Magnetic Sensor System

Abstract

The present disclosure therefore provides a magnetic sensing system that implements a magnetic multi-turn sensor and an absolute angle sensor in conjunction with a rotating magnet for counting revolutions and providing coarse angular position information, together with an incremental sensor system that uses a rotating disk having a track formed from an Archimedes spiral structure, thereby providing a higher accuracy angle measurement. A magnetic sensing device comprising a multi-turn sensor and an angle sensor is disposed in proximity to a magnet mounted on the end of a rotating shaft. The magnetic sensing device detects a rotating magnetic field to measure the number of revolutions and the absolute angle of the rotating shaft to a first level of resolution and accuracy. The rotating disk is also coupled to the rotating shaft and is formed from a magnetic material. Tracks are then formed on the magnetic disk such that a magnetic incremental sensor detects the periodically changing magnetic field as the disk rotates with the shaft. Then, starting from the angle measurement provided by the magnetic sensing device, a signal output by the incremental sensor can be used to provide a higher resolution measurement of the angular position.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to magnetic sensor systems, and more particularly to magnetic sensor systems including angle sensors and multi-rotation sensors, and magnetic incremental sensors arranged to monitor magnetic tracks. [Background technology]

[0002] Magnetic single-turn and multi-turn angle sensors are commonly used in applications where there is a need to monitor both the number of times a device is turning and its precise angular position. An example is a vehicle steering wheel.

[0003] Magnetic multi-rotation and single-rotation sensors typically use magnetoresistive elements that are susceptible to an applied external magnetic field. The resistance of the magnetoresistive element in a multi-rotation sensor can be changed by rotating the magnetic field within the sensor's periphery. The variation in the resistance of the magnetoresistive element can be tracked to determine the number of rotations in the magnetic field, which can be converted to the number of rotations in the monitored device. Similarly, the variation in the resistance of the magnetoresistive element in a single-rotation sensor can be tracked to determine the magnetic field angle, which can be converted to the angular position of the monitored device. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] The present disclosure provides a magnetic sensing system that implements a magnetic multi-rotation sensor and absolute angle sensor in conjunction with a rotating magnet for counting rotations and providing coarse angular position information, along with an incremental sensor system that uses a rotating disk having tracks formed from an Archimedes spiral structure, thereby providing a higher-precision angle measurement. In this regard, a magnetic sensing device including the multi-rotation sensor and angle sensor is disposed in proximity to a magnet mounted on the end of a rotating shaft. The magnetic sensing device detects a rotating magnetic field to measure the number of rotations and absolute angle of the rotating shaft to a first level of resolution and accuracy. A rotating disk is also coupled to the rotating shaft and is formed from a magnetic material. Tracks are then formed on the magnetic disk such that a magnetic incremental sensor detects the periodically changing magnetic field as the disk rotates with the shaft. Starting from the angle measurement provided by the magnetic sensing device, a signal output by the incremental sensor can then be used to provide a higher-resolution measurement of angular position.

[0005] A first aspect of the present disclosure provides a magnetic sensor system comprising: a magnet mounted on a rotatable shaft; and a magnetic sensing device in proximity to the magnet, the magnetic sensing device comprising: an angle sensor configured to detect an orientation of a magnetic field generated by the magnet as the rotatable shaft rotates; a magnetic multi-rotation sensor configured to detect the number of rotations of the magnetic field generated by the magnet as the rotatable shaft rotates; a magnetic disk mounted on the rotatable shaft, the disk comprising at least a first track for inducing a change in the magnetic field generated by the magnetic disk, the first track being formed from a plurality of curved segments distributed around the magnetic disk; and a first incremental sensor configured to detect a change in the magnetic field induced by the first track as the rotatable shaft rotates.

[0006] The plurality of curved segments may comprise a plurality of Archimedes spiral segments distributed around the circumference of the magnetic disk.

[0007] The system may further include a processing circuit in communication with the magnetic sensing device and the first incremental sensor, the processing circuit configured to determine a first angle measurement based on the output signal from the angle sensor and to determine a second angle measurement based on the first angle measurement and the output signal from the first incremental sensor, the second angle measurement having a higher resolution than the first angle measurement.

[0008] In some arrangements, the output signal from the angle sensor may include a sine component and a cosine component. Similarly, the output signal from the first incremental sensor may include a sine component and a cosine component.

[0009] The output signal from the first incremental sensor may have a greater periodicity per revolution than the output signal from the angle sensor.

[0010] The periodicity of the output signal from the first incremental sensor per revolution may depend on the configuration of the first track, for example, the periodicity may depend on at least one of the number of curved segments, the slope of the curved segments, and the distance between the curved segments.

[0011] In some arrangements, the curved segments may be formed as one of protrusions, holes, blind holes, or depressions.

[0012] The system may further include at least a second incremental sensor configured to detect changes in a magnetic field induced by the first track as the rotatable shaft rotates. In some arrangements, the first incremental sensor and the second incremental sensor may be disposed on opposite sides of the first track.

[0013] In such a case, the processing circuitry may be further configured to further communicate with a second incremental sensor and to determine a second angle measurement based on an average of the output signals from the first and second incremental sensors.

[0014] The system may include a plurality of incremental sensors configured to detect changes in a magnetic field induced by the first track as the rotatable shaft rotates, the plurality of incremental sensors being positioned equidistantly around the first track.

[0015] The magnetic disk may further include a second track including a set of features for inducing a change in the magnetic field generated by the magnetic disk. In such an arrangement, the set of features may be one of protrusions, holes, blind holes, or depressions. The second incremental track is preferably provided at a different radial position relative to the central axis of the magnetic disk than the first incremental track. For example, the second incremental track may be positioned farther from the central axis than the first incremental track, or vice versa. The system may further include at least a third incremental sensor configured to detect a change in the magnetic field induced by the second track as the rotatable shaft rotates.

[0016] The magnetic disk may include a ferromagnetic material.

[0017] The angle sensor may be one of an anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) based single rotation sensor, a giant magnetoresistance (GMR) based single rotation sensor, a tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) based single rotation sensor, a Hall effect sensor, and an inductive sensor.

[0018] The magnetic multi-turn sensor is a giant magnetoresistance (GMR) based multi-turn sensor or a tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) based multi-turn sensor.

[0019] A further aspect of the present disclosure provides a method for monitoring the position of a rotatable shaft, wherein a magnet and a magnetic disk are mounted on the rotatable shaft, the method including: detecting, using an angle sensor, an orientation of a magnetic field generated by the magnet as the rotatable shaft rotates; detecting, using a first incremental sensor, a change in the magnetic field generated by the magnetic disk as the rotatable shaft rotates, the change being induced by a first track formed on the magnetic disk, the first track comprising a plurality of curved segments distributed around the magnetic disk; determining a first angle measurement based on an output signal from the angle sensor; and determining a second angle measurement based on the first angle measurement and the output signal from the first incremental sensor, the second angle measurement having a higher resolution than the first angle measurement.

[0020] The plurality of curved segments may comprise a plurality of Archimedes spiral segments distributed around the circumference of the magnetic disk.

[0021] The method may further include using a magnetic multi-rotation sensor to detect the number of rotations of the magnetic field generated by the magnet as the rotatable shaft rotates.

[0022] A further aspect of the present disclosure provides a magnetic sensor system comprising: a first magnet mounted on a rotatable shaft; a magnetic sensing device in proximity to the first magnet, the magnetic sensing device comprising: an angle sensor configured to detect an orientation of a magnetic field generated by the first magnet as the rotatable shaft rotates; and a magnetic multi-rotation sensor configured to detect a number of rotations of the magnetic field generated by the first magnet as the rotatable shaft rotates; at least one bias magnet configured to generate an additional magnetic field; and at least a first additional magnetic sensor configured to detect changes in the additional magnetic field induced by a first magnetic target arranged to rotate the rotatable shaft, the first magnetic target having a first number of features for inducing changes in the additional magnetic field.

[0023] The system may further include a second, additional magnetic sensor configured to detect changes to the additional magnetic field induced by a second magnetic target arranged to be rotated by the rotatable shaft, the second magnetic target having a second number of features for inducing the change in the magnetic field.

[0024] The system may further comprise a processing circuit in communication with the first further magnetic sensor and the second further magnetic sensor, the processing circuit configured to detect a difference between measurements obtained by the first further magnetic sensor and the second further magnetic sensor and generate shaft rotation angle information related to a rotation angle of the rotatable shaft based on the detected difference between the measurements obtained from the first further magnetic sensor and the second further magnetic sensor.

[0025] The present disclosure is now described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates a first example of a magnetic sensor system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2A] 2 is a graph illustrating an example output of the magnetic sensor system of FIG. 1; [Figure 2B] 2 is a graph illustrating an example output of the magnetic sensor system of FIG. 1; [Figure 3] 10 is a second example of a magnetic sensor system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 10 is a third example of a magnetic sensor system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] 10 is a fourth example of a magnetic sensor system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating signal paths between components of a magnetic sensor system. [Figure 7] 1 is an example of a magnetic sensing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] 1 is an example of an angle sensor according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] 1 is an example of a multi-rotation sensor according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 10A] 1 illustrates the structure of a portion of a magnetic sensor system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 10B] 1 illustrates the structure of a portion of a magnetic sensor system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 11A] 10 further illustrates the structure of a portion of a magnetic sensor system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 11B] 10 further illustrates the structure of a portion of a magnetic sensor system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 11C] 10 further illustrates the structure of a portion of a magnetic sensor system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 12] 10 illustrates a further example of a multi-rotation sensor according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 13] 10 illustrates a further example of a multi-rotation sensor according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] The following detailed description of the embodiments presents various descriptions of specific embodiments of the invention. However, the invention can be embodied in many different ways. This description refers to the drawings, where like reference numbers may indicate identical or functionally similar elements. It will be understood that the elements illustrated in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. It will also be understood that particular embodiments can include more elements and / or a subset of the elements illustrated in the figures. Furthermore, some embodiments can incorporate any suitable combination of features from two or more figures.

[0028] Magnetic multi-turn and single-turn sensors can be used to monitor the rotation count and angular position of a rotating shaft. Such magnetic sensing can be applied to a variety of different applications, such as automotive applications, medical applications, industrial control applications, consumer applications, and a host of other applications that require information about the position of a rotating component.

[0029] Industrial and automotive applications often require accurate angle measurement systems capable of measuring multiple shaft revolutions. Systems such as steering angle measurement, rack-and-pinion, and / or lead screw applications often require these measurement capabilities. In many applications, the shaft end is not easily accessible, preventing magnetic sensor placement at the end of the shaft. Additionally, known angle sensor systems do not provide the resolution and accuracy required for some applications. One solution is to use optical encoders, but these can be prohibitively expensive. Another solution is to implement multi-revolution information from mechanical gears coupled to a rotating shaft. However, the gear tooth pitch depends on the gear diameter, and angle sensors must be designed to match the tooth pitch. Therefore, not all angle sensors are compatible with all gears, making this impractical.

[0030] Thus, the present disclosure provides a magnetic sensing system that implements a magnetic multi-rotation sensor and absolute angle sensor in conjunction with a rotating magnet to count rotations and provide coarse angular position information, along with an incremental sensor system that uses a rotating disk having tracks formed from an Archimedes spiral structure, thereby providing higher accuracy angle measurements.

[0031] In this regard, a magnetic sensing device including a multi-rotation sensor and an angle sensor is disposed adjacent to a magnet mounted on the end of a rotating shaft. The magnetic sensing device detects a rotating magnetic field to measure the number of rotations and absolute angle of the rotating shaft to a first level of resolution and accuracy. A rotating disk is also coupled to the rotating shaft and formed from a magnetic material. Tracks are then formed on the magnetic disk such that a magnetic incremental sensor detects the periodically changing magnetic field as the disk rotates with the shaft. Next, starting from the angle measurement provided by the magnetic sensing device, a signal output by the incremental sensor can be used to provide a higher resolution measurement of angular position.

[0032] FIG. 1 illustrates a first embodiment of a magnetic sensor system 100 according to the present disclosure. A permanent magnetic ring 101 is attached to the end of a rotatable shaft 102, which itself is coupled to some mechanical system to be monitored. A magnetic sensing device 103, including a magnetic absolute angle sensor (also referred to herein as a single-rotation sensor) and a magnetic multi-rotation sensor, is positioned proximate to the magnet 101. More specifically, the magnetic sensing device 103 is not aligned with the axis of rotation of the shaft 102, but instead is positioned "off the shaft," insofar as it is disposed in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation. Further details of the magnetic angle sensor and multi-rotation sensor are described below. The magnetic sensing device 103 measures changes in the rotating magnetic field generated by the magnet 101 as it rotates with the shaft 102, thereby determining the number of rotations and angular position of the shaft 102 to a first level of accuracy and resolution, e.g., in degrees.

[0033] The disk 104 is also connected to the shaft 102 for rotation therewith. The disk 104 comprises a soft ferromagnetic material and is provided with a track 105 comprising a plurality of curved segments 105A arranged in a staggered manner and distributed around the circumference of the disk 104. The segments 105A are shaped like small overlapping sections of an Archimedes spiral positioned adjacent to one another, with each segment 105A being offset from its neighbor. That is, the segments 105A are curved such that the radius of each segment 105A decreases as it extends around the disk 104 in a particular direction, and each segment 105A begins and ends at a different point around the circumference of the disk 104.

[0034] In this example, the radius decreases as the segments 105A extend in a clockwise direction, although it will of course be understood that the segments 105A may be configured to have a decreasing radius as they extend around the disk 104 in a counterclockwise (anti-clockwise) direction.

[0035] 1, a magnetic incremental sensor 106 is positioned relative to the track 105 such that it measures a magnetic field or changes in the magnetic field caused by the track 105. In this regard, the segments 105A of the track 105 may be formed as indents, ridges, holes, or any other features that can produce a magnetic field that changes as the disk 104 rotates. The signals output by the incremental sensor 106 can then be used to further increase the resolution and accuracy of the measured angular position, for example, to units of arc minutes.

[0036] 2A illustrates an example of an output signal 201 of a magnetic single rotation sensor, where the output signal 201 includes sine and cosine signals that repeat once or twice per revolution. For example, an absolute angle sensor with 180° resolution will repeat the sine and cosine signals twice per revolution, while an absolute angle sensor with 360° resolution will repeat the sine and cosine signals once per revolution. The arctangent of the sine and cosine signals can then be calculated to output the magnetic field angle and, therefore, the angular position of the rotating shaft.

[0037] If the sine and cosine signals repeat every two revolutions, the revolution count of the multi-turn sensor (or some other quadrant detection means) can be used to resolve, for example, whether the angle sensor is measuring a rotation from 0° to 180°, or from 180° to 360°, or which half-turn of a full rotation is being measured by the angle sensor.

[0038] 2B illustrates an example of an output signal 202 of the incremental sensor 106. The output signal 202 also includes sine and cosine signals, but these signals have multiple periods per revolution (significantly more than two). As with a single-rotation sensor, the arctangent of the sine and cosine signals is calculated to provide an angle measurement. However, each repetition of the sine and cosine corresponds to a smaller portion of each revolution. For example, for a periodicity of 12, each sine and cosine signal corresponds to a 30° rotation, and therefore, the arctangent of each sine and cosine signal provides a higher resolution measurement of every 30° rotation.

[0039] One advantage of using a track 105 with Archimedes spiral segments 105A is that the number of periods per revolution can be adjusted independently of the diameter of the disk 104 and the size of the track 105. In this case, the number of segments 105A is equal to the number of periods of the output signal 202 per revolution. However, the distance between the segments 105A or the inclination of the segments 105A can be adjusted to provide any suitable periodicity, and therefore resolution. Ideally, the accuracy of the absolute angle sensor in the magnetic sensing device 103 is sufficient to determine at which period of the incremental sensor 106 it is located; therefore, the number of segments 105A and / or periods of the incremental track 105 needs to be limited to meet this requirement. Using Archimedes spiral segments 105A, this can be achieved for nearly any disk diameter and any required pitch.

[0040] The tracks 105 may be formed using any suitable manufacturing method. For example, the tracks 105 may be formed using a suitable stamping or imprinting tool. Similarly, the tracks 105 may be formed by etching into the soft ferromagnetic material of the disk 104, or by applying a hard photoresist mask and etching around the mask to leave a plurality of raised segments 105A.

[0041] 10A-B illustrate an example configuration of a magnetic disk 1004 and track 1005 that may be used in conjunction with any of the embodiments described herein, with FIG. 10B showing a cross section of the magnetic disk 1004 taken across the line labeled "X" in FIG. 10A. In this example, the Archimedes spiral segment 1005A of the track 1005 is formed as a hole 1005A formed in the disk 1004.

[0042] 11A-C illustrate further examples of how tracks can be formed on a magnetic disk 1104. As shown in FIG. 11A, an Archimedes spiral segment 1105A is formed as an indentation in the magnetic disk 1104 that extends only partially into the magnetic disk 1104. In FIG. 11B, the Archimedes spiral segment 1105A is formed as a raised protrusion 1105A, but etched into the surface of the magnetic disk 1104. In FIG. 11C, the Archimedes spiral segment 1105A is again formed as an indentation in the magnetic disk 1104, but in this example, the segment 1105A has a curved or wavy profile rather than the square profile shown in FIG. 11A.

[0043] FIG. 3 illustrates a second embodiment of a magnetic sensing system 300 that can be used to measure the rotation of a magnet 301 mounted on the end of a rotatable shaft 302. The magnetic sensing system 300 is substantially the same as the magnetic sensor system shown in FIG. 1, except that in this embodiment, a second magnetic incremental sensor 307 is positioned on the opposite side of a rotating magnetic disk 304. The rotating magnetic disk 304 again includes a track 105 comprising a plurality of curved segments 105A distributed around the circumference of the disk 104. The combination of both incremental sensors 306, 307 allows for first-order compensation of any mechanical eccentricity experienced by the magnetic disk 304 by mathematically averaging the positions measured by each sensor 306, 307. In fact, it will be appreciated that any number of incremental sensors separated by equal angular distances can be used to further compensate for eccentricity. For example, four incremental sensors positioned at 0°, 90°, 180° and 270°, or three incremental sensors positioned at 0°, 120° and 240° may be used.

[0044] 4 shows a third embodiment of a magnetic sensing system 400 that can be used to measure the rotation of a magnet 401 mounted on the end of a rotatable shaft 402. The magnetic sensing system 400 is substantially the same as that shown in FIG. 1. In this embodiment, a magnetic disk 404 again includes a first track 405 comprising a plurality of curved segments 505A distributed around the circumference of the disk 404 at a first radial position, together with a second incremental track 408 arranged on the magnetic disk 404 at a second radial position and a second incremental sensor 409 disposed in association with the second track 408. In this example, the first incremental track 405 is positioned a smaller radial distance from the central axis of the disk 404, while the second incremental track 408 is positioned a greater radial distance from the central axis of the disk 404, although it will be appreciated that the first incremental track 405 may be positioned further from the central axis than the second incremental track 408. The second incremental track 408 may be made of Archimedes spiral segments or other alternating structures such as equally spaced holes, indentations, involute gear shapes, etc. In this example, the second track 408 comprises multiple slots and provides a sensor signal with a significantly higher number of periods and therefore a higher level of resolution and accuracy. In this arrangement, the output of the first incremental sensor 406 and the first incremental track 405 can be used to determine the position of the second incremental sensor 409 on the second incremental track 408, which then provides a higher resolution and higher accuracy measurement of the angular position of the shaft 402, for example in units of arc seconds.

[0045] As described with reference to Figure 3, runout in the system caused by mechanical eccentricity can be reduced by using multiple sensors on the magnetic tracks, preferably the tracks with the highest resolution. For example, as shown in Figure 5, which substantially corresponds to the system described with reference to Figure 4, two incremental sensors 509 and 510 can be disposed on either side of the track with the highest resolution, in this case the second magnetic track 508. As previously described, any number of equidistantly spaced incremental sensors can be used, from which an average measurement is calculated to compensate for any radial movement by the track 508.

[0046] FIG. 6 illustrates an example of signal paths between components of a magnetic sensor system described herein. The signals of the magnetic sensing device 103 (i.e., single-rotation sensor, multi-rotation sensor) and the incremental sensor 106 are first signal conditioned 601 (e.g., amplified, analog-to-digital converted, filtered, offset-corrected, amplitude-corrected, phase-corrected, etc.). It will be appreciated that signal conditioning 601 can be performed by multiple signal processing components. A controller 602 then processes the data to calculate an angular position comprising multiple rotations, which can then be output to a user interface. The angular position can also be provided to other control means, depending on the specific application. For example, the angular position can be provided to a control system for motor commutation. In fact, it will be appreciated that the angular position can be provided to any system using high-precision positioning, such as precision machining, a microscope table, an optical stepper, a robotic arm, etc.

[0047] FIG. 7 illustrates a schematic block diagram of an exemplary magnetic sensing device 7 used in embodiments of the present disclosure, including a multi-rotation (MT) sensor 702 and a single-rotation (ST) sensor 704. It will be appreciated that the magnetic sensing device 7 shown in FIG. 7 can be any of the magnetic sensing devices 103, 303, 403, and 503 used in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 and 3-6. The MT sensor 702 is preferably a giant magnetoresistance (GMR) or tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR)-based MT sensor. The ST sensor 704 can be any magnetic ST sensor, such as an anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR), giant magnetoresistance (GMR), or tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR)-based sensor, a Hall sensor, or an inductive sensor.

[0048] The sensing device 7 also includes a processing circuit 706 and an integrated circuit 700 in which the MT sensor 702, the ST sensor 704, and the processing circuit 706 are disposed. The processing circuit 706 receives a signal SMT 712 from the MT sensor 702 and processes the received signal to determine a rotation count using a rotation count decoder 708, which outputs a rotation count representing the number of rotations of an external magnetic field rotating in the vicinity of the MT sensor 702, for example, a magnetic field generated by a ring magnet 103, 303, 403, 503 mounted on a rotatable shaft 102, 302, 402, 502. Similarly, the processing circuit 706 also receives a signal SST 714 from the ST sensor 704 and processes the received signal using an angle decoder 710 to output the angular position of the external magnetic field.

[0049] 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an ST angle sensor 8 that may provide the ST sensor 704 of FIG. 7 with an interface circuit 806 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The interface circuit 806 can be part of the processing circuit 706. Alternatively, the interface circuit 806 can be a separate circuit between the processing circuit 706 and the output of the angle sensor 8. As shown in FIG. 8, the angle sensor 8 includes a first Wheatstone bridge 802 and a second Wheatstone bridge 804.

[0050] The first Wheatstone bridge 802 and the second Wheatstone bridge 804 may each include a magnetoresistive element, such as an AMR element, to sense the rotating magnetic field and provide rotation angle information from 0 to 360 degrees, which also corresponds to angles from 0 to 2π radians. Additionally, each AMR element can be patterned on an integrated circuit using an AMR process such that the first Wheatstone bridge 802 is rotated relative to the second Wheatstone bridge 804. By rotating the first Wheatstone bridge 802 and the second Wheatstone bridge 804 relative to each other, the trigonometric sine and cosine of the rotating magnetic field can be determined over a range from 0 to 360 degrees, as described above with reference to FIG. 2A.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 8, both the first Wheatstone bridge 802 and the second Wheatstone bridge 804 are electrically connected to a supply voltage VDD and ground GND, respectively. As illustrated, the interface circuit 206 receives voltages VSIN1 and VSIN2 from the sense nodes of the first Wheatstone bridge 802 and voltages VCOS1 and VCOS2 from the sense nodes of the second Wheatstone bridge 804. The voltages VSIN1, VSIN2, VCOS1, and VCOS2 in FIG. 8 may represent components of the signal 714 in FIG. 7. The interface circuit 806 can process the voltages VSIN1 and VSIN2 and the voltages VCOS1 and VCOS2 to determine sine and cosine signals, respectively, associated with the magnetic field. From the sine and cosine signals, the interface circuit 806 can determine the angle of the magnetic field from 0 to 360 degrees. In the embodiment of FIG. 8, the interface circuit 806 provides a single rotation angle output data ST_OUTPUT.

[0052] FIG. 9 shows an example of a layout representation of a magnetic strip 902 of a magnetic multi-rotation sensor 9 that may provide the MT sensor 702 shown in FIG.

[0053] In FIG. 9 , magnetic strip 902 comprises multiple magnetoresistive elements 904, preferably GMR-based and / or TMR-based magnetoresistive elements. In this example, magnetic strip 902 is a GMR-based magnetoresistive track physically laid out in a spiral configuration. Thus, magnetic strip 902 has multiple segments formed by magnetoresistive elements 904 arranged in series with one another. The magnetoresistive elements 904 function as variable resistors, changing their resistance depending on their magnetic alignment. The ends of magnetic strip 902 are coupled to domain wall generators (DWGs) 906, and it will be appreciated that DWGs 906 can be coupled to either end of magnetic strip 902. DWGs 906 generate domain walls in response to the rotation of an external magnetic field or the application of some other strong external magnetic field to the operating magnetic window of sensor 9. These domain walls are then injected into magnetic strip 902, and as the magnetic domains change, the resistance of magnetoresistive elements 904 also changes due to the resulting change in magnetic alignment.

[0054] To measure the changing resistance of the magnetoresistive element 904 as the domain walls are created, the magnetic strip 902 is electrically connected to a supply voltage VDD 908 and ground GND 910 to apply a voltage between pairs of opposite corners. An electrical connection 912 is provided at the middle corner of the voltage supply to provide a half-bridge output. The multi-rotation sensor 9 thus comprises multiple Wheatstone bridge circuits, with each half-bridge 912 corresponding to one-half rotation, i.e., 180°, of the external magnetic field. The voltage measurement at the electrical connection 912 can therefore be used to measure the change in resistance of the magnetoresistive element 904. The magnetoresistive element 904 can therefore be used to determine the number of rotations in the magnetic field, for example, by outputting the voltage measurement to the rotation count decoder 708.

[0055] 9 includes four spiral windings and eight half bridges 912 and is therefore configured to count four full rotations of the external magnetic field. However, it is understood that a multi-turn sensor can have any number of spiral windings depending on the number of magnetoresistive elements 904. Generally, a multi-turn sensor can count as many rotations as there are spiral windings.

[0056] It will also be understood that the magnetoresistive elements 904 may be electrically connected in any suitable manner to provide a sensor output representative of changes in magnetic alignment. For example, the magnetoresistive elements 904 may be connected in a matrix arrangement, as described in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2017 / 0261345 (corresponding to U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 064544, filed March 8, 2016), which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0057] In another embodiment, the MT sensor 702 can be a closed-loop spiral, with the magnetoresistive elements of the inner and outer spiral windings connected together to form a continuous spiral. Such an arrangement provides the effect of multiple spirals connected together, which allows for counting a very large number of revolutions.

[0058] FIG. 12 illustrates a further embodiment of magnetic sensing system 12 that implements a magnetic multi-rotation sensor and absolute angle sensor in conjunction with a rotating magnet for counting rotations and providing coarse angular position information, along with additional sensor systems, thereby providing a more accurate angle measurement. In this embodiment, a permanent magnetic ring 1201 is attached to the end of a rotatable shaft 1202, which itself is coupled to some mechanical system being monitored. A magnetic sensing device 1203, including a magnetic absolute angle sensor (also referred to herein as a single-rotation sensor) and a magnetic multi-rotation sensor, is positioned proximate to magnet 1201. More specifically, magnetic sensing device 1203 is positioned “on the shaft,” insofar as it is directly aligned with the axis of rotation of shaft 1202. It will, of course, be recognized that magnetic sensing device 1203 can be the same magnetic sensing device as described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 3-9. In this embodiment, a magnetic sensing device 1203 is mounted on the surface of a substrate 1204, for example a printed circuit board (PCB).

[0059] The system 12 further comprises a pair of magnetic sensors 1212 and 1214 mounted on a further substrate 1211, with a back bias magnet 1210 positioned on the backside of the sensors 1212 and 1214. The magnetic sensors 5 and 6 may be based on, but are not limited to, anisotropic magnetoresistive (AMR) sensor elements, giant magnetoresistive (GMR) sensor elements, tunneling magnetoresistive sensor elements, any magnetoresistive sensing element (xMR), or other suitable magnetic sensor technology.

[0060] Magnetic sensors 1212 and 1214 are positioned proximate the surfaces of two moving targets 1216 and 1218, respectively. In this embodiment, targets 1216 and 1218 are toothed gears fixed to shaft 1202. In operation, sensors 1212 and 1214 detect measurable changes in the direction of the magnetic field passing through sensors 1212 and 1214 as a result of magnetic targets 1216 and 1218 rotating and interacting with the magnetic field generated by magnet 1210. Sensors 1212 and 1214 are configured to measure the absolute rotational position of shaft 1202 from 0° to 360°. To do this, first target gear 1216 is provided with more or fewer teeth than second target gear 1218. By way of example, target gear 1216 may have n teeth, while target gear 1218 may have n-1 or n+1 teeth. In such an example, the Nonius principle may be applied, and the absolute rotation angle of both gears 1216 and 1218 may be inferred by measuring the relative displacement of the teeth on target 1218 with the teeth on target 1216 at the locations of sensors 1212 and 1214. In particular, when the number of teeth on target gears 1216 and 1218 differs by one, the relative offset between adjacent gears 1216 and 1218 at the locations of magnetic sensors 1212 and 1214 changes uniquely for a full rotation of shaft 1202. In this manner, by comparing measurements from sensors 1212 and 1214, the absolute rotation angle of input shaft 1202 from 0° to 360° may be measured. In this regard, sensors 1212 and 1214 each produce a signal containing sine and cosine components as their respective magnetic targets 1216 and 1218 rotate. The "arc tangent" (i.e., the tangent value divided by the cosine value) of each sensor signal is then calculated, and the difference between the arc tangent values ​​determined for each sensor 1212 and 1214 can then be determined to provide a measurement of the rotation angle.

[0061] In use, magnetic sensors 1212 and 1214 are used to provide the absolute angle of rotating shaft 1202 to a first level of resolution and accuracy using the Nonius principle described above. Based on this measured rotational angle, higher accuracy measurements can be obtained using magnetic sensors 1212 and 1214 and one of the respective target gears 1216 and 1218. This is because, using the Nonius principle, any errors that may exist when measuring from each of magnetic target gears 1216 and 1218 begin to accumulate when the difference in arctangent values ​​is calculated, necessitating further processing to correct for the accumulated errors. Therefore, a more accurate angle measurement can be obtained from measuring only one of magnetic target gears 1216 and 1218. Similarly, as described above, each magnetic sensor 1212 and 1214 produces sine and cosine signals for each tooth of the respective target gears 1216 and 1218, which provides a higher resolution measurement of the rotational angle compared to magnetic sensing device 1203. In this regard, it is also important that the teeth of target gears 1216 and 1218 are uniform in shape and size to provide accurate measurements. Magnetic sensing device 1203 is then used to measure the number of rotations. Magnetic sensing device 1203 may also provide an additional measurement of the absolute angle of rotating shaft 1202, which may be used to verify the angle measurements provided by magnetic sensors 1212 and 1214.

[0062] FIG. 13 provides a further example of a magnetic sensing system 13 that implements a magnetic multi-rotation sensor and absolute angle sensor in conjunction with a rotating magnet for counting rotations and providing coarse angular position information, along with an additional sensor system, thereby providing a more accurate angle measurement. The magnetic sensing system shown in FIG. 13 is similar to that of FIG. 12 , except that in this example, only one magnetic sensor 1312 and target gear 1316 are provided. As previously described, a permanent magnetic ring 1301 is mounted on the end of a rotatable shaft 1302, which itself is coupled to some mechanical system to be monitored. A magnetic sensing device 1303, including a magnetic absolute angle sensor (also referred to herein as a single-rotation sensor) and a magnetic multi-rotation sensor, is positioned in an “on-shaft” position, proximate to the magnet 1301, and is mounted on the surface of a substrate 1304, e.g., a printed circuit board (PCB).

[0063] An additional magnetic sensor 1312 is mounted on a further substrate 1311, with a back bias magnet 1310 positioned on the backside of the sensor 1312. As previously described, the magnetic sensor 1312 detects measurable changes in the direction of the magnetic field passing through the sensor 1312 as a result of the magnetic target 1316 rotating and interacting with the magnetic field generated by the magnet 1310, thereby providing 360° angular information.

[0064] In use, the magnetic sensing device 1303 is used to measure the number of rotations N D to provide the absolute angle of the rotating shaft 1302 to a first level of resolution and accuracy. Based on this measured rotation angle, higher accuracy measurements can be made using the magnetic sensor 1312 and the target gear 1316.

[0065] It will be appreciated that the arrangements shown in Figures 12 and 13 may use processing circuitry similar to that shown with respect to Figure 6, with the signals of magnetic sensors 1212, 1214, and 1312 being input to the processing component of signal conditioning 601.

[0066] The foregoing description may refer to elements or features as being "connected" or "coupled" together. As used herein, unless expressly stated otherwise, "connected" means that one element / feature is directly or indirectly connected to another element / feature, but not necessarily mechanically connected. Similarly, unless expressly stated otherwise, "coupled" means that one element / feature is directly or indirectly coupled to another element / feature, but not necessarily mechanically coupled. Thus, while the various schematics shown in the figures depict example arrangements of elements and components, additional intervening elements, devices, features, or components may be present in an actual embodiment (assuming the functionality of the depicted circuit is not adversely affected).

[0067] Although the present invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments, other embodiments apparent to those skilled in the art are also within the scope of the present invention, including embodiments that do not provide all of the features and advantages described herein. Also, the various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. Additionally, particular features shown in the context of one embodiment can also be incorporated into other embodiments.

Claims

1. 1. A magnetic sensing system comprising: a magnet mounted on a rotatable shaft; a magnetic sensing device in proximity to the magnet; The magnetic sensing device an angle sensor configured to detect the orientation of a magnetic field generated by the magnet as the rotatable shaft rotates; a magnetic multi-rotation sensor configured to detect the number of rotations of the magnetic field generated by the magnet as the rotatable shaft rotates; a magnetic disk mounted on the rotatable shaft, the magnetic disk having at least a first track for inducing a change in a magnetic field generated by the magnetic disk, the first track being formed from a plurality of curved segments distributed around the periphery of the magnetic disk; a first incremental sensor configured to detect changes in the magnetic field induced by the first track as the rotatable shaft rotates.

2. The magnetic sensing system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of curved segments comprises a plurality of Archimedes spiral segments distributed around the circumference of the magnetic disk.

3. a processing circuit in communication with the magnetic sensing device and the first incremental sensor; The processing circuitry determining a first angle measurement based on an output signal from the angle sensor; configured to determine a second angle measurement based on the first angle measurement and an output signal from the first incremental sensor; The magnetic sensing system of claim 1 , wherein the second angle measurement has a higher resolution than the first angle measurement.

4. The magnetic sensing system of claim 3 , wherein the output signal from the first incremental sensor is more periodic per revolution than the output signal from the angle sensor.

5. The magnetic sensing system of claim 3 , wherein the periodicity of the output signal from the first incremental sensor per revolution depends on the configuration of the first track.

6. The magnetic sensing system of claim 5 , wherein the periodicity depends on at least one of the number of curved segments, the slope of the curved segments, and the distance between the curved segments.

7. 4. The magnetic sensing system of claim 3, wherein the processing circuitry is further in communication with a second incremental sensor and is further configured to determine the second angle measurement based on an average of the output signals from the first incremental sensor and a second incremental sensor.

8. The magnetic sensing system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of curved segments are formed as one of protrusions, holes, blind holes, or depressions.

9. The magnetic sensing system of claim 1 , further comprising at least a second incremental sensor configured to detect changes in the magnetic field induced by the first track as the rotatable shaft rotates.

10. The magnetic sensing system of claim 9 , wherein the first incremental sensor and the second incremental sensor are disposed on opposite sides of the first track.

11. a plurality of incremental sensors configured to detect changes in the magnetic field induced by the first track as the rotatable shaft rotates; The magnetic sensing system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of incremental sensors are positioned equidistantly around the first track.

12. 10. The magnetic sensing system of claim 1, wherein the magnetic disk further comprises a second track comprising a set of features for inducing a change in the magnetic field generated by the magnetic disk.

13. The magnetic sensing system of claim 12 , wherein the set of features is one of a protrusion, a hole, a blind hole, or a depression.

14. The magnetic sensing system of claim 12 , further comprising at least a third incremental sensor configured to detect changes in the magnetic field induced by the second track as the rotatable shaft rotates.

15. 10. The magnetic sensing system of claim 1, wherein the angle sensor is one of an anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) based single rotation sensor, a giant magnetoresistance (GMR) based single rotation sensor, a tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) based single rotation sensor, a Hall effect sensor, and an inductive sensor.

16. The magnetic sensing system of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic multi-turn sensor is a giant magnetoresistance (GMR) based multi-turn sensor or a tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) based multi-turn sensor.

17. 1. A method for monitoring the position of a rotatable shaft, comprising: a magnet and a magnetic disk mounted on the rotatable shaft; The method comprises: using an angle sensor to detect the orientation of the magnetic field generated by the magnet as the rotatable shaft rotates; detecting, using a first incremental sensor, changes in the magnetic field generated by the magnetic disk as the rotatable shaft rotates, the changes being induced by a first track formed on the magnetic disk, the first track comprising a plurality of curved segments distributed around the periphery of the magnetic disk; determining a first angle measurement based on an output signal from the angle sensor; determining a second angle measurement based on the first angle measurement and an output signal from the first incremental sensor; The method, wherein the second angle measurement has a higher resolution than the first angle measurement.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of curved segments comprises a plurality of Archimedes spiral segments distributed around the circumference of the magnetic disk.

19. 18. The method of claim 17, further comprising using a magnetic multi-rotation sensor to detect the number of rotations of the magnetic field generated by the magnet as the rotatable shaft rotates.

20. 1. A magnetic sensor system, comprising: a first magnet mounted on the rotatable shaft; a magnetic sensing device in proximity to the first magnet, an angle sensor configured to detect an orientation of a magnetic field generated by the first magnet as the rotatable shaft rotates; a magnetic multi-rotation sensor configured to detect the number of rotations of the magnetic field generated by the first magnet as the rotatable shaft rotates; and at least one bias magnet configured to generate an additional magnetic field; and at least a first further magnetic sensor configured to detect changes in the further magnetic field induced by a first magnetic target arranged to rotate the rotatable shaft, the first magnetic target having a first number of features for inducing changes in the further magnetic field.

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