Magnetoresistive displacement sensor arrangement

Abstract

A magnetic sensor device utilizes the principle that the resistance of anisotropic magnetoresistive material is different in the case where the direction of current flowing in the material and the direction of a saturating magnetic field are parallel from the case where the direction of current and the direction of the saturating magnetic field are perpendicular to each other. The sensor device may be used to sense displacement and includes a ferromagnetic magnetoresistive element having at least one current path portion, a source applying electric current to each current path portion, and a magnetic field source producing first and second magnetic fields, occurring in first and second regions, and lying in first and second different mutually intersecting directions, respectively, with respect to the current path portion. The magnetoresistive element and the magnetic field source are displaceable in a predetermined direction relative to one another so that the relative amounts of the current path portion that are influenced by the first and second magnetic fields vary in accordance with such displacement. The magnetoresistive element can be connected to a constant current source, so that the voltage across the element indicates displacement. Alternatively, the magnetoresistive element can be formed of two series-connected current path portions, with a constant voltage source connected across both portions, so that the voltage appearing at the junction of the two current path portions indicates displacement.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.