Sensor system having independent hall effect sensor

• US 9,644,935 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2012
• Issued: 05/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Timken Company
• Original Assignee: The Timken Company
• Inventors: Santos, Alfred J., Lacroix, Mark E., Wang, Lei
• Primary Examiner(s): PATIDAR, JAY M
• Application Number:
  US14/353,922
• Publication Number:
  US 20140306692A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,657 Days
• Field of Search: 3242072
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/003 for measuring position, not involving coordinate determination coordinate measuring G01B7/004
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/145 influenced by the relative movement between the Hall device and magnetic fields see G01R33/06
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/24428 Error prevention
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/24461 by redundancy or plausibility
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/44 for measuring angular speed G01P3/56 takes precedence

Abstract

A sensor system for detecting at least one of a speed and a position of a rotatable member. The sensor system includes a high-resolution sensor circuit including a plurality of Hall effect sensors and at least one independent Hall effect sensor, wherein the independent Hall effect sensor includes at least one of a power supply line, a ground line, and an output line, none of which are connected to the high-resolution sensor circuit.

Claims

1. A sensor system for detecting at least one of a speed and a position of a rotatable member, the sensor system comprising:

a single integrated circuit chip including

a high-resolution sensor circuit including a plurality of Hall effect sensors; and

at least one independent Hall effect sensor,

wherein the independent Hall effect sensor includes at least one of a power supply line, a ground line, and an output line, none of which are connected to the high-resolution sensor circuit;

wherein the at least one independent Hall effect sensor comprises at least two independent Hall effect sensors each having an output, wherein the outputs of the at least two independent Hall effect sensors are fed into a differential amplifier; and

wherein the at least two independent Hall effect sensors include a first independent Hall effect sensor and a second independent Hall effect sensor, and wherein an output of the differential amplifier is digital on if the first independent Hall effect sensor has a more positive output signal than the second independent Hall effect sensor and the output of the differential amplifier is digital off if the second independent Hall effect sensor has a more positive output signal than the first independent Hall effect sensor.

2. The sensor system of claim 1, wherein power to the at least one independent Hall effect sensor is strobed.

3. The sensor system of claim 1, wherein the independent Hall effect sensor includes a ground line and a power supply line, and wherein the power supply line is used as an output line.