Abstract: There is described a position sensor comprising at least one planar substrate having formed thereon a magnetic field generator which comprises conductive tracks formed on at least two planes defined by the at least one planar substrate. An intermediate coupling element is operable to move relative to the at least one planar substrate along a measurement direction transverse to the planar substrate, the detector detects the position of the intermediate coupling element in a magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generator. The position sensor has particular application in man-machine interfaces such as push buttons and rotary switches.

Abstract: A combination magnetic tag (10) is described comprising an optical part (20) and a magnetic part (30), the optical part including a plurality of optical elements for conveying an optical code and the magnetic part including a plurality of magnetic elements for conveying a magnetic code, the optical and magnetic codes being mutually complementary for verifying authenticity of the tag (10). Incorporation of both optical and magnetic codes into the tag is of advantage in that they are capable of rendering the tag less susceptible to copying. The tag (10) is relevant to appropriate to anti-counterfeiting applications.

Abstract: There is described a programmable tag susceptible to magnetic interrogation using an interrogating magnetic field, the tag comprising: (a) a plurality of saturable magnetic structures (310) for non-linearly coupling the interrogating magnetic field into a corresponding response magnetic field; (b) reversibly programmable magnetic regions (330) for applying offset magnetic fields to the magnetic structures for modifying their non-linear coupling characteristics. The tag is susceptible to being mass-produced from a continuous strand of tag material severed to produce individual tags. The tag is of advantage in that it can be reversibly programmed. There is also described a method of recording data on the tag, the method including the steps of: (c) bringing the tag in close proximity to a recording apparatus; and (d) applying a magnetising magnetic field to each of the magnetic regions (330) for modifying a magnetic field retained therein to which its associated saturable structure is subjected.

Abstract: A combination magnetic tag (10) is described comprising an optical part (20) and a magnetic part (30), the optical past including a plurality of optical elements for conveying an optical code and the magnetic part including a plurality of magnetic elements for conveying a magnetic code, the optical and magnetic codes being mutually complementary for verifying authenticity of the tag (10). Incorporation of both optical and magnetic codes into the tag is of advantage in that they are capable of rendering the tag less susceptible to copying. The tag (10) is relevant to appropriate to anti-counterfeiting applications.