| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20080297138 | CURRENT SENSOR - An integrated circuit current sensor includes a lead frame having at least two leads coupled to provide a current conductor portion, and a substrate having a first surface in which is disposed one or more magnetic field sensing elements, with the first surface being proximate to the current conductor portion and a second surface distal from the current conductor position. In one particular embodiment, the substrate is disposed having the first surface of the substrate above the current conductor portion and the second surface of the substrate above the first surface. In this particular embodiment, the substrate is oriented upside-down in the integrated circuit in a flip-chap arrangement. The current sensor can also include an electromagnetic shield disposed between the current conductor portion and the magnetic field sensing elements. | 12-04-2008 |
| 20080315865 | LOW POWER MAGNETIC FIELD SENSOR - A magnetic field sensor for low power applications includes a magnetic field sensing element that, during sample intervals, provides a signal proportional to a sensed magnetic field and also includes a comparator circuit that, during the sample intervals, compares the magnetic field signal to threshold levels to generate a sensor output signal indicative of a strength of the magnetic field. According to a dual sample rate feature, initially the magnetic field signal is sampled at a first predetermined sample rate and, following detection of a transition of the sensor output signal, is sampled at a second, faster predetermined sample rate for a predetermined interval. According to a user-programmable sample rate feature, a user may select to operate the sensor at a fixed, predetermined sample rate or at a user-specified sample rate. The magnetic field sensor may also or alternatively detect the speed and/or direction of rotation of a rotating magnetic article. | 12-25-2008 |
| 20090039807 | MOTOR CONTROLLER - In one aspect, a control circuit to control a speed of a motor includes a PWM oscillator configured to generate a PWM output signal having a duty cycle. The speed of the motor is controlled by the PWM output signal to be proportional to the duty cycle. The control circuit also includes a duty cycle control circuit responsive to a duty cycle selection signal and coupled to the PWM oscillator. The duty cycle control circuit is configured to compare a voltage reference and a supply voltage. The duty cycle control circuit controls the duty cycle of the PWM output signal to be inversely proportional to the supply voltage. | 02-12-2009 |
| 20090058412 | Integrated Current Sensor - An integrated current sensor includes a current conductor, a magnetic field transducer, and an electromagnetic shield. The magnetic field transducer includes a sensor die. The electromagnetic shield is disposed proximate to the sensor die. The electromagnetic shield has at least one feature selected to reduce an eddy current in the electromagnetic shield | 03-05-2009 |
| 20090102464 | MATCHING OF GMR SENSORS IN A BRIDGE - A magnetoresistive (MR) sensing device includes MR elements electrically connected to form a bridge circuit and one or more non-functional (or “dummy”) MR elements for improved matching of the bridge circuit MR elements. | 04-23-2009 |
| 20090102469 | Methods and Apparatus for Vibration Detection - Apparatus for detecting vibration of an object adapted to rotate includes one or more vibration processors selected from: a direction-change processor adapted to detect changes in a direction of rotation of the object, a direction-agreement processor adapted to identify a direction of rotation of the object in at least two channels and identify an agreement or disagreement in direction of rotation identified by the at least two channels, a phase-overlap processor adapted to identify overlapping signal regions in signals associated with the rotation of the object, and a running mode processor adapted to identify an unresponsive output signal from at least one of the at least two channels. A method for detecting the vibration of the object includes generating at least one of a direction-change output signal with the direction-change processor, a direction-agreement output signal with the direction-agreement processor, a phase-overlap output signal with the phase-overlap processor, and a running-mode-vibration output signal with the running-mode processor, each indicative of the vibration the object. | 04-23-2009 |
| 20090153137 | Methods and Apparatus for Vibration Detection - Apparatus for detecting vibration of an object adapted to rotate includes one or more vibration processors selected from: a direction-change processor adapted to detect changes in a direction of rotation of the object, a direction-agreement processor adapted to identify a direction of rotation of the object in at least two channels and identify an agreement or disagreement in direction of rotation identified by the at least two channels, a phase-overlap processor adapted to identify overlapping signal regions in signals associated with the rotation of the object, and a running mode processor adapted to identify an unresponsive output signal from at least one of the at least two channels. A method for detecting the vibration of the object includes generating at least one of a direction-change output signal with the direction-change processor, a direction-agreement output signal with the direction-agreement processor, a phase-overlap output signal with the phase-overlap processor, and a running-mode-vibration output signal with the running-mode processor, each indicative of the vibration the object. | 06-18-2009 |
| 20090212765 | MAGNETIC FIELD SENSOR WITH AUTOMATIC SENSITIVITY ADJUSTMENT - Magnetic field sensors have a magnetic field sensing element and also a feedback circuit to provide a gain-adjustment signal to affect a sensitivity associated with the magnetic field sensing element. In some arrangements, the feedback circuit can include piezoresistors to sense a strain of a substrate over which the magnetic field sensor is disposed. With these arrangements, the feedback circuit can generate the gain-adjustment signal in accordance with the sensed strain. In other arrangements, the feedback circuit can generate pulsed magnetic fields proximate to the magnetic field sensing element in order to directly measure the sensitivity of the magnetic field sensing element. With these arrangements, the feedback circuit can generate the gain-adjustment signal in accordance with the sensed sensitivity. | 08-27-2009 |
| 20090295368 | ARRANGEMENTS FOR A CURRENT SENSING CIRCUIT AND INTEGRATED CURRENT SENSOR - An electronic circuit for sensing a current includes a circuit board having first and second major opposing surfaces and a current conductor for carrying the current. The current conductor includes a circuit trace disposed upon the circuit board. The electronic circuit also includes an integrated circuit disposed upon and electrically coupled to the circuit board at a position so as to straddle the current conductor. | 12-03-2009 |
| 20100001715 | FOLDING CURRENT SENSOR - The invention provides a current sensor that may be folded over a conductor without the need to sever the conductor or thread the conductor through the current sensor. In one embodiment, the current sensor includes an outer body having a first folding portion and a second folding portion coupled to the first folding portion. The current sensor also includes a soft ferromagnetic body disposed within the outer body comprising a first core element and a second core element. The first and second core elements form a lumen when the first and second folding portions are folded. The lumen is configured to receive a conductor. The current sensor also includes a magnetic field detector to sense a current in the conductor. The magnetic field detector is disposed at least partially between the first and second core elements when the first and second folding portions are folded. | 01-07-2010 |
| 20100026289 | Electronic Circuit Configured to Reset a Magnetoresistance Element - An electronic circuit includes a magnetoresistance element for providing an output signal proportional to a magnetic field. The magnetoresistance element also has a hysteresis characteristic. The electronic circuit also includes at least one of a reset conductor or a bias conductor disposed proximate to the magnetoresistance element. For embodiments having a reset conductor, the electronic circuit is configured to generate a reset current carried by the reset conductor in response to the comparison. In response to the reset current, the reset conductor is configured to generate a reset magnetic field at the magnetoresistance element to temporarily force the magnetoresistance element to a saturation region of the hysteresis characteristic. | 02-04-2010 |
| 20100181997 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR AN ANALOG ROTATIONAL SENSOR HAVING MAGNETIC SENSOR ELEMENTS - A sensor includes a signal generation module including a magnetic sensor to provide position information for generating first and second waveforms corresponding to the position information. An analog signal processing module provides an algebraic manipulation of a subset of the first waveform, the second waveform, a first inverted waveform, and a second inverted waveform, to generate a linear output signal. | 07-22-2010 |
| 20100237450 | Arrangements For An Integrated Sensor - An integrated circuit can have a first substrate supporting a magnetic field sensing element and a second substrate supporting another magnetic field sensing element. The first and second substrates can be arranged in a variety of configurations. Another integrated circuit can have a first magnetic field sensing element and second different magnetic field sensing element disposed on surfaces thereof. | 09-23-2010 |
| 20100283458 | MATCHING OF GMR SENSORS IN A BRIDGE - A magnetoresistive (MR) sensing device includes MR elements electrically connected to form a bridge circuit and one or more non-functional (or “dummy”) MR elements for improved matching of the bridge circuit MR elements. | 11-11-2010 |
| 20110018533 | Circuits and Methods for Generating a Diagnostic Mode of Operation in a Magnetic Field Sensor - A magnetic field sensor includes a diagnostic circuit that allows a self-test of most of or all of, the circuitry of the magnetic field sensor, including a self-test of a magnetic field sensing element used within the magnetic field sensor. The magnetic field sensor can generate a diagnostic magnetic field to which the magnetic field sensor is responsive. | 01-27-2011 |
| 20110074405 | Magnetic Field Sensor with Automatic Sensitivity Adjustment - Magnetic field sensors have a magnetic field sensing element and also a feedback circuit to provide a gain-adjustment signal to affect a sensitivity associated with the magnetic field sensing element. In some arrangements, the feedback circuit can include piezoresistors to sense a strain of a substrate over which the magnetic field sensor is disposed. With these arrangements, the feedback circuit can generate the gain-adjustment signal in accordance with the sensed strain. In other arrangements, the feedback circuit can generate pulsed magnetic fields proximate to the magnetic field sensing element in order to directly measure the sensitivity of the magnetic field sensing element. With these arrangements, the feedback circuit can generate the gain-adjustment signal in accordance with the sensed sensitivity. | 03-31-2011 |
| 20110121825 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR AN ANALOG ROTATIONAL SENSOR HAVING MAGNETIC SENSOR ELEMENTS - A sensor includes a magnetic position sensing element to generate angular position information, a first signal generator, a second signal generator, a first inverter to invert the first waveform for providing a first inverted waveform and a second inverter to invert the second waveform for providing a second inverted waveform, wherein the first and second waveforms are inverted about an offset voltage, and an analog signal processing module to generate a linear output signal from the first waveform, the second waveform, the first inverted waveform, and the second inverted waveform. | 05-26-2011 |
