Signal conditioning system for inductive position sensor
First Claim
1. An apparatus for providing an output signal correlated with a part position for a moveable part over a positional range, the apparatus comprising:
- a transmitter coil, the transmitter coil producing an electromagnetic field when excited by an exciter signal;
a receiver coil located proximate to the transmitter coil, the receiver coil generating a receiver signal when the transmitter coil is excited due to inductive coupling between the transmitter coil and the receiver coil, the receiver signal being sensitive to the part position;
a reference coil, providing a reference signal substantially independent of the part position;
a signal conditioner receiving the receiver signal and the reference signal, the signal conditioner including an analog divider generating a ratio signal from the receiver signal and the reference signal,the output signal being obtained from the ratio signal.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and a method for providing an output signal correlated with a part position for a moveable part over a positional range, the apparatus includes a transmitter coil, the transmitter coil producing an electromagnetic field when excited by an exciter signal; a receiver coil located proximate to the transmitter coil, the receiver coil generating a receiver signal when the transmitter coil is excited due to inductive coupling between the transmitter coil and the receiver coil, the receiver signal being sensitive to the part position; a reference coil, providing a reference signal substantially independent of the part position; a signal conditioner receiving the receiver signal and the reference signal, the signal conditioner including an analog divider generating a ratio signal from the receiver signal and the reference signal, the output signal being obtained from the ratio signal.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. An apparatus for providing an output signal correlated with a part position for a moveable part over a positional range, the apparatus comprising:
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a transmitter coil, the transmitter coil producing an electromagnetic field when excited by an exciter signal; a receiver coil located proximate to the transmitter coil, the receiver coil generating a receiver signal when the transmitter coil is excited due to inductive coupling between the transmitter coil and the receiver coil, the receiver signal being sensitive to the part position; a reference coil, providing a reference signal substantially independent of the part position; a signal conditioner receiving the receiver signal and the reference signal, the signal conditioner including an analog divider generating a ratio signal from the receiver signal and the reference signal, the output signal being obtained from the ratio signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An apparatus for providing an output signal correlated with a part position for a moveable part over a positional range,
the apparatus comprising a signal conditioner receiving a receiver signal sensitive to the part position and a reference signal substantially insensitive to the part position, the receiver signal being obtained from a receiver coil and the reference signal being obtained from a reference coil on excitation of a transmitter coil, the signal conditioner including an analog divider for generating a ratio signal from the receiver signal and the reference signal, the signal conditioner providing an output signal correlated with the part position, the output signal being obtained from the ratio signal.
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17. A method of determining the part position of a moveable part, the method comprising:
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exciting a transmitter coil using an alternating current; obtaining a receiver signal from a receiver coil, the receiver signal being sensitive to the part position; obtaining a reference signal substantially independent of the part position; dividing the receiver signal by the reference signal in an analog divider circuit to provide a ratio signal; adding a voltage adjustment to the ratio signal to obtain an output signal; clamping the output signal between upper and lower plateau levels; and determining the part position using the output signal. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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Specification