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US 6,518,751 B1Granted
Magnetoresistive rollover sensor
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorChristopher Richard Bujak
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vehicle rollover sensor 10 is provided, including a movable member free 12 free to rotate about a single axis 14. The movable member 12 includes an inertial mass 18. A magnet 22 is mounted to the movable member 12. The vehicle rollover sensor 10 further includes a magnetoresistive sensor 24 capable of sensing changes in the magnetic field due to changes in the orientation of the moveable member 12.
Claims23
A vehicle rollover sensor comprising;
- a movable member rotatable about a single axis, said movable member comprising a non-symmetrical inertial mass such that said movable member remains orientated downward as said single axis is rotated;
- a single magnet mounted to said movable member, said single magnet having a magnetic field;
- and
- a magnetoresistive sensor axially adjacent to said single magnet and fixed to said single axis, said magnetoresistive sensor capable of measuring the orientation of said magnetic field relative to said magnetoresistive sensor.
1 more element
A vehicle rollover sensor comprising;
- a movable member rotatable about a single axis, said movable member comprising a non-symmetrical inertial mass such that said movable member remains oriented downward as said single axis is rotated;
- a magnetoresistive sensor mounted to said movable member, said magnetoresistive sensor capable of measuring the orientation of said magnetic field relative to said magnetoresistive sensor;
- and
- a single magnet having a magnetic field, said single magnet axially adjacent to said magnetoresistive sensor and fixed to said single axis.
1 more element
A method of sensing the roll angle of a vehicle comprising:
- affixing a magnetoresistive sensor to the vehicle such that said magnetoresistive sensor rotates with the vehicle;
- placing a single magnet axially adjacent to said magnetoresistive sensor, said single magnet retaining its static orientation as said magnetoresistive sensor rotates;
- using said magnetoresistive sensor to measure changes in the orientation of the magnetic field produced by said single magnet relative to the magnetoresistive sensor as said magnetoresistive sensor rotates with the vehicle and said single magnet retains its static orientation;
- determining the roll angle of the vehicle based upon said changes in the orientation of the magnetic field measured by said magnetoresistive sensor.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.