Patent ID: 7196511

Claim:
A magnetic position detecting apparatus comprising: a first magnetic resistance circuit and a second magnetic resistance circuit, each of the first and second magnetic resistance circuits having multiple magnetic resistance elements arranged to be opposite to a magnetized surface where different magnetic poles are alternatively provided, and each of the first and second magnetic resistance circuits being operable to output current according to a magnetic field strength of the magnetized surface; a power supply terminal; a first output terminal provided in the first magnetic resistance circuit; and a second output terminal provided in the second magnetic resistance circuit; wherein the first and the second magnetic resistance circuits are arranged such that the magnetic resistance elements of each of the first and the second magnetic resistance circuits are connected to one another in series and are arranged in a comblike shape so as to be parallel to one another along a current path of each of the magnetic resistance elements, wherein the magnetic resistance elements of at least one of the first magnetic resistance circuit or the second magnetic resistance circuit include a reference magnetic resistance element and correction magnetic resistance elements, wherein the correction magnetic resistance elements include an even harmonic correction magnetic resistance element that is shifted by (λ/n) from the reference magnetic resistance element, and an odd harmonic correction magnetic resistance element that is shifted by (λ/2m) from the reference magnetic resistance element, wherein λ is a width of a magnetic pole in an array direction of magnetic poles on the magnetized surface, wherein “n” is an even number except 0, and wherein “m” is an odd number except 1.