An encoder includes: an optical module that detects angular position information indicating an angular position of a rotating disk within one rotation thereof; a magnetic detecting unit that detects multi-rotation information indicating the number of rotations of the disk; a battery that supplies a power to the magnetic detecting unit when an external power is not supplied to the encoder; and a connector that connects connection terminals of the battery to a substrate to which at least one of the optical module and the magnetic detecting unit is connected, via solders in contact with the connection terminals.

An encoder includes rotatable plate including first and second patterns, light emission unit, and light receiving unit. The first pattern includes first and second unit regions. The first unit regions guide the light from light emission unit to the light receiving unit. The second unit regions are configured not to guide light from the light emission unit to the light receiving unit. The second pattern includes first and second unit regions. The first unit regions of the second pattern guide light from light emission unit to the light receiving unit. The second unit regions of the second pattern are configured not to guide light from the light emission unit to the light receiving unit. The first and second unit regions of the first pattern are reverse to the first and second unit regions of the second pattern in a direction perpendicular to a rotation direction of the rotatable plate.

An intermediate transfer member (ITM) (210, 310, 320, 330, 400, 410, 420, 430, 500, 520, 540, 600, 700, 802) configured for receiving ink droplets to form an ink image thereon and for transferring the ink image to a target substrate (226), the TTM (210, 310, 320, 330, 400, 410, 420, 430, 500, 520, 540, 600, 700, 802) includes one or more layers (273, 277, 373, 379, 602, 604, 606, 608, 610, 704, 706, 708, 712) and one or more markers (33, 333, 335, 392, 408, 418, 428, 448, 458, 612, 710, 804, 806) integrated with at least one of the one or more layers (273, 277, 373, 379, 602, 604, 606, 608, 610, 704, 706, 708, 712) at one or more respective marking locations along the ITM (210, 310, 320, 330, 400, 410, 420, 430, 500, 520, 540, 600, 700).

A method of operating a position encoder apparatus, including a scale having features defining position information and a readhead for reading the scale. The method includes: calculating extrapolated position information from at least one previous reading of the scale; comparing an extrapolated position with a position calculated from a reading of the scale to determine any discrepancy between them; using the extrapolated position information whether or not there is a discrepancy; and maintaining a record of any discrepancies.

There is provided an optical positioning system including a detected surface, an optical sensor, a register and a processor. The detected surface has interleaved bright regions and dark regions arranged in a transverse direction. The optical sensor captures an image frame of the detected surface within a field of view thereof and using a shutter time, wherein the detected surface and the optical sensor have a relative movement in the transverse direction. The register records a type of a last passed edge. The processor calculates a first position using a first algorithm upon the recorded last passed edge being a bright-to-dark edge and the field of view being aligned with one of the dark regions, and calculates a second position using a second algorithm, different from the first algorithm, upon the recorded last passed edge being a dark-to-bright edge and the field of view being aligned with the same one of the dark regions.

A rotation angle encoder apparatus is disclosed. The rotation angle encoder apparatus may comprise a plurality of light sources, a plurality of light detectors, and a plurality of pinions rotatable about a shaft. Each of the pinions may comprises a plurality of teeth and a plurality of gaps. The rotation angle encoder apparatus may comprise a plurality of stacked configurations such that, when the shaft is rotated, transmissivity may be measured to determine or calculate at least one measurement, such as an angle of rotation, position, movement, distance, or other discernable measurement. The rotation angle encoder apparatus with a plurality pinions and associated measurable transmissivities may enable an optical spectrum analyzer to increase wavelength accuracy and improve resolution in optical measurements.

There is provided an optical encoder including a phase shifter circuit, two multiplexers, two digital circuits and four comparators. The phase shifter circuit receives signals from an amplifier and outputs multiple phase shifted signals. Each of the two multiplexers receives a half of the multiple phase shifted signals and outputs two pairs of phase shifted signals, each pair having 180 degrees phase difference, respectively to two comparators connected thereto. Each of the two digital circuits controls the corresponding multiplexer to select the two pairs of phase shifted signals from the half of the multiple phase shifted signals.

A rotary element is equipped with a pattern representing a reflected binary code on at least three bits. A detection circuit is configured to sense the pattern and deliver an incident signal encoded in reflected binary code on at least three bits. The incident signal is converted by a transcoding circuit into an intermediate signal encoded in reflected binary code on two bits. A decoding stage decodes the intermediate signal and outputs at least one clock signal representing the amount of rotation of the rotary element and a direction signal representing the direction of rotation. A processing circuit determines the movement of the rotary element, and has at least one general purpose timer designed to receive the at least one clock signal and direction signal.

A decoding device for an absolute positioning code is provided. The decoding device includes a linear feedback shift register (LFSR), a lookup table (LUT) circuit, a counter circuit, and a computation circuit. The LFSR includes n registers, for loading the absolute positioning code with a first frequency. The LFSR performs shifting operation according to a clock signal having a second frequency greater than or equal to the first frequency. The LUT circuit outputs a lookup result and a valid flag according to values stored in the n registers. The lookup result has k different data, k≦(2.sup.n−1). The counter circuit resets according to the valid flag, and performs counting operation according to the clock signal to generate a counting result. The computation circuit performs calculation according to the lookup result and the counting result to generate a decoding result when the valid flag indicates valid.

An elevator system having an elevator car in an elevator shaft and having a measuring tape in the elevator shaft for determining the position of the elevator car in the elevator shaft. The measuring tape is arranged vertically in the elevator shaft and has optical coding for length measurement. At least one marking element which has optical marking is arranged on the measuring tape. The marking element is fixedly arranged on the measuring tape. A sensor device which comprises a lighting source and a sensor which form a detection field for detecting the measuring tape is attached to the elevator car. The elevator system comprises an evaluation device for decoding the codings in the detection field and a control device for controlling the elevator system as a function of the coding and/or of the position of the at least one marking element on the measuring tape.