Abstract: A relay failure detection circuit includes a first voltage acquiring section configured to acquire an AC voltage input to a power supply circuit and output the AC voltage as a first voltage signal, a second voltage acquiring section configured to acquire an inter-terminal voltage of a relay provided in the power supply circuit and output the inter-terminal voltage as a second voltage signal, a comparing section configured to compare a waveform of the first voltage signal and a waveform of the second voltage signal, and a determining section configured to determine a failure of the relay according to a result of the comparison.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for measuring the resistance of a shape memory alloy, SMA, wire. The apparatus comprises: an SMA wire; a sense resistor connected in series with the SMA wire; a measurement circuit configured to perform a measurement indicative of the potential difference across at least the SMA wire; and a measurement switch between the SMA wire and the sense resistor. The measurement switch is configured to connect either to the measurement circuit such that the measurement circuit can perform the measurement or to a circuit that bypasses the sense resistor.

Abstract: A developing device includes a developing rotator configured to rotate through a developing region while carrying a magnetic developer, a supply transport member configured to rotate to transport the developer to be supplied to the developing rotator, a non-magnetic movement assist member arranged between the developing rotator and the supply transport member, and having a slope that receives the developer from the supply transport member and moves the developer to the developing rotator, a first adjusting member having a facing surface that faces, with distances, the slope of the movement assist member and a surface of the developing rotator at a part passing over the movement assist member, and configured to adjust a movement amount of the developer from the movement assist member to the developing rotator and a carrying amount of the developer on the surface of the developing rotator, and a second adjusting member having a distance from the surface of the developing rotator at a part passing over the first

Abstract: A developing device includes a transporting member that transports a developer in an axial direction while rotating, a developing unit that hands over the developer to an image holder, on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, while rotating, and develops the electrostatic latent image, a pumping unit that has a rotation member rotating in a circumferential direction, pumps the developer transported by the transporting member with a magnetic force, and supplies the pumped developer to the developing unit by releasing the developer in a tangential direction of the rotating rotation member, and a changing unit that changes a flowing direction of the developer, which is released in the tangential direction of the rotating rotation member and is to be supplied to the developing unit.

Abstract: An accelerator position sensor according to the present invention is held inside a throttle grip of a vehicle rotationally operated by a driver. The accelerator position sensor includes: a magnet extended along a rotation axis of the throttle grip and configured to rotate in conjunction with the throttle grip; a magnetic detection unit arranged so as to face a predetermined face of the magnet; and a magnetic body arranged so as to face another face that is different from the predetermined face of the magnet. On the predetermined face and the other face of the magnet, respectively, mutually different numbers of magnetic poles are magnetized along a rotation direction of the magnet.

Abstract: A position detection system for detecting a movement of a machine includes a first and a second position sensor and an evaluation device. The first position sensor is configured to detect a change in a first magnetic field generated by the movement of the machine. The second position sensor is configured to detect a change in a second magnetic field, which differs from the first magnetic field and is generated by the movement of the machine. A detection result from the second position sensor has a lower resolution of a position of an element of the machine to be determined than a detection result from the first position sensor. The evaluation device is configured to evaluate the detection result from the first position sensor and/or the detection result from the second position sensor to determine the position of the element of the machine.

Abstract: An electromagnetic inductive encoder that can suppress the effect of changes in magnetic flux received by the receiver section and maintain the accuracy of measurement results is provided. The electromagnetic inductive encoder 1 includes a scale 2 and a head 3 that is provided to face the scale 2 and moves relative to the scale 2. The head 3 includes a transmitter section 4 and a receiver section 5 with a plurality of receiving coils 500. The receiver section 5 has a first receiver section 51 with at least one receiving coil 500, a second receiver section 52 that is provided apart from the first receiver section 51 and has at least one receiving coil 500 different from the first receiver section 51, and connection wiring 53 that connects the first receiver section 51 and second receiver section 52.

Abstract: A position encoder arrangement is configured to detect the position of a movable source based on a source field, which is a magnetic field or an electric field, emitted by the source. The position encoder arrangement includes a number of sensor elements that are evenly distributed and each is configured to provide a sensor value based on the source field at the sensor element's location. The arrangement further includes an evaluation unit that is configured to determine a fine position value for the position of the movable source, and to determine from the sensor values a trustworthiness of the fine position value and/or an error flag indicating whether a failure status of the position encoder arrangement is present.

Abstract: Provided is a method for designing a magnetic gradiometer based on the combined influence of multiple influencing parameters. The method takes into consideration of synergetic interaction of the influencing parameters on the performance of a magnetic gradiometer. It analyzes detection errors within the entire zone of all possible directions and attitudes of a magnetic target under the influence of various influencing parameters, uses the detection accuracy and detection success rate to measure the performance of the magnetic gradiometer accurately and objectively, and finally obtains the influence rule of the influencing parameters on the performance of the magnetic gradiometer. Based on the knowledge of the combined influence of multiple influencing parameters, the magnetic gradiometer can be designed to have high detection accuracy and success rate and high cost-efficiency.

Abstract: A stored object detection device includes: a radar sensor which emits a radio wave and detects a reflected wave; a reflector which reflects the radio wave emitted from the radar sensor; and a detection target object storage amount detector which detects a storage amount of a detection target object in a container, based on a reflected wave of the radio wave that has been reflected on the container containing the detection target object, a reflected wave of the radio wave that has passed through the container and has been reflected on the detection target object, and a reflected wave of the radio wave that has passed through the container and has been reflected on the reflector.

Abstract: A rotation angle measurement system for detecting a shaft rotation. The rotational angle measurement system includes a rotor unit, a stationary stator unit, and a multi-turn sensor unit. The rotor unit is connected to the shaft to rotate therewith. The rotor unit radially surrounds the shaft and has at least one sensor magnet. The multi-turn sensor unit is arranged on the stationary stator unit spaced radially apart from the shaft. The multi-turn sensor unit interacts with the at least one sensor magnet to detect shaft revolutions. The multi-turn sensor unit includes a Wiegand sensor, at least one Hall sensor, an evaluation unit electrically connected to the Wiegand sensor and to the at least one Hall sensor, and a separate sensor unit circuit board which is fastened to the stationary stator unit and on which the Wiegand sensor, the at least one Hall sensor, and the evaluation unit are each arranged.

Abstract: A system includes a multiturn counter that can store a magnetic state associated with a number of accumulated turns of a magnetic field. The multiturn counter includes a plurality of magnetoresistive elements electrically coupled in series with each other and a reference element. The plurality of magnetoresistive elements are formed in a magnetic strip. The reference element is separate from the magnetic strip. A strip width of the magnetic strip and a strip width of the reference element are similar. The plurality of magnetoresistive elements and the reference element can be coupled to a matrix of electrical connections.

Abstract: A measurement device to automatically measure an electrical characteristic of a component is mounted on a mounter for mounting a component on a circuit board. The measurement device includes a main body, a loading stand on which a component is placed, a pair of measuring elements provided in such a manner as to move towards and away from each other, and a loading stand moving device for moving the loading stand. The loading stand moving device includes a guide rail provided on the main body, and the loading stand is held movably onto the guide rail. This configuration enables an electrical charge stored in a component held onto the loading stand and an electrical charge stored in the loading stand to be removed well by way of the guide rail and the main body. As a result, an electrical characteristic held by the component can be measured stably.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide a vehicle door switch that is capable of adjusting the amount of movement made by a rod with ease and a method for attaching a vehicle door switch. A vehicle door switch includes a rod configured to move as a door is closed, a detecting unit configured to output a detection signal when one of ends of the rod has moved by a predetermined distance or more, and a limiting unit configured to limit the amount of movement made by the rod within a range where the detecting unit outputs the detection signal.

Abstract: Disclosed is a magnetic encoder, a method and system for detecting an absolute electrical angle, and a readable storage medium. The magnetic encoder includes a magnetoresistance sensor, a magnetic field auxiliary coil and a coil current control circuit electrically connected with the magnetic field auxiliary coil, the magnetoresistance sensor being a planar component, the coil current control circuit being configured to supply current to the magnetic field auxiliary coil, to allow the magnetic field auxiliary coil to generate an auxiliary magnetic field, the auxiliary magnetic field influencing the magnetic field component in the first direction and the magnetic field component in the second direction, forming a resultant magnetic field, and the magnetoresistance sensor being configured to detect the resultant magnetic field and the component of the 2-dimension magnetic field generated by the magnet.

Abstract: A position detection device includes a magnet that generates a magnetic field to be detected, and a magnetic sensor. The magnetic sensor detects the magnetic field to be detected and generates a detection value corresponding to the position of the magnet. The magnetic field to be detected has a first direction that changes within a first plane, at a reference position in the first plane. The magnetic sensor includes four MR elements. Each of the MR elements includes a first magnetic layer having first magnetization that can change in direction within a second plane corresponding to the each of the MR elements. The first plane and the second plane intersect at a dihedral angle ? other than 90°. A detection value depends on the direction of the first magnetization.

Abstract: An electromagnetic induction type encoder includes a detection head and a scale. The detection head has a first transceiver coil to generate magnetic flux with respect to a first track and a second transceiver coil to generate magnetic flux with respect to a second track. The scale has a first plurality of periodical elements with respect to the first track and a second plurality of periodical elements with respect to the second track. The detection head has a receiver coil that continuously extends from the first track to the second track, is electromagnetically coupled with the magnetic flux generated by the first plurality of periodical elements and the magnetic flux generated by the second plurality of periodical elements, and detects a phase of the magnetic flux generated by the first plurality of periodical elements and a phase of the magnetic flux generated by the second plurality of periodical elements.

Abstract: A configurable AC/DC readout architecture that can be operated in an AC measurement mode or a DC measurement mode is disclosed. The configurable AC/DC architecture can utilize shared circuitry such as amplifiers and analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). The configurable AC/DC readout can be used other sensor configurations where both AC and DC measurement signals can captured and require readout and conversion to digital signals. The configurable AC/DC readout architecture can include a filter configured to filter out a DC signal component in the AC measurement mode. The configurable AC/DC readout architecture can include a bypass witch to bypass the filter in the DC measurement mode. A programmable gain amplifier can adjust the signal amplitude of DC or AC signals to allow use of a shared analog-to-digital converter.

Abstract: A rotation angle detection apparatus includes a driving gear, two driven gears, two sensors, and an arithmetic circuit. The two driven gears have different numbers of teeth and each are in mesh with the driving gear. The arithmetic circuit is configured to compute a rotation angle of the driving gear based on the rotation angles of the two driven gears, detected through the two sensors. The arithmetic circuit is configured to, when a relationship between the rotation angles of the two driven gears, detected through the two sensors, is different from the relationship when the rotation angle of the driving gear, computed by the arithmetic circuit, is normal, detect an abnormality in the rotation angle of the driving gear, computed by the arithmetic circuit.

Abstract: Provided is a magnetic sensor circuit and includes: a magnetic sensor outputting a first sensor signal based on a magnetic flux density in a first direction; a magnetic sensor outputting a second sensor signal based on a magnetic flux density in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction; a signal processing circuit respectively obtaining a first detection signal and a second detection signal which transition between low and high levels based on the first magnetic sensor signal and the second magnetic sensor signal; a driver outputting a first output voltage based on the first detection signal; a driver outputting a second output voltage based on the second detection signal; and a voltage monitoring circuit generating mode signals whose signal levels transition based on transitions of voltage levels of the first output voltage and the second output voltage input thereto.