Patent ID: 6154025
Filing Date: 2000-11-28
Classification: B82Y,G01D,G01R

Abstract:
A device for contactless sensing of a position of an object with respect to a predetermined starting position, comprising:a magnetic field generating device having at least one magnetic pole at an imaginary reference line, the at least one magnetic pole having a magnetic field; anda sensor device including at least one current-carrying sensor having an enhanced magnetoresistive effect which is isotropic, the at least one sensor having a layer system including at least one magnetically soft measurement layer having a measurement layer magnetization capable of rotation in a plane of the measurement layer and at least one magnetically harder bias part having a substantially unchangeable bias part magnetization,wherein one of the sensor device and the magnetic field generating device is in a fixed relation to the object,wherein the magnetic field generating device is arranged with respect to the sensor device such that the at least one magnetic pole faces the measurement layer during a particular time period, a normal to the plane of the measurement layer being at an angle different from zero with respect to the imaginary reference line,wherein the magnetic field generating device is movable relative to the sensor device such that the magnetic field of the at least one magnetic pole may be detected by the measurement layer and such that at least a part of a characteristic curve of the at least one sensor is passed through for a number of times which corresponds to a number of the at least one detected magnetic pole, andwherein the at least one current-carrying sensor generates a measurement signal which is dependent only on a direction of the magnetic field.