Honeywell International Inc.

Diehl Ako Stiftung & Co. Kg

Anthony M Dmytriw

Lamar Floyd Ricks

Michael J Latoria

Jamie Wandler Speldrich

Richard William Gehman

Kent E Van Ostrand

Gilberto Morales

Scott Edward Beck

Robert J Alvord

Wayne T Kilian

Curtis B Johnson

Craig Scott Becke

Paul Prehn Bey

Bruno Fuhge

Joachim Lyszus

Ralph Stohr

Christopher M Blumhoff

Sam Toktaeng

A virtual touch knob assembly is provided that translates sensed movement of a user's fingers around a knob into control signals for operation of an appliance. A knob is provided on a user control panel of an appliance. The knob is fixed, i.e., does not turn or rotate. A system is provided that can sense the user's fingers moving around the fixed knob and translate the sensed input to control signals for setting the operation of the appliance or device.

Virtual touch knob assembly

A sensor includes one or more sensor transducers coupled with a signal conditioning IC incorporating signal conditioning circuitry and memory devoted to storing end-user downloadable coefficients. In a preferred embodiment, the IC is an ASIC and the end-user downloadable coefficients are pre-selected by the end-user based on its needs, and the coefficients are pre-stored in the ASIC when the sensor is calibrated. This results in a more cost-effective and space-efficient sensor device with improved functionality over that available in the prior art.

Flow sensor with conditioning-coefficient memory

An AMR array magnetic position sensing method and system for improving sensor-to-magnet carrier misposition. A magnetic carrier can be provided, which maintains two or more magnets with angled magnetic vectors position above an array of AMR array sensors. The magnet carrier can then be passed over the AMR array sensors to generate an output signal having less susceptibility to variations in air gap because the angles of flux lines generated by the magnets do not change much with air gap variation. The AMR array sensors are generally sensitive to variation in a direction being sensed, because a constant magnetic field angle sensed by AMR runners located on the AMR array sensors do not change with respect to variation in other directions.

Magnetoresistive array design for improved sensor-to-magnet carrier tolerances

A magnetoresistive sensor system includes a plurality of chip carriers, such that each integrated circuit among the plurality of chip carriers is associated with a respective magnetoresistive sensing components. A plurality of magnetoresistive sensing components can be arranged in a rotary array, wherein each magnetoresistive component among the plurality of magnetoresistive components is associated with a respective integrated circuit among the plurality of chip carriers and wherein the plurality of magnetoresistive sensing components comprises sensing components that are spaced irregular from one another in order to optimize the performance of the rotary array and meet requirements of a particular magnetoresistive sensing application.

Position detection utilizing a rotary array of magnetic sensors with irregular spacing between sensing elements

A signal conditioning integrated circuit includes both signal conditioning circuitry and memory devoted to storing end-user downloadable coefficients. In a preferred embodiment, the integrated circuit is an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), and the end-user downloadable coefficients, based upon a mathematical equation pre-selected by the end-user, are pre-stored in the ASIC when a sensor device with which the ASIC is associated is calibrated. This results in a customized and more cost-effective and space-efficient signal-conditioning apparatus with improved functionality over that available in the prior art.

Signal conditioning IC with conditioning-coefficient memory

An AMR array magnetic position sensing system for improved sensor flexibility and improved air gap performance is disclosed. A pair of magnets can be enclosed in a magnet carrier that moves along a path and located above an array of AMR position sensors. The magnets are generally magnetized through the length of the magnets, and the magnets are positioned in the carrier such that an angle between the magnets exists in a manner similar to an angle made by AMR runners on a surface of the AMR positions sensors to create magnetic flux lines thereof. The AMR position sensors come into contact with the uniform magnetic flux lines to sense a change in linear and angular position associated with the magnet carrier. The output signal generated by the AMR position sensors have less susceptibility to variations in air gap as the angles of the magnetic flux lines generated by the magnets do note change with respect to air gap variation.

AMR array magnetic design for improved sensor flexibility and improved air gap performance

A magnetoresistive sensor system includes a plurality of chip carriers, such that each integrated circuit among the plurality of chip carriers is associated with a respective magnetoresistive sensing components. A plurality of magnetoresistive sensing components can be arranged in an array, wherein each magnetoresistive component among the plurality of magnetoresistive components is associated with a respective integrated circuit among the plurality of chip carriers and wherein the plurality of magnetoresistive sensing components comprises sensing components that are spaced irregular from one another in order to optimize the performance of the array and meet requirements of a particular magnetoresistive sensing application.

Position detection utilizing an array of magnetic sensors with irregular spacing between sensing elements

A sensor apparatus includes a heating element comprising an upstream side and a downstream side. A first heat sensing set is generally configured adjacent to the upstream side of the heating element and comprises a first sensing element and a second sensing element, the first and second sensing elements configured in a serpentine, interdigitated pattern. A second heat sensing set can be configured adjacent to the downstream side of the heating element and comprises a third sensing element and a fourth sensing element, the third and fourth sensing elements configured in a serpentine, interdigitated pattern.

Interdigitated, full wheatstone bridge flow sensor transducer

A method and system for providing a linear signal from a flow transducer. A non-linear raw signal can be obtained from a mass flow transducer. An approximated error comprising a discrete sinusoidal function incremented by a variable and selectable omega value can then be subtracted from the non-linear raw signal, in order to provide a subtracted result and reduce an error range thereof. The linear signal can then be obtained from the subtracted result in order to linearize a raw output from the flow transducer. A user is thus permitted to tune a frequency increment associated with the variable and selectable omega value in order to reduce the error range thereof. Linearized airflow and liquid flow sensor outputs can thus be generated by allowing a user the freedom to tune the frequency increment depending upon the user's flow range for reducing errors.

Method and system for providing a linear signal from a mass airflow and/or liquid flow transducer

A method and system for providing a linear signal from mass flow transducer approximates the error from the original raw signal using discrete sine functions and subtracts the approximated error from the original raw signal. The method and system can be implemented using an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) mated with a raw mass flow transducer. The method and system for linearizing the signal can be contained in the ASIC, and allows for improved accuracy in the linear signal with few coefficients and mathematical steps.

Method and system for providing a linear signal from a mass flow transducer

A modular sensor system includes a plurality of varying types of sensors that provide multiple sensing measurands for sensing operations. A housing is generally associated with the varying types of sensors, such that the housing introduces media to be sensed by the sensors. An electrical interface can also be connected to the sensors, wherein the electrical interface permits a logical physical connection to be made to a selected sensor in order to maximize sensing sensitivity and provide a sensing repeatability and accurate sensor compensation thereof for the sensing operations.

Combi-sensor for measuring multiple measurands in a common package

Methods and systems are disclosed in which the errors caused by thermal expansion in magnetoresistive position transducers are reduced by predicting the physical alterations over temperature between centerline-to-centerline distances of particular magnetoresistive sensors or components within a magnetoresistive array and also between such an array and a magnet being sensed caused by thermal expansion.

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Freeport, IL, United States of America

Anthony M Dmytriw