PRECISION POSITION ENCODER/SENSOR USING NITROGEN VACANCY DIAMOND
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A position sensor, comprising:
- a first magnetic field sensor,a second magnetic field sensor, anda position encoder component comprising a magnetic region configured to produce a magnetic field gradient from a first end of the magnetic region to the second end of the magnetic region,wherein the first magnetic field sensor and the second magnetic field sensor are separated by a distance that is less than a length of the magnetic region.
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Abstract
A position sensor system includes a position encoder component and a magnetic field sensor. The magnetic field sensor may be a diamond nitrogen vacancy material magnetic field sensor, and may be capable of resolving a magnetic field vector.
51 Citations
44 Claims
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1. A position sensor, comprising:
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a first magnetic field sensor, a second magnetic field sensor, and a position encoder component comprising a magnetic region configured to produce a magnetic field gradient from a first end of the magnetic region to the second end of the magnetic region, wherein the first magnetic field sensor and the second magnetic field sensor are separated by a distance that is less than a length of the magnetic region. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A position sensor system, comprising:
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a position encoder component comprising a magnetic region configured to produce a magnetic field gradient from a first end of the magnetic region to the second end of the magnetic region, a first magnetic field sensor, a second magnetic field sensor, wherein the first magnetic field sensor and the second magnetic field sensor are separated by a distance that is less than a length of the magnetic region, and a controller configured to; determine a direction and magnitude of a change in position of the position encoder component based on the output of the first magnetic field sensor and the second magnetic field sensor. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. A position control system, comprising:
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a position encoder component comprising a magnetic region configured to produce a magnetic field gradient from a first end of the magnetic region to the second end of the magnetic region, an actuator coupled to the position encoder component, a first magnetic field sensor, a second magnetic field sensor, wherein the first magnetic field sensor and the second magnetic field sensor are separated by a distance that is less than a length of the magnetic region, and a controller configured to; control the actuator to produce a change in position of the position encoder component, determine a direction and magnitude of the change in position of the position encoder component based on the output of the first magnetic field sensor and the second magnetic field sensor. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. A method of controlling position, comprising:
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activating an actuator coupled to a position encoder component to produce a change in position of the position encoder component, wherein the position encoder component comprises a magnetic region configured to produce a magnetic field gradient from a first end of the magnetic region to the second end of the magnetic region; determining a direction and magnitude of the change in position of the position encoder component based on the output of a first magnetic field sensor and a second magnetic field sensor, wherein the first magnetic field sensor and the second magnetic field sensor are separated by a distance that is less than a length of the magnetic region; and deactivating the actuator to stop the change in position of the position encoder component when a desired position of the position encoder component is reached. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. A position sensor, comprising:
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a first magnetic field sensor, a second magnetic field sensor, and a position encoder component comprising a plurality of uniform magnetic regions, wherein the uniform magnetic regions have a uniform spacing therebetween, wherein the first magnetic field sensor and the second magnetic field sensor are separated by a distance that is less than the uniform spacing between the uniform magnetic regions. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A position sensor system, comprising:
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a position encoder component comprising a plurality of uniform magnetic regions, wherein the uniform magnetic regions have a uniform spacing therebetween, a first magnetic field sensor, a second magnetic field sensor, wherein the first magnetic field sensor and the second magnetic field sensor are separated by a distance that is less than the uniform spacing between the uniform magnetic regions, and a controller configured to; determine a direction and magnitude of a change in position of the position encoder component based on the output of the first magnetic field sensor and the second magnetic field sensor. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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26. A position control system, comprising:
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a position encoder component comprising a plurality of uniform magnetic regions, wherein the uniform magnetic regions have a uniform spacing therebetween, an actuator coupled to the position encoder component, a first magnetic field sensor, a second magnetic field sensor, wherein the first magnetic field sensor and the second magnetic field sensor are separated by a distance that is less than the uniform spacing between the uniform magnetic regions, and a controller configured to; control the actuator to produce a change in position of the position encoder component, determine a direction and magnitude of the change in position of the position encoder component based on the output of the first magnetic field sensor and the second magnetic field sensor. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
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29. A method of controlling position, comprising:
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activating an actuator coupled to a position encoder component to produce a change in position of the position encoder component, wherein the position encoder component comprises a plurality of uniform magnetic regions, wherein the uniform magnetic regions have a uniform spacing therebetween; determining a direction and magnitude of the change in position of the position encoder component based on the output of a first magnetic field sensor and a second magnetic field sensor, wherein the first magnetic field sensor and the second magnetic field sensor are separated by a distance that is less than the uniform spacing between the uniform magnetic regions; and deactivating the actuator to stop the change in position of the position encoder component when a desired position of the position encoder component is reached. - View Dependent Claims (30)
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31. A position sensor, comprising:
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a first magnetic field sensor, a second magnetic field sensor, and a position encoder component comprising a plurality of uniform magnetic regions and a plurality of tapered magnetic regions, wherein the uniform magnetic regions have a uniform distance therebetween, the tapered magnetic regions are configured to produce a magnetic field gradient from a first end of the magnetic region to the second end of the magnetic region, and the spacing between the first magnetic field sensor and the second magnetic field sensor is less than the distance between the uniform magnetic regions. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A position sensor system, comprising:
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a position encoder component comprising a plurality of uniform magnetic regions and a plurality of tapered magnetic regions, wherein the uniform magnetic regions have a uniform distance therebetween, the tapered magnetic regions are configured to produce a magnetic field gradient from a first end of the magnetic region to the second end of the magnetic region, and the spacing between the first magnetic field sensor and the second magnetic field sensor is less than the distance between the uniform magnetic regions, a first magnetic field sensor, a second magnetic field sensor, wherein the first magnetic field sensor and the second magnetic field sensor are separated by a distance that is less than the uniform spacing between the uniform magnetic regions, and a controller configured to; determine a direction and magnitude of a change in position of the position encoder component based on the output of the first magnetic field sensor and the second magnetic field sensor. - View Dependent Claims (39)
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40. A position control system, comprising:
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a position encoder component comprising a plurality of uniform magnetic regions and a plurality of tapered magnetic regions, wherein the uniform magnetic regions have a uniform distance therebetween, the tapered magnetic regions are configured to produce a magnetic field gradient from a first end of the magnetic region to the second end of the magnetic region, and the spacing between the first magnetic field sensor and the second magnetic field sensor is less than the distance between the uniform magnetic regions, an actuator coupled to the position encoder component, a first magnetic field sensor, a second magnetic field sensor, wherein the first magnetic field sensor and the second magnetic field sensor are separated by a distance that is less than the uniform spacing between the uniform magnetic regions, and a controller configured to; control the actuator to produce a change in position of the position encoder component, determine a direction and magnitude of the change in position of the position encoder component based on the output of the first magnetic field sensor and the second magnetic field sensor. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42)
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43. A method of controlling position, comprising:
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activating an actuator coupled to a position encoder component to produce a change in position of the position encoder component, wherein the position encoder component comprises a plurality of uniform magnetic regions and a plurality of tapered magnetic regions, wherein the uniform magnetic regions have a uniform distance therebetween, and the tapered magnetic regions are configured to produce a magnetic field gradient from a first end of the magnetic region to the second end of the magnetic region; determining a direction and magnitude of the change in position of the position encoder component based on the output of a first magnetic field sensor and a second magnetic field sensor, wherein the first magnetic field sensor and the second magnetic field sensor are separated by a distance that is less than the uniform spacing between the uniform magnetic regions; and deactivating the actuator to stop the change in position of the position encoder component when a desired position of the position encoder component is reached. - View Dependent Claims (44)
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Specification