Provided is an absolute position color scale disposed to represent a binary code using a first symbol, having a first width and representing a first state (HIGH), and a second symbol having the first width and representing a second state (LOW). Each of the first and second symbols is divided into two or more segments having the same structure, and the first symbol has the same shape as the second symbol, but has a color pattern different from a color pattern of the symbol.

Template matching with an image captured by the first imaging element is performed to obtain a first movement amount in a circumferential direction of the first mark, template matching with an image captured by the second imaging element is performed to obtain a second movement amount in a circumferential direction of the second mark, and a rotation angle is calculated and output by using the first movement amount and the second movement amount.

The invention relates to a sensor device and method for detecting measurement data relating to the absolute position of a linearly or rotationally moveable body, comprising an optical sensor system, wherein the optical sensor system uses exclusively zero-order rejections for the position measuring, and a magnetic sensor system which emits a second sensor output signal depending on the position to be determined of the moveable body, wherein the gauge of the optical sensor system and the gauge of the magnetic sensor system are integrated in a common gauge body, and a computer unit which is provided to obtain the first sensor output signal and the second sensor output signal and to generate a common sensor output signal from the first sensor output signal and the second sensor output signal, wherein the current period of the second sensor system can be deduced from the first sensor output signal at every time, in order to calculate clear absolute position information based on the first and second sensor output signal.

The invention relates to a rotary switch (1) for a motor vehicle that has a rotational position detection device, wherein the rotational position detection device has at least a first light-based transmitter/receiver pair (5a), a second light-based transmitter/receiver pair (5b), and a light screening element (15), wherein the light-based transmitter/receiver pairs (5a, b) each have a light transmitter and a light receiver located opposite the light transmitter, such that a light transmission path (27) is formed between each transmitter and receiver, wherein the light screening element (15) determines the transmission properties of the respective light transmission paths (15) based on the rotational positions (D, N, R) of the rotary switch (1), wherein the transmitter/receiver pairs (5a, b) are configured such that a first spacing (d1) extending between a midpoint of the first light transmission path (27a) of the first pair (5a) and a rotational axis (9) of the rotary switch (1) differs from a second spacing (d2) extending between a midpoint of the second light transmission path (27b) of the second pair (5b) and the rotational axis (9).

An encoder apparatus includes an encoder and a processor. The encoder includes a scale portion, a light emitting portion, and a light receiving portion. The scale portion includes a first track and a second track. The processor obtains a plurality of candidate values of a gap between the light emitting portion and the scale portion on a basis of an amplitude of a first signal obtained by receiving light reflected on or transmitted through the first track by the light receiving portion. The processor determines a measured value from among the plurality of candidate values on a basis of an amplitude of a second signal obtained by receiving light reflected on or transmitted through the second track by the light receiving portion.

A high-resolution encoder device to measure and retrievably encode the relative position of a first part P with a second part S comprises sensible elements on part P, said sensible elements providing a variable property for sensing, such that said variable property varies over a length of said part P, a number n of sensors for sensing said variable property, said sensors being separate from each other and disposed on part S, said sensors configured to output signals in accordance with said sensing, and a processing unit connected to receive said signals from each of said n sensors and configured for succeeding ones of said relative positions to form a vector having entries from each sensor respectively, the vector defining said relative positions respectively.

A light source in a rotary optical encoder can illuminate a pattern on a rotatable shaft and an optical sensor can detect either the light that is reflected or transmitted based on the pattern. A sampling rate of the optical sensor is dynamically adjusted based on a rotational speed of the rotatable shaft. A pulse rate of the light source may also be dynamically adjusted based on the sampling rate of the optical sensor.

In implementations of a linear encoder force transducer, an encoder component generates light that enters a light input window of an encoder strip, and reflective surfaces disperse the light internally within the encoder strip. The encoder strip has etched lines formed cross-width of the encoder strip for emitted light that exits the encoder strip. The encoder component has gradated slots through which the emitted light from the encoder strip is detected by an array of photo transistors, each of the gradated slots corresponding to one of the photo transistors in the array of photo transistors. An encoder module can determine a linear displacement, such as representative of a force applied to a pen tip of a computer input pen, based on one or more of the photo transistors detecting the emitted light as the etched lines of the encoder strip move relative to the gradated slots of the encoder component.

An encoder includes a base portion, a scale portion that is provided to be relatively rotatable with respect to the base portion, and has a plurality of marks, an imaging element that is disposed in the base portion, and images the marks, and an estimation portion that performs template matching on a captured image in the imaging element by using a reference image, in which the plurality of marks include a first mark and a second mark, and the estimation portion counts the number of pixels of the imaging element corresponding to a rotation angle of the scale portion with respect to the base portion until a position of the second mark is detected from detection of a position of the first mark, and performs calibration on the basis of the counted number of pixels and the rotation angle.

The invention provides an angle detecting device, which comprises absolute encoders provided on a rotation member which rotates at a constant speed, a clock signal generating component, a counter circuit, an angle calculating component, and a trigger signal generating component, wherein an angle trigger signal is inputted to the absolute encoders and the counter circuit at a predetermined time interval, the absolute encoders input rotation angles for each angle trigger signal to the angle calculating component, the counter circuit outputs the number of clock counts to the angle calculating component from the moment when a rotation angle measuring trigger signal is inputted by inputting the rotation angle measuring trigger signal for detecting the rotation angle of the rotation member to the counter circuit, and wherein the angle calculating component detects the rotation angle of the rotation member based on the rotation angles from the absolute encoders and on the number of the clock counts.