A sensor unit for measuring the position of a component that is movable relative to the sensor unit includes a metal body, which has a first opening. An electronic component is arranged in the first opening such that a gap is provided between the electronic component and the metal body, the gap being filled with an electrically insulating molding compound. In addition, an electrically insulating first layer is applied on the electronic component and on the molding compound. The electronic component is electrically contacted with a circuit trace, and the circuit trace is routed through the first layer in a first section and extends on the first layer in a second section.

By configuring an encoder scale as an angled or inclined magnet or pair of oppositely arranged, adjacent magnets, a magnetic field sensor in a travel path of the scale can detect an absolute position of the scale for use in an industrial control system. Due to the angle or incline, when a first side of the scale is proximal to the sensor, the sensor can detect an angle of 180. As the scale moves to center with respect to the sensor, the sensor can detect an increasing angle to 0. Then, as a second side of the scale becomes proximal to the sensor, the sensor can detect an increasing angle to +180. The angle changes linearly with position. In one aspect, the pair of oppositely arranged magnets can be rotated with respect to the travel path to provide the angle. In another aspect, the pair of oppositely arranged magnets can be magnetized diagonally to provide the angle.

The present invention provides a position detection apparatus that is provided with a scale and a detector and includes a processing unit configured to perform processing for setting a number of light receiving elements that are consecutive in a direction of relative movement and whose outputs are to be added for the light receiving elements so that, in a first resolution mode, a phase of a component of a fourth spatial frequency lower than a spatial frequency corresponding to a frequency offset amount is detected and, in a second resolution mode for which a resolution is lower than the first resolution mode, a phase of a component of a spatial frequency of an interference image of a second grating pattern is detected.

Method and motion encoder for providing a measure indicative of motion of an object. The indicated motion is relative to an image sensing circuitry and in a direction that is perpendicular to an optical axis of the image sensing circuitry when the image sensing circuitry provides image frames sequentially imaging at least part of said object during the motion. The motion encoder obtains image data of a sequence of said image frames and then computes, for at least one pixel position of said sequence of image frames and based on the obtained image data, at least one duration value. Each duration value indicating a duration of consecutively occurring local extreme points in said sequence of image frames. The motion encoder then provides, based on said at least one duration value, said measure indicative of the motion.

An optical encoder includes a scale including a diffraction grating, a light-receiving unit configured to receive light from a light source, and an optical element located between the scale and the light-receiving unit. The optical element includes a plurality of groove portions, which are a periodic structure portion formed periodically in one face of the optical element. The plurality of groove portions is configured to divide signal diffracted light and noise diffracted light into first splitted beams traveling at a predetermined travel angle and second splitted beams traveling at a travel angle greater than the travel angle of the first splitted beams, and make a diffraction efficiency of the first splitted beams of the noise diffracted light lower than a diffraction efficiency of the first splitted beams of the signal diffracted light.

Disclosed herein is a high throughput optical scanning device and methods of use. The optical scanning device and methods of use provided herein can allow high throughput scanning of a continuously moving object with a high resolution despite fluctuations in stage velocity. This can aid in high throughput scanning of a substrate, such as a biological chip comprising fluorophores. Also provided herein are improved optical relay systems and scanning optics.

A length measuring instrument for measuring length with a measure includes: a measure on which a code is printed, a plurality of patterns each allotted to a different number being arranged, each of the patterns having digits to which an N-notation number (N being 3 or greater) is allotted, each of the digits having a different color corresponding to the allotted numerical value, the patterns being arranged in ascending order or descending order, a Hamming distance between patterns adjacent to each other in an array direction being 1, an amount of change in numerical value at the same digit between the adjacent patterns being 1 in the code; a reading unit that optically reads patterns printed on the measure; and a measuring unit that measures a length of a measurement target from a result of the reading by the reading unit.

A sealed linear encoder apparatus provides a measure of relative displacement of two relatively movable members. The sealed linear encoder apparatus includes at least one elongate sealing lip wherein at least a sealing portion of the elongate sealing lip is held in tension along its length.

Example implementations relate to determining a correction factor that converts a measured sensor distance (228) to a calibrated sensor distance (222). The measured sensor distance may be based on an amount of substrate advancement through a web printing press (202) between detecting a mark (226-1, . . . , 226-N) on the substrate (204) at a first sensor (212) and detecting the mark at a second sensor (214). The calibrated sensor distance (222) may be the separation between the first sensor and the second sensor.

A device for automatically registering the penetration depth of an invasive instrument into an opening and the rotational orientation of an invasive instrument in an opening of a body with the aid of a length-selective and rotation-selective pattern applied to the surface of the instrument, wherein the device has a sensor embodied to surround the instrument in a ring-shaped manner. According to the invention, the sensor is embodied for registering the length-selective and rotation-selective pattern and embodied and provided for the temporary arrangement in the region of the opening for the insertion of the invasive instrument. The device according to the invention has an evaluation unit for evaluating the penetration depth and the rotational orientation of an invasive instrument on the basis of the registered selective pattern.