Patent ID: 9000756
Filing Date: 2015-04-07
Classification: B62D,G01D

Abstract:
1. A rotational position sensor comprising: a transmitting coil assembly configured to generate a magnetic field based on an excitation signal having a first phase value, wherein the magnetic field is a sinusoidally time-varying dipole near-field; a receiving coil assembly configured to detect the magnetic field generated by the transmitting coil assembly and to generate a reception signal having a second phase value varying from the first phase value according to rotation of one or the other or both of the transmitting and receiving coil assemblies relative to the other of the receiving and transmitting coil assemblies, respectively; wherein at least one of the transmitting and receiving coil assemblies includes two or more transmitting or receiving coils, respectively: a phase detector coupled with the transmitting and receiving coil assemblies and configured to measure a difference between the first and second phase values, and determine one or more of the rotational position of the transmitting coil assembly relative to the receiving coil assembly or the rotational position of the receiving coil assembly relative to the transmitting coil assembly based on the difference in phase value.