Patent ID: 7116100

Claim:
A position sensing system for a drive train having a plurality of moveable drive elements, said system comprising: a plurality of magnets, wherein each of said plurality of magnets is affixed to a corresponding one of said plurality of moveable drive element of said drive train; a plurality of magnetic sensors, wherein each of said plurality of magnetic sensors is configured and operable to detect a change in magnetic flux density produced by motion of a magnetic field produced by a corresponding one of said plurality of magnets and each of said magnetic sensors is operable to produce an output signal corresponding to said change in magnetic flux density due to the motion of each corresponding moveable drive element; and control means connected to said plurality of magnetic sensors, said control means being operable to determine a position of one or more of the plurality of moveable drive elements as a function of said plurality of output signals, and wherein each of said plurality of output signals is a component of a combined signal.