Position Sensor and Washing Machine
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Accused Products
Abstract
Described is a position sensor device for determining a position of a movable object. The position sensor device includes (a) a magnetic field source fixed on a movable object, (b) a first magnetic field detector located at a first position and detecting a first magnetic field signal characteristic for a magnetic field generated by the magnetic field source at the first position, (c) a second magnetic field detector located at a second position and detecting a second magnetic field signal characteristic for a magnetic field generated by the magnetic field source at the second position, and (d) a position determining unit determining a position of the magnetic field source based on a comparison of the first magnetic field signal and the second magnetic field signal.
63 Citations
95 Claims
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1-34. -34. (canceled)
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35. A position sensor device for determining a position of a movable object, comprising:
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a magnetic field source fixed on a movable object; a first magnetic field detector located at a first position and detecting a first magnetic field signal characteristic for a magnetic field generated by the magnetic field source at the first position; a second magnetic field detector located at a second position and detecting a second magnetic field signal characteristic for a magnetic field generated by the magnetic field source at the second position; and a position determining unit determining a position of the magnetic field source based on a comparison of the first magnetic field signal and the second magnetic field signal. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70)
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71. A position sensor array, comprising:
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a movable object; and a position sensor device determining a position of the movable object and including (a) a magnetic field source fixed on a movable object;
(b) a first magnetic field detector located at a first position and detecting a first magnetic field signal characteristic for a magnetic field generated by the magnetic field source at the first position;
(c) a second magnetic field detector located at a second position and detecting a second magnetic field signal characteristic for a magnetic field generated by the magnetic field source at the second position; and
(d) a position determining unit determining a position of the magnetic field source based on a comparison of the first magnetic field signal and the second magnetic field signal.
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72. A washing machine, comprising:
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a static support; a rotatable drum rotating with respect to the static support and receiving content to be washed; and a position sensor device determining a position of the rotatable drum, the position sensor device including (a) a magnetic field source;
(b) a magnetic field detector detecting a magnetic field signal characteristic for a magnetic field generated by the magnetic field source;
(c) a position determining unit determining a position of the rotatable drum based on the magnetic field signal,wherein one of the magnetic field source and the magnetic field detector is fixed on the static support and the other one of the magnetic field source and the magnetic field detector is fixed on the rotatable drum. - View Dependent Claims (73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83)
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84. A washing machine, comprising
a static support; -
a rotatable drum rotating with respect to the static support and receiving content to be washed; a position sensor device determining a position of the rotatable drum, the position sensor device including (a) a magnetic field source for generating a magnetic field;
(b) a magnetic field sink;
(c) a magnetic field detector detecting a magnetic field signal characteristic for a magnetic field generated by the magnetic field source and modified by the magnetic field sink;
(d) a position determining unit determining a position of the rotatable drum based on the magnetic field signal;wherein one of the magnetic field sink and the magnetic field detector is fixed on the static support and the other one of the magnetic field sink and the magnetic field detector is fixed on the rotatable drum. - View Dependent Claims (85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91)
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92. A method for determining a position of a movable object, comprising:
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detecting a first magnetic field signal characteristic for a magnetic field at a first position generated by a magnetic field source to be fixed on the movable object; detecting a second magnetic field signal characteristic for a magnetic field at a second position generated by the magnetic field source; and determining a position of the magnetic field source based on a comparison of the first magnetic field signal and the second magnetic field signal.
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93. A sensor arrangement, comprising:
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a substrate; a plurality of position sensor devices arranged on the substrate, wherein each of the position sensor devices includes (a) a magnetic field source fixed on a movable object;
(b) a first magnetic field detector located at a first position and detecting a first magnetic field signal characteristic for a magnetic field generated by the magnetic field source at the first position;
(c) a second magnetic field detector located at a second position and detecting a second magnetic field signal characteristic for a magnetic field generated by the magnetic field source at the second position; and
(c) a position determining unit determining a position of the magnetic field source based on a comparison of the first magnetic field signal and the second magnetic field signal. - View Dependent Claims (94, 95)
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Specification