Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
228 words
Angle transducer having at least one magnetically active element that is connected with a control and signal processing unit and a magnet co-operating therewith and relatively thereto rotatably positioned in such a way that an electrical property of that or each magnetically active element varies in dependence upon its angular position relative to the magnet, said control and signal processing unit being adapted for measuring the value of a quantity related with said property and generating a signal representative for said value and thus for said relative angular position, characterized by at least one set of two mutually parallel flat thin films of magnetically soft material that it is kept in saturation by the magnet, said films exhibiting resistance anisotropy, having each two current passing terminals positioned at the ends of a first diagonal and two voltage measuring terminals positioned at the ends of a second diagonal positioned perpendicularly relative to said first diagonal, said first and said second diagonals forming angles of 45° with each other; control means forming part of the signal processing unit for supplying electrical currents through the current passing terminals of both films; measuring means forming part of the signal processing unit for measuring the voltages over the voltage measuring terminals of both films; and signal processing means forming part of the signal processing unit for calculating said angular position from both voltages.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
228 words
Angle transducer having at least one magnetically active element that is connected with a control and signal processing unit and a magnet co-operating therewith and relatively thereto rotatably positioned in such a way that an electrical property of that or each magnetically active element varies in dependence upon its angular position relative to the magnet, said control and signal processing unit being adapted for measuring the value of a quantity related with said property and generating a signal representative for said value and thus for said relative angular position, characterized by at least one set of two mutually parallel flat thin films of magnetically soft material that it is kept in saturation by the magnet, said films exhibiting resistance anisotropy, having each two current passing terminals positioned at the ends of a first diagonal and two voltage measuring terminals positioned at the ends of a second diagonal positioned perpendicularly relative to said first diagonal, said first and said second diagonals forming angles of 45° with each other; control means forming part of the signal processing unit for supplying electrical currents through the current passing terminals of both films; measuring means forming part of the signal processing unit for measuring the voltages over the voltage measuring terminals of both films; and signal processing means forming part of the signal processing unit for calculating said angular position from both voltages.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
13 words
Angle transducer according to claim 1, characterized in that both films are disc-shaped.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
13 words
Angle transducer according to claim 1, characterized in that both films are ring-shaped.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
63 words
Angle transducer according to claim 3, characterized in that a part of the ring-shaped film extending between a current passing terminal and a voltage measuring terminal is in the form of a plurality of concentrically arranged strips, each of said strips extending over an angle of 90°, and said strips in meander-fashion electrically connected with their ends by means of radial connection strips.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
15 words
Angle transducer according to claim 4, characterized in that the connection strips are electrically short-circuited.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
16 words
Angle transducer according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterized in that both films are identical.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
16 words
Angle transducer according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterized in that both films are rotation-symmetrical.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
22 words
Angle transducer according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterized in that the amplitudes of the currents through both films are equal.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
83 words
Angle transducer according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterized by means for compensating error-angles occurring due to the magnetical anisotropy of the thin films, in which the distance of the magnet relative to the thin films, the strength of the magnet, and the shapes of the magnet and the films are chosen in such a way, that the shape of the magnetic field in the region of the thin films and said error-angle compensate for each other at least more or less.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
62 words
Angle transducer according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterized in that both thin films are in the form of one film, that the control means are adapted for successively and alternately passing currents through the one set and the other set current passing terminals respectively, and that the measuring means are adapted for successively and alternately measuring the voltages belonging thereto.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
38 words
Integrated unit, comprising at least one flat thin film made of magnetically soft material and carried by a substrate and obviously meant for application as a part of an angle transducer according to anyone of the preceding claims.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
70 words
A method of manufacturing a ring-shaped strip of magnetically soft material for an angle transducer according to claim 3, characterized in that one manufactures a ring-shaped strip of magnetically soft material and uses the shape-preference direction extending tangentially along the ring, in order to direct the intrisic or material preference during an annealing operation, i.e. a temporary temperature increase of the ring upto in the order of magnitude of 300-350°C.