Single winding magnetometer with automatic distortion compensation
First Claim
1. In a magnetometer, having a first voltage source with a potential greater than a reference potential, a second voltage source with a potential less than said reference potential, an inductor, switch means for connecting said first voltage source and said second voltage source to said inductor to cause a current with a magnitude to run therethrough to said reference potential, means responsive to said current magnitude for controlling said switch means to connect said inductor to said first voltage source when said current magnitude reaches a first limit magnitude and to connect said inductor to said second voltage source when said current magnitude reaches a second limit magnitude, the improvement comprising:
- means responsive to said current magnitude for generating a time averaged value thereof; and
means responsive to said time averaged value for adjusting said first limit magnitude and said second limit magnitude so that the average of said first limit magnitude and said second limit magnitude equals said time averaged value.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The effects of non-equal saturation spikes in a magnetic oscillator magnetometer utilizing a magnetic core sensing inductor are compensated by adding the average inductor current to both the high and low current magnitude limits. In particular, each of the current limits is selected to be a fixed current (which is greater than that required to saturate the core) offset by the average current flowing in the core.
The effects of magnetic core hysteresis and series resistance between the inductor and its drive sources are compensated by controlling the drive voltage levels so that the time during which the inductor is driven by current in one direction is equal to the time during which it is driven by current in the other direction.
15 Citations
33 Claims
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1. In a magnetometer, having a first voltage source with a potential greater than a reference potential, a second voltage source with a potential less than said reference potential, an inductor, switch means for connecting said first voltage source and said second voltage source to said inductor to cause a current with a magnitude to run therethrough to said reference potential, means responsive to said current magnitude for controlling said switch means to connect said inductor to said first voltage source when said current magnitude reaches a first limit magnitude and to connect said inductor to said second voltage source when said current magnitude reaches a second limit magnitude, the improvement comprising:
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means responsive to said current magnitude for generating a time averaged value thereof; and means responsive to said time averaged value for adjusting said first limit magnitude and said second limit magnitude so that the average of said first limit magnitude and said second limit magnitude equals said time averaged value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 24)
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5. An improved magnetometer comprising:
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a first voltage source with a potential greater than a reference potential; a second voltage source with a potential less than said reference potential; an inductor; switch means for connecting said first voltage source and said second voltage source to said inductor to cause a current with a magnitude to run therethrough to said reference potential; means responsive to said current magnitude for controlling said switch means to connect said inductor to said first voltage source when said current magnitude reaches a first limit magnitude and to connect said inductor to said second voltage source when said current magnitude reaches a second limit magnitude; means responsive to said current magnitude for generating a time averaged value thereof; and means responsive to said time averaged value for adjusting said first limit magnitude and said second limit magnitude so that the average of said first limit magnitude and said second limit magnitude equals said time averaged value. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An improved magnetometer comprising:
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a voltage source with a potential positive with respect to ground; a voltage source with a potential negative with respect to ground; an inductor having a winding around a core fabricated of magnetically-saturable material which saturates at a saturation current; switch means for connecting said positive voltage source and said negative voltage source to said inductor winding to cause a current with a magnitude to run therethrough to ground; means for establishing a first predetermined current limit magnitude greater than said saturation current; means for establishing a second predetermined current limit magnitude greater than said saturation current; a first comparator responsive to said current magnitude for generating a set signal when said current magnitude reaches said first predetermined current limit magnitude; a second comparator responsive to said current magnitude for generating a reset signal when said current magnitude reaches a second predetermined current limit magnitude; a flip-flop responsive to said set signal for controlling said switch means to connect said inductor to said positive voltage source and responsive to said reset signal for controlling said switch means to connect said inductor to said negative voltage source; a low pass filter means responsive to said current magnitude for generating a time averaged value thereof; and means responsive to said time averaged value for adding said time averaged value to said first predetermined limit magnitude and to said second predetermined limit magnitude. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. In a magnetometer, having a first voltage source with a first potential greater than a reference potential, a second voltage source with a second potential less than said reference potential, an inductor, switch means for connecting said first voltage source and said second voltage source to said inductor to cause a current with a magnitude to run therethrough to said reference potential, means responsive to said current magnitude for controlling said switch means to connect said inductor to said first voltage source when said current magnitude reaches a first limit magnitude and to connect said inductor to said second voltage source when said current magnitude reaches a second limit magnitude so that said magnetometer oscillates with a duty cycle, the improvement comprising:
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means responsive to said duty cycle for genrating a time averaged value thereof; and means responsive to said time averaged value for adjusting said first potential and said second potential until said duty cycle becomes fifty percent. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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17. An improved magnetometer comprising:
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a first voltage source with a first potential greater than a reference potential; a second voltage source with a second potential less than said reference potential; an inductor; switch means for connecting said first voltage source and said second voltage source to said inductor to cause a current with a magnitude to run therethrough to said reference potential; means responsive to said current magnitude for controlling said switch means to connect said inductor to said first voltage source when said current magnitude reaches a first limit magnitude and to connect said inductor to said second voltage source when said current magnitude reaches a second limit magnitude so that said magnetometer oscillates with a duty cycle; means responsive to said duty cycle for generating a time averaged value thereof; and means responsive to said time averaged value for adjusting said first potential and said second potential until said duty cycle becomes fifty percent. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. An improved magnetometer comprising:
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a first voltage source with a potential positive with respect to a reference potential; a second voltage source with a potential negative with respect to said reference potential; an inductor having a winding around a core fabricated of magnetically-saturable material which saturates at a saturation current; switch means for connecting said first voltage source and said second voltage source to said inductor winding to cause a current with a magnitude to run therethrough to said reference potential; means connected to said switch means for generating a duty cycle signal having a first voltage magnitude when said first voltage source is connected to said inductor winding and having a second voltage magnitude when said second voltage source is connected to said inductor winding; means for establishing a first predetermined current limit magnitude greater than said saturation current; means for establishing a second predetermined current limit magnitude greater than said saturation current; a first comparator responsive to said current magnitude for generating a set signal when said current magnitude reaches said first predetermined current limit magnitude; a second comparator responsive to said current magnitude for generating a reset signal when said current magnitude reaches a second predetermined current limit magnitude; a flip-flop responsive to said set signal for controlling said switch means to connect said inductor to said first voltage source and responsive to said reset signal for controlling said switch means to connect said inductor to said second voltage source; an integrator responsive to said duty cycle signal for generating a time averaged value thereof; and means responsive to said time averaged value for adjusting said reference potential until said time averaged value is zero.
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21. In a magnetometer, having a first voltage source with a potential greater than a reference potential, a second voltage source with a potential less than said reference potential, an inductor, switch means for connecting said first voltage source and said second voltage source to said inductor to cause a current with a magnitude to run therethrough to said reference potential, means responsive to said current magnitude for controlling said switch means to connect said inductor to said first voltage source when said current magnitude reaches a first limit magnitude and to connect said inductor to said second voltage source when said current magnitude reaches a second limit magnitude so that said magnetometer oscillates with a duty cycle, the improvement comprising:
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first means responsive to said current magnitude for generating a time averaged value thereof; first means responsive to said time averaged value for adjusting said first limit magnitude and said second limit magnitude so that the average of said first limit magnitude and said second limit magnitude equals said time averaged value second means responsive to said duty cycle for generating a time averaged value thereof; and second means responsive to said time averaged value for adjusting said first potential and said second potential until said duty cycle becomes fifty percent. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 25, 26)
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27. An improved magnetometer comprising:
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a first voltage source with a potential greater than a reference potential; a second voltage source with a potential less than said reference potential; an inductor; switch means for connecting said first voltage source and said second voltage source to said inductor to cause a current with a magnitude to run therethrough to said reference potential; means responsive to said current magnitude for controlling said switch means to connect said inductor to said first voltage source when said current magnitude reaches a first limit magnitude and to connect said inductor to said second voltage source when said current magnitude reaches a second limit magnitude so that said magnetometer oscillates with a duty cycle; first means responsive to said current magnitude for generating a time averaged value thereof; first means responsive to said time averaged value for adjusting said first limit magnitude and said second limit magnitude so that the average of said first limit magnitude and said second limit magnitude equals said time averaged value second means responsive to said duty cycle for generating a time averaged value thereof; and second means responsive to said time averaged value for adjusting said potential and said second potential until said duty cycle becomes fifty percent. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification