Patent ID: 9470556
Filing Date: 2016-10-18
CPC Classification: G01D

Claim Text:
1. A system for detecting a position of an actuator having a first member and a second member, the first member axially movable with respect to the second member, the system comprising: a first set of binary indicators located in a first plane on and axially spaced along the first member of the actuator, wherein each binary indicator defines one bit within a word, the word has a predefined length, and each binary indicator defines a position of the first member with respect to the second member; a second set of binary indicators located in a second plane on and axially spaced along the first member of the actuator, wherein the second plane is generally parallel to the first plane and each of the binary indicators in the second set corresponds to one of the binary indicators in the first set; at least one sensor radially spaced from the first actuator and configured to generate a first signal corresponding to the state of the first set of binary indicators and to generate a second signal corresponding to the state of the second set of binary indicators; and a logic circuit configured to receive each of the signals corresponding to the state of the first and second set of binary indicators and to detect the position of the first member of the actuator with respect to the second member.