Honeywell International Inc.

Honeywell G.m.b.h.

Perry A Holman

Jason Chilcote

Aravind Padmanabhan

Jeffrey Scott Hall

Robert E Bicking

Greg R Furlong

Lyle D Johnsen

Larry A Rehn

Ronika A Bennet

Matthew D Kirkwood

Ed L Stern

Jason M Chilcote

A sensing device exhibits a tunneling magneto-resistive (TMR) effect, and changes electrical resistance in response to a magnetic field. A first current carrying conductor is positioned in proximity to the TMR sensing device, such that upon an application of a sufficient current, a magnetic field is generated. The magnetic field is sufficiently strong and properly oriented so as to cause a magnetization of a soft magnetic layer of the TMR sensing device, thereby causing a change of the TMR sensing device from one bi-stable state to another bi-stable state.

Tunneling magneto-resistive device with set/reset and offset straps

Methods and systems for improving permalloy sensitivity. One or more permalloy sensing components can be configured upon a substrate, and one or more conductors are located above a portion of the permalloy sensing component of interest. A current can then be initiated through the conductor. The substrate can then be heated such that the current creates a magnetic field that modifies the anisotropy of the portion of the permalloy sensing component of interest, thereby providing selective anisotropy and improving permalloy sensitivity thereof.

Selective permalloy anisotropy

A magnetic sensing method and apparatus include a plurality of bridge circuits, wherein each bridge circuit or element within a bridge is formed on a separate permalloy layer comprising a plurality of permalloy bridge runners. The permalloy bridge runners can be selected such that each permalloy bridge runner possesses a selectable wafer anisotropy to a length of the permalloy bridge runner in order to form a magnetic sensor based on the bridge circuits, maximize the magnetic sensitivity of the magnetic sensor, maximize the matching between bridges and independently control the wafer anisotropy through the use of multiple bridge circuits configured on separate permalloy layers.

Permalloy bridge with selectable wafer-anistropy using multiple layers

A permalloy sensor having high sensitivity is presented A substrate and a sensor has a first surface having a wafer level anisotropy in a given direction. A permalloy resistor pattern of individual runners is deposited on the surface such that the mechanical length of each of said individual runners is perpendicular to the wafer level anisotropy to cause the sensor to have an anisotropy of about 90&#xb0;. The permalloy is deposited as a thin film and a silicon wafer is the preferred substrate.

Permalloy sensor having individual permalloy resist pattern runners with lengths perpendicular to a wafer level anisotropy

A power supply rejection circuit and method thereof for capacitively-stored reference voltages is disclosed. The power supply rejection circuit generally comprises a comparison circuit for comparing a signal associated with a power supply such as, for example, a Wheatstone bridge configuration, to a stored reference voltage, such that the comparison circuit includes at least one existing capacitor therein. At least one additional capacitor can be then coupled to the comparison circuit, such that the additional capacitor creates a capacitively-coupled voltage divider. This capacitively-coupled voltage divider negates the first order effects of power supply noise in the system. This effect significantly reduces the effect of power supply noise and improves signal jitter associated with the comparison circuit during a comparison of the signal to the stored reference voltage utilizing the comparison circuit.

Power supply rejection circuit for capacitively-stored reference voltages

An interleaved parallel MR bridge array is optimized for sensing fine pitch ring magnets and can be utilized to reduce ring magnet target size for wheel speed sensing applications.

Magnetoresistive bridge array

A switch is provided with the ability to diagnose its own operation and provide signals that represent the actuation of the switch and various diagnostic outputs that indicate fault conditions or potential fault conditions with regard to either the switch or related machinery. A magnetically sensitive component, such as a Hall element, is used to provide an analog output signal that is representative of the position of an actuator to which a magnet structure is rigidly attached. As the actuator moves in response to an external force, the magnet structure moves with respect to a stationary magnetically sensitive component. The analog output from the magnetically sensitive component can be used to determine the position of the switch. Based on this information, a microprocessor provides a binary output signal indicating whether the switch is actuated or deactuated. In addition, the movement of the actuator can be compared to various thresholds to determine the operate point, the overtravel point, the total travel and the velocity of the switch plunger.

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Richardson, TX, United States of America

Perry A Holman