Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090019330 | INTEGRATED CIRCUIT HAVING BUILT-IN SELF-TEST FEATURES - An integrated circuit includes a sensor for providing a sensor output signal and a diagnostic circuit coupled to the sensor for providing a self-diagnostic signal. The self-diagnostic signal comprises the sensor output signal during a first time duration and an inverted sensor output signal during a second different time duration. | 01-15-2009 |
20100052424 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR INTEGRATED CIRCUIT HAVING INTEGRATED ENERGY STORAGE DEVICE - Methods and apparatus for a sensor to provide a sensor output, an integrated circuit module formed at least partially on a substrate to receive the sensor output and provide an IC output signal, an output circuit having a voltage input to receive a voltage supply signal via a switch element and a signal input to receive the IC output signal and an output to provide a voltage output signal, and an integrated power storage element coupled to the voltage input of the output circuit to provide power during an interruption of the voltage supply signal, wherein the power storage element includes at least one layer generally parallel to the substrate. | 03-04-2010 |
20100188078 | MAGNETIC SENSOR WITH CONCENTRATOR FOR INCREASED SENSING RANGE - A sensor that includes a magnetic flux concentrator is presented. The sensor includes a sensor integrated circuit with a structure that includes a magnetic field sensor to sense a magnetic field generated by an external magnetic flux source comprising a magnetic article. The stricture has a first surface to face the external magnetic flux source and an opposing second surface. The sensor integrated circuit also includes a lead frame connected to the structure and having a base portion with a first base portion surface to support the stricture and an opposing second base portion surface. Also provided in the sensor is a magnetic flux concentrator to concentrate magnetic flux of the magnetic field. The magnetic flux concentrator can be disposed proximate to the second base portion surface such that the structure and lead frame base portion are located between the magnetic flux concentrator and the external magnetic flux source when the sensor integrated circuit is positioned relative to the external magnetic flux source. | 07-29-2010 |
20110298447 | Motion Sensor, Method, and Computer-Readable Storage Medium Providing a Motion Sensor with a State Processor Having a Reduced Amount of State Chatter - A motion sensor has a state processor to identify states associated with a magnetic field signal provided by a magnetic field sensing element. The state processor includes a state peak logic module configured to generate states that have a reduced amount of state chatter. | 12-08-2011 |
20110298448 | Motion Sensor, Method, and Computer-Readable Storage Medium Providing a Motion Sensor That Can Rapidly Calibrate Gains - A motion sensor has a channel amplitude difference processor configured to adjust gains of two channels to bring a gain of a one channel toward a gain of the other channel when a gain mismatch is detected. | 12-08-2011 |
20110298449 | Motion Sensor, Method, and Computer-Readable Storage Medium Providing a Motion Sensor with a Validated Output Signal From the Motion Sensor - A motion sensor has an output protocol processor configured to provide a validated output signal after a determined time period, wherein the determined time period is extended if a vibration is detected. | 12-08-2011 |
20110298450 | Circuits and Methods for Generating a Threshold Signal Used in a Motion Detector - A circuit to detect a movement of an object provides a threshold selection module that uses one or more threshold signals identified prior to a present cycle of magnetic field signal in order to establish a threshold signal used for a present cycle of the magnetic field signal. A method associated with the circuit is also described. | 12-08-2011 |
20120249126 | CIRCUITS AND METHODS FOR MOTION DETECTION - A circuit for detecting object movement includes one or more predetermined threshold detectors, one or more tracking threshold detectors, and an output selector to generate an output signal related to at least one of an output of a predetermined threshold detector or an output of a tracking threshold detector based on a predetermined condition. A method of detecting object movement includes generating: a magnetic field signal proportional to a magnetic field associated with the object, a tracking signal to track peaks of the magnetic field signal, a predetermined threshold output signal responsive to the magnetic field signal and to a predetermined threshold, and a tracking threshold output signal responsive to the magnetic field signal and to the tracking signal, and providing an output signal related to a selected one of the predetermined threshold output signal or the tracking threshold output signal based upon a predetermined condition. | 10-04-2012 |
20130057257 | MAGNETIC FIELD SENSING ELEMENT COMBINING A CIRCULAR VERTICAL HALL MAGNETIC FIELD SENSING ELEMENT WITH A PLANAR HALL ELEMENT - A magnetic field sensor includes a circular vertical Hall (CVH) sensing element and at least one planar Hall element. The CVH sensing element has contacts arranged over a common implant region in a substrate. In some embodiments, the at least one planar Hall element is formed as a circular planar Hall (CPH) sensing element also having contacts disposed over the common implant region. A CPH sensing element and a method of fabricating the CPH sensing element are separately described. | 03-07-2013 |
20130134965 | Circuits and Methods for Generating a Self-Test of a Magnetic Field Sensor - A magnetic field sensor includes built in self-test circuits that allow a self-test of most of, or all of, the circuitry of the magnetic field sensor, including self-test of a magnetic field sensing element used within the magnetic field sensor, while the magnetic field sensor is functioning in normal operation. | 05-30-2013 |
20130177040 | Magnetic Field Sensor and Associated Method That Can Establish a Measured Threshold Value and That Can Store the Measured Threshold Value in a Memory Device - A magnetic field sensor includes a true power on state (TPOS) detector for which a measured threshold value is stored prior to power down and recalled upon power up. A corresponding method is associated with the magnetic field sensor. | 07-11-2013 |
20130179115 | Systems and Methods That Use Magnetic Field Sensors to Identify Positions of a Gear Shift Lever - A system and an associated method provide an ability to sense, with a magnetic field sensor, a position of a plurality of gears (and neutral) selected by a gear shift lever of a vehicle. In some embodiments, the system and method use a ferromagnetic target having features, positions of which can be sensed by the magnetic field sensor. In other embodiments, the system and method use a magnet having features and characteristics that can be sensed by the magnetic field sensor. | 07-11-2013 |
20130226490 | Motion Sensor, Method, and Computer-Readable Storage Medium Providing a Motion Sensor with a State Processor Having a Reduced Amount of State Chatter - A motion sensor has a state processor to identify states associated with a magnetic field signal provided by a magnetic field sensing element. The state processor includes a state peak logic module configured to generate states that have a reduced amount of state chatter. | 08-29-2013 |
20130238278 | Magnetic Field Sensor for Sensing Rotation of an Object - A magnetic field sensor uses an angle sensor to measure and angle of rotation of a target object to which a magnet is attached. The angle sensor in combination with electronics can generate an angle sensor output signal related to a direction of a magnetic field of the magnet. The angle sensor output signal can be compared to thresholds to generate a magnetic field sensor output signal the same as a known true power on state (TPOS) sensor output signal. A corresponding method is also described. | 09-12-2013 |
20130249536 | Motion Sensor, Method, and Computer-Readable Storage Medium Providing a Motion Sensor with a Validated Output Signal From the Motion Sensor - A motion sensor has an output protocol processor configured to provide a validated output signal after a determined time period, wherein the determined time period is extended if a vibration is detected. | 09-26-2013 |
20130265036 | MAGNETIC FIELD SENSOR HAVING MULTIPLE SENSING ELEMENTS FOR MISALIGNMENT DETECTION AND CORRECTION IN CURRENT SENSING AND OTHER APPLICATIONS - A sensor with multiple magnetic field sensing elements for use in current sensing and other applications is presented. The sensor includes an arrangement of two or more magnetic field sensing elements to sense magnetic field associated with a target. The sensor further includes circuitry to generate a sensor output signal based on sensing of at least one of the magnetic field sensing elements of the arrangement. Also included is a programmable misalignment adjustment block to control the circuitry to generate the output signal with compensation for misalignment between the sensor and the target. The programmable misalignment adjustment block can be programmed to select measurement of one of the two or more magnetic field sensing elements, or alternatively, a mathematical combination of measurements of the two or more magnetic field sensing elements, for generating the sensor output signal when a test of the sensor indicates a misalignment. | 10-10-2013 |
20130265037 | ANGLE SENSOR WITH MISALIGNMENT DETECTION AND CORRECTION - An angle sensor to provide sensor-to-magnet misalignment detection and correction capability in rotation angle measurement applications is presented. The angle sensor has magnetic field sensing elements to sense magnetic field associated with a rotating magnet. The angle sensor includes circuitry to generate signals based on the sensing by the sensing elements. The signals provide information that can be combined according to an error function to provide misalignment detection. The angle sensor can be used with or can be incorporated in an angle measurement device that employs a processing unit to produce a rotation angle value. In one embodiment, the processing unit is configured to implement the error function and correct the angle value for detected misalignment. In another embodiment, the error function is performed by a programming device and detected misalignment is corrected through mechanical adjustment of sensor-to-magnet position. | 10-10-2013 |
20130265041 | HIGH ACCURACY DIFFERENTIAL CURRENT SENSOR FOR APPLICATIONS LIKE GROUND FAULT INTERRUPTERS - A sensor with multiple magnetic field sensing elements for use in current sensing and other applications is presented. In one configuration, the sensor can obtain differential and absolute current measurements of current in current-carrying conductors. When employed in a ground fault interrupter (GFI) application, a first magnetic field sensing element can be used to measure the absolute current flowing in the phase conductor (phase current), a second magnetic field sensing element can be used to measure the absolute current flowing in the neutral conductor (neutral current) and a difference between the phase and neutral currents can be measured by a third magnetic field sensing element or determined from measurements of the first and second magnetic field sensing elements. In another configuration, the sensor can obtain a measure of the difference between currents and/or the sum of currents in current-carrying conductors. | 10-10-2013 |
20130320970 | GEAR TOOTH SENSOR WITH PEAK AND THRESHOLD DETECTORS - Presented herein is a magnetic field sensor architecture that uses outputs of a peak detector and threshold detector operating in parallel to detect magnetic anomalies that may be associated with the target being sensed, e.g., a rotational ferromagnetic object such as a toothed gear, and use such detection to prevent sensor malfunction. The sensor includes an edge detection circuit and an error detection circuit. In one embodiment, the edge detection circuit includes circuits to detect edges (or transitions) of the threshold and peak detector output signals and the error detection circuit includes circuits, responsive to the edge detection circuit, to indicate an error when a “missed transition” occurs or a peak-to-peak value of an input signal as detected by the peak detector for a current cycle differs from an expected peak-to-peak value by a predetermined amount. | 12-05-2013 |
20140062463 | Circuits And Methods For Generating A Threshold Signal Used In A Motion Detector - A circuit to detect a movement of an object provides a threshold selection module that uses one or more threshold signals identified prior to a present cycle of magnetic field signal in order to establish a threshold signal used for a present cycle of the magnetic field signal. A method associated with the circuit is also described. | 03-06-2014 |
20140175584 | MAGNETIC FIELD SENSOR AND METHOD OF FABRICATING A MAGNETIC FIELD SENSOR HAVING A PLURALITY OF VERTICAL HALL ELEMENTS ARRANGED IN AT LEAST A PORTION OF A POLYGONAL SHAPE - A magnetic field sensor has a plurality of vertical Hall elements arranged in at least a portion of a polygonal shape. The magnetic field sensor includes an electronic circuit to process signals generated by the plurality of vertical Hall elements to identify a direction of a magnetic field. A corresponding method of fabricating the magnetic field sensor is also described. | 06-26-2014 |
20140176125 | Circuits and Methods for Processing Signals Generated by a Circular Vertical Hall (CVH) Sensing Element in the Presence of a Multi-Pole Magnet - A magnetic field sensor has a circular vertical Hall (CVH) sensing element with a plurality of vertical Hall elements disposed over a common implant region in a substrate. The plurality of vertical Hall elements is disposed in an x-y plane. The magnetic field sensor is responsive to a magnetic field generated by a multi-pole magnet having a plurality of north poles and also a plurality of south poles arranged in a plane parallel to the x-y plane, and, in some embodiments, arranged in the x-y plane. A corresponding method is also described. | 06-26-2014 |
20140176126 | Magnetic Field Sensor Arrangements and Associated Methods - Magnetic field sensor arrangements and methods provide a magnetic field sensor positioned proximate to a magnet with an axis of sensitivity aligned relative to the magnet in orientations that provide a good sensitivity and a mechanical difference from other arrangements. | 06-26-2014 |
20140222364 | Magnetic Field Sensor and Associated Method That Can Establish a Measured Threshold Value and That Can Store the Measured Threshold Value in a Memory Device - A magnetic field sensor includes a true power on state (TPOS) detector for which a measured threshold value is stored prior to power down and recalled upon power up. A corresponding method is associated with the magnetic field sensor. | 08-07-2014 |
20140232380 | Motion Sensor, Method, and Computer-Readable Storage Medium Providing a Motion Sensor with a State Processor Having a Reduced Amount of State Chatter - A motion sensor has a state processor to identify states associated with a magnetic field signal provided by a magnetic field sensing element. The state processor includes a state peak logic module configured to generate states that have a reduced amount of state chatter. | 08-21-2014 |
20140312883 | Circuits and Methods for Generating a Self-Test of a Magnetic Field Sensor - A magnetic field sensor includes built in self-test circuits that allow a self-test of most of, or all of, the circuitry of the magnetic field sensor, including self-test of a magnetic field sensing element used within the magnetic field sensor, while the magnetic field sensor is functioning in normal operation. | 10-23-2014 |
20140375312 | Systems and Methods for Providing Signal Encoding Representative of a Signature Region in a Target - A magnetic field sensor and associated method provide an output signal with an identifiable encoding to indicate when a signature region in a moving target proximate to the magnetic field sensor passes by the magnetic field sensor. | 12-25-2014 |
20150077100 | Magnetic Field Sensing Element Combining a Circular Vertical Hall Magnetic Field Sensing Element with a Planar Hall Element - A magnetic field sensor includes a circular vertical Hall (CVH) sensing element and at least one planar Hall element. The CVH sensing element has contacts arranged over a common implant region in a substrate. In some embodiments, the at least one planar Hall element is formed as a circular planar Hall (CPH) sensing element also having contacts disposed over the common implant region. A CPH sensing element and a method of fabricating the CPH sensing element are separately described. | 03-19-2015 |