A position sensing system for sensing a position of an input shaft of a variable differential transformer (VDT), comprising said VDT, which comprises first and second AC signal output means that are configured to output a first AC output signal and a second AC output signal respectively. The sensing system further comprises AC/DC converting means configured to convert said first AC output signal to a first DC output signal and an AC/DC converting means configured to convert said second AC output signal to a second DC signal. The first and second DC output signals each indicate an individual position of said input shaft.

A capacitive motor vehicle operating system is described, comprising a capacitive screen with an operator interface as well as a pressure- and rotational-actuation device which is formed separately from the capacitive screen, and which is electrically conductive in areas and is at least partially affixed to the operator interface of the capacitive screen. The pressure- and rotational-actuation device comprises at least one electrically conductive interaction element which interacts with the capacitive screen.

A capacitive motor vehicle operating system is described, comprising a capacitive screen with an operator interface as well as a pressure- and rotational-actuation device which is formed separately from the capacitive screen, and which is electrically conductive in areas and is at least partially affixed to the operator interface of the capacitive screen. The pressure- and rotational-actuation device comprises at least one electrically conductive interaction element which interacts with the capacitive screen.

An apparatus for correcting non-polarity and measuring displacement of an object using a search-coil type sensor includes a plurality of sensors that include respective housings having respective inner spaces, respective cores formed to be inserted into the inner spaces of the housings, and respective coils which are each wound around a portion of an outer circumferential surface of each of the housings, the portion corresponding to a position of each of the cores. The plurality of sensors are arranged in parallel with each other. A position of a core and a coil with respect to one housing differs from a position of a core and a coil with respect to another housing. An induced magnetic field is formed due to a distance change with respect to the object containing iron (Fe).

An apparatus comprising: a support structure; and a first electrically-conductive material arranged at the support structure to define a first continuous path for first electrical current to flow between a first location and a second location, the first continuous path comprising: a first path portion defining a first generally-clockwise path for the first electrical current to flow around a first axis, the first path portion including a first inner-circumferential portion and a first outer-circumferential portion, the first inner-circumferential portion located closer to a central axis than the first outer-circumferential portion, a radius of curvature of the first inner-circumferential portion being greater than a radius of curvature of the first outer-circumferential portion; and a second path portion defining a first generally-counter-clockwise path for the first electrical current to flow around a second axis, the first path portion and the second path portion circumferentially arranged around the central axis. Related devices, systems and methods are also disclosed.

Identifying position of a first rotating shaft may comprise a first position detection system and a second position detection system. A controller may be coupled to a first sensor and a second sensor and may identify the position of the first shaft using the identified shaft position from either the first detection system or the second detection system, whichever is identified faster. The first shaft may have a first wheel disposed thereon with targets and one or more gaps disposed about the first wheel. A second shaft may have a second wheel disposed thereon with targets and one or more gaps disposed thereon. The second wheel is in a fixed relationship relative to the first wheel. The first detection system may use data simultaneously from the first sensor and the second sensor to eliminate targets to determine position. The second detection system uses data only from the first sensor.

An apparatus for sensing a position of a target, in particular for offset invariant sensing of the position of the target, is described as well as a corresponding method. The apparatus comprises at least three sensor elements. At least one sensor element of the at least three sensor elements generates a first magnetic field. At least two sensor elements of the at least three sensor elements receive a second magnetic field associated with the first magnetic field. The at least two sensor elements of the at least three sensor elements form at least one sensor element pair and provide a signal indicative of the position of the target.

An improved system for determining the identification of movers in a motion control system is disclosed, where the motion control system includes multiple movers traveling on a track. The physical construction of at least one element of one of the movers is different on one mover than on each of the other movers. The control system for the movers detects the difference in construction and identifies the unique mover as a first mover. Each of the other movers along the track are assigned an identifier based on their relative position to the first mover. According to one embodiment, a position sensing system is utilized to identify the first mover. According to another embodiment, the drive system for the movers is utilized to identify the first mover. In still another embodiment, a combination of the position sensing system and the drive system is utilized to identify the first mover.

An improved system for determining the identification of movers in a motion control system is disclosed, where the motion control system includes multiple movers traveling on a track. The physical construction of at least one element of one of the movers is different on one mover than on each of the other movers. The control system for the movers detects the difference in construction and identifies the unique mover as a first mover. Each of the other movers along the track are assigned an identifier based on their relative position to the first mover. According to one embodiment, a position sensing system is utilized to identify the first mover. According to another embodiment, the drive system for the movers is utilized to identify the first mover. In still another embodiment, a combination of the position sensing system and the drive system is utilized to identify the first mover.

A method can include in a first phase of a sensing operation, controlling at least a first switch to energize a sensor inductance; in a second phase of the sensing operation that follows the first phase, controlling at least a second switch to couple the sensor inductance to a first modulator capacitance to induce a first fly-back current from the sensor inductance, the first fly-back current generating a first modulator voltage at the first modulator capacitance, and in response to the first modulator voltage, controlling at least a third switch to generate a balance current that flows in an opposite direction to the fly-back current at the first modulator node. The first and second phases can be repeated to generate a first modulator voltage at the first modulator capacitance. the modulator voltage can be converted into a digital value representing the sensor inductance. Related devices and systems are also disclosed.