Rotational angle detector and rotational angle detecting method
AssigneeMatsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
InventorsHisashi Nishikawa, Yoshiyuki Nakade, Ichiro Tateishi, Masahide Onishi
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Abstract
A rotational angle detector detects, with a detecting unit, a rotation of a rotary body rotating in cooperation with a steering wheel as a detection signal having a cyclic waveform that gradually increases or decreases in one cycle, calculates the detection signal as a rotational angle of the rotary body, and stores the detection signal. The rotational angle detector is used for detecting the rotational angle of a steering wheel of a car and allows the angle detection at a high solution in a simple structure.
Claims14
A rotational angle detector for detecting rotational angle or a rotary body, said detector comprising:
- a detecting unit for detecting a rotation of said rotary body as a detection signal having a continuous cyclic waveform, said detection signal generated responsive to detection of a magnetic field from a magnet, the magnet and the rotary body rotating about respectively different axes;
- and
- a controller for calculating the detection signal as a rotational angle of said rotary body by counting a number of cycles of the detection signal,
- wherein the detection signal has a waveform which is either increasing in one cycle or decreasing in one cycle.
A rotational angle detecting method for detecting rotational angle of a rotary body, said method comprising the steps of:
- A) detecting a rotation of said rotary body by generating a detection signal responsive to detection of a magnetic field from a magnet which rotates about a different axis than said rotary body, said detection signal having a continuous cyclic waveform;
- and
- B) calculating the detection signal as a rotational angle of the rotary body by counting a number of cycles of the detection signal,
- wherein the detection signal has a waveform which is either increasing in one cycle or decreasing in one cycle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.