Sensing apparatus and method
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A man-machine interface comprising:
- at least one planar substrate having formed thereon a magnetic field generator, the magnetic field generator comprising conductive tracks formed on at least two planes defined by the at least one planar substrate;
a mounting carrying an intermediate coupling element, the mounting allowing movement of the intermediate coupling element along a measurement direction transverse to the planar substrate in response to a force applied by a user; and
a detector operable to detect the position of the intermediate coupling element in a magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generator,wherein the magnetic field generator comprises a transmit aerial and the detector comprises a receive aerial, the transmit aerial and the receive aerial formed by conductive tracks formed on a first planar surface and a second planar surface on either side of a single-layer planar substrate and by through-plated via-holes through the single planar substrate;
wherein movement of the intermediate coupling element along the measurement direction varies the electromagnetic coupling between the transmit aerial and the receive aerial;
wherein the transmit aerial comprises a first excitation winding and a second excitation winding, the first excitation winding comprising at least one coil which is arranged about a first axis, which is in the plane of the planar substrate, such that in response to current flowing through the first excitation winding, a magnetic field is generated having a component along the measurement direction which varies in accordance with a first function; and
wherein the second excitation winding comprises at least one coil which is arranged about a second axis, which is perpendicular to the plane of the planar substrate, such that in response to current flowing through the second excitation winding, a magnetic field is generated having a component along the measurement direction which varies in accordance with a second function which is different from the first function.
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Abstract
There is described a position sensor comprising at least one planar substrate having formed thereon a magnetic field generator which comprises conductive tracks formed on at least two planes defined by the at least one planar substrate. An intermediate coupling element is operable to move relative to the at least one planar substrate along a measurement direction transverse to the planar substrate, the detector detects the position of the intermediate coupling element in a magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generator. The position sensor has particular application in man-machine interfaces such as push buttons and rotary switches.
55 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A man-machine interface comprising:
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at least one planar substrate having formed thereon a magnetic field generator, the magnetic field generator comprising conductive tracks formed on at least two planes defined by the at least one planar substrate; a mounting carrying an intermediate coupling element, the mounting allowing movement of the intermediate coupling element along a measurement direction transverse to the planar substrate in response to a force applied by a user; and a detector operable to detect the position of the intermediate coupling element in a magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generator, wherein the magnetic field generator comprises a transmit aerial and the detector comprises a receive aerial, the transmit aerial and the receive aerial formed by conductive tracks formed on a first planar surface and a second planar surface on either side of a single-layer planar substrate and by through-plated via-holes through the single planar substrate; wherein movement of the intermediate coupling element along the measurement direction varies the electromagnetic coupling between the transmit aerial and the receive aerial; wherein the transmit aerial comprises a first excitation winding and a second excitation winding, the first excitation winding comprising at least one coil which is arranged about a first axis, which is in the plane of the planar substrate, such that in response to current flowing through the first excitation winding, a magnetic field is generated having a component along the measurement direction which varies in accordance with a first function; and wherein the second excitation winding comprises at least one coil which is arranged about a second axis, which is perpendicular to the plane of the planar substrate, such that in response to current flowing through the second excitation winding, a magnetic field is generated having a component along the measurement direction which varies in accordance with a second function which is different from the first function. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A position sensor, comprising:
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at least one planar substrate having formed thereon a magnetic field generator, the magnetic field generator comprising conductive tracks formed on at least two planes defined by the at least one planar substrate; an intermediate coupling element operable to move relative to the at least one planar substrate along a measurement direction transverse to the planar substrate; and a detector operable to detect the position of the intermediate coupling element in a magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generator, wherein the magnetic field generator comprises a transmit aerial and the detector comprises a receive aerial, and wherein movement of the intermediate coupling element along the measurement direction varies the electromagnetic coupling between the transmit aerial and the receive aerial, wherein the transmit aerial comprises a first excitation winding and a second excitation winding, wherein the first excitation winding comprises at least one coil which is arranged about a first axis, which is in the plane of the planar substrate, such that in response to current flowing through the first excitation winding, a magnetic field is generated having a component along the measurement direction which varies in accordance with a first function, and wherein the second excitation winding comprises a at least one coil which is arranged about a second axis, which is perpendicular to the plane of the planar substrate, such that in response to current flowing through the second excitation winding, a magnetic field is generated having a component along the measurement direction which varies in accordance with a second function which is different from the first function. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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22. A position sensor comprising:
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a planar substrate having a first planar surface and a second planar surface, the planar substrate having conductive windings formed thereon by conductive tracks on the first planar surface and the second planar surface interconnected by through-plated via-holes through the single planar substrate such that the conductive windings form a transmit aerial and a receive aerial; and an intermediate coupling element operable to move relative to the at least one planar substrate along a measurement direction transverse to the planar substrate, wherein movement of the intermediate coupling element along the measurement direction varies the electromagnetic coupling between the transmit aerial and the receive aerial, wherein the conductive windings include at least one coil which is arranged about a first axis which is in the plane of the planar substrate and at least one coil which is arranged about a second axis which is perpendicular to plane of the planar substrate. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification