US 12,276,711 B2
Sensor systems, method for determining a position of a magnet system, an operating unit, and a computer program
Michael Ortner, Villach (AT); Benjamin Kollmitzer, Pörtschach (AT); and Mario Motz, Wernberg (AT)
Assigned to Infineon Technologies AG, Neubiberg (DE)
Filed by Infineon Technologies AG, Neubiberg (DE)
Filed on Apr. 12, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/718,704.
Claims priority of application No. 102021109859.9 (DE), filed on Apr. 19, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0342008 A1, Oct. 27, 2022
Int. Cl. G01R 33/00 (2006.01); G01R 33/04 (2006.01); G01R 33/07 (2006.01); G06F 3/0338 (2013.01)
CPC G01R 33/0094 (2013.01) [G01R 33/0029 (2013.01); G01R 33/04 (2013.01); G01R 33/07 (2013.01); G06F 3/0338 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A sensor system for use in a control lever or a control stick, comprising:
a magnet system configured to generate a magnetic field;
a first magnetic field sensor that is movable in a first direction relative to the magnet system and has a first distance from the magnet system in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction,
wherein the first magnetic field sensor comprises a first plurality of sensor elements of the same sensitivity in a first axis direction and a second plurality of sensor elements of the same sensitivity in a second axis direction;
a second magnetic field sensor that is movable in the first direction relative to the magnet system and has a second distance from the magnet system in the second direction, the second distance being greater than the first distance,
wherein the second magnetic field sensor comprises a third plurality of sensor elements of the same sensitivity in the first axis direction and a fourth plurality of sensor elements of the same sensitivity in the second axis direction,
wherein the first magnetic field sensor and the second magnetic field sensor are movable along a trajectory that is associated with a circular path around the magnet system at the first distance and at the second distance respectively; and
a signal processing circuit configured to:
determine a difference between a first signal associated with the first magnetic field sensor and a second signal associated with the second magnetic field sensor; and
determine, based on the difference, a relative position between the first magnetic field sensor and the magnet system.