An object of the present invention is to provide a magnetic sensor less subject to an environmental magnetic field. A magnetic sensor includes magnetic detection elements MR1 to MR4 positioned on a first plane P1 and a magnetic member 30A provided on a second plane P2. The magnetic member 30A includes first and second leg parts 41 and 42 and a first main body part 51 positioned between the first and second leg parts 41 and 42 so as to form a first space 61 between itself and the second plane P2. The magnetic detection elements MR1 to MR4 are covered with the first main body part 51. According to the present invention, magnetic field to be detected is collected to the first and second leg parts 41 and 42, and the magnetic detection elements MR1 to MR4 are covered with the first main body part 51, thereby allowing an environmental magnetic field acting as noise to bypass the magnetic detection elements MR1 to MR4 through the first main body part 51. Thus, influence of the environmental magnetic field can be reduced.

A position of a target is determined using a linear inductive position sensor that includes a target coil, an excitation coil, two sensors and a Vernier processor. The sensors each include two or more receive coils. The receive coils include multiple twisted loops. In the first sensor, the coils have a first period, with loops offset by first distance. In the second sensor, the coils have a second period, with loops offset by a second distance. The target coil width is a function of the first distance and the second distance. During operation, the coils output voltages in which third, fifth and/or seventh harmonics are cancelled. Based on the voltages, the sensors output respective first and second position signals, from which the Vernier processor calculates the target’s position along an axis of the position sensor.

A calculation device includes a detection value acquisition unit configured to acquire the capacitance detection values output from first sensing electrodes and second sensing electrodes, a first capacitance value calculation unit configured to calculate, on the basis of the capacitance detection values acquired by the detection value acquisition unit and coefficients each preset for one of the first sensing electrodes and the second sensing electrodes, the first capacitance calculation values each for one of sensing surfaces of the first sensing electrodes and the second sensing electrodes, and an image data calculation unit configured to calculate the image data on the basis of the plurality of the first capacitance calculation values calculated by the first capacitance value calculation unit.

A method for adjusting a contact position of lift pins in a substrate placement mechanism is provided. The substrate placement mechanism includes a substrate placement table and a substrate lifting mechanism having lift pins and a driving mechanism, wherein the contact position of the lift pins is a height position where tip ends of the lift pins get in contact with the substrate. The method comprises creating torque waveforms, for a plurality of voltages, indicating temporal changes of a torque of the motor while moving the tip ends of the lift; obtaining from the plurality of torque waveforms a contact point when the lift pins get in contact with the substrate and calculating the contact position from the contact point and a speed of the motor; determining whether the contact position is within an appropriate range; and automatically adjusting the contact position when the contact position is not within the appropriate range.

A system for reducing stray field effects comprises a magnetic target producing a changing magnetic field; a first set of magnetic field sensing elements placed in spaced relation to the magnetic target and comprising at least a first magnetic field sensing element and a second magnetic field sensing element, each magnetic field sensing element having an axis of maximum sensitivity; a second set of magnetic field sensing elements placed in spaced relation to the magnetic target and comprising at least a third magnetic field sensing element and a fourth magnetic field sensing element, each magnetic field sensing element having an axis of maximum sensitivity; and wherein the first set of magnetic field sensing elements is positioned closer to a center point of the magnetic field than the second set of magnetic field sensing elements.

An electromagnetic induction type coordinate positioning apparatus includes a first induction coil, a second induction coil, a first amplification circuit, a second amplification circuit, and a control circuit. The first induction coil and the second induction coil respectively generate a first induction signal and a second induction signal when a pointer device comes close. The first amplification circuit and the second amplification circuit may be electrically connected to the first induction coil and the second induction coil, to receive the first induction signal and the second induction signal. The control circuit controls the first amplification circuit and the second amplification circuit to amplify the first induction signal and the second induction signal, so that a power level of the amplified first induction signal and a power level of the amplified second induction signal reach a first predefined level and a second predefined level.

A knob assembly includes a front panel, a knob located at a front side of the front panel and configured to rotate based on operation by a user, a knob shaft that is coupled to the knob and that extends through the front panel, a supporting pipe that receives the knob shaft and that supports the knob shaft, the supporting pipe being configured to maintain a position relative to the front panel, a valve configured to control supply of gas to the appliance, a valve shaft connected to the valve and configured to control the valve to adjust a flow rate of gas based on rotation of the valve shaft, and a joint that couples the knob shaft to the valve shaft and that is configured to transfer at least one of a rotational motion or a linear motion of the knob shaft to the valve shaft.

A system and method for monitoring analog front-end (AFE) circuitry of an inductive position sensor. A redundant AFE channel is provided and alternatively utilized with a sine AFE channel or a cosine AFE channel of the AFE circuitry to obtain a voltage difference that may result in a detection angle error at the electronic control unit (ECU) of the inductive position sensor.

Provided is an inductive position measuring sensor, comprising a fixed ruler (100) and a sliding ruler (200) which can move relatively along the direction of the measuring axis. A series of coupling coils (140) are made on the fixed ruler (100) in the measuring direction, two sets of driving coils (210, 220; 310, 320; 410, 420; 510, 520) are disposed on the sliding ruler, and induction coils (230, 240; 330, 340; 430, 440; 530, 540) in a staggered manner are also disposed on the sliding ruler (200). The two sets of driving coils (210, 220; 310, 320; 410, 420; 510, 520) generate excitation signals, by interaction with the coupling coils (140) on the fixed ruler, and being received by the induction coils (230, 240; 330, 340; 430, 440; 530, 540) of the sliding ruler, they are used for measuring the relative movement of the fixed ruler (100) and the sliding ruler (200). By controlling the positions and winding directions of the driving coils (210, 220; 310, 320; 410, 420; 510, 520) and the induction coils (230, 240; 330, 340; 430, 440; 530, 540), the sensor can effectively inhibit the direct space signal interference of the driving coils (210, 220; 310, 320; 410, 420; 510, 520) to the induction coils (230, 240; 330, 340; 430, 440; 530, 540), and the signal-to-noise ratio is improved.

An absolute position measurement system includes a multipole magnet including alternating magnetic poles extending along a multipole extension direction, the multipole magnet has a linear changing configuration relative to a linear path and produces a magnetic field having a field strength that undergoes a sinusoidal change along the linear path due to the alternating magnetic poles and a linear change along the linear path according to the linear changing configuration relative to the linear path; and a magnetic sensor configured to move along the linear path. The magnetic sensor includes a first sensor element arrangement configured to generate a first sensor signal, a second sensor element arrangement configured to generate a second sensor signal that is phase shifted with respect to the first sensor signal, and a processing circuit configured to calculate an absolute position of the magnetic sensor based on the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal.