# US 2016/0252599 A1 · Magnetic Field Sensor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2016/0252599 A1 - Document ID: US20160252599A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/053,809 - Filed: 2016-02-25 - Published: 2016-09-01 - Earliest claimed: 2015-02-27 - Assignees: Infineon Technologies AG - Applicants: Infineon Technologies AG - Inventors: Mario MOTZ; Wolfgang SCHERR - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160252599A1 ## CPC - G01R 35/00: Testing or calibrating of apparatus covered by the other groups of this subclass - G01R 33/075: {Hall devices configured for spinning current measurements} - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) ## Abstract Devices and methods are provided where switches associated with a magnetic field sensor are used to provide error information. In particular, a device is provided that includes a magnetic field sensor, a plurality of switches associated with the magnetic field sensor, and a control circuit configured to control the plurality of switches and to provide at least one signal indicative of a fault based on operation of the switches. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device, comprising: a magnetic field sensor, a plurality of switches associated with the magnetic field sensor, and a control circuit configured to control the plurality of switches and to provide at least one signal indicative of a fault based on operation of the switches. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to control at least some of the plurality of switches to apply a spinning current scheme to the magnetic field sensor, the spinning current scheme comprising a plurality of phases where different terminals of the magnetic field sensor are used for biasing and for readout. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The device of claim 2, wherein the control circuit is configured to form at least two partial sums over readout results of the plurality of phases to provide the at least one signal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The device of claim 3, wherein the control circuit is configured to provide a signal indicating an error in case a difference between two of the partial sums exceeds a predetermined threshold. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The device of claim 2, wherein the control circuit is configured to obtain an offset based on readout results of the plurality of phases. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to control at least one of the plurality of switches to inject an error current to the magnetic field sensor, and further configured to evaluate a correct operation of providing the at least one signal indicative of a fault based on the injected error current. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to control at least one of the plurality of switches to measure at least one of a bias current or a bias voltage biasing the magnetic field sensor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The device of claim 7, further comprising a first analog-to-digital converter configured to measure an output of the magnetic field sensor representative of a magnetic field, and a second analog-to-digital converter configured to measure the at least one of the biasing current or the biasing voltage. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The device of claim 7, further comprising an analog-to-digital converter, the analog-to-digital converter being configured to measure an output signal of the magnetic field sensor indicative of a magnetic field and further being configured to measure the at least one of the biasing current or the biasing voltage. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The device of claim 7, further comprising at least one analog-to-digital converter configured to measure at least one further quantity. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, further comprising an output to provide the at least one signal to a further entity to allow the further entity to determine a possible fault. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the device is an integrated device on a single chip. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the magnetic field sensor comprises a Hall sensor. ### Claim 14 A magnetic field sensor device, comprising: a magnetic field sensor, the magnetic field sensor comprising a plurality of terminals; a biasing source; at least one analog-to-digital converter; a plurality of switches; a controller, the controller being configured to control the plurality of switches to couple the biasing source and the analog-to-digital converter selectively with the plurality of terminals during a plurality of phases; and a summing circuit to provide at least two partial sums of outputs of the analog-to-digital converter in different phases of the plurality of phases. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The device of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to evaluate a difference between the plurality of partial sums, and to output an error signal if the difference exceeds a threshold value. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The device of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to combine the outputs of the analog-to-digital converter in different phases to determine an offset of the device. ### Claim 17 A method, comprising: providing a magnetic field sensor; controlling switches associated with the magnetic field sensor, wherein controlling the switches comprises controlling at least some of the switches to provide a spinning current readout in a plurality of phases; and providing error information based on controlling the switches. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein providing error information comprises calculating at least two partial sums of the spinning current readouts, and evaluating a difference between the partial sums. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein providing error information comprises calculating an offset based on the spinning current readouts. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein controlling the switches comprises controlling at least some of the switches for at least one of providing additional error information, providing additional trimming measurements or providing additional diagnosis measurements.