The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Date of Patent:
Jun. 06, 2000

Filed:

Jan. 26, 1998
Applicant:
Inventors:

Michael Kutzner, Regensburg, DE;

Erich Hufgard, Regensburg, DE;

Assignee:
Attorneys:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G01C / ; G01R / ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
3335 / ; 33361 ; 3336 / ; 3336 / ; 324244 ; 324259 ; 324260 ;
Abstract

An electronic compass has a compass housing. An electronic magnetic field sensor is disposed in a fixed position relative to the compass housing. A magnet is rotatably mounted relative to the magnetic field sensor and independently aligned with a terrestrial magnetic field. The magnet has a magnetic field with a magnetic field direction and the electronic magnetic field sensor is located within a range of influence of the magnetic field. The electronic magnetic field sensor has a first magnetoresistor with a first fixed reference axis and an electric resistance of the first magnetoresistor is a function of a first angle of rotation between the fixed first reference axis and the direction of the magnetic field. The electronic magnetic field sensor defines a first differential bridge circuit and the first magnetoresistor is disposed in the first differential bridge circuit which during operation of the compass, supplies an output voltage dependent on the first angle of rotation. The first differential bridge circuit has a second magnetoresistor, and magnetizations of the first magnetoresistor and the second magnetoresistor are rotated relative to one another.


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