Patent ID: 7505233

Claim:
A magnetic sensor, comprising: at least a first and a second structure of soft-magnetic material being spatially separated and defining a first gap therebetween, the at least first and second structures of soft-magnetic material being adapted to form a gap magnetic field oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to an elongation of the first gap in a vicinity of the first gap in response to application of an external magnetic field; and at least a first magnetoresistive layered structure being positioned towards the first gap and being sensitive to the gap magnetic field, wherein the first structure of soft-magnetic material comprises a third structure of soft-magnetic material in the vicinity of the first gap and wherein the second structure of soft-magnetic material comprises a fourth structure of soft-magnetic material in the vicinity of the first gap, the third and fourth structures of soft-magnetic having a lower magnetization saturation threshold than the first and second structures of soft-magnetic material.