Magnetic field sensor circuit in package with means to add a signal from a coil
AssigneeInfineon Technologies AG
InventorUdo AUSSERLECHNER
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Sensor devices, systems and methods are provided, including a first magnetic sensor configured to measure a first magnetic field in a first frequency range and output a first sensor signal based on the measured first magnetic field, a second magnetic sensor configured to measure a second magnetic field in a second frequency range and output a second sensor signal based on the measured second magnetic field, and a sensor circuit configured to receive the first and the second sensor signals, combine the first and the second sensor signals, and output a combined sensor signal. The first magnetic sensor and the second magnetic sensor are configured to share a cross-over frequency.
Claims19
A magnetic field sensor system comprising:
- a magnetic field source configured to generate a first magnetic field, a second magnetic field, and an electric field;
- a first magnetic sensor configured to measure the first magnetic field in a first frequency range and output a first sensor signal based on the measured first magnetic field;
- a second magnetic sensor configured to measure the second magnetic field in a second frequency range and output a second sensor signal based on the measured second magnetic field;
- a sensor circuit comprising a first input terminal and a second input terminal, the sensor circuit being electrically coupled to the first magnetic sensor and the first input terminal and the second input terminal being electrically coupled to the second magnetic sensor, the sensor circuit configured to receive the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal, and output a combined sensor signal derived from the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal;
- a substrate comprising a first main surface and a second main surface arranged opposite to the first main surface;
- and
- an electric shield disposed in the substrate, between the second magnetic sensor and the magnetic field source, the electric shield configured to shield at least the second magnetic sensor from the electric field generated by the magnetic field source,
- wherein the second magnetic sensor is a differential inductance coil having a first winding and a second winding coupled together in a subtracting configuration, the first winding being configured to generate a first component of the second sensor signal and provide the first component to the first input terminal of the sensor circuit, the second winding being configured to generate a second component of the second sensor signal and provide the second component to the second input terminal of the sensor circuit.
A method of measuring magnetic fields using a first magnetic sensor and a second magnetic sensor, the second magnetic sensor being a differential inductance coil having a first winding and a second winding coupled together in a subtracting configuration, the method comprising:
- generating, by a magnetic field source, a first magnetic field, a second magnetic field, and an electric field, wherein the magnetic field source is coupled to a first main surface of a substrate;
- measuring, by the first magnetic sensor, the first magnetic field in a first frequency range;
- outputting, by the first magnetic sensor, a first sensor signal to a sensor circuit based on the measured first magnetic field;
- measuring, by the second magnetic sensor, the second magnetic field in a second frequency range;
- generating, by the second magnetic sensor, a second sensor signal based on measuring the second magnetic field, wherein a first component of the second sensor signal is generated by the first winding and a second component of the second sensor signal is generated by the second winding;
- shielding, by an electric shield disposed in the substrate between the first main surface and the second main surface, at least the second magnetic sensor from the electric field generated by the magnetic field source;
- outputting, by the first winding, the first component of the second sensor signal to the sensor circuit;
- outputting, by the second winding, the second component of the second sensor signal to the sensor circuit;
- and
- generating, by the sensor circuit, a combined sensor signal derived from the first sensor signal, the first component of the second sensor signal, and the second component of the second sensor signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.