Sensor, and method for measuring physical quantity by use of the sensor

A sensor comprising:

• a substrate having a main surface;
• a first magnetic detection element fixed om the main surface of the substrate so as to exhibit a characteristic value whose magnitude corresponds to a component of a magnetic field along a first direction on the main surface of the substrate;
• a second magnetic detection element fixed on the main surface of the substrate so as to exhibit a characteristic value whose magnitude corresponds to a component of the magnetic field along a second direction intersecting the first direction at a predetermined angle on the main surface of the substrate;
• and
• a movable coil supported on the substrate via a support member so as to be movable in a plane in parallel with the main surface of the substrate and applying to the first and second magnetic detection elements a magnetic field generated through application of electric current to the movable coil;
• and
• the sensor being configured so as to output a value corresponding to a characteristic value exhibited by the first magnetic detection element and a value corresponding to a characteristic value exhibited by the second magnetic detection element.

A sensor comprising:

• a substrate having a main surface;
• a first magnetic detection element fixed on the main surface of the substrate;
• and
• a second magnetic detection element fixed on the main surface of the substrate.
• the sensor outputting a value to a characteristic value exhibited by the first magnetic detection element and a value corresponding to a characteristic value exhibited by the second magnetic detection element;
• the first magnetic detection element being disposed in the vicinity of a central portion of a first side, which is one of the sides constituting and imaginary polygon formed on the main surface of the substrate, and being configured so as to exhibit a characteristic value whose magnitude corresponds to a component of a magnetic field along a direction perpendicularly intersecting the first side;
• the second magnetic detection element being disposed in the vicinity of a central portion of a second side, which is one of sides constituting the imaginary polygon formed on the main surface of the substrate and which intersects the first side, and being configured so as to exhibit a characteristic value whose magnitude corresponds to a component of the magnetic field along a direction perpendicularly intersecting the second side;
• and
• the sensor further comprising a movable coil having a shape identical with or similar to the imaginary polygon, the movable coil being supported on the substrate via a support member so as to be movable in a plane in parallel with the main surface of the substrate, the movable coil, at the time of the sensor being in a stationary condition, being held in its position where a barycenter of the movable coil coincides with that of the imaginary polygon and where sides of the movable coil are in parallel with those of the imaginary polygon, the movable coil applying to the first and second magnetic detection elements of a magnetic field generated through application of electric current to the movable coil.

A sensor comprising:

• a substrate having a main surface;
• a first X-axis magnetic detection element fixed on the main surface of the substrate;
• a second X-axis magnetic detection element fixed on the main surface of the substrate;
• a third X-axis magnetic detection element fixed on the main surface of the substrate;
• a fourth X-axis magnetic detection element fixed on the main surface of the substrate;
• wherein the first X-axis magnetic detection element being disposed in the vicinity of a central portion of a first side, which is one of sides constituting an imaginary square formed on the main surface of the substrate, and being configured so as to exhibit a characteristic value whose magnitude corresponds to a component of a magnetic field along an X-axis positive direction which perpendicularly intersects the first side;
• the second X-axis magnetic detection element being disposed in the vicinity of a central portion of the first side constituting the imaginary square on the main surface of the substrate, and being configured so as to exhibit a characteristic value whose magnitude corresponds to the component of the magnetic field along the X-axis positive direction;
• the third X-axis magnetic detection element being disposed in the vicinity of a central portion of a second side facing the first side of the imaginary square on the main surface of the substrate, and being configured so as to exhibit a characteristic value whose magnitude corresponds to a component of the magnetic field along an X-axis negative direction which intersects the second side;
• the fourth X-axis magnetic detection element being disposed in the vicinity of a central portion of the second side of the imaginary square on the main surface of the substrate, and being configured so as to exhibit a characteristic value whose magnitude corresponds to the component of the magnetic field along the X-axis negative direction;
• and
• the sensor further comprising:
• a movable coil having a shape identical with or similar to the imaginary square, the movable coil being supported on the substrate via a support member so as to be movable in a plane in parallel with the main surface of the substrate, the movable coil, at the time of the sensor being in a stationary condition, being held in its initial position where a barycenter of the movable coil coincides with that of the imaginary square and where sides of the movable coil are in parallel with those of the imaginary square, the movable coil applying to the first, second, third, and fourth magnetic detection elements a magnetic field generated through application of electric current to the movable coil.