First and second encoders are fixed to a drive plate and a clutch cover of which the center portions are connected to each other via a connection shaft and which are disposed between, in a transfer path for torque outputted from an engine, a damper and a connecting/disconnecting part of a clutch mechanism of a transmission. At the same time, detection units of first and second sensors are opposed to portions to be detected of the first and second encoders, respectively.

A method for operating an internal combustion engine. The method includes providing a piston engine. The piston engine includes a crankshaft and a torque sensor system. The torque sensor system includes at least one first rotary angle sensor and at least one second rotary angle sensor. The method further includes measuring a first and a second rotary angle in a spacing region and determining an angular offset between the first and the second rotary angle. The angular offset results from the torsion of the loaded crankshaft wherein the spacing region is limited along the crankshaft to an actual partial region of the spacing between the bearing journals. The partial region includes an actual subgroup of at least one of the number of offsets and the number of shaft journals, so that the angular offset is assigned to the actual subgroup.

A method of determining a torque applied to a rotatable shaft is provided. The method includes transmitting a first electro-magnetic transmit signal towards a first mutually coupled structure mechanically coupled to the rotatable shaft, converting, by the first mutually coupled multitrack structure, the first electro-magnetic transmit signal into a first electro-magnetic receive signal; receiving the first electro-magnetic receive signal; evaluating the received first electro-magnetic receive signal; and determining the torque applied to the rotatable shaft based on the evaluated first electro-magnetic receive signal.

The system and method determines the torque applied to a rotating shaft by a load. A first sensor detects rotation of a first wheel and a second sensor detects rotation of a second wheel. A third sensor is proximate to the first sensor. A processor determines: 1) a magnitude of a phase angle (.sub.A) based on the first and second sensors and having an unknown sign; 2) a magnitude of a phase angle (.sub.B) based on the second and third sensors and having an unknown sign; and 3) a magnitude of a phase angle (.sub.C) based on the first and third sensors and having a known sign. The processor determines a sign of the phase angle (.sub.A) based on the values of the phase angles (.sub.B) and (.sub.C) and determines a torque value from the load applied to the shaft at least in part based on the magnitude and sign of the phase angle (.sub.A).

Methods and systems for the absolute high-resolution measurement of angle of rotation of a shaft, which allow for concurrent measuring of axial displacement and/or encoded identification information, are disclosed. Included is a method for measuring characteristics of a rotating shaft comprising obtaining optical signals by optically probing one or more patterns having a leading edge and a series of symbols disposed at one or more circumferences of the shaft; oversampling the optical signals; measuring time of arrival for the leading edges and determining therefrom an amount of time between arrival of two or more of the leading edges; interpolating and extrapolating the amount of time between arrival of the leading edges; and determining therefrom one or more of shaft twist, angle of rotation and/or axial loading, translation, or displacement. The methods include optically probing a pattern disposed around the circumference of a shaft that comprises a series of wedge-shaped symbols.

A device for determining an angle of rotation and/or a torque of a rotating part, having at least one angle detector for detecting an angular position of the rotating part relative to a reference position and at least one indexer for indexing at a 360 rotation of the rotating part relative to the reference position, the angle detector having a rotor connected in a non-rotatable manner to the rotating part with a base body for attachment to the rotating part and a plurality of vanes extending radially outwardly from the base body. At least one of the vanes of the rotor have a marker detectable by means of the indexer.

A device for determining a position of a moving part, having a position detector for detecting a position of the moving part relative to a reference position, wherein the position detector has a transmitter which is fixedly connected with the moving part. The position detector is designed such that it is operable in a position detection state for detecting the position of the moving part relative to the reference position and in a power saving state to save power. A capacitive sensor includes the transmitter, and the transmitter and the remainder of the capacitive sensor are designed to coordinate with each other and are arranged in such a way that in the power-saving state of the position detector, a movement of the moving part relative to the reference position is detected by the capacitive sensor and the position detector is transferred automatically from a power-saving state to a position-detecting state.

The invention relates to a stator holder (11) for a torque sensor device for sensing a torque applied to a shaft, in particular for sensing a torque applied to a steering shaft of a motor vehicle, and to a stator assembly (20) with such a stator holder (11), a method for assembling such a stator assembly (20), a torque sensor device with such a stator holder (11) and a motor vehicle with such a torque sensor device. The stator holder (11) has a receiving region (12) extending in the axial direction along an axis of rotation of the stator holder (11) and a fastening region (13) which, in a functional use state, is adjacent to the receiving region (12) in the axial direction and extends in the axial direction along the axis of rotation of the stator holder (11), wherein the receiving region (12) is designed for receiving a first stator element (14A) and a second stator element (14B) on the stator holder (11), and wherein the fastening region (13) has a fastening sleeve (13A) for the fastening of the stator holder (11) on the shaft for rotation therewith. The receiving region (12) and the fastening region (13) are formed here by separate components and/or separate assemblies.

A method of estimating the MFB50 combustion index of the cylinders of an internal combustion engine provided with a drive shaft coupled to at least a pair of position sensors, each of which is arranged at a respective end of the drive shaft; the estimation method comprising the steps of: acquiring the signals coming from two position sensors; determining the angular torsion of the drive shaft based on the signals from the two position sensors; and estimating the MFB50 combustion index of the single cylinders of the internal combustion engine based on the angular torsion of the drive shaft.

A monitoring system for monitoring one or more properties associated with a rotating shaft is provided. The system includes a first phonic wheel which is mounted coaxially to the shaft for rotation therewith, the first phonic wheel comprising a circumferential row of teeth. The system further includes a first sensor configured to detect the passage of the row of teeth of the first phonic wheel by generating a first alternating measurement signal. The system further includes a processor unit configured to determine the durations of successive first speed samples. Each first speed sample is a block of n successive cycles of the first alternating measurement signal, where n is an integer, and in which the beginning of each cycle is a zero-crossing point from the previous cycle and the end of each cycle is the corresponding zero-crossing point to the next cycle. At least one axial location of the first phonic wheel every m.sup.th tooth of the row of teeth of the first phonic wheel has a circumferential thickness which is different from that of the other teeth of the first phonic wheel, where m is an integer, mn, and m is neither a factor nor a multiple of n. When the first sensor is positioned at said axial location of the first phonic wheel and at any given rotational speed of the first phonic wheel, the durations of the successive first speed samples display a characteristic repeating pattern of longer and shorter sample durations relative to the average duration of the successive first speed samples. The amount by which the longer and shorter sample durations differ from the average duration is in proportion to the amount by which the circumferential thickness of the m.sup.th teeth differs from that of the other teeth at said axial location of the first phonic wheel. The processor unit monitors the properties associated with the rotating shaft from the characteristic repeating pattern.