Patent ID: 6984978
Filing Date: 2006-01-10
Classification: G01R

Abstract:
1. Apparatus for sensing a magnetic fields due to a current to be measured comprising: a first device comprising planar magnetic field sensing means having at least a first magnetic field sensing element, a second magnetic field sensing element, and an output terminating region; a second device comprising planar magnetic field sensing means having at least a first magnetic field sensing element, a second magnetic field sensing element, and an output terminating region; means for supporting said first device on a side of a conductor carrying a current to be measured and for supporting said second device on an opposite side of said conductor, with said first device and said second device lying in a common plane perpendicular to said conductor; bias current means for providing a bias field for setting a direction of magnetization in said first magnetic field sensing elements and in said second magnetic field sensing elements in a first direction with said bias field being sufficient to initially align magnetization in said first magnetic field sensing elements and said second magnetic field sensing elements; and, means for determining a combination of an output of said first device and an output of said second device with said combination representing said current to be measured and said device having a level of sensitivity related to a level of said bias current.