A method of recognizing consecutive objects on a conveying path in a detection zone arranged on the conveying path comprises the following steps: generating an electromagnetic radio frequency field radiating into the detection zone by way of a radio frequency sensor; measuring a time curve of a dielectric conductivity in the detection zone by using of the radio frequency field of the radio frequency sensor; and determining contour information of the consecutive objects from the time curve of the dielectric conductivity.

A magnetic sensor arrangement for determining information indicative of characteristics of a mechanical component has a first magnetic sensor to sense a signal associated with a periodic changing magnetic field generated by relative movement of the mechanical component and the magnetic sensor arrangement, a second magnetic sensor to sense that signal, wherein the first sensor is arranged a fixed distance from the second sensor, and a determination unit coupled to the first and second sensors to receive output signals of the first and second sensors. The output signal of the first sensor is phase-shifted to the output signal of the second sensor, to compare the output signals for determining the absolute phase of the signal associated with the periodic changing magnetic field, and to determine information indicative of characteristics of the mechanical component based on the determined absolute phase of the signal associated with the periodic changing magnetic field.

Disclosed is method for measuring influence of or propagation time of inductive fields including producing and detecting a first inductive temporal field change and a first change value, producing and detecting a further inductive temporal field change and further field change, at least one of the changes being influenced by an object, comparing the first and further change values to produce a comparison value used to produce amplitude values such that amplitude of the first or further change value are substantially of the same magnitude, detecting a clock pulse alternation signal corresponding to the field change, determining a difference value by a comparison of the clock pulse alternation signals, changing the difference value to change phase delay of the first or further field change until the difference value is zero, using the phase delay to determine influence/propagation time of the inductive change.

An assembly has a base structure, a rotatable structure, a first magnet coupled to the base structure, a second magnet coupled to the rotatable structure, and a magnetic field sensor. The magnetic field sensor can identify at least one condition (i.e., position) of the assembly.

A distance measuring system includes: a reference member configured to be provided on a surface of a first pipe made of metal, the reference member serving as a reference for distance measurement; an attachment member provided on a surface of a second pipe, made of metal, connected with the first pipe through a weld; a distance sensor configured to be attached to the attachment member, to measure a distance to the reference member; and a measuring unit configured to measure the distance based on an output from the distance sensor.

In a position measuring device (5) and a method for ascertaining positions of an object (3) to be measured, at least one capacitive position measuring sensor (7) provides a position measurement signal (P.sub.M) relating to the object (3) to be measured and at least one capacitive reference measurement sensor (14) provides a reference measurement signal (R.sub.M). The measuring sensors (7, 14) are connected to a computing unit (8) which is embodied to calculate a position signal (P) to ascertain the positions from the position measurement signal (P.sub.M) and the reference measurement signal (R.sub.M). As a result of interfering influences being contained substantially equally in the position measurement signal (P.sub.M) and the reference measurement signal (R.sub.M) as an interference signal (S), it is possible to determine and eliminate the interference signal (S) during the calculation.

Disclosed is an alternating electric field based plane 2D time-grating displacement sensor which includes two parts: the base of fixed ruler and the base of moving ruler, and the two parts are installed in parallel. The base of fixed ruler is arranged with square excitation electrodes that are respectively staggered coded along axis X and Y, and the base of moving ruler is arranged with induction electrodes arranged adjacently along X-axis and Y-axis, and the four induction groups respectively output four traveling wave signals through electric field coupling, and summation of adjacent output signals with an adder can simultaneously decouple two traveling wave signals with opposite phases and only containing X-axis displacement and two traveling wave signals with opposite phases and only containing Y-axis displacement; two traveling wave signals in either direction are differenced by a subtractor to eliminate common mode interference.

A system is configured to model a magnetic field by measuring a first value for characteristics of a magnetic field at a first position in the magnetic field. The system measures a second value characteristics of the magnetic field at a second position in the magnetic field. The system determines a distance between the first position and the second position. The system estimates a distortion component of the magnetic field at approximately the second position in the magnetic field based on each of the distance, the first value for each of the one or more characteristics, and the second value for each of the one or more characteristics. The system outputs a model of at least a region of the magnetic field.

A thin proximity sensing device includes a transparent plate and a light sensor. The transparent plate includes a first surface and a second surface. The first surface is provided with a light source and a light entering area. The light source is arranged on the first surface. The second surface is provided with a reflector. The light sensor includes a light receiving area. The light sensor is arranged on the transparent plate. The reflector is capable of correspondingly reflecting specific incident light. The specific incident light refers to light that enters the transparent plate through the light entering area on the first surface after the light emitted by the light source is reflected externally, and is incident to the reflector. After reflected by the reflector, the specific incident light is reflected one or more times within the thickness of the transparent plate and is transmitted to the light sensor.

Magnetic sensing technology can be used to detect changes, or disturbances (e.g., changes in magnetic field strength), in magnetic fields and can be used to measure the precise location/positioning of an electronic device in proximity to a magnetic source. In order to avoid interference by earth's static magnetic field, a modulated magnetic field can be used for magnetic based proximity sensing. Received modulated magnetic field signals can be demodulated to determine a received magnetic field strength. A drive current of a magnetic transmitter coil can be varied to maintain the detected magnetic field strength at a target value or within a desirable range. The drive current can also be varied to remain below a burnout current level that can cause damage to the transmitter coil.