Patent ID: 6476605
Filing Date: 2002-11-05
Classification: G01D,G01N

Abstract:
An inductive sensor for detecting movements and magnetic images of at least one target, comprising a primary winding (14) fed with an alternating current supplied by an excitation device (20) and a large number of secondary windings (16) subject to the magnetic field created by the primary winding (14) and providing electric signals at their output terminals representative of variations in the magnetic field due to the presence of a metallic target with discontinuities, said electric signals being applied to an amplification-demodulation circuit (30) followed by a processing circuit (34) for the demodulated signals, whereinthe secondary windings (16) are of minimum dimensions compatible with detection of the signals induced by the variations in the magnetic field, in such a manner as to be able to associate a maximum number of secondary windings with a primary winding between two discontinuities of the target, and the output terminals of the secondary windings are connected to interconnection means (28) and to the amplification-demodulation circuit which effect adaptive wiring of said output terminals in such a manner as to connect the windings among themselves for at least one of: (1) obtaining an electric signal from at least one of all of the secondary windings, a partial grouping and a grouping which is variable with time, said groupings being effected by means of said interconnection means, (2) grouping the receiving windings among themselves in accordance with a predetermined representation, said representation being related to at least one of the shape, the structure and the number of said at least one target, and (3) grouping the receiving coils among themselves in accordance with an auto-reconfiguration procedure effected in accordance with detection of at least one of movement and magnetic imaging of at least one target.