Current sensor
First Claim
1. A current sensor, comprising:
- a conductive element with at least three separate terminal areas, a common conductive area and at least three separate intermediate areas connecting the at least three separate terminal areas to the common conductive area, wherein each of the at least three separate terminal areas is connected separately via a respective separate intermediate area of the at least three separate intermediate areas to the common conductive area to guide separately a current applied to the respective terminal area into the common conductive area; and
at least two magnetic field sensors arranged at different geometric positions adjacent to the at least three separate intermediate areas, wherein each of the at least two magnetic field sensors is configured to sense a magnetic field component of the current flowing into the common conductive area to provide a sensor signal based on the sensed magnetic field component;
wherein the at least two magnetic field sensors are arranged adjacent to the at least three separate intermediate areas such that the current sensor can measure separately the currents guided by the at least three separate terminal areas via the at least three separate intermediate areas into the common conductive area; and
wherein a geometric area surrounding and abutting the common conductive area is divided into two geometric sectors, each of the two geometric sectors abutting the common conductive area, wherein the at least three terminal areas are arranged in a first geometric sector of the two geometric sectors, and wherein signal and supply terminals of the at least two magnetic field sensors are arranged in a second geometric sector of the two geometric sectors.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments of the disclosure provide a current sensor including a conductive element and at least two magnetic field sensors. The conductive element includes at least three separate terminal areas, a common conductive area and at least three separate intermediate areas connecting the respective separate terminal areas to the common conductive area. Each of the terminal areas is connected separately via a respective separate intermediate area of the at least three separate intermediate areas to the common conductive area to guide a current applied to the respective terminal area into the common conductive area. The at least two magnetic field sensors are arranged at different geometric positions adjacent to the at least three separate intermediate areas, wherein each of the magnetic field sensors is configured to sense a magnetic field component of each current flowing into the common conductive area to provide a sensor signal based thereon.
-
Citations
29 Claims
-
1. A current sensor, comprising:
-
a conductive element with at least three separate terminal areas, a common conductive area and at least three separate intermediate areas connecting the at least three separate terminal areas to the common conductive area, wherein each of the at least three separate terminal areas is connected separately via a respective separate intermediate area of the at least three separate intermediate areas to the common conductive area to guide separately a current applied to the respective terminal area into the common conductive area; and at least two magnetic field sensors arranged at different geometric positions adjacent to the at least three separate intermediate areas, wherein each of the at least two magnetic field sensors is configured to sense a magnetic field component of the current flowing into the common conductive area to provide a sensor signal based on the sensed magnetic field component; wherein the at least two magnetic field sensors are arranged adjacent to the at least three separate intermediate areas such that the current sensor can measure separately the currents guided by the at least three separate terminal areas via the at least three separate intermediate areas into the common conductive area; and wherein a geometric area surrounding and abutting the common conductive area is divided into two geometric sectors, each of the two geometric sectors abutting the common conductive area, wherein the at least three terminal areas are arranged in a first geometric sector of the two geometric sectors, and wherein signal and supply terminals of the at least two magnetic field sensors are arranged in a second geometric sector of the two geometric sectors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
-
-
23. A current sensor, comprising:
-
a conductive element with n separate terminal areas and n separate intermediate areas, wherein n is at least three, and a common conductive area, wherein each of the n separate terminal areas is connected separately via a respective separate intermediate area of the n separate intermediate areas to the common conductive area and configured to guide separately a current applied to the respective terminal area into the common conductive area; and m magnetic field sensors, wherein m is at least two, arranged at different geometric positions adjacent to the separate intermediate areas, wherein each of the m magnetic field sensors is configured to sense a magnetic field component of the current flowing into the common conductive area to provide a sensor signal based on the sensed magnetic field component, wherein the m magnetic field sensors are arranged at different geometric positions adjacent to the separate intermediate areas such that the current sensor can measure separately the currents guided by the n separate terminal areas via the n separate intermediate areas into the common conductive area; wherein a geometric area surrounding and abutting the common conductive area is divided into two geometric sectors, each of the two geometric sectors abutting the common conductive area, wherein the n separate terminal areas are arranged in a first geometric sector of the two geometric sectors, and wherein signal and supply terminals of the at least two magnetic field sensors are arranged in a second geometric sector of the two geometric sectors. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
-
-
27. A method for measuring at least three separate currents in a measuring node, wherein the measuring node comprises at least two magnetic field sensors and a conductive element with at least three separate terminal areas, a common conductive area and at least three separate intermediate areas connecting the at least three separate terminal areas to the common conductive area, wherein each of the at least three separate terminal areas is connected separately via a respective separate intermediate area of the at least three separate intermediate areas to the common conductive area to guide separately one of the at least three currents applied to the respective terminal area into the common conductive area, wherein the at least two magnetic field sensors are arranged adjacent to the at least three separate intermediate areas such that values of the at least three currents separately guided by the at least three separate terminal areas via the at least three separate intermediate areas into the common conductive area are separately evaluated, wherein a geometric area surrounding and abutting the common conductive area is divided into two geometric sectors, each of the two geometric sectors abutting the common conductive area, wherein the at least three terminal areas are arranged in a first geometric sector of the two geometric sectors, and wherein signal and supply terminals of the at least two magnetic field sensors are arranged in a second geometric sector of the two geometric sectors, the method comprising:
-
sensing separately magnetic field components of the at least three separate currents flowing into the measuring node with the at least two magnetic field sensors; and evaluating separately the values of the at least three separate currents flowing into the measuring node based on the separately sensed magnetic field components. - View Dependent Claims (28)
-
-
29. A computer readable non-transitory digital storage medium having stored thereon a computer program having a program code for performing, when running on a computer, a method for measuring at least three currents in a measuring node, wherein the measuring node comprises at least three magnetic field sensors and a conductive element, wherein the conductive element comprises at least three separate terminal areas, a common conductive area and at least three separate intermediate areas connecting the at least three separate terminal areas to the common conductive area, wherein each of the at least three separate terminal areas is separately connected via a respective separate intermediate area of the at least three separate intermediate areas to the common conductive area to separately guide one of the at least three currents applied to the respective terminal area into the common conductive area, wherein the at least two magnetic field sensors are arranged adjacent to the at least three separate intermediate areas such that values of the at least three currents separately guided by the at least three separate terminal areas via the at least three separate intermediate areas into the common conductive area are separately evaluated, wherein a geometric area surrounding and abutting the common conductive area is divided into two geometric sectors, each of the two geometric sectors abutting the common conductive area, wherein the at least three terminal areas are arranged in a first geometric sector of the two geometric sectors, and wherein signal and supply terminals of the at least two magnetic field sensors are arranged in a second geometric sector of the two geometric sectors, the method comprising:
-
sensing separately a magnetic field component of each current flowing into a measuring node with the at least two magnetic field sensors; and evaluating separately the value of each current flowing into the measuring node based on the sensed magnetic field component.
-
Specification