In an optical position-measuring device for acquiring the rotational angle between two objects that are rotationally moveable relative to each other, a grating measuring standard rotating about an axis of rotation is arranged as a reflection grating. Position information both about an azimuthal rotary movement about the axis of rotation and about a radial displacement of the grating measuring standard is able to be obtained. At least one detection unit is used for scanning the rotating grating measuring standard in order to determine the azimuthal rotational angle as well as a radial displacement of the grating measuring standard. The neutral pivot points of the scanning of the grating measuring standard for the determination of the rotational angle and the displacement are situated in the same plane, with this plane being situated in parallel with the grating measuring standard. The neutral pivot point denotes the particular location about which the grating measuring standard or the detection unit is able to be tilted without a position offset.

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 position-measuring device includes a carrier body having a first and second measuring graduations and a reference mark. The first and second measuring graduations include graduation structures periodically arranged along first and second measurement directions, respectively, that are perpendicular to each other. The graduation structures of the first measuring graduation each extend parallel to a first direction and the reference mark extends in a second direction that forms an angle different from 0° with the first direction. First and second scanners are configured to scan the first and second measuring graduations and generate first and second scanning signals, respectively. A third scanner is configured to scan the reference mark and generate a reference pulse. The position-measuring device is configured such that a phase angle of the reference pulse is determined as a function of the first scanning signals and the reference pulse.

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.

An encoder includes a measurement target and circuitry. The measurement target includes an absolute pattern and is rotatable. The circuitry is configured to generate, via a processing scheme, a signal representing an absolute position of the measurement target based on the absolute pattern. The circuitry is configured to detect, based on the absolute pattern, whether the measurement target rotates or not. The circuitry is configured to change the processing scheme based on whether the measurement target rotates or not.

A mounting structure of a rotating member of an encoder for detecting a phase angle of a magnet provided on a rotor of a motor includes: a rotating shaft configured to be rotated by driving of the motor; the rotating member on which a phase angle detection pattern configured to detect the phase angle is formed; and a boss attached to the rotating member and configured to mount the rotating member to an end of the rotating shaft. In this configuration, the end of the rotating shaft and the boss are provided with a first positioning structure configured to position a mounting position of the boss relative to the rotating shaft about the axis of the rotating shaft.

A position detection assembly for detecting a spatial position of a moveable element. The assembly includes a colour sensor and one or more colour indicators provided on a surface of the moveable element. The colour sensor is spaced from the surface of the moveable element and arranged to emit light onto the surface and detect light reflected from the surface and to determine the position of the element based on the reflected light.

A measuring instrument that reads a measure including a plurality of reading patterns arranged in a length direction of the measure, each reading pattern including a plurality of patterns arranged in a width direction of the measure, includes: a flattening member that increases a flatness of the measure; and a first reader that optically reads the plurality of patterns arranged in the width direction included in a single reading pattern from the measure in a state where the flatness is increased by the flattening member.

An encoder system includes a configurable detector array, wherein the configurable detector array includes a plurality of detectors. The encoder system may also include a memory operable to store a partition map that defines a state for each of the plurality of detectors. The encoder system may also include an emitter operable to generate a flux modulated by a motion object, wherein the configurable detector array is operable to receive the flux and generate respective current outputs for each of the detectors in response to the flux. In an embodiment, the current outputs from detectors having a same state are grouped together. The encoder system may also include one or more current duplicators to duplicate the current outputs from detectors having one state to group with the current outputs from detectors having a different state. The encoder system may also adjust weights of the current outputs.

A rotary position encoder includes a detection unit and a scale co-configured and co-operative to detect a relative rotational position and to generate a position output accordingly. The scale has a scale pattern according to a linear-feedback shift register (LFSR) pseudo-random code, which is a non-maximal length code having a seed value, tap positions, and modified least-significant bit position(s) of code words that satisfy rotary constraint by which each code word follows in sequence from the adjacent code word.