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US 2020/0264014 A1Published application
Novel core-position sensor
AssigneeProbe Technology Services, Inc.
InventorsMarvin Beckman, Thientu Ho, Loi Tran, Mark Hastings, Terry Hendrix
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Abstract
A caliper-arm-position sensor comprising a differential variable reluctance transducer (DVRT) and circuits to drive the DVRT with a substantially sinusoidal signal and to sample a signal at the DVRT once per drive-signal cycle at a predetermined position in the drive-signal cycle is disclosed.
Claims20
A sensor comprising:
- (a) a transducer comprising:
- (i) a coil having a first-end connection, a second-end connection, and a center-tap connection, and
- (ii) a core positioned adjacent to the coil,
- (iii) wherein the coil and core may move relative to each other;
- (b) a driving means for driving the coil with a differential sinusoidal constant-current signal across the coil, the driving means having first and second output connections wherein the first output connection is connected to coil's first-end connection and the second output connection is connected to the coil's second-end connection;
- (c) an analog-to-digital converter connected to the coil's center-tap connection;
- and
- (d) a triggering means for triggering the analog-to-digital converter to sample a signal at the center tap of the coil at a predetermined time following the zero-crossing point of the differential sinusoidal constant-current signal.
5 more elements
A caliper-arm-position sensor comprising:
- (a) a compound coil comprising:
- (i) a first coil having a first end connection and a second end connection, and
- (ii) a second coil having a first end connection and a second end connection,
- (iii) wherein the second end connection of the first coil is electrically connected to the first end connection of the second coil;
- (b) a core positioned adjacent to the coil;
- (c) a caliper arm mechanically connected to the core;
- (d) a voltage driver having an alternating-voltage output signal electrically connected to at least one of the group consisting of the first end connection of the first coil, the second end connection of the first coil, and the second end connection of the second coil;
- and
- (e) an analog-to-digital converter electrically connected to at least one of the group consisting of the first end connection of the first coil, the second end connection of the first coil, and the second end connection of the second coil.
6 more elements
A method of determining a caliper-arm position, the method comprising:
- (a) providing a differential variable reluctance transformer comprising:
- (i) a coil with a first end, a second end, and a center tap, and
- (ii) a core positioned adjacent to the coil and mechanically connected to a caliper arm;
- (b) providing an alternating-voltage signal to at least one of the group consisting of the first end of the coil, the second end of the coil, and the center tap of the coil;
- (c) measuring, at a predetermined time relative to a phase point of the alternating-voltage signal, a voltage at one or more of the points in the group consisting of the first end of the coil, the second end of the coil, and the center tap of the coil;
- (d) estimating the position of the core relative to the coil using the measured voltage;
- and
- (e) estimating the position of the caliper arm using the estimated position of the core.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.