Capacitive resolver

A capacitive resolver comprising:

• (a) a charge plate, said charge plate comprising a first front surface and a first back surface, said first front surface being electrically charged;
• (b) a sensing plate, said sensing plate comprising a second front surface and a second back surface, said second front surface having a positive sine pattern, a negative sine pattern, a positive cosine pattern, and a negative cosine pattern, and said second back surface comprising a plurality of positive sine detectors connected to said positive sine pattern, a plurality of negative sine detectors connected to said negative sine pattern, a plurality of positive cosine detectors connected to said positive cosine pattern, a plurality of negative cosine detectors connected to said negative cosine pattern, a first charge collector connected to said positive sine detectors, a second charge collector connected to said negative sine detectors, a third charge collector connected to said positive cosine detectors, a fourth charge collector connected to said negative cosine detectors, and at least one rectifier electrically connected to said charge collectors;
• (c) an interrupter plate, said interrupter plate comprising a third front surface disposed parallel to said first front surface, a third back surface disposed parallel to said second front surface, and a plurality of apertures, said interrupter plate disposed between said charge plate and said sensing plate;
• (d) a signal generator electrically connected to said charge plate;
• (e) a signal analyzer electrically connected to said sensing plate;
• and
• (f) a non-conductive support.

A position sensor comprising a shaft and a capacitive resolver, said capacitive resolver comprising:

• (a) a charge plate, said charge plate comprising a first front surface and a first back surface, said first front surface being electrically charged;
• (b) a sensing plate, said sensing plate comprising a second front surface and a second back surface, said second front surface having a sinusoidal pattern;
• (c) an interrupter plate, said interrupter plate comprising a third front surface, a third back surface, and a plurality of apertures, said interrupter plate disposed between said charge plate and said sensing plate, said interrupter plate connected to said shaft;
• (d) a signal generator electrically connected to said charge plate;
• and
• (e) a signal analyzer electrically connected to said sensing plate.

A position sensor comprising a shaft and a capacitive resolver, said capacitive resolver comprising:

• (a) a charge plate, said charge plate comprising a first front surface and a first back surface, said first front surface being electrically charged;
• (b) a sensing plate, said sensing plate comprising a second front surface and a second back surface, said second front surface having a positive sine pattern, a negative sine pattern, a positive cosine pattern, and a negative cosine pattern, and said second back surface comprising a plurality of positive sine detectors connected to said positive sine pattern, a plurality of negative sine detectors connected to said negative sine pattern, a plurality of positive cosine detectors connected to said positive cosine pattern, a plurality of negative cosine detectors connected to said negative cosine pattern, a first charge collector connected to said positive sine detectors, a second charge collector connected to said negative sine detectors, a third charge collector connected to said positive cosine detectors, a fourth charge collector connected to said negative cosine detectors, and at least one rectifier electrically connected to said charge collectors;
• (c) an interrupter plate, said interrupter plate comprising a third front surface disposed parallel to said first front surface, a third back surface disposed parallel to said second front surface, and a plurality of apertures, said interrupter plate disposed between said charge plate and said sensing plate;
• (d) a signal generator electrically connected to said charge plate;
• (e) a signal analyzer electrically connected to said sensing plate;
• and
• (f) a non-conductive support.

A position sensor comprising:

• (a) generating means for generating a fluctuating signal;
• (b) sensing means defining a sinusoidal pattern for generating a sensing signal in response to receipt of at least a portion of said fluctuating signal;
• (c) conducting means for conducting said fluctuating signal from said generating means to a position aligned with said sinusoidal pattern;
• (d) coupling means for coupling at least a portion of said fluctuating signal from said conducting means to portions of said sinusoidal pattern depending on the position of said coupling means relative to said sinusoidal pattern, said coupling means comprising a surface interrupted by a plurality of apertures;
• and
• (e) moving means for moving said coupling means relative to said sensing means whereby the position of said coupling means relative to said sensing means can be determined from said sensing signal.

A position sensor comprising:

• (a) generating means for generating an AC signal;
• (b) sensing means defining a sinusoidal pattern for generating a sensing signal in response to receipt of at least a portion of said AC signal, said sensing means further comprising at least one charge detecting means and at least one charge collecting means;
• (c) conducting means for conducting said AC signal from said generating means to a position aligned with said sinusoidal pattern;
• (d) coupling means for coupling at least a portion of said AC signal from said conducting means to portions of said sinusoidal pattern depending on the position of said coupling means relative to said sinusoidal pattern, said coupling means comprising a surface interrupted by a plurality of apertures;
• and
• (e) moving means for moving said coupling means relative to said sensing means whereby the position of said coupling means relative to said sensing means can be determined from said sensing signal.

A method of sensing the position of a first member relative to a second member bearing a sinusoidal pattern of conductors, said method comprising:

• (a) generating a fluctuating signal;
• (b) moving the first member relative to the sinusoidal pattern in order to couple at least a portion of the fluctuating signal to a position of the sinusoidal pattern determined by the relative position of the first member and second member, said moving step comprising the step of coupling the signal through apertures to multiple equally spaced portions of the sinusoidal pattern;
• and
• (c) generating a sensing signal in response to receipt of the coupled signal by the sinusoidal pattern, whereby the position of the first member relative to the second member may be derived from the sensing signal.