An inductive sensing-based user interface device which includes a conductive barrier with at least one aperture, a magnetic flux modifier attached to a rotary member on one side of the barrier and an inductive structure on an opposed side of the barrier aligned with the aperture, magnetically coupled to the flux modifier, wherein a change in sensed inductance is used to determine rotational input.

Magnetic field sensors can sense speed of movement and direction of movement of a ferromagnetic object. Particular arrangements of magnetic field sensing elements within the magnetic field sensor can automatically cancel offset variations in the magnetic field sensing elements.

A precision optical encoder that utilizes interferometric measurements of displacement to provide angle measurements using a laser which is injection locked to a reference laser having a secondary optical frequency which has been verified with respect to a primary optical frequency standard. The encoder shape encodes distance to rotation angle. By utilizing a laser source locked to a reference laser having a standardized (i.e., verified) secondary optical frequency for fundamental measurements of the encoder surface and real-time interferometer measurements, the encoder reports rotation angle measurements that are directly traceable to a primary optical frequency standard through the injected secondary optical frequency.

An apparatus for inductive rotational-position sensing is disclosed. An apparatus may include an electrically conductive material defining a continuous path for electrical current to flow between a first and a second location. The continuous path may include a first path portion, defined as a generally clockwise path for the electrical current to flow around a geometric center of the continuous path, and a second path portion, defined as a generally counter-clockwise path for the electrical current to flow around the geometric center. The continuous path may also include a radial-direction-reversal region at which one of the first path portion or the second path portion changes from being defined as a generally outward path for the electrical current to flow away from the geometric center to being defined as a generally inward path for the electrical current to flow toward the geometric center. Related systems, devices, and methods are also disclosed.

A rotor apparatus includes: a rotor rotatable around a rotational axis; an angular position identification layer disposed to surround the rotational axis and configured to rotate according to rotation of the rotor, and having a width varying with angular positions of the rotor; and an angular range identification layer disposed to surround the rotational axis, configured to rotate according to the rotation of the rotor, having a shape different from a shape of the angular position identification layer, and configured such that an overall width of a portion of the angular range identification layer corresponding to an angular position range, among a plurality of different angular position ranges of the rotor, in which an angular position corresponding to a point having the largest change in width of the angular position identification layer is located, is different from an overall width of a remaining portion of the angular range identification layer.

A position sensor for determining the position of a conductive target, includes: a transmit coil; a first, second and third receive coil wherein each receive coil comprises a first (A) and second (B) conductive strand obtained from a substantially sinusoidal primitive function, wherein the primitive function of the second strand is the primitive function of the first strand shifted over 180°, and the primitive function of the second receive coil is the primitive function of the first receive coil shifted over 60°, and wherein the primitive function of the third receive coil is the primitive function of the first receive coil shifted over 120°; an integrated circuit configured for exciting the transmit coil, and for reading the signals from the receive coils or a combination of the signals, and for processing these signals and removing a common mode signal.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure, an inductive sensor assembly includes a shaft and a multilayered printed circuit board (PCB). The shaft includes a first end. The first end has a bottom surface. A target including a flat forming a straight edge is integrally formed into the first end of the shaft. The PCB includes a transmitter coil and a two part receiving coil. The two part receiving coil has a first receiving coil and a second receiving coil. The first receiving coil is on a different layer of the PCB than the second receiving coil in an axial direction. The target is rotated about a central axis of the two part receiving coil. The straight edge of the target and the bottom surface is detected by the two part receiving coil.

In one embodiment, a position sensor assembly is disclosed. The position sensor assembly includes a first bearing ring defining a first bearing raceway, and a second bearing ring defining a second bearing raceway. A ferromagnetic component is arranged on the first bearing ring. The ferromagnetic component defines a surface that has a non-uniform circumferential profile that varies for at least 90 degrees in a circumferential direction. An inductor assembly is arranged on the second bearing ring, and the inductor assembly includes at least two inductors that are circumferentially spaced from each other by at least 90 degrees.

A lightweight sensor member may include a fastening hole formed through a center thereof to be fastened to a camshaft, and a plurality of detecting protrusions formed on an external peripheral surface thereof, each having a certain angular shape to the fastening hole.

In one embodiment, a position sensor assembly is disclosed. The position sensor assembly includes a first bearing ring defining a first bearing raceway, and a second bearing ring defining a second bearing raceway. A ferromagnetic component is arranged on the first bearing ring. The ferromagnetic component defines a surface that has a non-uniform circumferential profile that varies for at least 90 degrees in a circumferential direction. An inductor assembly is arranged on the second bearing ring, and the inductor assembly includes at least two inductors that are circumferentially spaced from each other by at least 90 degrees.