1489results about "Galvano-magnetic hall-effect devices" patented technology

A Hall sensor array for offset-compensated magnetic field measurement comprises a first and at least one additional pair of Hall sensor elements. Each Hall sensor element has four terminals, of which two act as power supply terminals for supplying an operating current and two act as measurement terminals for measuring a Hall voltage. Respective first supply terminals of each Hall sensor element are connected together and to a first terminal of a common voltage source and respective second supply terminals of each Hall sensor element are connected together and to a second terminal of the common voltage source so that the common voltage source supplies an operating current for the Hall sensor elements. The Hall sensor elements are operated in the spinning current mode so that the offset voltages of the Hall sensor elements approximately cancel one another out in a revolution so that the Hall signal contributions which actually depend on the magnetic field remain.

A device for measuring a motion of a moving electrically conducting body is disclosed. A magnetic field generated by, for example, electromagnets or permanent magnets, penetrates at least a partial area of the moving body. Two or more measuring devices are arranged outside the magnetic field to measure a measurement magnetic field that is induced by electrical currents in the moving body. The measuring devices are arranged essentially symmetrically with respect to the magnetic field generating means or the moving body. The measurement magnetic field represents at least one motion variable of the moving body. The measuring device is thereby no longer subjected to the temperature-dependent variations of the exciting field.

In one embodiment, a hitch angle sensor assembly includes a spacer fixed between a hitch ball and a mounting surface on a vehicle. An element is rotatably coupled with the spacer about a vertical axis defined by the hitch ball, and connecting member secures the element to a trailer. A hall sensor is coupled with the spacer and senses a magnetic portion of the element to determine a hitch angle between the vehicle and trailer. This and other embodiments of the hitch angle sensor assembly may be used independently or in combination with other hitch angle sensors or systems to estimate the hitch angle between the vehicle and trailer, which may be advantageously used for operation of the vehicle with a trailer backup assist system.

A linear analog rotary 360 degree magnetic position sensor assembly for sensing the position of rotating objects. A magnet having a varying width is mounted to a magnet disc. A flux return disc is mounted on a shaft opposed to the magnet disc. The magnet generates a magnetic field in an air gap between the discs. A magnetic field sensor such as a hall effect sensor is positioned in the gap and operates to provide an output signal representative of the magnetic field density as the shaft and disc rotate. The output signal changes magnitude in relation to the relative position of the magnet with respect to the magnetic field sensor.

A joystick having a movable member that includes a shaft portion and a spherical portion wherein the shaft portion has a diameter less than the spherical portion. An actuating member is secured to the shaft portion of the movable member to provide actuation of the movable member. A magnet is disposed within the spherical portion of the movable member and positioned adjacent a three axis sensor such that the magnet moves in a hemispherical pattern along the three axis sensor to operate a device.

A sensor for measuring the relative displacement between two rotating shafts. The sensor can sense a torque applied to the steering wheel of a vehicle. The sensor has a housing that has apertures at each end. The rotating shafts pass into the housing. A sensor assembly is located in the housing and connected to the shafts. The sensor assembly generates an electrical signal that is proportional to the relative rotational displacement between the shafts. An electrical connector is located in the housing and electrically connects with the sensor assembly. The sensor assembly has a planetary gear assembly that is connected to the shafts. A variable magnetic field generator is connected to the planetary gear assembly and moves proportional to the relative rotational displacement of the shafts. A magnetic field sensor is located adjacent the variable magnetic field generator and generates the electrical signal as the variable magnetic field generator moves.

An integrated sensor has a magnetic field sensing element and first and second relatively high magnetically permeable members forming a gap, wherein the magnetic field element is disposed within the gap. The magnetically permeable members provide an increase in the flux experienced by the magnetic field sensing element in response to a magnetic field. The integrated sensor can be used as a current sensor, a proximity detector, or a magnetic field sensor.

A compact arrangement which enables rotation of a component (4) of an apparatus to be sensed is provided. A component adapted for use in such an arrangement comprises a body having an axis of rotation (6) and a plurality of discrete magnetised regions (8) thereon, each formed in a layer of material (12) on the surface of the body, the magnetised regions being circumferentially distributed at substantially the same axial position to enable rotation of the component relative to a sensor (20, 20′) to be monitored. Methods for manufacturing a suitable component are also described. The arrangement disclosed enables the rotational position of component, such as a shaft for example, to be sensed using a Hall effect sensor, and a component may be modified in accordance with the invention without substantially increasing its volume.

A magnetic field sensor for measuring a direction of a magnetic field in a plane comprises a sensing structure comprising a ring-shaped well, a plurality of contacts of equal size placed at equal distance from each other along the ring-shaped well, and an electronic circuit comprising a plurality of electronic switches associated with the contacts of the sensing structure, a logic block for controlling the electronic switches, at least one current source, a means for measuring a difference between a first voltage and a second voltage, a timing circuit providing a control signal for controlling the logic block and providing a reference signal, wherein the logic block is adapted to close and open the electronic switches under the control of the control signal according to a predetermined scheme such that a predetermined number of contacts of the plurality of contacts form a vertical Hall element that is supplied with current from the at least one current source and that has two contacts connected to the means for measuring, and such that the vertical Hall element is moved in steps along the ring-shaped well, and a means for measuring a phase shift between the reference signal and an output signal of the voltage measuring means.

A magnetic linear displacement sensor. In accordance with one embodiment, the displacement sensor includes a Hall transducer element having a sensor plate surface and at least one magnet having a lengthwise dimension along which said Hall element detects a magnetic field component orthogonal to the sensor plate surface during displacement sensing. The magnet includes first and second pole faces disposed on opposite lengthwise sides thereof and a polarization axis aligned orthogonally with respect to the lengthwise dimension. The first pole face opposes the Hall, element and is characterized as having a non-planar surface contoured to generate a substantially linear orthogonal magnetic field component sensed by said Hall element during linear displacement sensing.

The present invention provides a current sensor capable of sensing a current to be detected with high precision. The current sensor includes a bus line which extends in an X direction at a first level and to which a current to be detected is supplied, a first magnetoresistive element extending in the X direction in a region corresponding to the bus line at a second level, and a second magnetoresistive element extending in the X direction in a region corresponding to the bus line at a third level. The resistance value of the first magnetoresistive element and that of the second magnetoresistive element change in directions opposite to the second level in accordance with a current magnetic field generated by the current to be detected. With the configuration, the first and second magnetoresistive elements and the bus line can be disposed close to each other. While realizing compactness, the current magnetic field can be detected with high sensitivity.

An apparatus for the determination of a momentary relative direction of an indicator object depending on a magnetic field influenced or generated by the indicator object includes first means for sensing a course of a first magnetic field component of the magnetic field, second means for sensing a course of a second magnetic field component of the magnetic field, and means for evaluating the course of the first magnetic field component and the second magnetic field component in order to determine the momentary, relative direction of the indicator object, the first magnetic field component and the second magnetic field component being offset in angle with respect to each other.

A vertical Hall device includes: a semiconductor substrate including a magnetic field detection portion, a current portion and an output portion. The output portion includes a pair of output terminals. The current portion is capable of supplying the current to the magnetic field detection portion and retrieving the current from the magnetic field detection portion. The current portion is sandwiched between a pair of the output terminals in such a manner that the current portion is disposed apart from a line connecting between a pair of the output terminals.

The arrangement for contactless determination of an angular position of a rotatable element, such as a camshaft of an internal combustion engine, which includes a magnet arranged to rotate with the rotatable element; a magnetic field sensor stationary in relation to the rotatable element and including a first sensor element (IC1) and a second sensor element (IC2), wherein the first sensor element generates a first output signal linearly dependent on an angle between the magnetic field and the magnetic field sensor according to a magnetoresistive effect, whereby the first output signal has respective values between 0° and 180° that repeat between 180° and 360°, and the second sensor element generates a second output signal having a high value between 0° and 180° and a low value between 180° and 360° according to a Hall effect; and an evaluation circuit (A) for analyzing output signals of both sensor elements to determine the angular position of the rotatable element between 0° and 360°. The evaluating circuit finds that the absolute angular position is either of two angular orientations spaced 180° from each other only from the signal from the first sensor element and selects one of them as the absolute angular position according to the second output signal.

A magnet is provided to one of two members, which make relative rotation therebetween. First and second Hall elements are arranged adjacent to each other and are provided to the other one of the two members. A magnetic sensing surface of the first Hall element is generally perpendicular to a magnetic sensing surface of the second Hall element, and a relative rotational angle between the two members is determined through the first and second Hall elements based on a magnetic flux, which is generated by a magnetic flux generating portion of the magnet and passes through the first and second Hall elements toward a magnetic flux attracting portion of the magnet.

This magnetic multilayer device comprises, on a substrate, an alternating sequence of magnetic metallic layers M and oxide, hydride or nitride layers O. The number of layers M equals at least two. The layers M are continuous. There is interfacial magnetic anisotropy perpendicular to the plane of the layers at the level of the M / O interfaces.

The present invention provides a current sensor capable of sensing a current to be detected with high precision while realizing a compact configuration. The current sensor includes a first MR element including element patterns disposed at a first level, a second MR element including element patterns disposed at a second level, and a thin film coil which winds at a third level provided between the first and second levels while including winding body portions extending in an X axis direction in correspondence with the element patterns of the first and second MR elements, and which applies a current magnetic field to each of the element patterns when a current to be detected is supplied. Therefore, by using both of the first and second MR elements, the current magnetic field can be detected with high sensitivity and high precision.

A proximity detector employs a first peak detector circuit and a second peak detector circuit, both responsive to a magnetic field signal. The second peak detector circuit includes a positive peak detector circuit and a negative peak detector circuit, each of which have a predetermined excursion limit in an outward direction away from a center voltage of the magnetic field signal so as to be less affected by a large signature region in the magnetic field signal. The proximity detector also includes an output control circuit. The output control circuit is configured to provide an output signal, which, during a determined time period, changes state in response to the first peak detector circuit, and which, after the determined time period, changes state in response to the second peak detector circuit.

A method and apparatus for deterministically switching a free layer in a spin orbit torque magnetoresistive random access memory (SOT-MRAM) cell is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, an SOT-MRAM memory cell is provided. The SOT-MRAM memory cell includes a magnetic tunnel junction, a ferromagnetic bias layer, and an antiferromagnetic layer. The magnetic tunnel junction includes a free layer having primarily two bi-stable magnetization directions, a reference layer having a fixed magnetization direction, and an insulating tunnel barrier layer positioned between the free layer and the reference layer. The ferromagnetic bias layer is configured to provide spin orbit torque via anomalous Hall effect and simultaneously configured to provide a magnetic bias field on the free layer to achieve deterministic switching. The antiferromagnetic layer is positioned below the ferromagnetic bias layer and is configured to pin a magnetization direction of the ferromagnetic bias layer in a predetermined direction.

An angular sensor which enables to obtain an output signal proportional to a relative rotational angle with low manufacturing cost and with miniaturized size. An angular sensor which includes a first magnet and a second magnet fixed to a rotation body, magnetic flux sensing surface is fixed to the stator to be positioned in magnetic field between the first magnet and the second magnet and perpendicular to magnetic sensing direction for sensing a magnetic flux, a magneto-electric transducer element for outputting an electric signal corresponding to a magnetic sensing direction element of the magnetic density, deflection yokes. The deflection yokes are positioned facing the magnetic flux sensing surfaces. The deflection yokes are positioned within a range of three quarters of a distance between the first magnet and the second magnet in X-axis direction and one half of a distance between the first magnet and the second magnet in Y-axis direction.

An arrangement for measuring an angular position of a rotor with respect to a stator, comprises a multi-pole magnet mounted on the rotor, and a sensor mounted on the stator and a plurality of sensor elements organized in two groups or four groups for measuring a magnetic field component. A method for calculating the angular position comprises making a sum of signals of the elements of each group, a ratio of the two sums, and an arctan function. Alternatively the method may comprise making a sum of signals, the difference of sums, a ratio of the differences, and an arctan function. An integrated sensor, and the use of such arrangement or sensor in an automotive environment.

An electronic system that monitors a trailer hitch assembly having a plate hitch with a throat for receiving a kingpin of a trailer and a locking mechanism for locking the kingpin within the throat. The electronic system determines whether the trailer hitch assemblies is properly coupled to the trailer, and comprises a first magnet creating a first magnetic flux, and a first Hall-effect sensor for sensing the position of the kingpin of the trailer relative to the throat of the hitch plate by measuring the first magnetic flux. The system further comprises a control circuit operably coupled with the first Hall-effect sensor in determining whether the first magnetic flux indicates a proper location of the kingpin of the trailer relative to the throat of the hitch plate. The electronic system discriminates between the kingpin and foreign materials, thereby assuring proper locking of the locking mechanism.