Magnetic field sensor having a Hall effect device with overlapping flux concentrators
US4692703A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 22, 1985 |
| Grant date | Sep 8, 1987 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 22, 2005 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH10N52/80
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An alternating magnetic excitation field is generated in the flux concentrators (11,12) of a Hall effect device, including a Hall element (13), by passing an a.c. current through a coil (14). This alternating field serves to drive the flux concentrators into and out of saturation. In the presence of a d.c. magnetic field and when a Hall current is applied to the Hall element, a second harmonic component is generated in the output voltage of the Hall element (13); the amplitude of the second harmonic component providing a measure of the d.c. magnetic field. In an alternative arrangement (FIG. 4) the flux concentrator means is in loop form rather than in a flat configuration as in FIG. 3.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.