Electric control apparatus

An electric control apparatus comprising:

• a magnetic flux generating element having opposing portions for generating a given quantity of magnetic flux;
• a first magnetic-to-electric transducer element, wherein one of the magnetic flux generating element and the first magnetic-to-electric transducer element is movable relative to the other, the first magnetic-to-electric transducer element being operative for detecting a magnitude of the magnetic flux which is responsive to relative motion between the magnetic flux generating element and the first magnetic-to-electric transducer element and outputting a first detection signal in response to the relative motion between the magnetic flux generating element and the first magnetic-to-electric transducer element, the first magnetic-to-electric transducer element being located proximate to the magnetic flux generating element so as to detect the magnetic flux;
• a second magnetic-to-electric transducer element, wherein one of the magnetic flux generating element and the second magnetic-to-electric transducer element is movable relative to the other, the second magnetic-to-electric transducer element being operative for detecting a magnitude of the magnetic flux which is responsive to relative motion between the magnetic flux generating element and the second magnetic-to-electric transducer element and outputting a second detection signal in response to the relative motion between the magnetic flux generating element and the second magnetic-to-electric transducer element, the second magnetic-to-electric transducer element being located proximate to the magnetic flux generating element so as to detect the magnetic flux;
• control signal outputting means for comparing the first detection signal output from the first magnetic-to-electric transducer element and the second detection signal output from the second magnetic-to-electric transducer element with each other to detect a difference therebetween, and for outputting a condition normal signal when the detected difference between the first and second detection signals agrees with a predetermined relation;
• and
• a rotatable body, wherein one of the magnetic flux generating element and the first and second magnetic-to-electric transducer elements is mounted on the rotatable body such that the magnitude of the magnetic flux which is detected by the first magnetic-to-electric transducer element varies in response to the rotation of the rotatable body, and the magnitude of the magnetic flux which is detected by the second magnetic-to-electric transducer element varies in response to the rotation of the rotatable body.

An electric control apparatus comprising:

• a magnetic flux generating element having opposing portions for generating a given quantity of magnetic flux;
• a first magnetic-to-electric transducer element, wherein one of the magnetic flux generating element and the first magnetic-to-electric transducer element is movable relative to the other, the first magnetic-to-electric transducer element being operative for detecting a magnitude of the magnetic flux which is responsive to relative motion between the magnetic flux generating element and the first magnetic-to-electric transducer element and outputting a first detection signal in response to the relative motion between the magnetic flux generating element and the first magnetic-to-electric transducer element, the first magnetic-to-electric transducer element being located proximate to the magnetic flux generating element so as to detect the magnetic flux;
• a second magnetic-to-electric transducer element, wherein one of the magnetic flux generating element and the second magnetic-to-electric transducer element is movable relative to the other, the second magnetic-to-electric transducer element being operative for detecting a magnitude of the magnetic flux which is responsive to relative motion between the magnetic flux generating element and the second magnetic-to-electric transducer element and outputting a second detection signal in response to the relative motion between the magnetic flux generating element and the second magnetic-to-electric transducer element, the second magnetic-to-electric transducer element being located proximate to the magnetic flux generating element so as to detect the magnetic flux;
• control signal outputting means for comparing the first detection signal output from the first magnetic-to-electric transducer element and the second detection signal output from the second magnetic-to-electric transducer element with each other to detect a difference therebetween, and for outputting a condition normal signal when the detected difference between the first and second detection signals agrees with a predetermined relation, wherein the control signal outputting means further comprises:
• a first signal processing circuit for processing the first detection signal output from the first magnetic-to-electric transducer element and outputting a result of said processing;
• a second signal processing circuit for processing the second detection signal output from the second magnetic-to-electric transducer element independent of said processing by the second signal processing circuit and outputting a result of said first signal processing;
• and
• means for comparing outputs from the first and second signal processing circuits with each other.

An electric control apparatus comprising:

• a magnetic flux generating element including opposing portions for generating a given quantity of magnetic flux;
• a first magnetic-to-electric transducer element, wherein one of the magnetic flux generating element and the first magnetic-to-electric transducer element is movable relative to the other, the first magnetic-to-electric transducer element being operative for detecting a magnitude of the magnetic flux which is responsive to relative motion between the magnetic flux generating element and the first magnetic-to-electric transducer element and outputting a first detection signal in response to the relative motion between the magnetic flux generating element and the first magnetic-to-electric transducer element, the first magnetic-to-electric transducer element being located proximate to the magnetic flux generating element so as to detect the magnitude of the magnetic flux;
• a second magnetic-to-electric transducer element, wherein one of the magnetic flux generating element and the second magnetic-to-electric transducer element is movable relative to the other, the second magnetic-to-electric transducer element being operative for detecting a magnitude of the magnetic flux which is responsive to relative motion between the magnetic flux generating element and the second magnetic-to-electric transducer element and outputting a second detection signal in response to the relative motion between the magnetic flux generating element and the second magnetic-to-electric transducer element, the second magnetic-to-electric transducer element being located at a position such that the magnetic flux magnitude detected by the second magnetic-to-electric transducer element is normally equal to the magnetic flux magnitude detected by the first magnetic-to-electric transducer;
• and
• control signal outputting means for mutually processing the first detection signal output from the first magnetic-to-electric and the second detection signal output from second magnetic-to-electric transducer element, and for outputting a control signal in response to a result of said processing, wherein the control signal outputting means also compares the first and second detection signals with each other to detect a difference therebetween and outputs a condition normal signal when the first and second detection signals have a predetermined relation with respect to each other.

A throttle valve position sensor apparatus comprising:

• a) a movable throttle valve;
• b) a throttle position sensor assembly connected to the throttle valve and outputting first and second detection signals in response to a position of the throttle valve, wherein the throttle position sensor assembly comprises:
• i) means for generating a magnetic field;
• ii) a first magnetic sensor exposed to and sensing a portion of the magnetic field and generating the first detection signal representative thereof, wherein one of the magnetic field generating element and the first magnetic sensor is movable relative to the other;
• and
• iii) a second magnetic sensor exposed to and sensing a portion of the magnetic field and generating the second detection signal representative thereof, wherein one of the magnetic field generating element and the second magnetic sensor is movable relative to the other;
• c) means for varying the portions of the magnetic field to which the first and second magnetic sensors are exposed, respectively, in response to a movement of the throttle valve;
• d) means for detecting a difference between the first detection signal and the second detection signal output from the throttle position sensor assembly;
• e) means for determining whether the difference detected by the detecting means is greater than a predetermined reference value;
• and
• f) means for judging the throttle position sensor assembly to be malfunctioning when the determining means determines the difference to be greater than the predetermined reference value, and for judging the throttle position sensor assembly to be operating normally when the determining means determines the difference to be not greater than the predetermined reference value.

An electric control apparatus comprising:

• means for generating a magnetic flux;
• a movable body;
• a first magnetic-to-electric transducer element for detecting a magnitude of the magnetic flux which changes responsive to a motion of the movable body, and for generating a first detection signal representative thereof;
• a second magnetic-to-electric transducer element for detecting the magnitude of the magnetic flux which changes responsive to the motion of the movable body, and for generating a second detection signal representative thereof;
• and
• means for comparing the first detection signal generated by the first magnetic-to-electric transducer element and the second detection signal generated by the second magnetic-to-transducer element with each other, and for generating and outputting a control signal in response to a result of the comparing,
• wherein the magnetic-flux generating means, the movable body, and the first and second magnetic-to-electric transducer elements compose an arrangement in which the magnitude of the magnetic flux which is detected by the first and second magnetic-to-electric transducer elements varies continuously and gradually without exhibiting a pulse-shaped variation as the movable body moves in one direction.

An apparatus comprising:

• a rotatable body;
• first means for generating a magnetic field;
• a first magnetic sensor, exposed to a first portion of the magnetic field generated by the first means, for sensing a first portion of the magnetic field and for generating a first detection signal representative thereof;
• a second magnetic sensor, exposed to a second portion of the magnetic field generated by the first means, for sensing a second portion of the magnetic field and for generating a second detection signal representative thereof;
• second means for varying the first and second portions of the magnetic field to which the first and second magnetic sensors are exposed, respectively, in response to a rotation of the rotatable body;
• and
• third means for comparing the first and second detection signals with each other, and for generating a comparison signal representative of a result of the comparing,
• wherein the first magnetic sensor is located at a first angle with respect to a direction of the first portion of the magnetic field and the second magnetic sensor is located at a second angle with respect to a direction of the second portion of the magnetic field, and wherein the first angle and the second angle remain substantially equal to each other and vary in accordance with the rotation of the rotatable body.