Angle sensor for picking off a position of a gearing carrier, and method for operating same

Abstract

The present invention relates to an angle sensor (100) for picking off a position of a gearing carrier (116), wherein the angle sensor (100) has a receiving gearwheel (102) and an inductive sensor transmitter (104) coupled to the receiving gearwheel (102), and also an evaluation unit (106) comprising at least one transmitting coil (108) and at least one receiving coil (110), wherein the receiving gearwheel (102) is mounted in the angle sensor (100) with the sensor transmitter (104) so as to rotate and the receiving gearwheel (102) is designed to engage in the gearing carrier (116), to roll away on the gearing carrier (116) when the position of the gearing carrier (116) changes and to transmit a resulting angular position to the sensor transmitter (104), wherein the evaluation unit (106) is designed to use the transmitting coil (108) to induce eddy currents in the sensor transmitter (104), to use the receiving coil (110) to receive an opposing electromagnetic field that is dependent on the angular position and produced by the eddy currents, and to use the received opposing field to determine the angular position.

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] Angle sensor for detecting a position of a gear carrier and method for operating the same

[0003] Field of the invention

[0004] The invention relates to an angle sensor for detecting a position of a gear carrier, as well as a method for operating such an angle sensor.

[0005] State of the art

[0006] An angle sensor can have a rotating encoder and a stationary receiver. The encoder is permanently connected to a rotating component. The receiver is fixed relative to the component. When the component rotates through an angle, the encoder rotates with it and is thus rotated by the angle relative to the receiver. If the angle sensor is defective, disassembly of the component may be necessary to replace the encoder.

[0007] Since the encoder is rigidly connected to the component, in addition to a desired rotational movement, the encoder also follows undesired movements of the component, such as wobbling movements, eccentric movements, axial and radial movements due to tolerances of the component and / or elastic deformations of the component.

[0008] The unwanted movements can affect the measuring accuracy of the angle sensor. By appropriately positioning the sensor elements, especially redundant ones, the effects of the unwanted movements can be at least largely compensated. Disclosure of the invention

[0009] Against this background, the approach presented here presents an angle sensor for detecting the position of a gear carrier, as well as a method for operating such an angle sensor according to the independent claims. Advantageous further developments and improvements of the approach presented here emerge from the description and are described in the dependent claims.

[0010] Advantages of the invention

[0011] In the approach presented here, an encoder of an angle sensor rotates about its own independently mounted axis and is only driven by a component to be tapped. The encoder is therefore not arranged directly on the component, but rather arranged separately from it. The encoder is arranged laterally offset from the component and engages with the component at a tapping point via a particularly backlash-free gearing. The encoder and its slave are arranged in a common housing and can thus be pre-assembled and calibrated. When the angle sensor is installed, the encoder is pushed laterally towards the component and mechanically coupled to the component at the tapping point.

[0012] With the approach presented here, only a desired rotational component of a potentially complex component movement is transmitted to the encoder. Other, non-rotational components of the movement are effectively kept away from the encoder by the encoder's separate bearing and gearing. Since the encoder thus only rotates around its axis as desired and is guided axially and radially, the receiver can be positioned very closely to the encoder, achieving high detection accuracy.

[0013] In addition, the angle sensor can be replaced with little effort if a defect occurs. This does not require disassembly of the component, which minimizes the time required for replacement. According to a first aspect of the invention, an angle sensor for sensing the position of a gear carrier is presented, wherein the angle sensor has a slave gear and an inductive sensor transmitter coupled to the slave gear, as well as an evaluation unit with at least one transmitting coil and at least one receiving coil, wherein the slave gear with the sensor transmitter is rotatably mounted in the angle sensor and the slave gear is designed to engage the gear carrier at a tapping point, in particular without play, to roll on the gear carrier when the position of the gear carrier changes, and to transmit a resulting angular position to the sensor transmitter, wherein the evaluation unit is designed toto induce eddy currents in the sensor using the transmitting coil, to receive an electromagnetic counter-field generated by the eddy currents, which is dependent on the angular position, using the receiving coil, and to determine the angular position using the received counter-field.

[0014] According to a second aspect of the invention, a method for operating an angle sensor according to the first aspect is presented, wherein the evaluation unit supplies the at least one transmitting coil with alternating current in order to induce eddy currents in the sensor transmitter and, using the at least one receiving coil, receives and evaluates an alternating voltage signal which represents a resulting opposing field of the eddy currents that is dependent on the angular position in order to determine the angular position.

[0015] Ideas for embodiments of the present invention can be considered, among other things, to be based on the thoughts and findings described below.

[0016] An angle sensor can be used, for example, in a vehicle's steering system to measure a steering angle on a steering column or a toe angle on a steering arm. The angle sensor presented here is an indirect measuring sensor in which the rotational movement of a component to be detected is transmitted to the sensor via a mechanical coupling. The sensor itself is arranged laterally offset from the component. Due to the indirect measurement, the angle sensor can also be used as a linear sensor, since both a rotational or rotary movement and a translational or linear movement can be transmitted via the mechanical coupling. This means that the angle sensor can also be arranged, for example, on a steering rack.

[0017] A gear carrier can be a movable component with matching gearing. The gear carrier can also be geared only in a measuring range. The gear carrier can be a rack that is movable relative to the angle sensor. An angular position can represent a linear position of the tapping point on the rack via a rolling radius of the slave gear. Alternatively, the gear carrier can be a pinion mounted on a shaft. The angular position can represent an angular position of the shaft via a transmission ratio between the pinion and the slave gear.

[0018] A slave gear can partially protrude from the housing of the angle sensor to mesh with the gear carrier. The slave gear can also be completely housed within the housing, and the housing can have a recess for the gear carrier. A contact point between the gear carrier and the slave gear can be referred to as a contact point. At the contact point, the distance between the gear carrier and the slave gear can be minimal.

[0019] A sensor encoder or encoder can be a rotatable disk. The sensor encoder can be made of an electrically conductive and, in particular, non-ferromagnetic material, such as aluminum, copper, or non-ferromagnetic steel. An alternating electromagnetic field emitted by at least one transmitting coil induces eddy currents in the sensor encoder. The eddy currents themselves emit an alternating electromagnetic counterfield directed opposite to the alternating electromagnetic field. The sensor encoder can be structured into segments, for example, by slots or cutouts. The segmentation or structure induces the eddy currents inhomogeneously. An inhomogeneity of the eddy currents is referenced to an angular position of the sensor encoder and rotates with the sensor encoder. The counterfield can couple into at least one receiving coil and generate a voltage signal there.The receiving coil can have a directional characteristic. Due to the inhomogeneity and the directional characteristic, the voltage signal couples into the receiving coil sometimes more strongly, sometimes less strongly, depending on the angular position. The angle sensor can have at least one satellite wheel and one satellite wheel sensor. The satellite wheel sensor can be a position sensor for the satellite wheel. The satellite wheel can be rotatably mounted in the angle sensor and engage with the slave gear, in particular without backlash. The angular position of the slave gear can be transferred into a satellite angular position of the satellite wheel via a satellite transmission of the satellite wheel. The satellite wheel sensor can be designed to detect the satellite angular position. The evaluation unit can further be designed to determine complete revolutions of the slave gear using the satellite angular position. A satellite wheel can be arranged laterally offset from the slave gear.The satellite wheel can also be a gear. The satellite wheel can, in particular, be smaller than the slave gear. The satellite wheel can thus rotate faster than the slave gear. A vernier calculation can be performed using the satellite angular position. For the vernier calculation, a unique combination of the angular position of the slave gear and the satellite angular position of the satellite wheel can be obtained over a number of revolutions of the slave gear. This allows the angle sensor to be used as an absolute angle sensor, which can directly signal an absolute angular position after a power interruption.

[0020] The angle sensor can have a pluggable housing enclosing the slave gear, the sensor transmitter, and the evaluation unit. The housing can be plugged into a slot, for example, in a steering gear, and, when plugged in, can be positioned so that the slave gear engages with the gear carrier at the tapping point. A pluggable housing allows the angle sensor to be quickly replaced. The housing can have an anti-twist feature to ensure that the angle sensor can only be inserted into the slot as intended. The pluggable design allows the angle sensor to be replaced, for example, using standard tools or even without tools.

[0021] The slave gear with the sensor encoder can be mounted radially and axially free of play. The slave gear can be mounted with a non-magnetic bearing. This bearing can prevent tilting of the slave gear and thus also of the sensor encoder. The slave gear bearing can be oversized. Form and position tolerances of the gear carrier can be compensated by the toothing between the slave gear and the gear carrier.

[0022] The sensor transmitter can be integrated into the base body of the slave gear. By integrating the two functional components into a single component, installation space can be saved. The teeth of the slave gear can therefore be arranged on the circumference of the sensor transmitter.

[0023] The angle sensor can have a further slave gear and a further sensor transmitter coupled to the further slave gear. The further slave gear can be rotatably mounted in the angle sensor together with the further sensor transmitter. The further slave gear with the further sensor transmitter can be rotatable independently of the other slave gear and the other sensor transmitter. The further slave gear can be designed to engage, in particular without play, in a further gear carrier at a further tapping point, to roll on the further gear carrier when the position of the further gear carrier changes, and to transmit a resulting further angular position to the further sensor transmitter. The evaluation unit can be arranged between the sensor transmitter and the further sensor transmitter and can have at least one further transmitting coil and at least one further receiving coil.The evaluation unit can be configured to induce eddy currents in the additional sensor transmitter using the additional transmitting coil, to receive a further electromagnetic counterfield generated by the eddy currents, dependent on the additional angular position, using the additional receiving coil, and to determine a further angular position of the additional slave gear using the received additional counterfield. The evaluation electronics can further be configured to determine an angular difference between the angular position and the additional angular position using the angular position and the additional angular position. The angle sensor with two independent slave gears and two sensor transmitters can be referred to as a differential angle sensor.

[0024] The gear carrier can be an output pinion arranged on an output shaft of a vehicle's steering system. The further gear carrier can be an input pinion arranged on an input shaft of the steering system. The input shaft and the output shaft can be coupled to one another by a torsion spring. The evaluation unit can be configured to determine a torsional moment acting on the torsion spring from the angle difference and a spring rate of the torsion spring. The angle sensor can thus be referred to as a torque-angle sensor. Using the torque-angle sensor, for example, a steering angle and a steering torque can be measured simultaneously.

[0025] The sensor encoders can have different numbers of segments.

[0026] Different numbers of segments enable vernier calculus calculations. Different numbers of segments allow a unique combination of input and output angle positions to be measured for each angular position. This allows the angle sensor to clearly distinguish the angular positions as absolute values ​​over a full revolution, or, depending on the combination and number of segments of the sensor encoder, to clearly distinguish sub-segments of a revolution.

[0027] It should be noted that some of the possible features and advantages of the invention are described herein with reference to different embodiments. A person skilled in the art will recognize that the features of the control device and the method can be combined, adapted, or exchanged as appropriate to achieve further embodiments of the invention.

[0028] Short description of the drawings

[0029] Embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein neither the drawings nor the description are to be construed as limiting the invention.

[0030] Fig. 1 shows a sectional view of an angle sensor according to an embodiment;

[0031] Fig. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of an angle sensor according to an embodiment; and

[0032] Fig. 3 shows a three-dimensional representation of an angle sensor according to one exemplary embodiment. The figures are merely schematic and not to scale. Like reference numerals denote like or equivalent features.

[0033] Embodiments of the invention

[0034] Fig. 1 shows a sectional view of an angle sensor 100 according to one exemplary embodiment. The angle sensor 100 has a slave gear 102 rotatably mounted in the angle sensor 100, with an inductive sensor transmitter 104 rotationally coupled to the slave gear 102, as well as an evaluation unit 106 with at least one transmitting coil 108, at least one receiving coil 110, and a signal processing device 112.

[0035] The angle sensor 100 is arranged in a housing 114. On one side of the angle sensor 100, the housing 114 has a recess through which a gear carrier 116 protrudes into the housing 114. The slave gear 102 is toothed with the gear carrier 116. The slave gear 102 and the gear carrier 116 have matching teeth, so that the slave gear 102 is rotated when the gear carrier 116 moves relative to the angle sensor 100. When the slave gear 102 is rotated, the sensor transmitter 104 is also rotated to a different angular position. The evaluation unit 106 detects the angular position by inducing eddy currents in the sensor transmitter 104 using the at least one transmitting coil 108 and an alternating current signal, and by receiving an opposing field caused by the eddy currents using the at least one receiving coil 110 and evaluating it in the signal processing device 112.The opposing field represents the angular position of the sensor 104. An alternating voltage induced in the receiving coil 110 changes when the sensor 104 rotates, i.e., when the angular position changes.

[0036] The housing 114 has a cable outlet 118 on its outer side for electrically contacting the angle sensor 100. The cable outlet 118 can be designed, for example, as a connector or a cable tail. Here, the gear carrier 116 is a pinion, i.e., a gearwheel, that is rotationally coupled to a shaft 120. However, the gear carrier 116 can also be a rack.

[0037] In one embodiment, the angle sensor 100 has a satellite wheel 122 and a satellite wheel sensor 124. The satellite wheel sensor 124 is part of the evaluation unit 106. The satellite wheel 122 is a gear and meshes with the slave gear 102. However, the satellite wheel 122 can also mesh with or roll on another part of the rotatable component consisting of the slave gear 102 and the sensor transmitter 104.

[0038] The satellite gear 122 has a significantly smaller radius than the slave gear 102. This translates the rotational movement of the slave gear 122 to a higher speed. The satellite gear sensor 124 detects a position of the satellite gear 122. Using the position of the satellite gear 122 and the angular position of the slave gear 102, identical angular positions of the slave gear 102 can be clearly distinguished over several revolutions of the slave gear 102. The angular position can therefore be clearly detected over the several revolutions of the slave gear 102.

[0039] The slave gear 102 also has a smaller radius than the pinion. This amplifies the rotational movement of the pinion, resulting in a transmission ratio. The transmission ratio allows the angle sensor 100 to have an increased resolution or can be designed more simply to achieve the same resolution.

[0040] In one embodiment, the housing 114 is pluggable and inserted into a steering housing 126 of a vehicle. The shaft 120 is a steering column of the vehicle, and the angle sensor 100 is a steering angle sensor of the vehicle. The pluggable housing 114 allows the entire angle sensor 100 to be easily and quickly replaced in the event of a defect. This eliminates the need to replace the steering.

[0041] In one embodiment, the angle sensor 100 has a further slave gear 102 and a further sensor transmitter 104. The further slave gear 102 meshes with a further gear carrier 116. The evaluation unit 106 has at least one further transmitting coil 108 and at least one further receiving coil 110. Both slave gears 102 and sensor transmitter 104 are rotatably mounted in the housing 114. The slave gears 102 and sensor transmitter 104 are arranged coaxially to one another. The evaluation unit 106 is arranged on a circuit board between the sensor transmitters 104. The transmitting coils 108 and the receiving coils 110 are each arranged on both sides of the circuit board.

[0042] In one embodiment, one slave gear 102 meshes with a pinion on an output shaft of the steering system. The other slave gear 102 meshes with a pinion on an input shaft of the steering system. The input shaft and the output shaft are connected to each other via a torsion spring 128. When a torque is applied to the steering system, the torsion spring 128 twists, with a torsion angle of the torsion spring 128 being proportional to the torque. The torsion angle is detected by the angle sensor 100 as the difference in angular position between one slave gear 102 and the other slave gear 102. The angle sensor 100 is therefore an angular torque sensor of the steering system.

[0043] Fig. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of an angle sensor 100 according to an exemplary embodiment. The angle sensor 100 essentially corresponds to the angle sensor shown in Fig. 1. Here, the steering angle sensor 100 is shown cut perpendicular to a sectional plane in Fig. 1. The slave gear 102 meshes with the gear carrier 116 at a tapping point 200. The gearing of the slave gear 102 and / or the gear carrier 116 is designed to be backlash-free. For example, at least two partial gearings of the slave gear 102 and / or the gear carrier 116 can be resiliently braced against one another. This eliminates backlash.

[0044] The satellite gear 122 is arranged at an angle to the slave gear 102. This allows for optimized installation space in the housing 114. The circuit board with the evaluation unit 106 also extends over the area of ​​the satellite gear 122. The satellite gear sensor is thus also integrated on the circuit board.

[0045] Fig. 3 shows a spatial representation of an angle sensor 100 according to an exemplary embodiment. The angle sensor 100 essentially corresponds to the representation in Fig. 1. The angle sensor 100 is shown once as an exploded view and once in an assembled state. In contrast, the angle sensor 100 has a satellite gear stage 300. The satellite gear 122 engages with its own pinion 302. The satellite gear 122 can thus have a finer tooth pitch than the slave gear 102. The satellite gear 122 can therefore have a smaller diameter.

[0046] The slave gear 102 and the sensor transmitter 104 are mounted here on a large-dimensioned plain bearing 304. The plain bearing 304 prevents tilting of the slave gear 102 and the sensor transmitter 104, whereby the evaluation unit 106 can be arranged at a short distance from the sensor transmitter 104.

[0047] The housing 114 is designed to be pluggable and can be secured in a slot using screw connections.

[0048] In the following, possible embodiments of the invention are summarized again or presented with slightly different wording.

[0049] A serviceable inductive torque-angle sensor with field-replaceable hardware / electronics is presented.

[0050] Current sensor electronics in electric steering systems cannot be replaced as individual components over the product life cycle. In the event of sensor failure, the sensor electronics are replaced along with the entire steering system. This can result in significant costs. Replaceable sensor electronics can extend the service life of the steering system. Plannable service intervals can minimize costs. A maintenance program can also be expanded.

[0051] In current inductive sensors, the maximum torsion angle for torque measurement is typically limited to ± 4° to 7°. The sensor should have the highest possible resolution within this torsion angle range to achieve optimal sensor performance. The arrangement described here makes it possible to scale the torsion angle to be measured, thus increasing the resolution and accuracy of the sensor.

[0052] In known implementations of an inductive torque sensor, the sensor performance is strongly influenced by the positional tolerances (axial / radial / tilt) of the inductive rotors and the corresponding electronics (coils) that occur during operation. A significant improvement is achieved with the approach presented here by optimally mounting the rotors and electronics in a closed unit. By decoupling the rotors from the steering shaft via the gearbox, a large portion of the axial and radial interference movements that occur can be reduced or eliminated.

[0053] In the described arrangement, this is achieved by using a backlash-free gearbox with the appropriate gear ratio and decoupling of the sensor unit / steering shaft / torsion bar from the measuring point. This increases the torsion angle range at the measuring point side several times over, depending on the gear ratio.

[0054] The backlash-free nature of the gear is one of the key properties for sensor accuracy and can be achieved by, for example, slotted / preloaded tooth geometry, spring-loaded double gear designs or other toothing types and gear designs that minimize or eliminate backlash.

[0055] The inductive torque-angle sensor presented here is serviceable. The replaceability of the sensor electronics ensures the functionality of the entire steering system, reducing repair time and costs for the end customer. Zero-mileage steering failures can also be repaired more cheaply than replacing the entire steering system. Replacing only the defective component of a steering system improves sustainability.

[0056] The gear ratio of the gearbox can improve the resolution and accuracy of the torque measurement. Thus, the maximum ± 4° to 7° on the torsion bar results in a multiple of this angle of rotation on the sensor side. To achieve this increased accuracy, backlash-free gear geometries can be used to ensure minimal hysteresis.

[0057] The basic design of the sensor involves shifting the location of the torsion bar torsion and steering shaft rotation from the sensor unit to an external sensor module. A gearbox with backlash-free gears is provided to transmit the data from the pinion to the measuring location. Here, a gear ratio of 1:2, for example, increases the torsion bar torsion and steering shaft rotation of the pinion on the sensor module side, which leads to increased resolution and accuracy. The sensor is a module that can be plugged radially into the steering housing from the outside. This sensor module / electronics is therefore replaceable. The sensor module is mounted in such a way that it can mesh with the pinion gears without backlash.

[0058] In the sensor module presented here, the transmission gears are mounted on both the input and output shafts. The sensor-side gears of the transmission are each mounted on an internal shaft. Each gear of the transmission carries an inductive rotor or has one directly integrated. The inductive rotors of the input / output shafts have, for example, a 9 / 6 or 8 / 3 vane arrangement. In one embodiment, a satellite gear meshes with the output shaft gear, which can be used to generate TPO (True Power On) steering angle information using a vernier scale.

[0059] A housing carries all the sensor components. The sensor's compact circuit board is located in the center of the sensor. The transmitter and receiver coils are mounted on both sides, as well as all electrical components, including the inductive ASICs, their external circuitry, and the angle module. This design simplifies circuit board production. The circuit board is electrically connected to the sensor cable. By inserting it into the steering housing, the electronics are additionally protected against EMC, making the entire technology more robust against radiation.

[0060] The rotors are arranged above and below the PCBA. These are embedded in / attached to the gear. To prevent any play in the axis, the gears are mounted on a non-magnetic guide. The gears can rotate differently relative to each other; they are fixed / limited axially and radially, and play is minimized. The satellite gear is also installed in the sensor via a shaft that allows rotation. This gear is also fixed radially and axially.

[0061] This design allows the distance between the PCB and the rotor to be maintained independently of movement, thus reducing measurement tolerances. Likewise, the distance between the satellite gear and the inductive rotor gear can be maintained very precisely. Alternatively, a gear ratio of 1:1 can be selected. The sensor presented here can be used, for example, in electronic steering systems for cars and commercial vehicles, such as construction and agricultural machinery, as well as for torque measurement of all kinds in vehicles, in industry (manufacturing) and / or on bicycles. The sensor can also be used for

[0062] Angle measurement of all kinds, in vehicles, in traffic, in industry (manufacturing), on bicycles and / or in the consumer sector. The sensor can also be used for linear distance measurement of all kinds. Finally, it should be noted that terms such as "having",

[0063] "Comprising," etc., do not exclude other elements or steps, and terms such as "a" or "an" do not exclude a plurality. Reference signs in the claims are not to be considered limiting.

Claims

Claims 1 . Angle sensor (100) for detecting a position of a gear carrier (116), wherein the angle sensor (100) has a slave gear (102) and an inductive sensor transmitter (104) coupled to the slave gear (102), as well as an evaluation unit (106) with at least one transmitting coil (108) and at least one receiving coil (110), wherein the slave gear (102) with the sensor transmitter (104) is rotatably mounted in the angle sensor (100) and the slave gear (102) is designed to engage in the gear carrier (116), to roll on the gear carrier (116) when the position of the gear carrier (116) changes, and to transmit a resulting angular position to the sensor transmitter (104), wherein the evaluation unit (106) is designed to use the transmitting coil (108) to detect eddy currents in the sensor transmitter (104), using the receiving coil (110) to induce an angular position-dependent,to receive the electromagnetic counterfield generated by the eddy currents and to determine the angular position using the received counterfield.

2. Angle sensor (100) according to claim 1, with at least one satellite wheel (122) and one satellite wheel sensor (124), wherein the satellite wheel (122) is rotatably mounted in the angle sensor (100) and engages with the slave gear (102), wherein the angular position of the slave gear (102) is transmitted via a satellite transmission into a satellite angular position of the satellite wheel (122), wherein the satellite wheel sensor (124) is designed to detect the satellite angular position and the evaluation unit (106) is further designed to determine complete revolutions of the slave gear (102) using the satellite angular position.

3. Angle sensor (100) according to one of the preceding claims, with a pluggable housing (114) enclosing the slave gear (102), the sensor transmitter (104) and the evaluation unit (106), wherein the housing (114) can be plugged into a slot and the The slave gear (102) is positioned in the inserted state so that it engages with the gear carrier (116).

4. Angle sensor (100) according to one of the preceding claims, in which the slave gear (102) is mounted with the sensor transmitter (104) radially and axially without play.

5. Angle sensor (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the sensor transmitter (104) is integrated into a base body of the slave gear (102).

6. Angle sensor (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the toothed carrier (116) is a toothed rack movable relative to the angle sensor (100).

7. Angle sensor (100) according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the toothed carrier (116) is a pinion arranged on a shaft (120).

8. Angle sensor (100) according to one of the preceding claims, with a further slave gear (102) and a further sensor transmitter (104) coupled to the further slave gear (102), wherein the further slave gear (102) is rotatably mounted in the angle sensor (100) with the further sensor transmitter (104), wherein the further slave gear (102) is designed to engage in a further toothed carrier (116), to roll on the further toothed carrier (116) when the position of the further toothed carrier (116) changes, and to transmit a resulting further angular position to the further sensor transmitter (104), wherein the evaluation unit (106) is arranged between the sensor transmitter (104) and the further sensor transmitter (104) and has at least one further transmitting coil (108) and at least one further receiving coil (110), wherein the evaluation unit (106) is designed to is,using the further transmitting coil (108) to induce eddy currents in the further sensor transmitter (104), using the further receiving coil (110) to receive a further electromagnetic counterfield generated by the eddy currents and dependent on the further angular position, and using the received further counterfield to determine a further angular position of the further slave gear (102).

9. Angle sensor (100) according to claim 7 and 8, wherein the toothed carrier (116) is an output pinion arranged on an output shaft of a steering system of a vehicle, and the further toothed carrier (102) is an input pinion arranged on an input shaft of the steering system, the input shaft and the output shaft being coupled to one another by a torsion spring (128).

10. Angle sensor (100) according to one of claims 8 to 9, wherein the sensor transmitters (104) have different numbers of segments.

11. A method for operating an angle sensor (100) according to one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the evaluation unit (106) supplies the at least one transmitting coil (108) with alternating current in order to induce eddy currents in the sensor transmitter (104) and, using the at least one receiving coil (110), receives and evaluates an alternating voltage signal which represents a resulting opposing field of the eddy currents which is dependent on the angular position in order to determine the angular position.

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