Magnetic Field Sensor and Associated Method That Can Store a Measured Threshold Value in a Memory Device During a Time When The Magnetic Field Sensor is Powered Off
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A magnetic field sensor, comprising:
- one or more magnetic field sensing elements configured to generate a magnetic field signal responsive to a magnetic field;
a temperature compensating circuit coupled to receive the magnetic field signal and configured to generate a temperature compensated signal having a signal characteristic comprising least one of an amplitude or an offset;
a memory device configured to store, at a storage time, a measured threshold value related to the signal characteristic of the temperature compensated signal; and
a comparator detector coupled to receive a comparator threshold value related to the stored measured threshold value and also coupled to receive a signal representative of the magnetic field signal, wherein comparator detector is configured to compare the comparator threshold value with the signal representative of the magnetic field signal to generate a comparator detector output signal.
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Abstract
A magnetic field sensor includes a comparator detector for which a measured threshold value is stored prior to power down and recalled upon power up for use by the comparator detector. A corresponding method is associated with the magnetic field sensor.
70 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A magnetic field sensor, comprising:
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one or more magnetic field sensing elements configured to generate a magnetic field signal responsive to a magnetic field; a temperature compensating circuit coupled to receive the magnetic field signal and configured to generate a temperature compensated signal having a signal characteristic comprising least one of an amplitude or an offset; a memory device configured to store, at a storage time, a measured threshold value related to the signal characteristic of the temperature compensated signal; and a comparator detector coupled to receive a comparator threshold value related to the stored measured threshold value and also coupled to receive a signal representative of the magnetic field signal, wherein comparator detector is configured to compare the comparator threshold value with the signal representative of the magnetic field signal to generate a comparator detector output signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of sensing a magnetic field with a magnetic field sensor, comprising:
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generating a magnetic field signal responsive to the magnetic field; generating a temperature compensated signal related to the magnetic field signal, wherein the temperature compensated signal comprises a signal characteristic comprising least one of an amplitude or an offset; storing, in a memory device, at a storage time, a measured threshold value related to the signal characteristic of the temperature compensated signal; receiving, with a comparator detector, a comparator threshold value related to the stored measured threshold value and a signal representative of the magnetic field signal; and comparing, with the comparator detector, the comparator threshold value with the signal representative of the magnetic field signal to generate a comparator detector output signal. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A magnetic field sensor, comprising:
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one or more magnetic field sensing elements configured to generate a magnetic field signal responsive to a magnetic field; and a measured threshold module coupled to receive at least one of a positive peak signal having a plurality of positive peak values or a negative peak signal having a plurality of negative peak values, the plurality of positive peak values representative of different respective positive peaks of the magnetic field signal and the plurality of negative peak values representative of different respective negative peaks of the magnetic field signal, wherein the measured threshold module is configured to combine the plurality of positive peak values and the plurality of negative peak values to generate the measured threshold value.
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30. A method of sensing a magnetic field with a magnetic field sensor, comprising:
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generating a magnetic field signal responsive to the magnetic field; generating at least one of a positive peak signal having a plurality of positive peak values or a negative peak signal having a plurality of negative peak values, wherein the plurality of positive peak values is representative of different respective positive peaks of the magnetic field signal and the plurality of negative peak values is representative of different respective negative peaks of the magnetic field signal; and combining at least one of the plurality of positive peak values or the plurality of negative peak values to generate the measured threshold value.
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31. A magnetic field sensor, comprising:
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one or more magnetic field sensing elements configured to generate a magnetic field signal responsive to a magnetic field; a circuit coupled to receive the magnetic field signal and configured to generate an intermediate signal having a signal characteristic comprising least one of an amplitude or an offset; a memory device configured to store, at a storage time, a measured threshold value related to the signal characteristic of the intermediate signal; and a comparator detector coupled to receive a comparator threshold value related to the stored measured threshold value without temperature compensating the stored measured threshold value, and also coupled to receive a signal representative of the magnetic field signal, wherein the comparator detector is configured to compare the comparator threshold value with the signal representative of the magnetic field signal to generate a comparator detector output signal.
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32. A method of sensing a magnetic field with a magnetic field sensor, comprising:
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generating a magnetic field signal responsive to the magnetic field; generating an intermediate signal related to the magnetic field signal, wherein the amplified signal comprises a signal characteristic comprising least one of an amplitude or an offset; storing, in a memory device, at a storage time, a measured threshold value related to the signal characteristic of the intermediate signal; receiving, with a comparator detector, a comparator threshold value related to the stored measured threshold value without temperature compensating the stored measured threshold value, and a signal representative of the magnetic field signal; and comparing, with the comparator detector, the comparator threshold value with the signal representative of the magnetic field signal to generate a comparator detector output signal.
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Specification