Magnetic angle sensors, magnetic angle measurement systems and electronic devices

Abstract

This disclosure discloses a magnetic angle sensor, a magnetic angle measurement system, and an electronic device. The magnetic angle sensor includes multiple pairs of Hall sensor groups arranged along at least one circumference along the same axis. Each Hall sensor group includes two Hall elements spaced 60° apart at the center and arranged along the same circumference. Each Hall element is configured to output a Hall signal in response to a received magnetic field. The two Hall elements in each Hall sensor group are configured to be connected in parallel to output detection signals in parallel. This magnetic angle sensor can effectively eliminate the influence of the third harmonic component in the magnetic field on the accuracy of angle measurement.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of this disclosure relate to a magnetic angle sensor, a magnetic angle measurement system, and an electronic device. Background Technology

[0002] In modern industrial control and automotive electronic systems, whether it's electronic throttle opening feedback, steering wheel angle detection, or real-time position and speed monitoring of motor rotors, accurate and reliable angle measurements are required in these scenarios. However, in some scenarios, the electromagnetic environment is quite harsh, posing significant challenges to angle measurement. Utility Model Content

[0003] At least one embodiment of this disclosure provides a magnetic angle sensor comprising multiple pairs of Hall sensor groups arranged along at least one circumference of the same axis. Each pair of Hall sensor groups includes a first pair and a second pair of Hall sensor groups, with the plane of the at least one circumference perpendicular to the axis. Two Hall sensor groups in the first pair are arranged opposite each other along a first diameter direction of the at least one circumference, and two Hall sensor groups in the second pair are arranged opposite each other along a second diameter direction of the at least one circumference, with the first diameter direction perpendicular to the second diameter direction. Each Hall sensor group includes two Hall elements spaced 60° apart at the center and arranged along the same circumference. Each Hall element is configured to output a Hall signal in response to a received magnetic field. The two Hall elements in each Hall sensor group are configured to be connected in parallel to superimpose the two Hall signals corresponding to the two Hall elements respectively, and then output a detection signal.

[0004] At least one embodiment of this disclosure also provides a magnetic angle measurement system, which includes a magnetic angle sensor provided in any embodiment of this disclosure and a magnet to be measured. The magnetic angle sensor is configured to measure the rotation angle value of the magnet to be measured.

[0005] At least one embodiment of this disclosure also provides an electronic device, which includes: a magnetic angle sensor provided in any embodiment of this disclosure, or a magnetic angle measurement system provided in any embodiment of this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0006] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings of the embodiments will be briefly described below. Obviously, the drawings described below only relate to some embodiments of this disclosure and are not intended to limit this disclosure.

[0007] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the Hall element arrangement of an angle measuring device is shown.

[0008] Figure 2AA top view schematic diagram of the arrangement design of a magnetic angle sensor provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0009] Figure 2B A top view schematic diagram of the arrangement design of a magnetic angle sensor provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0010] Figure 3 A perspective view of the arrangement design of a magnetic angle sensor provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0011] Figure 4 A circuit logic block diagram of a magnetic angle sensor provided in at least one embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0012] Figure 5 A schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between a magnet under test and a magnetic angle sensor provided in at least one embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0013] Figure 6 A schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between a magnet under test and a magnetic angle sensor provided in at least one embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0014] Figure 7 A block diagram of an electronic device provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0015] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this disclosure clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this disclosure. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the described embodiments of this disclosure without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0016] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this disclosure shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. The terms “first,” “second,” and similar terms used in this disclosure do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Similarly, the terms “an,” “a,” or “the,” and similar terms do not indicate a quantity limitation, but rather indicate the presence of at least one. The terms “including,” “comprising,” or “containing,” and similar terms mean that the element or object preceding the word encompasses the elements or objects listed following the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. The terms “connected,” “linked,” or similar terms are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. The terms “upper,” “lower,” “left,” and “right,” etc., are used only to indicate relative positional relationships, and these relative positional relationships may change accordingly when the absolute position of the described objects changes.

[0017] The present disclosure will now be described through several specific embodiments. To keep the following description of the embodiments of the present disclosure clear and concise, detailed descriptions of known functions and components are omitted. When any component of an embodiment of the present disclosure appears in more than one drawing, the component is indicated by the same or similar reference numerals in each drawing.

[0018] To measure angles in an electromagnetic environment, a Hall element pair can be used to design an angle measurement device for an electromagnetic environment.

[0019] Hall elements are able to cope with electromagnetic environments based on the Hall effect. Hall elements are typically made of semiconductor wafers. By applying a perpendicular magnetic field to the Hall element, the moving charges in the conductors within the element are deflected by the Lorentz force, generating a Hall voltage across the conductors. The magnitude of this Hall voltage is proportional to the magnetic flux density, where the Hall voltage V is... H The relationship between the magnetic flux density B and the magnetic flux density B is expressed as follows:

[0020] V H = R H •I•B / t

[0021] Among them, R H Let be the Hall coefficient, I be the bias current through the Hall element, B be the magnetic flux density perpendicular to the element, and t be the thickness of the Hall element. Thus, the Hall voltage generated by the Hall element induction of a magnetic field can be used to detect the magnetic field.

[0022] Hall elements have the following advantages:

[0023] (1) Hall elements are highly compatible with standard high-voltage CMOS processes and can be integrated on semiconductor chips. This integrability not only reduces the package size but also significantly reduces the bill of materials and assembly costs of the device.

[0024] (2) Thanks to the physical properties of semiconductors, Hall elements have a wide detection range for magnetic fields and can maintain a good linear response in a fairly wide range of magnetic induction intensity, so there is no need to worry about saturation or insufficient sensitivity when detecting magnetic fields.

[0025] In the design of angle measurement devices based on Hall elements, the layout and placement of the Hall elements not only affect the circuit connection of the angle measurement device, but also the accuracy and results of the angle measurement.

[0026] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the Hall element arrangement of an angle measuring device is shown.

[0027] like Figure 1 As shown, the angle measuring device 10 includes four Hall elements, namely Hall elements 20, 21, 22 and 23. The four Hall elements are arranged at equal intervals along the circumference on the same plane. The central angle interval between Hall element 20 and Hall element 23 is 90°, the central angle interval between Hall element 23 and Hall element 21 is 90°, the central angle interval between Hall element 21 and Hall element 22 is 90°, and the central angle interval between Hall element 22 and Hall element 20 is 90°.

[0028] In Adoption Figure 1 When the angle measuring device 10 shown performs magnetic field angle measurement, since the magnetic field signals received by the two Hall elements that are 180° apart have the same amplitude but opposite direction, the voltage signals obtained by the two Hall elements that are on the diagonal (that is, 180° apart) can be subtracted to obtain a differential signal, and the magnetic field angle can be calculated based on the obtained differential signal.

[0029] For example, a differential signal is calculated based on the Hall voltages obtained from Hall elements 20 and 21, and another differential signal is calculated based on the Hall voltages obtained from Hall elements 22 and 23. The magnetic field angle is then calculated based on the two differential signals using the arctangent.

[0030] Figure 1Although the method shown cancels out external common-mode interference by using the differential operation of the Hall voltages output by the two Hall elements on the diagonal, in complex magnetic field environments, the magnetic field signals received by each Hall element will also carry low-order harmonic components of the magnetic field. The angle measurement results are easily affected by the low-order harmonic components, resulting in decreased or inaccurate angle measurement accuracy.

[0031] The third harmonic component is a harmonic component in the magnetic field distribution with an amplitude much higher than other lower harmonics. In complex magnetic field environments, Figure 1 The magnetic field signals received by Hall elements 20, 21, 22, and 23 are respectively: h i = B Z ·sin[β+(i-1)δ] +B3 ·sin[3β+3(i-1)δ], i=1,2,3,4.

[0032] B Z B3 is the amplitude of the magnetic field perpendicular to the Hall element, β is the rotation angle of the magnetic field source (e.g., a magnet), and δ is the angle between adjacent Hall elements (i.e., the step phase) δ = 90°. B3 is the amplitude of the third harmonic component in the magnetic field.

[0033] See also Figure 1 Assuming Hall element 20 is the first clockwise Hall element (i=1) and Hall element 21 is the third clockwise Hall element (i=3), then the magnetic field signal received by Hall element 20 is h1=Bz·sinβ+B3·sin3β; the magnetic field signal received by Hall element 21 is h3=Bz·sin(β+180°)+B3·sin(3β+180°)=–Bz·sinβ–B3·sin3β. Therefore, the differential signal output by Hall elements 20 and 21 is h1–h3=2·Bz·sinβ+2·B3·sin3β. In addition to the effective signal portion 2·Bz·sinβ, the differential signal also includes the amplified third harmonic component 2·B3·sin3β.

[0034] The differential signals obtained after differential processing of Hall element 22 and Hall element 23 also include the same third harmonic component, which will not be elaborated here.

[0035] Therefore, it can be seen that if the differential signal obtained by Hall element 20 and Hall element 21 and the other differential signal obtained by Hall element 22 and Hall element 23 are used for arctangent calculation, the retained third harmonic component will affect the accuracy of the final angle value output by the angle measuring device 10, resulting in a large angle error.

[0036] therefore, Figure 1 The Hall element arrangement design in the system cannot suppress the third harmonic component in complex magnetic fields.

[0037] If more signal processing circuits are introduced to filter and process the third harmonic component in order to improve the accuracy of the output angle value, it will cause additional circuit overhead and increase the processing burden of the circuit.

[0038] At least one embodiment of this disclosure provides a magnetic angle sensor comprising multiple pairs of Hall sensor groups arranged along at least one circumference of the same axis. Each pair of Hall sensor groups includes a first pair and a second pair of Hall sensor groups, with the plane of the at least one circumference perpendicular to the axis. Two Hall sensor groups in the first pair are arranged opposite each other along a first diameter direction of the at least one circumference, and two Hall sensor groups in the second pair are arranged opposite each other along a second diameter direction of the at least one circumference, with the first diameter direction perpendicular to the second diameter direction. Each Hall sensor group includes two Hall elements spaced 60° apart at the center and arranged along the same circumference. Each Hall element is configured to output a Hall signal in response to a received magnetic field. The two Hall elements in each Hall sensor group are configured to be connected in parallel to superimpose the two Hall signals corresponding to the two Hall elements respectively, and then output a detection signal.

[0039] In the magnetic angle sensor of the above embodiments of this disclosure, since each Hall sensor group includes two Hall elements arranged along the same circumference with a central angle of 60° apart, and the two Hall elements in each Hall sensor group are configured to be connected in parallel, the detection signal output in parallel enables the magnetic angle sensor provided by this disclosure to effectively eliminate the influence of the third harmonic component in the magnetic field on the angle measurement accuracy, without increasing the hardware overhead of the signal processing circuit.

[0040] The various embodiments of this disclosure will now be described with reference to specific examples.

[0041] Figure 2A A top view schematic diagram of the arrangement design of a magnetic angle sensor provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0042] For example Figure 2A As shown in the example, from a top-down view, in at least one circle along the same axis (also called "coaxial"), the circumferences at different heights (or different axial positions) are all of equal size, and the centers of all the circles in at least one coaxial circle lie on the same axis, such as... Figure 2A The central axis O shown is perpendicular to the plane of the paper. The magnetic angle sensor 100 includes four Hall sensor groups 201, 202, 203 and 204. The first diameter direction is d1 and the second diameter direction is d2. The first diameter direction d1 is perpendicular to the second diameter direction d2.

[0043] Two Hall sensor groups, Hall sensor group 201 and Hall sensor group 202, are arranged opposite each other along the first diameter direction d1, forming a first pair of Hall sensor groups; two Hall sensor groups, Hall sensor group 203 and Hall sensor group 204, are arranged opposite each other along the second diameter direction d2, forming a second pair of Hall sensor groups.

[0044] Each of the four Hall sensor groups 201, 202, 203 and 204 includes two Hall elements arranged along the same circumference with a central angle of 60° between them.

[0045] For example, Hall sensor group 201 includes Hall elements H0 and H1 arranged along the same circumference with a central angle of 60°; Hall sensor group 202 includes Hall elements H4 and H5 arranged along the same circumference with a central angle of 60°; Hall sensor group 203 includes Hall elements H2 and H3 arranged along the same circumference with a central angle of 60°; Hall sensor group 204 includes Hall elements H6 and H7 arranged along the same circumference with a central angle of 60°. In the embodiments of this disclosure, the Hall elements are implemented by semiconductor devices, and there are no limitations on the specific implementation method (e.g., structure, process, etc.). For example, the Hall elements can be square, rectangular, cross-shaped, circular, or annular Hall plates, etc.

[0046] For example, in addition to the two Hall elements arranged along the same circumference with a central angle of 60° between them, the four Hall sensor groups 201, 202, 203, and 204 may each include other Hall elements. If the other Hall elements are arranged between the two Hall elements with a central angle of 60°, it does not affect the central angle interval between the Hall sensor groups; if the other Hall elements are arranged outside the two Hall elements, it will affect the central angle interval between the Hall sensor groups. For example, the central angle interval between the Hall sensor groups can be 15°, 10°, etc., and the specific angle depends on the arrangement position of the other Hall elements in each Hall sensor group. This disclosure does not limit this.

[0047] Each of the Hall elements H0 to H7 described above is configured to output a Hall signal in response to a received magnetic field.

[0048] exist Figure 2A The magnetic field signals received by each Hall element in the Hall elements H0~H7 are as follows.

[0049] Formula 1: H n = B Z •sin[α+(n-1)Δ+30°]+ B3•sin[3α+3(n-1)Δ+90°], n=1,3,5,7,Δ=45°;

[0050] Formula 2: H n = B Z •sin[α+nΔ-30°] + B3•sin[3α+3nΔ-90°], n=0,2,4,6, Δ=45°.

[0051] Formula 1 can represent the magnetic field signals received by Hall elements H1, H3, H5 and H7, and Formula 2 can represent the magnetic field signals received by Hall elements H0, H2, H4 and H6.

[0052] B Z B3 is the amplitude of the magnetic field perpendicular to the Hall element, α is the rotation angle of the magnetic field source (e.g., a magnet), and ∆ is the step phase. Since each Hall sensor group includes two Hall elements, ∆ = 90° / 2 = 45°. B3 is the amplitude of the third harmonic component in the magnetic field. The third harmonic component refers to a sinusoidal signal component with a frequency three times the fundamental frequency in a periodic signal or field. The third harmonic component will have three complete cycles within 360°, that is, it repeats once every 120°.

[0053] In the four Hall sensor groups 201, 202, 203 and 204, the two Hall elements in each Hall sensor group are configured to be connected in parallel to output detection signals in parallel.

[0054] For example, Hall elements H0 and H1 in Hall sensor group 201 are connected in parallel to output a first detection signal; Hall elements H4 and H5 in Hall sensor group 202 are connected in parallel to output a second detection signal. The first detection signal is the signal obtained by superimposing the Hall signals of the two Hall elements in Hall sensor group 201 (also called the first Hall sensor group) in parallel; the second detection signal is the signal obtained by superimposing the Hall signals of the two Hall elements in Hall sensor group 202 (also called the second Hall sensor group) in parallel.

[0055] Since the magnetic field signal received by the Hall element is proportional to the Hall signal output, and there is a linear correlation, the description of the principle is based on the received magnetic field signal for convenience.

[0056] For example, connecting two Hall elements in parallel within the same Hall sensor group is equivalent to superimposing the magnetic field signals received by the two Hall elements respectively.

[0057] For example, taking Hall elements H1, H3, H5, and H7 as references, after two Hall elements in the same group are connected in parallel, the equivalent magnetic field signal H received by this Hall sensor group is...n +H n-1 for:

[0058] H n +H n-1

[0059] =B Z •sin[α+(n-1) Δ+30°] + B3•sin[3α+3(n-1)Δ+90°]+B Z •sin[α+(n-1)Δ-30°]+B3•sin[3α+3(n-1)Δ-90°]

[0060] =B Z •sin[α+(n-1)∆+30°]+B Z •sin[α+(n-1)∆-30°]

[0061] Due to H n +H n-1 The third harmonic component is canceled out, so the arrangement of the Hall element provided in this embodiment of the present disclosure can ensure that the angle measurement result of the magnetic angle sensor is not affected by the third harmonic component and thus does not cause deviation.

[0062] Therefore, in the embodiments of this disclosure, each Hall sensor group includes two Hall elements arranged along the same circumference with a central angle of 60° apart, and the two Hall elements in each Hall sensor group are configured to be connected in parallel, so that the magnetic angle sensor with the above-mentioned multiple Hall sensor groups can effectively eliminate the influence of the third harmonic component in the magnetic field on the angle measurement accuracy.

[0063] Furthermore, the parallel connection of the two Hall elements in each Hall sensor group can improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the magnetic angle sensor output signal and reduce the DC offset of the magnetic angle sensor output signal.

[0064] For example, two Hall elements in the same Hall sensor group can be connected in parallel by shorting their output voltages, thereby avoiding the introduction of additional circuitry. It should be noted that this disclosure does not limit the specific parallel connection method.

[0065] For example, Hall elements H2 and H3 in Hall sensor group 203 are connected in parallel to output a third detection signal; Hall elements H6 and H7 in Hall sensor group 204 are connected in parallel to output a fourth detection signal. The third detection signal is obtained by superimposing the Hall signals of the two Hall elements in Hall sensor group 203 (also called the third Hall sensor group) in parallel; the fourth detection signal is obtained by superimposing the Hall signals of the two Hall elements in Hall sensor group 204 (also called the fourth Hall sensor group) in parallel. Each detection signal is equivalent to the magnetic field signal H received by the Hall sensor group. n +H n-1 Proportional.

[0066] It should be noted that the magnetic angle sensor 100 may also include more pairs of Hall sensor groups in addition to the first pair of Hall sensor groups and the second pair of Hall sensor groups, depending on actual needs. That is, it may include more pairs of Hall sensor groups that are arranged opposite each other along the diameter direction. This disclosure does not impose any restrictions.

[0067] like Figure 2A As shown in the example, the two Hall sensor groups (Hall sensor group 201 and Hall sensor group 202) in the first pair of Hall sensor groups and the two Hall sensor groups (Hall sensor group 203 and Hall sensor group 204) in the second pair of Hall sensor groups can be arranged on the same circumference, or the two Hall sensor groups in the first pair of Hall sensor groups and the two Hall sensor groups in the second pair of Hall sensor groups can be arranged on different circumferences of equal size. For example, in some embodiments of this disclosure, at least one circumference includes a first circumference and a second circumference. The first circumference and the second circumference are different circumferences having the same center.

[0068] For example, two Hall sensor groups in the first pair of Hall sensor groups are arranged on the first circumference, and two Hall sensor groups in the second pair of Hall sensor groups are arranged on the second circumference.

[0069] Figure 2B A schematic diagram of the arrangement design of a magnetic angle sensor provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0070] like Figure 2B As shown in the example, the first circumference can be a smaller diameter circumference R1, and the second circumference can be a larger diameter circumference R2. Hall sensor group 201 and Hall sensor group 202 in the first pair of Hall sensor groups can be set on the first circumference R1, and Hall sensor group 203 and Hall sensor group 204 in the second pair of Hall sensor groups can be set on the second circumference R2.

[0071] For example, the first circle and the second circle can be on the same plane.

[0072] The two Hall sensor groups (Hall sensor group 201 and Hall sensor group 202) in the first pair of Hall sensor groups are arranged on the same plane as the two Hall sensor groups (Hall sensor group 203 and Hall sensor group 204) in the second pair of Hall sensor groups.

[0073] For example, the first circle can be on the first plane, and the second circle can be on the second plane. The first plane and the second plane are two parallel planes.

[0074] Figure 3 A perspective view of the arrangement design of a magnetic angle sensor provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0075] like Figure 3 As shown, the first circumference R1 and the second circumference R2, which have the same central axis O, are located at different heights (or different axial positions) of the central axis O. The first plane where the first circumference R1 is located and the second plane where the second circumference R2 is located are parallel.

[0076] Two Hall sensor groups (Hall sensor group 201 and Hall sensor group 202) in the first pair of Hall sensor groups are arranged on the first plane, and two Hall sensor groups (Hall sensor group 203 and Hall sensor group 204) in the second pair of Hall sensor groups are arranged on the second plane. The second plane is parallel to the first plane and perpendicular to the axial position. It should be noted that the above figures are only illustrative examples. In some cases, each Hall sensor group can be arranged on different planes, and the circumference of each Hall sensor group can be the same or different. This disclosure does not limit this. It should be noted that if the Hall sensor groups are arranged on different planes or on circles of different circumferences, the magnetic field signals received by each Hall sensor group may have amplitude differences. In at least one embodiment, this amplitude difference can be resolved through some processing and calibration. The embodiments of this disclosure do not limit the processing method of this amplitude difference.

[0077] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the projection interval between the Hall elements of the first pair of Hall sensor groups and the Hall elements of the second pair of Hall sensor groups that are projected adjacent to each other on the same plane is a central angle of 30°.

[0078] Since the two Hall sensor groups in the first pair are arranged opposite each other along the first diameter direction, and the two Hall sensor groups in the second pair are arranged opposite each other along the second diameter direction, regardless of whether the first and second circumferences are coaxial and on the same plane, or coaxial but on different planes, when the Hall elements of the first and second pairs of Hall sensor groups are projected onto the same plane, the Hall sensor groups in the first and second pairs of Hall sensor groups will be projected adjacent to each other on that plane. Specifically, the projection interval (angle) between two adjacent Hall elements in two pairs of projected adjacent Hall sensor groups is a central angle of 30°.

[0079] See also Figure 2A and Figure 2B The top-view diagram shown is used as an example. This top-view diagram can be viewed as the Hall elements of the first pair of Hall sensor groups and the Hall elements of the second pair of Hall sensor groups projected onto the same plane. Figure 2A and Figure 2B The Hall sensor group 201 (also known as the first Hall sensor group) in the first pair of Hall sensor groups includes a first Hall element (H0) and a second Hall element (H1), and the Hall sensor group 202 (also known as the second Hall sensor group) includes a third Hall element (H4) and a fourth Hall element (H5).

[0080] The second pair of Hall sensor groups includes Hall sensor group 203 (also known as the third Hall sensor group), which includes the fifth Hall element (H2) and the sixth Hall element (H3), and Hall sensor group 204 (also known as the fourth Hall sensor group), which includes the seventh Hall element (H6) and the eighth Hall element (H7).

[0081] For example, the projection interval between the second Hall element (H1) of the first pair of Hall sensor groups and the fifth Hall element (H2) of the second pair of Hall sensor groups that are projected adjacent to each other is a central angle of 30°.

[0082] The projection interval between the sixth Hall element (H3) of the second pair of Hall sensor groups and the third Hall element (H4) of the first pair of Hall sensor groups that are projected adjacent to each other is a central angle of 30°.

[0083] The projection interval between the fourth Hall element (H5) of the first pair of Hall sensor groups and the seventh Hall element (H6) of the second pair of Hall sensor groups that are projected adjacent to each other is a central angle of 30°.

[0084] The projection interval between the eighth Hall element (H7) of the second pair of Hall sensor groups and the first Hall element (H0) of the first pair of Hall sensor groups that are projected adjacent to each other is a central angle of 30°.

[0085] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the projection interval between the Hall elements of the first pair of Hall sensor groups and the Hall elements of the second pair of Hall sensor groups that are projected apart by a first pair of Hall sensor groups or a second pair of Hall sensor groups is a central angle of 90°.

[0086] For example, the projection between the first Hall element (H0) of the first pair of Hall sensor groups and the fifth Hall element (H2) of the second pair of Hall sensor groups is separated by a second Hall element (H1) of the first pair of Hall sensor groups, and the projection interval between the first Hall element (H0) of the first pair of Hall sensor groups and the fifth Hall element (H2) of the second pair of Hall sensor groups is a 90° central angle.

[0087] For example, the projection between the fifth Hall element (H2) of the second pair of Hall sensor groups and the third Hall element (H4) of the first pair of Hall sensor groups is separated by a sixth Hall element (H3) of the second pair of Hall sensor groups, and the projection interval between the fifth Hall element (H2) of the second pair of Hall sensor groups and the third Hall element (H4) of the first pair of Hall sensor groups is a 90° central angle.

[0088] For example, the projection between the third Hall element (H4) of the first pair of Hall sensor groups and the seventh Hall element (H6) of the second pair of Hall sensor groups is separated by the fourth Hall element (H5) of the first pair of Hall sensor groups, and the projection interval between the third Hall element (H4) of the first pair of Hall sensor groups and the seventh Hall element (H6) of the second pair of Hall sensor groups is a 90° central angle.

[0089] For example, the projection between the fourth Hall element (H5) of the first pair of Hall sensor groups and the eighth Hall element (H7) of the second pair of Hall sensor groups is separated by the seventh Hall element (H6) of the second pair of Hall sensor groups, and the projection interval between the fourth Hall element (H5) of the first pair of Hall sensor groups and the eighth Hall element (H7) of the second pair of Hall sensor groups is a 90° central angle.

[0090] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the magnetic angle sensor is implemented as a chip, thereby including a chip in which Hall elements in multiple pairs of Hall sensor groups are integrated and electrically or communicatively connected through traces in the chip; or, the magnetic angle sensor is implemented as a printed circuit board, thereby including a printed circuit board, on which Hall elements in multiple pairs of Hall sensor groups are arranged and electrically or communicatively connected through traces in the printed circuit board.

[0091] For example, a chip is an integrated circuit system that communicates internally via a Network-on-Chip (NoC); a printed circuit board (PCB) is a circuit substrate, for example, the Hall elements of multiple pairs of Hall sensor groups can be arranged on a printed circuit board by soldering.

[0092] For example, in a multi-pair Hall sensor group, the Hall sensor groups may be arranged on different planes. This can be achieved using a multi-layer printed circuit board, where each layer of the multi-layer printed circuit board can be electrically or communicatively connected via traces. Depending on the different arrangements of the Hall sensor groups in the multi-pair Hall sensor group, corresponding implementation methods can be adopted as needed, and this disclosure does not impose any limitations on this.

[0093] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the magnetic angle sensor further includes a signal processing module, which includes a first signal processing circuit and a second signal processing circuit.

[0094] A first signal processing circuit is configured to determine a first set of differential signals based on a first detection signal and a second detection signal output by the two Hall sensor groups in the first pair of Hall sensor groups, respectively; a second signal processing circuit is configured to determine a second set of differential signals based on a third detection signal and a fourth detection signal output by the two Hall sensor groups in the second pair of Hall sensor groups, respectively; and a signal processing module is configured to determine a measurement result based on the first set of differential signals and the second set of differential signals. These signal processing circuits can be implemented, for example, by analog circuits, digital circuits, or any combination thereof, and the embodiments of this disclosure are not limited thereto.

[0095] Figure 4 A circuit logic block diagram of a magnetic angle sensor provided in at least one embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0096] like Figure 4 As shown in the example, the magnetic angle sensor 100 also includes a signal processing module 30, which includes a first signal processing circuit, a second signal processing circuit, and a digital signal processor 340; the first signal processing circuit may include a first operational amplifier 310, a first amplifier 320, and / or a first analog-to-digital converter 330; the second signal processing circuit may include a second operational amplifier 311, a second amplifier 321, and / or a second analog-to-digital converter 331.

[0097] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the first signal processing circuit includes a first operational amplifier 310, and the second signal processing circuit includes a second operational amplifier 311.

[0098] The first operational amplifier 310 is communicatively connected to two Hall sensor groups in the first pair of Hall sensor groups, and the second operational amplifier 311 is communicatively connected to two Hall sensor groups in the second pair of Hall sensor groups.

[0099] The first operational amplifier 310 is configured to perform differential operation on the first detection signal and the second detection signal to output a first set of differential signals, and the second operational amplifier 311 is configured to perform differential operation on the third detection signal and the fourth detection signal to output a second set of differential signals.

[0100] For example, for the first detection signal output in parallel by the first Hall element (H0) and the second Hall element (H1) in Hall sensor group 201 (also called the first Hall sensor group) and the second detection signal output in parallel by the third Hall element (H4) and the fourth Hall element (H5) in Hall sensor group 202 (also called the second Hall sensor group), the second detection signal can be inverted (minus sign "-" shown in the figure) and then differentially processed with the first detection signal through the first operational amplifier 310 to output the first set of differential signals S1.

[0101] For example, the first set of differential signals S1 = (H0+H1)-(H4+H5).

[0102] For example, the third detection signal output by the fifth Hall element (H2) and the sixth Hall element (H3) in parallel in Hall sensor group 203 (also known as the third Hall sensor group) and the fourth detection signal output by the seventh Hall element (H6) and the eighth Hall element (H7) in parallel in Hall sensor group 204 (also known as the fourth Hall sensor group) can be inverted and then differentially processed with the third detection signal through the second operational amplifier 311 to output the second set of differential signals S2.

[0103] For example, the second set of differential signals S2 = (H2+H3)-(H6+H7).

[0104] For example, the first signal processing circuit may include a first amplifier 320 for amplifying the first set of differential signals, and the second signal processing circuit may include a second amplifier 321 for amplifying the second set of differential signals.

[0105] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the signal processing module further includes a digital signal processor (DSP) 340, the first signal processing circuit further includes a first analog-to-digital converter 330, and the second signal processing circuit includes a second analog-to-digital converter 331.

[0106] The input terminal of the first analog-to-digital converter 330 is communicatively connected to the first operational amplifier 310, and the output terminal of the first analog-to-digital converter 330 is communicatively connected to the digital signal processor 340. The input terminal of the second analog-to-digital converter 331 is communicatively connected to the second operational amplifier 311, and the output terminal of the second analog-to-digital converter 331 is communicatively connected to the digital signal processor 340.

[0107] The first analog-to-digital converter 330 is configured to perform analog-to-digital conversion on the first set of differential signals and output the first set of digital differential signals.

[0108] The second analog-to-digital converter 331 is configured to perform analog-to-digital conversion on the second set of differential signals and output a second set of digital differential signals.

[0109] The digital signal processor 340 is configured to perform arctangent calculation based on the received first set of digital differential signals and second set of digital differential signals to determine a measurement result, such as the rotation angle value θ of the magnet under test measured by the magnetic angle sensor 100.

[0110] For example, the rotation angle value θ of the magnet under test measured by the magnetic angle sensor 100 is θ = atan(S1 / S2).

[0111] At least one embodiment of this disclosure also provides a magnetic angle measurement system, the system including the magnetic angle sensor described in the above at least one embodiment, the magnetic angle sensor being configured to measure a magnetic field.

[0112] For example, a magnetic field can be generated by energizing a wire or by arranging a magnet; this disclosure does not limit the specific method of generating a magnetic field.

[0113] For example, the magnetic angle measurement system has a magnetic field, and the magnetic angle sensor is configured to measure the magnetic field in the magnetic angle measurement system.

[0114] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the magnetic angle measurement system includes a magnet to be measured, for example, the magnet to be measured serves as the magnetic field source in the magnetic angle measurement system.

[0115] For example, a magnetic angle sensor is configured to measure the rotation angle of the magnet under test.

[0116] Figure 5 A schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between a magnet under test and a magnetic angle sensor provided in at least one embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0117] like Figure 5 As shown, the magnetic angle measurement system 200 includes a magnet to be measured 40 and a magnetic angle sensor 100 provided in any of the above embodiments of this disclosure.

[0118] The magnetic axis of the magnet under test is perpendicular to the plane of the magnetic angle sensor, and the geometric center of the magnet under test is located on the axis of each Hall element in the magnetic angle sensor, for example, located at... Figure 2A and Figure 2B The magnet to be measured is positioned on the central axis O shown; the magnet is configured to rotate during the measurement of the magnetic angle.

[0119] The magnetic axis is the boundary between the south pole (S) and the north pole (N) of a magnet; for example, the geometric center of the magnet under test can lie on a perpendicular line to the plane of the magnetic angle sensor, along with the center of the circle along which each Hall sensor group in the magnetic angle sensor is arranged.

[0120] For example, the magnet to be tested is an axially magnetized magnet, that is, the magnet to be tested is generated by axial magnetization.

[0121] For example, the magnet to be tested is a circular magnet or a ring magnet.

[0122] It should be noted that circular or ring-shaped magnets generated by axial magnetization have stronger third harmonic components. Therefore, the magnetic angle sensor provided in any of the above embodiments of this disclosure has a significant effect on eliminating the third harmonic components for such magnets.

[0123] For example, the magnet to be tested can rotate around a magnetic axis. The magnet to be tested can be attached to an object whose angle is to be measured. For example, if the object whose angle is to be measured is a motor, the magnet to be tested can be installed at the corresponding position of the motor, thereby realizing the measurement of the motor's rotation angle. It should be noted that this disclosure does not limit the specific installation method of the magnet to be tested and the object to be tested. After the magnet to be tested is installed, its rotation method is determined by the object to be tested. This disclosure does not limit the rotation method of the magnet to be tested.

[0124] Figure 6 A schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between a magnet under test and a magnetic angle sensor provided in at least one embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0125] In the magnetic angle measurement system 200, the positional relationship between the magnet 40 to be measured and the magnetic angle sensor 100 can be as follows: Figure 5 As shown, the magnet to be tested 40 is disposed on at least one side of the plane where the magnetic angle sensor 100 is located. For example, the magnet to be tested 40 can be disposed on the side above or below the magnetic angle sensor 100, etc., and this disclosure does not limit this.

[0126] The positional relationship between the magnet under test 40 and the magnetic angle sensor 100 can also be as follows: Figure 6As shown, the magnet 40 to be tested can also pass through the plane where the magnetic angle sensor 100 is located, and be surrounded by the Hall elements of each Hall sensor group in the multiple pairs of Hall sensor groups in the magnetic angle sensor 100.

[0127] The technical effects of the magnetic angle measurement system of the above embodiments of this disclosure are the same as those of the magnetic angle sensor described above, and therefore will not be repeated.

[0128] At least one embodiment of this disclosure also provides an apparatus, wherein the apparatus includes the magnetic angle measuring system or magnetic angle sensor described in the above at least one embodiment, such as an electronic device.

[0129] Figure 7 A block diagram of an electronic device provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0130] like Figure 7 As shown, the electronic device 300 in this embodiment includes a magnetic angle measurement system 200 or a magnetic angle sensor 100 according to any embodiment of this disclosure. The electronic device 300 can be, but is not limited to, mobile devices or terminals requiring magnetic angle measurement, such as wearable devices, in-vehicle terminals (e.g., in-vehicle navigation terminals), and intelligent transportation devices such as smart cars (electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, or gasoline vehicles), and smart electric vehicles. The electronic device 300 can also be a large mechanical device with motors, turntables, gears, etc., requiring magnetic angle measurement.

[0131] For example, the electronic device 300 can be a smart car, and the magnetic angle measurement system 200 or magnetic angle sensor 100 equipped on the electronic device 300 can be used to assist the smart car in various application scenarios such as steering wheel control and car seat angle adjustment.

[0132] The technical effects of the electronic device in the above embodiments of this disclosure are the same as those of the magnetic angle sensor described above, and therefore will not be repeated.

[0133] The following points need to be clarified regarding this disclosure:

[0134] (1) The accompanying drawings of the embodiments of this disclosure only involve the structures involved in the embodiments of this disclosure. Other structures can be referred to the general design.

[0135] (2) Where there is no conflict, features of the same embodiment and different embodiments of this disclosure can be combined with each other.

[0136] The above are merely specific embodiments of this disclosure, but the scope of protection of this disclosure is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this disclosure should be included within the scope of protection of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of this disclosure should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A magnetic angle sensor, comprising: Multiple pairs of Hall sensor groups are arranged along at least one circumference along the same axis, wherein the multiple pairs of Hall sensor groups include a first pair of Hall sensor groups and a second pair of Hall sensor groups, and the plane containing the at least one circumference is perpendicular to the axis. Two Hall sensor groups in the first pair of Hall sensor groups are arranged opposite each other along a first diameter direction of the at least one circumference, and two Hall sensor groups in the second pair of Hall sensor groups are arranged opposite each other along a second diameter direction of the at least one circumference, wherein the first diameter direction is perpendicular to the second diameter direction; Each of the Hall sensor groups includes two Hall elements spaced 60° apart at the center and arranged along the same circumference, and each Hall element is configured to output a Hall signal in response to a received magnetic field; The two Hall elements in each Hall sensor group are configured to be connected in parallel so that the two Hall signals corresponding to the two Hall elements are superimposed in parallel to output a detection signal.

2. The magnetic angle sensor as described in claim 1, wherein, The at least one circumference includes a first circumference and a second circumference. Two Hall sensor groups in the first pair of Hall sensor groups are arranged on the first circumference, and two Hall sensor groups in the second pair of Hall sensor groups are arranged on the second circumference; or, two Hall sensor groups in the first pair of Hall sensor groups and two Hall sensor groups in the second pair of Hall sensor groups are arranged on the same circumference.

3. The magnetic angle sensor as described in claim 2, wherein, The first circumference and the second circumference are on the same plane; or The first circle is on a first plane, the second circle is on a second plane, and the first plane is parallel to the second plane.

4. The magnetic angle sensor as described in claim 3, wherein, The projection interval between the Hall elements of the first pair of Hall sensor groups and the Hall elements of the second pair of Hall sensor groups that are projected adjacent to each other on the same plane is a central angle of 30°.

5. The magnetic angle sensor as described in any one of claims 1-4, further comprising a signal processing module, wherein, The signal processing module includes a first signal processing circuit and a second signal processing circuit; The first signal processing circuit is configured to determine a first set of differential signals based on the first detection signal and the second detection signal output by the two Hall sensor groups in the first pair of Hall sensor groups, respectively. The second signal processing circuit is configured to determine the second set of differential signals based on the third detection signal and the fourth detection signal output by the two Hall sensor groups in the second pair of Hall sensor groups, respectively. The signal processing module is configured to determine the measurement result based on the first set of differential signals and the second set of differential signals.

6. The magnetic angle sensor as described in claim 5, wherein, The measurement result is the rotation angle value of the magnet under test measured by the magnetic angle sensor.

7. The magnetic angle sensor as described in claim 5, wherein, The first signal processing circuit includes a first operational amplifier, and the second signal processing circuit includes a second operational amplifier; The first operational amplifier is communicatively connected to two Hall sensor groups in the first pair of Hall sensor groups, and the second operational amplifier is communicatively connected to two Hall sensor groups in the second pair of Hall sensor groups. The first operational amplifier is configured to perform a differential operation on the first detection signal and the second detection signal, and output the first set of differential signals. The second operational amplifier is configured to perform differential operation on the third detection signal and the fourth detection signal to output the second set of differential signals.

8. The magnetic angle sensor as described in claim 7, wherein, The signal processing module further includes a digital signal processor, the first signal processing circuit further includes a first analog-to-digital converter, and the second signal processing circuit further includes a second analog-to-digital converter. The input terminal of the first analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is communicatively connected to the first operational amplifier, and the output terminal of the first ADC is communicatively connected to the digital signal processor (DSP). The input terminal of the second ADC is communicatively connected to the second operational amplifier, and the output terminal of the second ADC is communicatively connected to the DSP. The first analog-to-digital converter is configured to perform analog-to-digital conversion on the first set of differential signals and output a first set of digital differential signals; The second analog-to-digital converter is configured to perform analog-to-digital conversion on the second set of differential signals and output a second set of digital differential signals; The digital signal processor is configured to perform arctangent calculation based on the received first set of digital differential signals and second set of digital differential signals to determine the measurement result.

9. The magnetic angle sensor as described in any one of claims 1-4, wherein, The magnetic angle sensor includes a chip, and each Hall element in the multiple pairs of Hall sensor groups is integrated into the chip, or... The magnetic angle sensor includes a printed circuit board, and the Hall elements in the multiple pairs of Hall sensor groups are arranged on the printed circuit board.

10. A magnetic angle measuring system, comprising: The magnetic angle sensor as described in any one of claims 1-9; as well as The magnet to be tested; The magnetic angle sensor is configured to measure the rotation angle of the magnet under test.

11. The magnetic angle measuring system as described in claim 10, in, The magnetic axis of the magnet under test is perpendicular to the plane of the magnetic angle sensor, and the geometric center of the magnet under test is located on the axis. The magnet under test is configured to rotate during the measurement.

12. The magnetic angle measuring system as described in claim 10 or 11, wherein, The magnet to be tested is disposed on at least one side of the plane where the magnetic angle sensor is located, or The magnet under test passes through the plane of the magnetic angle sensor and is surrounded by the Hall elements in the multiple pairs of Hall sensor groups.

13. An electronic device, comprising: The magnetic angle sensor as described in any one of claims 1-9, or The magnetic angle measurement system as described in any one of claims 10-12.

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