Patents Assigned to KYOCERA AVX Components (Werne), GmbH
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Patent number: 11921251Abstract: Inductive position sensors for sensing relative position (e.g., relative rotary position) between members are provided. In one example implementation, the inductive position sensor includes a transmit aerial having at least one transmit winding. The inductive position sensor can include a receive aerial having one or more receive windings. The inductive position sensor can include a coupling element operable to be disposed on the second member. The inductive position sensor can include processing circuitry configured to provide one or more signals indicative of the position of the first member relative to the second member based on current induced in the one or more receive windings resulting from an oscillating signal provided to the transmit winding. The inductive position sensor includes at least one electrostatic shield. The electrostatic shield can include a plurality of conductive traces arranged so that no current loops are formed in the electrostatic shield.Type: GrantFiled: January 13, 2023Date of Patent: March 5, 2024Assignee: KYOCERA AVX Components (Werne) GmbHInventors: David Witts, Peter Constantinou, Paul Smith
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Patent number: 11860203Abstract: A dual channel differential can include a first channel, the first channel configured to produce a first component signal, and a second channel that is independent from the first channel, the second channel configured to produce a second component signal. The sensor can include a sensing circuit configured to obtain the first component signal and the second component signal, the first component signal having a first polarity and the second component signal having a second polarity, the second polarity opposing the first polarity, determine a first cross-channel differential signal based at least in part on the first component signal and the second component signal, and provide the first cross-channel differential signal as a first output of the dual channel differential sensor.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2021Date of Patent: January 2, 2024Assignee: Kyocera AVX Components (Werne) GmbHInventors: Rafael Giolbas, Marius Gloger, David Witts
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Patent number: 11772629Abstract: A system for sensing a position of a first member relative to a second member based on a radio frequency characteristic of a bias member is disclosed. The bias member may be configured to bias the second member relative to the first member. Radio frequency circuitry may be configured to apply a radio frequency signal to the bias member and provide one or more signals indicative of a position of the first member relative to the second member based on a radio frequency characteristic of the bias member.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 2021Date of Patent: October 3, 2023Assignee: KYOCERA AVX COMPONENTS (WERNE) GMBHInventors: David Witts, Olivier Pajona, Markus Frädrich, Stefan Ruhl, Stephane Proust, Jaakko Kyllonen, Jonathan Hayes
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Patent number: 11703359Abstract: An inductive position sensor may be configured to detect relative position between a first member and a second member. The inductive position sensor may include an inductive sensor element configured to be coupled to the first member and a screening layer formed over a screened portion of a member surface of the second member such that an exposed portion of the member surface is free of the screening layer. The screening layer may be configured to reduce an effect on induced signals in the inductive sensor element caused by the screened portion of the second member.Type: GrantFiled: May 7, 2020Date of Patent: July 18, 2023Assignee: Kyocera AVX Components (Werne) GmbHInventors: Paul Smith, Robert Wood, John Simm, Timothy Biggs
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Patent number: 11698275Abstract: In one example implementation, a rotary position sensor can include a first member and a second member, one of the first and second members having a transmit aerial and a receive aerial and the other of the first and second members having an intermediate coupling element. The receive aerial has at least one receive conductive winding arranged to form a first set of current loops and a second set of current loops. The intermediate coupling element comprises a conductive material arranged in a pattern. The pattern of the intermediate coupling element and the layout of the first and second set of current loops are mutually arranged such that any electromotive force induced in the first set of current loops by a background magnetic field is substantially balanced by an electromotive force induced in the second set of current loops by the background magnetic field.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 2018Date of Patent: July 11, 2023Assignee: KYOCERA AVX Components (Werne) GmbHInventors: David Witts, Timothy Biggs, Paul Smith, Peter Constantinou
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Patent number: 11692887Abstract: A torque sensor can be configured to detect the positions of rotor targets relative to the position of respective receiver structures. A torque sensor can include an oscillator circuit coupled to an excitation coil. The oscillator circuit can be configured to generate a periodic voltage signal and energize the excitation coil with the periodic voltage signal. The inductive torque sensor can include a stator circuit board including receivers with receiver structures that are periodically repeated. The inductive torque sensor can include rotor targets coupled to respective rotors, the rotor targets can be configured to affect the strength of the inductive coupling between the excitation coil and the respective receivers. The inductive torque sensor can include processing circuitry configured to provide signals associated with positions of the rotor targets relative to their respective receiver structures.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2020Date of Patent: July 4, 2023Assignee: KYOCERA AVX Components (Werne) GmbHInventors: David Witts, Paul Smith
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Patent number: 11692852Abstract: A position sensor is provided. The position sensor includes a target and a segment sensor element. The segment sensor element defines a circumferential direction and a radial direction. The segment sensor element includes a transmit coil. The segment sensor element includes a plurality of receive coils positioned within a space defined by the transmit coil. The plurality of receive coils are offset relative to one another. The shape of each of the plurality of receive coils corresponds to a periodic waveform having a radial width that varies along the circumferential direction. Furthermore, the shape of at least one receive coil of the plurality of receive coils is distorted along at least one of the radial direction or the circumferential direction.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2020Date of Patent: July 4, 2023Assignee: KYOCERA AVX COMPONENTS (WERNE) GMBHInventors: Timothy Biggs, David Witts
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Patent number: 11611140Abstract: A liquid level sensor system can include a container configured to hold a volume of a liquid and a monopole antenna arranged proximate the volume of the liquid. A radiofrequency circuit may be configured to apply a radio frequency signal to the monopole antenna and provide one or more signals indicative of a level of the volume of the liquid within the container based on a radio frequency characteristic of the monopole antenna.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2020Date of Patent: March 21, 2023Assignee: KYOCERA AVX COMPONENTS (WERNE) GMBHInventors: David Witts, Olivier Pajona, Markus Frädrich, Stefan Rühl, Stephane Proust, Jaakko Kyllonen, Jonathan Hayes
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Patent number: 11555940Abstract: Inductive position sensors for sensing relative position (e.g., relative rotary position) between members are provided. In one example implementation, the inductive position sensor includes a transmit aerial having at least one transmit winding. The inductive position sensor can include a receive aerial having one or more receive windings. The inductive position sensor can include a coupling element operable to be disposed on the second member. The inductive position sensor can include processing circuitry configured to provide one or more signals indicative of the position of the first member relative to the second member based on current induced in the one or more receive windings resulting from an oscillating signal provided to the transmit winding. The inductive position sensor includes at least one electrostatic shield. The electrostatic shield can include a plurality of conductive traces arranged so that no current loops are formed in the electrostatic shield.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 2019Date of Patent: January 17, 2023Assignee: KYOCERA AVX COMPONENTS (WERNE), GMBHInventors: David Witts, Peter Constantinou, Paul Smith
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Patent number: 11460326Abstract: An inductive position sensor may be configured to detect relative position between a first member and a second member. The inductive position sensor may include a transmit aerial configured to be disposed on the first member. The inductive position sensor may include a receive aerial configured to be disposed on the first member. The inductive position sensor may include processing circuitry configured to provide one or more signals indicative of the relative position between the first member and the second member based on a receive signal induced in the receive aerial resulting from a signal provided to the transmit aerial. One or more of the transmit aerial and the receive aerial may include one or more windings. A shape of the one or more windings can be a combination of a sinusoidal waveform and one or more scaled harmonics of the sinusoidal waveform.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 2020Date of Patent: October 4, 2022Assignee: KYOCERA AVX Components (Werne), GmbHInventors: Paul Smith, David Witts