A magnetic sensor capable of reducing noise caused by an interference magnetic field and capable of outputting a highly accurate signal in accordance with changes in a detected magnetic field includes a magnetic detection element, a first magnetic body having a first surface and a second surface, which is opposite to the first surface, and a second magnetic body positioned approximately in the center of the first magnetic body in the short direction on the first surface of the first magnetic body. The magnetic detection element is provided to be opposite to the second magnetic body with the first magnetic body interposed in between and positioned approximately in the center of the first magnetic body in the short direction. The magnetic sensing direction of the magnetic detection element is a direction approximately parallel to the short direction of the first magnetic body and the second magnetic body, and a width W1 of the first magnetic body is larger than a width W2 of the second magnetic body.

An actuator assembly comprises: a rotatable shaft, a magnet mounted to the rotatable shaft, non-magnet material positioned between the magnet and the shaft, a rotary sensor configured to be responsive to rotation of the magnet for generating a signal, and a housing comprising a magnetic shield surrounding at least a part of the rotary sensor and at least a part of the magnet mounted to the shaft to shield the sensor and the magnet from an external magnetic field. The actuator assembly further comprises a magnet holder fixing the magnet to the shaft. The magnetic shield encompasses the magnetic flux from the magnet to the rotary sensor and also shields the rotary sensor from any external magnetic field such as stray field or magnetic field from the outside of the housing. The non-magnetic material may reduce leakage magnetic flux from the magnet to the shaft.

A magnetic sensor device for detecting linear movement of a moving body includes a magnetic field generation unit and a magnetic field detection unit, which is provided to be capable of detecting the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generation unit. The magnetic field detection unit is provided to be relatively moveable along a first axis accompanying linear movement of the moving body. The first axis is parallel to the direction of movement of the moving body. The magnetic field generation unit includes a first magnetic field generation unit and a second magnetic field generation unit. The first magnetic field generation unit and the second magnetic field generation unit are arranged substantially parallel to the first axis. A first line segment parallel to a first magnetization direction of the first magnetic field generation unit is inclined with respect to a second axis orthogonal to the first axis. A second line segment parallel to a second magnetization direction of the second magnetic field generation unit is inclined with respect to the second axis. The first line segment and the second line segment are positioned symmetrically with respect to the second axis and intersect each other to open toward the first axis.

A position sensor system is arranged for determining a position of a sensor device movable along a predefined path relative to a magnetic source. The system includes the magnetic source and the sensor device. The magnetic source has a first plurality of magnetic pole pairs arranged along a first track and a second plurality of magnetic pole pairs arranged along a second track, centrelines of the tracks are spaced apart by a predefined track distance. The sensor device is configured for measuring at least two orthogonal magnetic field components at a first sensor location, and at least two second orthogonal magnetic field components at a second sensor location. The first and second sensor location are spaced apart by a predefined sensor distance smaller than the predefined track distance, in a direction transverse to the tracks.

A magnetic sensor device includes first and second surfaces, and first and second inclined surfaces, which are inclined with respect to the first surface; first through third magnetic sensor units for detecting magnetism in first through third axial directions; and a signal processing unit that performs signal processing on the basis of first through third sensor signals output from the first through third magnetic sensor units. The first axial direction is a direction orthogonal to the first surface, and the second and third axial directions are directions orthogonal to each other on the first surface. The first and second magnetic sensor units are provided on the second inclined surface, respectively. A corrected signal generation unit included in the signal processing unit generates first and second corrected signals, which are the first and second sensor signals corrected in accordance with the inclination angles of the first and second inclined surfaces.

A magnetic field detection apparatus includes a magnetoresistive effect element and a helical coil. The magnetoresistive effect element includes a magnetoresistive effect film extending in a first axis direction. The helical coil includes a parallel connection including first and second parts extending in a second axis direction inclined with respect to the first axis direction. The first and second parts are adjacent to each other in a third axis direction and coupled to each other in parallel. The helical coil is wound around the magnetoresistive effect element while extending along the third axis direction. The magnetoresistive effect film overlaps the first and second parts in a fourth axis direction orthogonal to the second and third axis directions. The helical coil is configured to be supplied with a current and thereby configured to generate an induction magnetic field to be applied to the magnetoresistive effect film in the third axis direction.

An autocalibration method includes generating at least one sensor signal in response to measuring a physical quantity; compensating the at least one sensor signal based on at least one compensation parameter to generate at least one compensated sensor signal; generating the at least one compensation parameter based on the at least one sensor signal or the at least one compensated sensor signal; comparing each of the at least one compensation parameter to a respective tolerance range; on a condition that each of the at least one compensation parameter is within its respective tolerance range, transmitting the at least one compensation parameter as at least one validated compensation parameter to be used for compensating the at least one sensor signal; and on a condition that at least one of the at least one compensation parameter is not within its respective tolerance range, generating a fault detection signal.

A magnetic sensor system includes two magnetic sensors that detect components in two directions of an external magnetic field, an additional magnetic field generation section, and a signal processing circuit. The additional magnetic field generation section is capable of generating two additional magnetic fields for use in measuring the sensitivities of the two magnetic sensors. The signal processing circuit includes a sensitivity measurement processing section and a detection signal correction processing section. The sensitivity measurement processing section measures the sensitivities based on data concerning changes in the detection signals of the two magnetic sensors when the additional magnetic field generation section is controlled to generate two additional magnetic fields. The detection signal correction processing section performs processing for reducing change components attributable to the two additional magnetic fields on the detection signals of the two magnetic sensors.

A magnetic sensor includes a base material, a plurality of magnets provided at predetermined spacing on the base material, and a plurality of magnetic detection parts respectively provided close to the plurality of magnets. Each of the plurality of magnetic detection parts outputs a signal in accordance with change in the magnetic field accompanying deformation of the base material.

A method for determining authenticity of a security device of a component in an imaging device includes receiving, by the security device, an authentication challenge including one or more commands and executing, by the security device, the one or more commands in response to receiving the authentication challenge. A magnetic field profile is generated based on current drawn by the security device from a power source while the security device is executing the one or more commands, the generated magnetic field profile indicating an authentication response of the security device to the authentication challenge for use in determining authenticity of the security device.