Nxp B.v.

Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Asml Netherlands B.v.

Teunis Jan Ikkink

Hans Marc Bert Boeve

Haris Duric

Hans M B Boeve

Hans Boeve

Victor Van Acht

Nicolaas Lambert

Pierre Hermanus Woerlee

Bin Yin

Maarten Jozef Jansen

Mohammed Meftah

Jasper Klewer

Albert W Marsman

Johannes P M Van Lammeren

Nicolaas J A Van Veen

Haris Durc

Gerjan Van De Walle

Hans Marc Boeve

A position measurement system configured to measure a position of an object. The system includes an optical system to obtain a first measurement wave and a second measurement wave from a radiation source, and to allow the first and second measurement wave to at least partially interfere with each other after interaction of at least one of the first and second measurement wave with the object to form a first detection beam. The system further includes a first detector to receive the first detection beam. The system also has a processing unit configured to receive an output from the first detector and to determine a signal representative for the position of the object from the output, wherein the optical system includes a phase modulator configured to modulate a phase difference between the first measurement wave and the second measurement wave.

Position measurement system, calibration method, lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method

A respiratory monitor comprises: a first sensor () configured to generate a respiration-related motion monitoring signal () indicative of respiration related motion; a second sensor () configured to generate a sound monitoring signal () indicative of respiration-related sound; and a signals synthesizer () configured to synthesize a respiratory monitor signal () based on the respiration-related motion monitoring signal and the respiration-related sound monitoring signal. A sensor for use in respiratory monitoring comprises an accelerometer () and a magnetometer () together defining a unitary sensor () configured for attachment to a respiring subject () so as to move as a unit responsive to respiration related motion of the respiring subject.

Respiratory monitors and monitoring methods

The dental position tracking system includes a toothbrush () which has a system () for determining the orientation of the toothbrush in the mouth of a user relative to the earth, based on measured stored information. Information is stored in the toothbrush concerning target ranges of expected measured toothbrush orientations for each of a plurality of dental zones (). A processor () compares the measured toothbrush orientation information with the target orientation ranges, following conversion of both the target orientation information and the measured toothbrush orientation information to the same coordinate system. The processor then determines which if any of the target ranges matches, within a selected tolerance thereof, with the toothbrush orientation information. Any difference between the target range and the measured toothbrush orientation information is then used to partially adjust the target information range, in order to compensate for a change of position of the user's head.

Dental position tracking system for a toothbrush

Sensors () for sensing accelerations are provided with accelerometers () for measuring accelerations, with magnetometers () for measuring magnetic fields, and with processors () for, in response to acceleration measurements and magnetic field measurements, judging the accelerations. The processors () may comprise acceleration units () for comparing acceleration signals with acceleration thresholds, and magnetic field units () for comparing changes of magnetic field signals per time interval with rate thresholds. The processors () may further comprise decision units () for, in response to comparison results from the acceleration units () and the magnetic field units (), deciding whether a total acceleration forms part of a tumbling free-fall or a non-tumbling free-fall or not. The processors () may yet further comprise distinguishing units () and control units (). Devices () may comprise sensors ().

Sensor for sensing accelerations

The invention relates to a system and a method in which an electrophysiological signal is sensed capacitively with at least two closely spaced electrodes such that the electrodes experience strongly correlated skin-electrode distance variations. To be able to derive a motion artifact signal, the capacitive coupling between the electrodes and skin is made intentionally different. With a signal processing means the motion artifact signal can be removed from the measured signal to leave only the desired electrophysiological signal. Since the measured quantity is dependant on the electrode-skin distance itself, the system and method do not need to rely on the constancy of a transfer function. Hereby, they give reliable motion artifact free output signals.

Compensation of motion artifacts in capacitive measurement of electrophysiological signals

An electronic device has an orientation sensing system for determining an orientation of the device. The system includes a magnetometer and an accelerometer. The system further has a calibration device configured to calibrate the sensing system for operational use. The accelerometer supplies measurements used to constrain a range of possible directions of the external magnetic field to be determined. The calibration device numerically solves a set of equations and is equally usable for a 2D or 3D magnetometer in combination with a 2D or 3D accelerometer.

Auto-calibration of orientation sensing systems

Compensation coil functionality and flip coil functionality are combined into a single combination coil that is placed under an angle &#x3b1; with respect to the length direction of a magneto-resistive sensor element. The angle &#x3b1; substantially deviates from 0&#xb0; and 90&#xb0;. This configuration enables to reduce the width of the current line of the planar combination coil, to reduce the effective threshold for sensor element switching, and to include features to simplify a 2D sensor design.

MR magnetometer with combined flip coil and compensation coil

Magnetic field sensors () comprising field detectors () for detecting magnetic fields are provided with environment detectors () for detecting environments and with processors () for, in response to detected environments, performing processes such as loading calibration parameter sets and (re)calibrations for the field detectors (), to allow the magnetic field sensors () to be used in different subsequent environments. The environment detectors () may comprise code detectors for detecting codes indicative for environments and may comprise user interfaces () for, in response to detected environments and via user interactions, selecting processes to be performed by the processors (). Devices () comprise magnetic field sensors (). Apparatuses () such as cradles removably fix the devices () and may comprise code generators () for generating the codes indicative for the environments.

Magnetic field sensor

Systems comprising generating devices comprising sensors for generating sensor signals representing orientations of the generating devices are provided with comparing devices comprising comparators for comparing the sensor signals with reference signals for interpreting the orientations, to increase the number of possible applications. The generating devices and the comparing devices may form parts of one apparatus or of different apparatuses and then communicate wiredly or wirelessly via radio or infrared. Reference sensors for generating the reference signals and/or reference memories for storing the reference signals may be located in the comparing devices and/or in sources and then communicate wiredly or wirelessly via radio or infrared. Further comparators in the comparing devices may introduce adjustable sensitivities.

System comprising a generating device and a comparing device

A device comprises a first part () which has user input means () and comprising a three-degrees-of-freedom orientation sensing system () for determining a three-degrees-of-freedom orientation () of the first part () with respect to a reference coordinate frame (XYZ) defined by the earths gravity field (Fg) and magnetic field (Fm). A second part () comprises a display () for displaying orientation information (OI) on a three-degrees-of-freedom orientation () of the second part (), and sensing means () for sensing an one-degree-of-freedom or a two-degrees-of-freedom orientation of the second part (). Further, are provided means () for calculating the three-degrees-of-freedom orientation () of the second part () from the three-degrees-of-freedom orientation () of the first part () and the one-degree-of-freedom or the two-degrees-of-freedom orientation of the second part (), and means () for generating the orientation information () in response to the calculated three-degrees-of-freedom orientation () of the second part () to obtain correct display of the orientation information () independent on an orientation of the second part () with respect to the first part ().

Orientation sensing in a multi part device

An electronic compass has a 2D magnetometer for determining two of the three components of the earth-magnetic field vector. Values for the magnitude and inclination of the field at the location of the device are given. If at least one of the body axes of the device is held horizontally in operational use, an educated guess can be made about the actual orientation of the device (e.g., heading and tilt angles) with respect to the earth. Accordingly, this compass is a very-low cost device.

Low cost electronic compass with 2D magnetometer

Devices comprising sensor arrangements for providing first field information defining at least parts of first fields and for providing second field information defining at least parts of second fields are provided with updaters for updating parameters of the first and/or second fields via criterion-dependent iterations, to become more reliable and user friendly. The fields may be earth gravitational fields and/or earth magnetic fields and/or further fields. The parameters comprise magnitudes of the fields and dot products of the fields. The criterion-dependent iterations comprise magnitude functions and dot product functions. The magnitude functions define new magnitudes being functions of old magnitudes and of updated magnitudes and the dot product functions define new dot products being functions of old dot products and of updated dot products. The criterion-dependent iterations further comprise one dimensional criteria and/or rectangular, hyperbolic and/or topped-off hyperbolic two dimensional criteria all defining threshold values.

Device comprising a sensor arrangement and an updater

A magnetic field sensor circuit comprises a first magneto-resistive sensor (Rx) which senses a first magnetic field component in a first direction to supply a first sense signal (Vx). A first flipping coil (FC) applies a first flipping magnetic field with a periodically changing polarity to the first magneto-resistive sensor (Rx) to cause the first sense signal (Vx) to have alternating different levels synchronized with the first flipping magnetic field. A second magneto -resistive sensor (Ry) senses a second magnetic field component in a second direction different than the first direction to supply a second sense signal (Vy). A second flipping coil (FC) applies a second flipping magnetic field with a periodically changing polarity to the second magneto -resistive sensor (Ry) to cause the second sense signal (Vy) to have an alternating different levels synchronized with the second flipping magnetic field. The first flipping magnetic field and the second flipping magnetic field have a phase shift. A differential amplifier (AMP) receives the first sense signal (Vx) and the second sense signal (Vy) to obtain a difference signal (Vd). A first synchronous demodulator (DEM) receives the difference signal (Vd) and a first switching signal (Q) being phase locked to the alternating different levels of the first sense signal (Vx) to supply a first output signal (Vox) indicating the first magnetic field component. A second synchronous demodulator (DEM) receives the difference signal (Vd) and a second switching signal (Q) being phase locked to the alternating different levels of the second sense signal (Vy) to supply a second output signal (Voy) indicating the second magnetic field component.

Magnetic field sensor circuit

A device () comprising a sensor module () with a package () is produced at reduced costs by providing the package () with two or more substrates () each with a functional layer (), at least one sensor () such as a magnetometer and/or an accelerometer being located in at least one functional layer (), and by providing the package () with a system comprising solder bumps (-) for aligning the functional layers (). The system either comprises a first number of solder bumps () for coupling the functional layers () electrically and mechanically to each other via first bonding elements () or comprises a third substrate () with a third functional layer () and a second number of solder bumps () for coupling the first and third functional layers () electrically and mechanically to each other via second bonding elements () and a third number of solder bumps () for coupling the second and third functional layers () electrically and mechanically to each other via third bonding elements (). Mechanically and/or electrically dummy solder bumps improve the alignment of the functional layers ().

Growing community of inventors

Geldrop, Netherlands

Teunis Jan Ikkink