Patent ID: 6307365
Filing Date: 2001-10-23
Classification: G01D,G01P

Abstract:
A method for determining position and/or direction of a target, the target having a series of magnetic poles with a magnetic pole spacing d, the method comprising:providing an array of an even number N of magnetic sensors with a sensor spacing x, the sensor array having an initial effective sensor array length (N+1)x, where the initial effective sensor array length is greater than the pole spacing d;deactivating an equal number of magnetic sensors such that the magnetic sensors of the array remaining active are adjacent to each other and provide a new effective sensor array length that is closer to the pole spacing d than the initial effective sensor array length;dividing the magnetic sensors of the array remaining active into two equal groups A and B of at least one adjacent magnetic sensor for signal processing;summing the signals from group A and summing the signals from group B;adding the summation of signals from group B to the summation of signals from group A to obtain a sine wave; andsubtracting the summation of signals from group B from the summation of signals from group A to obtain a cosine wave.