Hall Sensor Chip Timing Control for Power Efficiency

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing Hall sensor systems face issues of high power inefficiency in continuous measurement applications and limited data availability in sporadic measurement scenarios, making them unsuitable for battery-powered and occasional reading applications.

Innovation Solution

A new sensor system design that includes a Hall plate, an analog-to-digital converter, memory unit, and digital-to-analog converter, where the Hall plate is turned off after measurement, and power is managed efficiently across different function blocks to minimize power consumption and maintain data accessibility.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If the Hall plate and data processing portion are powered on continuously to maintain continuous measurement and output, then data availability is improved, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata availabilityVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements periodic measurement cycles where the Hall plate and data processing portion are activated only during measurement intervals and then powered off. The measured data is stored in output registers that remain accessible, allowing continuous data availability without continuous power consumption. This periodic operation resolves the contradiction by eliminating the need for continuous powering while maintaining data accessibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the sensor system into distinct functional blocks with independent power control: the Hall plate (sensing portion), the data processing portion, and the output registers. This segmentation allows selective powering of components - the Hall plate and processor can be powered off while the output registers remain powered to maintain data availability, thus reducing overall power consumption without sacrificing data accessibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Use of energy by moving object

If the Hall sensor is powered off between measurements to reduce power consumption, then power efficiency is improved, but data availability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower efficiencyVSAvoiddata availability

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by completing the measurement and data processing before powering off the Hall plate and processor. The measured data is预先 stored in output registers that remain powered and accessible. This ensures that data is available to external systems before the measurement cycle ends and power is reduced, resolving the contradiction between power efficiency and data availability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the system into components with different power states: the Hall plate and data processing portion are powered off between measurements for efficiency, while the output registers remain powered to maintain data availability. This segmentation allows the system to achieve both power efficiency and continuous data access simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Use of energy by moving object

If the Hall plate is turned off after measurement to reduce power consumption, then power efficiency is improved, but measurement continuity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower efficiencyVSAvoidmeasurement continuity

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements periodic measurement cycles with defined measurement intervals followed by powered-off periods. During measurement intervals, the Hall plate is active to perform measurements. Between intervals, the Hall plate is powered off to save power, while the measured data remains available in output registers. This periodic operation achieves both power efficiency and measurement functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a copy of the measured data by storing it in output registers that remain powered and accessible after the Hall plate is turned off. This copying mechanism ensures that the measurement results are preserved and available continuously, compensating for the intermittent nature of the measurement process and maintaining effective measurement continuity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The system achieves significantly reduced power consumption while ensuring continuous data availability for magnetic field measurements, outperforming conventional Hall sensors in both power efficiency and data accessibility.

Implementation Method 1

The Hall plate, which is a semiconductor device that measures and converts a magnetic field into a voltage signal

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHall effect: Hall Effect

Data Source

PatentUS10191505B2Hall sensor chip with timing control

Publication Date: 2019.01.29 DIODES INC

AI summary

A sensor device comprises a sensor element for measuring a stimulus and generating a corresponding signal, an ADC for convert the signal to a multi-bit digital signal, a memory unit for storing the digital signal, and a timing unit for switching off the sensor element when the ADC is converting the signal and for switching off the ADC after the digital signal is stored in the memory.