasing current source is set to output a DC current value that operates to limit outputs of the first magnetoimpedance sensor to fall outside of a linear region of a B-H curve of the first magnetoimpedance sensor and to limit outputs of the second magnetoimpedance sensor to fall outside of a linear region of a B-H curve of the second magnetoimpedance sensor, and
- wherein the outputs of the first magnetoimpedance sensor and the second magnetoimpedance sensor are combined to generate a zero net output.
3 more elements
A circuit for determining an applied magnetic field, the circuit comprising:
- an alternating excitation voltage source electrically coupled to a first magnetoimpedance sensor, the first magnetoimpedance sensor comprising a winding and a core material;
- a biasing current source configured and electrically connected to apply a biasing DC current to a node coupled to the first magnetoimpedance sensor;
- and
- a high impedance current source positioned between the biasing current source and the alternating excitation voltage,
- wherein the biasing current source is set to output a DC current value that operates to limit outputs of the first magnetoimpedance sensor to fall outside of a linear region of a B-H curve of the first magnetoimpedance sensor.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.