Hughes Electronics Corporation

Other

Magnavox Electronic Systems Company

Donald J Scheiber

Roderick G Bergstedt

Thomas G Klapheke

Russell C Smith

Shaft rotation sensor, including: two directional magnetic sensors disposed with respect rotating magnetic source, to sense magnetic field vector component generated by magnetic source; the magnetic sensors being disposed to provide output signals, having a sineosine relationship, representing magnitude of magnetic field vector component. In another aspect of the invention, a shaft rotation sensor, including: first and second directional magnetic sensors disposed with respect to rotating magnetic source, such that first sensor senses, and provides first output representing, magnitude of first magnetic field component and second sensor senses, and provides second output representing, magnitude of second magnetic field component orthogonal to first magnetic field component; and first and second outputs being electrically connected in series to provide first output channel. First sensor also senses, and provides third output representing, magnitude of second magnetic field component, and second sensor also senses, and provides fourth output representing, magnitude of first magnetic field component; and third and fourth outputs being electrically connected in series to provide second output channel having output orthogonal to output of first output channel. In this latter aspect, the sensor provides rotation sensor which is immune to uniform external magnet field.

Shaft rotation sensor with magnetic sensors angularly spaced apart with

A method of determining the angular position, rotational speed, and/or acceleration of a rotatable member, including: providing on the rotatable member an annular magnetic source generating tangential, radial, and axial magnetic flux field components; detecting, with a directional magnetometer having a toroidal core and two secondary output windings thereon, at a location radially spaced from the magnetic source, in proximity to the magnetic source, the amplitude(s) and/or change of amplitude(s) of one or more of the magnetic flux field components, and providing outputs indicative thereof; modifying the outputs, to equalize measured peak amplitudes of the magnetic flux field components and/or to compensate for environmental distortion thereof, by one or more methods selected from the group consisting of: (1) orienting the toroidal core such that the toroidal core lies in a plane at an angle between the plane of the annular magnetic source and a plane perpendicular to the plane of the annular magnetic source, (2) providing the secondary output windings with unequal numbers of turns, and (3) attentuating one of the outputs; and determining from the outputs the angular position, rotational speed, and/or acceleration of the rotatable member.

Apparatus and method for determining angular position and rotational

In a preferred embodiment, an accelerometer sensor system, including: a housing structure; a first acceleration sensor disposed in the housing structure at a first selected location along the vertical axis of the housing structure, the first acceleration sensor providing a first output; a second acceleration sensor disposed in the housing structure at a second selected location along the vertical axis, the second acceleration sensor providing a second output; and apparatus to combine the first and second outputs of the first and second acceleration sensors such as to simulate the output from a virtual acceleration sensor located at any selected location on the vertical axis, allowing one to reduce noise induced by pitch motion, at any desired frequency or across a desired frequency band.

Accelerometer sensor noise reduction method and means

In a preferred embodiment, an accelerometer sensor system, having a first axis of rotation at a first given frequency of periodic oscillation thereabout, which accelerometer sensor includes: a first acceleration sensor; a platform to which the first acceleration sensor is fixedly attached; and the first acceleration sensor being vertically displaced from the first axis of rotation by a first selected distance such that the noise received by the first acceleration sensor, due to the periodic oscillation at the first frequency, is reduced.

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Columbia City, IN, United States of America

Donald J Scheiber