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US 7,253,614 B2Granted
Proximity detector having a sequential flow state machine
AssigneeAllegro MicroSystems, LLC
InventorsGlenn A. Forrest, James M. Bailey, Washington Lamar
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A proximity detector has a sequential flow state machine to identify states associated with a magnetic field signal provided by a magnetic field sensing element. The proximity detector can include a vibration processor to identify a vibration in response to the states.
Claims22
A proximity detector, comprising:
- one or more magnetic field sensing elements adapted to provide a respective one or more magnetic field signals indicative of a magnetic field associated with an object, wherein each one of the one or more magnetic field signals is an analog signal having respective analog signal values;
- and
- one or more state processors to provide a respective one or more state signals, wherein each one of the one or more state signals is indicative of a plurality of states associated with a respective one of the one or more magnetic field signals, wherein each one of the plurality of states is indicative of a respective range of the respective analog signal values.
A method of detecting an object, comprising:
- generating one or more magnetic field signals indicative of a magnetic field associated with the object, wherein each one of the one or more magnetic field signals is an analog signal having respective analog signal values;
- and
- generating one or more state signals, wherein each one of the one or more state signals is indicative of a plurality of states associated with a respective one of the one or more magnetic field signals, wherein each one of the plurality of states is indicative of a respective range of the respective analog signal values.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.