A wind direction and a wind speed are readily and accurately estimated at a desired position without using a wind direction and velocity sensor. Movement instruction means of a wind estimation system instructs an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), which includes a sensor unit that detects information about a position change, to move. Fall control means causes the UAV to free fall after the UAV is moved according to the instruction of the movement instruction means. Estimation means estimates at least one of a wind direction and a wind speed at a fall position based on the information about the position change detected by the sensor unit during a fall of the UAV.

At a time that a position detecting device is initiated, an arithmetic processing unit calculates the absolute position of a rotating shaft at the time of initiation, on the basis of first to third analog signals corresponding to first to third angles of rotation, which are detected respectively by first to third rotational angle detectors. During rotation of the rotating shaft, a current position counter detects a current absolute position of the rotating shaft by counting a number of pulses of forward rotation pulses or reverse rotation pulses, corresponding to the first angle of rotation detected by the first rotational angle detector, taking as a standard a total number of pulses corresponding to the absolute position of the rotating shaft at the time of initiation.

An apparatus and a method provide an output signal indicative of a speed of rotation and/or a direction of movement of a ferromagnetic object. The sensor includes at least one magnetic field sensing element configured to generate a magnetic field signal in response to a magnetic field associated with an object. The sensor includes a detector configured to generate a detector signal having edges occurring in response to a comparison of the magnetic field signal and the threshold signal. The sensor includes an output circuit configured to generate an output signal having a first format when a characteristic of the magnetic field signal is within a first range and having a second format different than the first format when the characteristic of the magnetic field signal is within a second range, different than the first range.

A movement sensor comprises a multi-pole ring magnet, a semiconductor substrate, a first magnetic sensor formed on the semiconductor substrate, and a second magnetic sensor formed on the semiconductor substrate. The first magnetic sensor is configured to produce a first output signal in response to movement of the multi-pole ring magnet, and a centroid of the first and second magnetic sensors are separate and radially aligned on the semiconductor substrate relative to the multi-pole ring magnet. The second magnetic sensor is arranged at a predetermined angle with respect to the first magnetic sensor and is configured to produce a second output signal in response to the movement of the multi-pole ring magnet. The predetermined angle is between 0° and 90° exclusive and is configured to produce a difference in phase between the first and second output signals in response to the movement of the multi-pole ring magnet.

A detection device, a conveyor and an associated method are provided. The detection device includes: an attaching member for fixating the detection device to the conveyor; an axle coupled to the attaching member; a roller rotatably disposed around the axle and abutting against a pedal of the conveyor and being actuated by the pedal in response to a movement of the pedal along a first direction; and a sensor for detecting an operating state of the conveyor by detecting the operating state of the roller.

In one embodiment, a system includes a vehicle, one or more probes coupled to the vehicle, and a controller. The vehicle is operable to traverse a distance. The one or more probes are operable to measure wind pressure and generate one or more wind pressure measurements. The controller is operable to receive the one or more wind pressure measurements from the one or more probes, determine a wind angle relative to the vehicle using the one or more wind pressure measurements, and determine a wind speed relative to the vehicle using the one or more wind pressure measurements and the wind angle.

Apparatuses, systems, and methods are provided for measuring the velocity and direction of a fluid flow. In some instances, a measuring system may include a housing capable of holding one or more pressure sensors in a desired location and orientation. The housing may include a cavity for each of the one or more pressure sensors and each cavity may have a connection to an opening at the outside surface of housing. Each opening may be able to face in any desired direction such that the pressure at any desired location on the outside surface of housing, which may be capable of facing in any desired direction, may extend to the cavity inside housing where it can be measured by a pressure sensor. The velocity and the direction of a fluid flow around the housing of the measurement system may be based on pressure readings generated by the pressure sensors.

A rotational sensing system is adaptable to sensing motor rotation based on eddy current sensing. An axial target surface is incorporated with the motor rotor, and includes one or more conductive target segment(s). An inductive sensor is mounted adjacent the axial target surface, and includes one or more inductive sense coil(s), such that rotor rotation rotates the target segment(s) laterally under the sense coil(s). An inductance-to-digital converter (IDC) drives sensor excitation current to project a magnetic sensing field toward the rotating axial target surface. Sensor response is characterized by successive sensor phase cycles that cycle between L.sub.MIN in which a sense coil is aligned with a target segment, and L.sub.MAX in which the sense coil is misaligned. The number of sensor phase cycles in a rotor rotation cycle corresponds to the number of target segments. The IDC converts sensor response measurements from successive sensor phase cycles into rotational data.

A wind detection apparatus detects wind vectors across a predetermined area at high resolution from a floating support. The apparatus includes a Doppler-based wind vector detection unit configured to detect wind direction, velocity, and turbulence, at selected intervals over the predetermined area. A stabilizer supports the wind vector detection unit and is configured to hold it level relative to a predetermined two-dimensional plane. A processor is provided for rendering the wind vector data into a combined representation of wind patterns across the predetermined area, and the processor continuously updates the rendered combined representation of wind patterns in tandem with the detection unit.

A system and method for determining the speed and direction of rotation of a wheel in a vehicle are provided. The system includes a tone wheel configured for rotation with the vehicle wheel and a wheel speed sensor facing the tone wheel. The sensor generates different pluralities of phase-shifted signals responsive to rotation of the tone wheel depending on the direction of rotation of the vehicle wheel. A controller receives one of the pluralities of phase-shifted signals from the sensor, receives a direction signal indicative of the direction of rotation of the vehicle wheel from a source other than the sensor, and associates the plurality of phase-shifted signals with the direction of rotation of the vehicle wheel indicated by the direction signal in a memory.