A robot cleaner of the present disclosure includes: a traveling unit configured to move a main body; a cleaning unit configured to perform a cleaning function; a collision detection unit configured to be disposed on the side of the main body and detect collision due to variable capacitance due to the collision with an external environment; and a controller configured to determine whether the collision occurs according to a detection signal from the collision detection unit and control the traveling unit. Accordingly, obstacle detection of the robot cleaner can be implemented using a low-cost collision sensor, and by providing a bumper structure to the collision detection unit of the robot cleaner, it is possible to minimize the impact of the collision on the inside of the main body.

An encoder wheel assembly comprising: a first encoder wheel rotationally fixed to a rotor and having a number n of teeth arranged along the circumference of the encoder wheel; a second encoder wheel rotationally fixed to the first encoder wheel, and having the same number n of teeth as the first encoder wheel along the circumference of the encoder wheel, wherein the teeth of the second encoder wheel have an asymmetrical angular offset relative to the teeth of the first encoder wheel; a first sensor designed to scan the first encoder wheel; a second sensor designed to scan the second encoder wheel; and a controller connected to the first sensor and the second sensor and designed to ascertain the absolute angular position and the rotational direction based on a binary signal derived from a first signal of the first sensor and a second signal of the second sensor.

A position sensor for determining the position of a conductive target, includes: a transmit coil; a first, second and third receive coil wherein each receive coil comprises a first (A) and second (B) conductive strand obtained from a substantially sinusoidal primitive function, wherein the primitive function of the second strand is the primitive function of the first strand shifted over 180°, and the primitive function of the second receive coil is the primitive function of the first receive coil shifted over 60°, and wherein the primitive function of the third receive coil is the primitive function of the first receive coil shifted over 120°; an integrated circuit configured for exciting the transmit coil, and for reading the signals from the receive coils or a combination of the signals, and for processing these signals and removing a common mode signal.

An inductive position-measuring device includes a scanning element and a graduation element, rotatable about an axis relative to the scanning element. The scanning element has exciter lead(s), a first receiver track, including receiver line(s), extending according to a first periodic pattern having a first period along a first direction, and a second receiver track, including receiver line(s). The graduation element includes a graduation track, extending in the circumferential direction and including a graduation period. An electromagnetic field generated by the exciter lead(s) with the aid of the graduation track is able to be modulated, so that an angular position is detectable with the aid of the receiver line of the first receiver track, and a position of the graduation element in the first direction relative to the scanning element is detectable with the aid of the receiver line of the second receiver track.

A sensor wheel for detecting the rotational position of a camshaft, elevations and depressions being developed along the circumference of the sensor wheel, which respectively form a segment, which may be detected by a sensor sensitive to magnetic fields when the sensor wheel is in motion, the sensor wheel comprising a long elevation, a medium length elevation and a short elevation as well as a long depression, a medium length depression and a short depression, the long elevation being as long as the long depression, the medium length elevation being as long as the medium length depression, the short elevation being as long as the short depression. The ratio of the length of the long elevation to the length of the medium length elevation is the same as the ratio of the length of the medium length elevation to the length of the short elevation.

A rotational manipulation detector includes: a magnetic material in the shape of a ring and including, disposed alternately in the circumferential direction of the magnetic material, first magnetic portions each having a first cross-sectional area in the circumferential direction and second magnetic portions each having, in the circumferential direction, a second cross-sectional area different from the first cross-sectional area; a first magnet disposed opposite to the magnetic material; and a first Hall element and a second Hall element which are disposed opposite to the magnetic material and detect a change in a magnetic field which occurs when the magnetic material is rotated. The first magnet, the first Hall element, and the second Hall element are disposed side by side along the circumferential direction of the magnetic material.

A sensor wheel for detecting the rotational position of a camshaft, elevations and depressions being developed along the circumference of the sensor wheel, which respectively form a segment, which may be detected by a sensor sensitive to magnetic fields when the sensor wheel is in motion, the sensor wheel comprising a long elevation, a medium length elevation and a short elevation as well as a long depression, a medium length depression and a short depression, the long elevation being as long as the long depression, the medium length elevation being as long as the medium length depression, the short elevation being as long as the short depression. The ratio of the length of the long elevation to the length of the medium length elevation is the same as the ratio of the length of the medium length elevation to the length of the short elevation.

A monitoring system for monitoring the axial position of a rotating shaft is provided. The system includes first and second, axially adjacent phonic wheels which are mounted coaxially to the shaft for rotation therewith. The first and second phonic wheels respectively have first and second circumferential rows of detectable features. The system further includes a sensor configured to detect the passage of the first row of detectable features by generating a first alternating measurement signal component, and to detect the passage of the second row of detectable features by generating a second alternating measurement signal component. The first and second rows of detectable features are configured such that the first and second alternating measurement signal components have distinguishably different frequencies and/or such that the first alternating measurement signal component generated by the sensor when the sensor is axially aligned with the first row has a distinguishably different amplitude to the second alternating measurement signal component generated by the sensor when the sensor is axially aligned with the second row. The sensor is positioned relative to the first and second phonic wheels such that axial displacement of the shaft causes the signal generated by sensor to contain less of the first alternating measurement signal component and more of the second alternating measurement signal component whereby the axial position of the shaft can be monitored.

A sensor system for determining at least one rotational characteristic of an element rotating about at least one axis of rotation; the sensor system including at least one signal-generating wheel connectable to the rotating element. The signal-generating wheel has a signal-generating wheel profile. The sensor system further includes at least one inductive position sensor; the inductive position sensor having at least one coil set-up that includes at least one operating coil and at least one receiving coil. In addition, the sensor system includes at least one phase detector; the phase detector including at least one magnetic field generator and at least one magnetic sensor element.

An apparatus for sensing a rotating body includes a unit to be detected, including a first pattern portion having at least one first pattern and a second pattern portion having at least one second pattern, and configured to rotate around a rotating shaft, a sensor module comprising a first sensor disposed opposite to the first pattern portion and a second sensor disposed opposite to the second pattern portion, and a rotation information calculator configured to calculate a difference value by differentiating output signals of the first sensor and the second sensor, and to compare comparison values, determined according to a target sensing angle and a size of the first pattern and the second pattern, with the difference value.