Hall sensors and sensing methods
First Claim
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1. A magnetic field sensor comprising:
- a Hall region comprising no more than three terminals; and
circuitry configured to selectively couple at least two of the no more than three terminals as supply terminals and two of the no more than three terminals as signal terminals in each of three operating phases, such that each of the no more than three terminals is coupled as a supply terminal in the same number of operating phases as the others of the no more than three terminals, and each of the no more than three terminals is coupled as a signal terminal in the same number of operating phases as the others of the no more than three terminals.
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Abstract
Embodiments relate to multi-terminal sensor devices and operating methods thereof that can reduce or eliminate offset error. In embodiments, sensor devices can comprise three or fewer terminals, and multiple such sensor devices can be combined. The sensor devices can comprise Hall sensor devices, such as vertical Hall devices, or other sensor devices in embodiments. Operating modes can be implemented for the multi-terminal sensor devices which offer improvements over conventional spinning current techniques, including reduced residual offset.
36 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A magnetic field sensor comprising:
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a Hall region comprising no more than three terminals; and circuitry configured to selectively couple at least two of the no more than three terminals as supply terminals and two of the no more than three terminals as signal terminals in each of three operating phases, such that each of the no more than three terminals is coupled as a supply terminal in the same number of operating phases as the others of the no more than three terminals, and each of the no more than three terminals is coupled as a signal terminal in the same number of operating phases as the others of the no more than three terminals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of operating a magnetic field sensor having no more than three terminals comprising:
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operating the magnetic field sensor in a first operating phase by; coupling first and second of the no more than three terminals to a supply of a first level and a third of the no more than three terminals to a supply of a second level, and obtaining a first phase output signal by combining signals sensed at the first and second of the no more than three terminals; operating the magnetic field sensor in a second operating phase by; coupling the first and third of the no more than three terminals to a supply of a first level and the second of the no more than three terminals to a supply of a second level, and obtaining a second phase output signal by combining signals sensed at the first and third of the no more than three terminals; operating the magnetic field sensor in a third operating phase by; coupling the second and third of the no more than three terminals to a supply of a first level and the first of the no more than three terminals to a supply of a second level, and obtaining a third phase output signal by combining signals sensed at the second and third of the no more than three terminals; and combining the first, second and third phase output signals. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A magnetic field sensor comprising:
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a first magnetic field sensor device comprising a Hall region and no more than three terminals arranged on the Hall region; a second magnetic field sensor device comprising a Hall region and no more than three terminals arranged on the Hall region; a third magnetic field sensor device comprising a Hall region and no more than three terminals arranged on the Hall region; and circuitry configured to selectively couple the first, second and third magnetic field sensor devices, wherein each of the first, second and third magnetic field sensor devices comprises first, second and third terminals arranged in the same order, and wherein the circuitry is configured to selectively couple the first terminal of the first device, the second terminal of the second device and the third terminal of the third device to form a first overall terminal;
the second terminal of the first device, the third terminal of the second device and the first terminal of the third device to form a second overall terminal; and
the third terminal of the first device, the first terminal of the second device and the second terminal of the third device to form a third overall terminal. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification