Magnetic sensor apparatus capable of directly producing digital sensor data from magnetic sensor element
AssigneeDenso Corporation
InventorsNoboru Endo, Yasuaki Makino
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A magnetic sensor apparatus has a ring circuit constructed with an odd number of semiconductor magnetic sensors connected in a ring shape. The drain regions of each magnetic sensor are separated from each other, so that currents flowing into the drain regions vary corresponding to the magnitude of the applied magnetic field. The semiconductor magnetic sensors function as inverters and inverting operations thereof cause time delay variable with the magnetic field strength. Digital data indicating a propagation condition of a pulse signal within the ring circuit correspond to the magnetic field.
Claims8
A magnetic sensor apparatus comprising:
- a ring circuit including a plurality of semiconductor magnetic sensors connected to each other in a ring shape;
- and
- an output circuit for detecting a propagation condition of a pulse signal within the ring circuit during a predetermined time period, and outputting digital data corresponding to a magnitude of an applied magnetic field based upon a detection result of the propagation condition,
- wherein each semiconductor magnetic sensor is constructed with source regions, drain regions, and a gate electrode in such a manner that at least the drain regions are separated, and the gate electrode controls channel regions formed between the source regions and the separated drain regions, whereby amounts of carriers flowing through the separated drain regions are changed in correspondence with a magnitude of the magnetic field when the magnetic field is applied to the carriers flowing through the channel regions, and
- wherein one of the separated drain regions of a pre-staged semiconductor magnetic sensor is connected to the gate electrode of a post-staged semiconductor magnetic sensor, so that each of the semiconductor magnetic sensors constitutes an inverting circuit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.