Patent ID: 9255818
Filing Date: 2016-02-09
CPC Classification: G01D

Claim Text:
1. A method for detecting a transition of a movable target in front of a sensor, comprising: generating by means of an excitation coil a magnetic signal directed towards said target; obtaining a first differential inductive signal with a first pair of detection coils and a second differential inductive signal with a second pair of detection coils, wherein said second pair of detection coils is phase-shifted relative to said first pair of detection coils; wherein said differential inductive signals depend on the voltages induced in said first and second detection coils; wherein said induced voltages depend on the position of said target; and wherein a stationary target is placed in a permanent manner in front of at least one of said detection coils creating an offset on said first differential inductive signal and on said second differential inductive signal, said offset being increased or decreased by the presence of the movable target; and detecting one said transition at the instant when a difference between said first differential inductive signal and said second differential inductive signal reaches at least one of zero and a predetermined threshold value, wherein the difference between said first differential inductive signal and said second differential inductive signal is obtained by means of a comparator on said semiconductor substrate; wherein said excitation coil, said first pair of detection coils, said second pair of detection coils and said comparator are made on a same semiconductor substrate, and wherein said transition is detected by said comparator at an instant when said difference reaches at least one of zero and said predetermined threshold value.