An inductive sensor includes a core body, a coil wound on the core body, a cavity having a fixed volume within the core body, and an epoxy mixture filling a controlled portion of the fixed volume. The controlled portion of the fixed volume filled with the epoxy mixture controls an inductance of the sensor.

An electrically tunable radio frequency phase shifter with compact 3-D structure that integrates both ferromagnetic and ferroelectric materials, and utilizes 3-D structure to increase the tuning efficiency and achieve miniaturization.

An impedance matching device comprising a variable reactor having a main winding and control winding, wherein a generated magnet field in the core is an AC magnetic field with a magnitude exceeding a value to settle a deviation between a control target value for impedance matching and a feedback value, by changing the magnitude of the generated magnetic field by changing a control current passing through the control winding, thereby controlling inductance of the variable rector to be a predetermined value to perform impedance matching, the response delay in the impedance matching is reduced by reducing a response delay in the inductance variation of the variable reactor.

An impedance matching device comprising a variable reactor having a main winding and control winding, wherein a generated magnet field in the core is an AC magnetic field with a magnitude exceeding a value to settle a deviation between a control target value for impedance matching and a feedback value, by changing the magnitude of the generated magnetic field by changing a control current passing through the control winding, thereby controlling inductance of the variable rector to be a predetermined value to perform impedance matching, the response delay in the impedance matching is reduced by reducing a response delay in the inductance variation of the variable reactor.

Described examples include devices and methods for measuring relative humidity of an environment using inductance. The devices can include a resonant circuit, including a capacitor and an inductor. The inductor includes a moisture-absorbing core with at least a portion thereof exposed to an environment, with at least one magnetic property of the core being variable in response to changing levels of moisture in the environment. An excitation circuit provides an AC excitation signal to the resonant circuit. A sense circuit determines an inductance of the inductor according to a sense signal from the resonant circuit. The sense circuit is coupled to generate an output signal that indicates a humidity level of the environment according to the sense signal.

In the reactor in which the wiring board with the main winding formed thereon and the wiring board with the control winding formed thereon are incorporated in layers into the planer core, the magnetic flux generated by the main winding and the magnetic flux generated by the control winding are brought into the following states in order to equalize the density of the magnetic flux generated by the control current. A main winding current of high-frequency current flowing through the main winding generates an AC magnetic fluxes, each of the fluxes having a magnetic field in a direction opposite to each other so as to cancel each other out, and a control current of direct current flowing through the control winding generates a DC magnetic flux with a uniform magnetic flux density around the pair of the inner legs of which AC magnetic fluxes are cancelled out each other.

In the reactor in which the wiring board with the main winding formed thereon and the wiring board with the control winding formed thereon are incorporated in layers into the planer core, the magnetic flux generated by the main winding and the magnetic flux generated by the control winding are brought into the following states in order to equalize the density of the magnetic flux generated by the control current. A main winding current of high-frequency current flowing through the main winding generates an AC magnetic fluxes, each of the fluxes having a magnetic field in a direction opposite to each other so as to cancel each other out, and a control current of direct current flowing through the control winding generates a DC magnetic flux with a uniform magnetic flux density around the pair of the inner legs of which AC magnetic fluxes are cancelled out each other.

The invention generally relates to a field regulator, particularly a field regulator for a resonant circuit, a transmitter including such a field regulator, a proximity detection system including such a transmitter, and a method of regulating a resonant circuit. In one aspect the invention provides a field regulator for a resonant circuit, the resonant circuit including an inductor coil around a core, the field regulator including a DC bias circuit configured to apply a DC bias current to the inductor coil for regulating an electromagnetic field generated by the inductor. The DC bias circuit can be used to selectively change the inductance of the inductor in the resonant circuit so as to maintain a consistent field strength in a changing environment, particularly to take into account the presence of large metal bodies which might otherwise adversely impact on operation. In particular, the DC bias current may be used to selectively change the natural frequency of the resonant circuit so as to shift the resonant circuit towards a desired resonance point.

A variable inductor includes a three-limbed core first section having an inductor winding wound about a medial limb. An air gap is disposed in the medial limb. The inductor includes a second section having a control limb in which a first end of the control limb is connected to a first outer limb of the three-limbed core, and a second end of the control limb is connected to a second outer limb of the three-limbed core. A control winding is wound about the control limb. The inductor may be used in a control circuit to control a power signal driving a transducer. The inductor may be controlled by a signal derived from a comparison of a voltage phase of a power signal to the transducer and a phase of the current traversing the transducer. A system may include the control circuit, including the variable inductor, and the transducer.

A wireless power transmission system comprising a wireless transmitter capable of transmitting power and a wireless receiver capable of receiving power such that the transmitter or receiver comprises a controller and resonant tank, and the resonant tank comprises a capacitor and an electrically tunable inductor.