Target Activated Sensor

A sensor assembly configured to sense a position of a seat in a vehicle, said sensor assembly comprising:

• a housing defining a cavity and having an open end;
• a carrier removably disposed in said housing cavity via said open end;
• a permanent magnet disposed within a magnet cavity defined in said carrier, said permanent magnet establishing a magnetic field;
• a single pole disposed within a pole cavity defined in said carrier and spaced from said permanent magnet and positioned in said magnetic field;
• and
• a magnetic sensor element affixed to a printed circuit board (PCB) and positioned in said magnetic field and adjacent to an end of said single pole, said magnetic sensor element and said PCB at least partially disposed within said cavity.

A method of sensing a position of a seat in a vehicle, said method comprising:

• providing a sensor assembly coupled to one of a first rail or a second rail of a vehicle seat rail assembly configured to be movably coupled to said seat of said vehicle, said first rail configured for movement with said seat relative to said second rail, said sensor assembly comprising:
• a housing defining a cavity and having an open end;
• a carrier removably disposed in said housing cavity via said open end;
• a permanent magnet disposed within a magnet cavity defined in said carrier, said permanent magnet establishing a magnetic field;
• a single pole disposed within a pole cavity defined in said carrier and spaced from said permanent magnet and positioned in said magnetic field;
• and
• a magnetic sensor element affixed to a printed circuit board (PCB) and positioned in said magnetic field and adjacent to an end of said single pole, said magnetic sensor element and said PCB at least partially disposed within said cavity;
• providing a first output using said magnetic sensor element in response to a first level of magnetic flux from said magnet directed to said magnetic sensor element when said first rail is in a first position relative to said second rail;
• providing a second output different from said first output using said magnetic sensor element in response to a second level of magnetic flux from said magnet directed to said magnetic sensor element when said first rail is in a second position relative to said second rail;
• and
• determining said position of said seat via said first and second outputs provided by said magnetic sensor element.