Abstract: Valve systems include at least one component comprising a conductive material and at least one inductance-to-digital converter (LDC) sensor configured to wirelessly sense at least one property of the conductive material and relay a value associated with the at least one property to a control system of the valve system. Methods of sensing a position of a component of a valve system include wirelessly sensing at least one property of a conductive material of the component of the valve system with at least one inductance-to-digital converter (LDC) sensor.

Abstract: An optical system for wireless data communication between the sensor electronics on a rotary shaft and the fixed data processor is disclosed. A first ring carrying IR LEDs is mounted to rotate with the shaft. A second ring carrying a photodetector is mounted adjacent to the first ring but does not rotate with the shaft. In the disclosed embodiment, both rings have LEDs and a photodetector so data and/or information can be transferred both to and from the shaft.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a production apparatus of display device, and provides a substrate carrying device and a substrate regularity detecting method. The carrying device comprises: a carrying platform; a support frame; a signal transmitter; a signal receiver and a control device. The benefits of the invention are that by means of adopting the signal detecting device and the control device to detect the regularity of the substrates placed in the substrate carrying device, the detection of the placement of the substrates is realized, when some problems occurs, the operators can realize in time, the happening of bump damage to the substrates in the following process when taking out is avoided, and the safety of the substrates is increased.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an optical encoder for an electronic device. The optical encoder comprises an elongated shaft and a plurality of markings axially disposed around a circumference of the elongated shaft. The optical encoder also includes an optical sensor. In embodiments, the optical sensor includes an emitter and an array of photodiodes. The emitter and the array of photodiodes may be radially aligned with respect to the elongated shaft or axially aligned with respect to the shaft.

Abstract: An encoder includes a first rotator connectable to a rotating shaft and including a first pattern, and a first detection unit positioned at a non-rotatory member and configured to detect the first pattern. The encoder also includes a second rotator connectable to an output shaft that is rotatable around a predetermined axis and is configured to output rotation caused by the rotating shaft. The encoder also includes a second detection unit positioned at the non-rotatory member and configured to detect the second pattern, and a reference unit configured to position the first detection unit and the second detection unit by a common position reference.

Abstract: The invention relates to an angular encoder (10) for monitoring the angular position of a rotating shaft (32), with a modulator (34) which can be positioned on the rotating shaft in order to provide a signal which changes as a function of the angular position of the rotating shaft (32), and with a receiver (22) for the reception of the signal which changes as a function of the angular position of the rotating shaft (32), in which the receiver (22) and the modulator (34) are positioned in such a way as to be thermally insulated from each other, so that the transfer of heat from the modulator (34) to the receiver (22) is impeded, while thermal insulation is achieved at least in part by a thermally insulating separator (35), which is positioned between the modulator (34), on the one hand, and the transmitter (21) and/or the receiver (22), on the other hand. The invention further relates to a drive system (100) with an angular encoder (110) of the type described.

Abstract: A method of controlling a vehicle includes detecting vibration in a drivetrain of the vehicle with a fore/aft accelerometer during a launch event. An operating regime of the vehicle is identified concurrently with the detected vibration when the detected vibration is outside a predefined allowable range. A control strategy of the drivetrain is adjusted to define a revised control strategy to avoid the identified operating regime. The revised control strategy is applied to control the drivetrain to mitigate vibration in the drivetrain.

Abstract: Provided herein is an encoder including a position detecting device provided with a gear mechanism and an optical encoder device. A housing includes a bearing holder provided between a first housing portion and a second housing portion of the housing. The bearing holder serves as a partition wall portion configured to separate the gear mechanism from the optical encoder device. If the gear mechanism is separated from the optical encoder device, abrasion powder or grease can be reliably prevented from scattering from the gear mechanism to adhere to constituent parts of the optical encoder device.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments of circuitry and methods for generating interpolated signals in an optical encoder. The optical encoder configurations and circuitry disclosed herein permit very high resolution reflective optical encoders in small packages to be provided. Methods of making and using such optical encoders are also disclosed. According to one embodiment, the interpolated signals are generated through the use of signal generation circuitry, peak voltage generation circuitry, reference voltage generation circuitry, slope detection circuitry, and a clocked comparator that is configured to output interpolated output pulses.

Abstract: A position-measuring device for measuring linear and/or angular positions includes a first measuring standard that has a first code track, with the aid of which consecutive position regions are cyclically measurable, and at least two multiturn code disks having second code tracks, via whose angular positions the currently measured position region of the first code track may be determined. The first measuring standard and the multiturn code disks are positioned such that the first code track and the second code tracks are scannable by a common scanning unit, through a first scanning window and second scanning windows, respectively.

Abstract: An encoder detects a relative displacement between an encoder scale and an encoder head. The encoder head incorporates a light source, a light-receiving element to receive light from the light source via the encoder scale, and a signal-processing circuit to process an electrical signal from the light-receiving element. The encoder has a signal detection unit, a signal discrimination unit, and a switching unit. The signal detection unit is activated selectively in accordance with setting. When activated, the signal detection unit detects one or more signals having an almost sinusoidal waveform from the encoder head. The signal discrimination unit is activated selectively in accordance with setting. When activated, the signal discrimination unit determines the waveform of one or more signals having an almost sinusoidal waveform from the signal detection unit. The switching unit switches the current to be supplied to the light source to one of various magnitudes.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for suppressing loss of scale image contrast due to interference effects from optical path length differences, including lens profile aberrations, are provided in a displacement sensing optical encoder that uses a telecentric imaging configuration. According to the invention, the encoder is configured such that the image light that reaches the detector comprises symmetric ray bundles concentrated symmetrically on opposite sides of the optical axis center at the limiting aperture of the telecentric imaging configuration. Central ray bundles, and/or other ray bundles that have an optical path lengths significantly different than the operational symmetric ray bundles are prevented or blocked. As a result destructive interference is prevented and image contrast is improved.

Abstract: A multiturn rotary encoder includes: a single-turn unit, including a code carrier and a single-turn evaluation unit for processing single-turn position signals to form a single-turn code word; a first multiturn unit, including at least one first multiturn code carrier and a first multiturn evaluation unit for processing first multiturn position signals to form a first multiturn code word that indicates the number of revolutions covered by input shaft; and a second multiturn unit, including at least one second multiturn code carrier and a second multiturn evaluation unit for processing second multiturn position signals to form a second multiturn code word that likewise indicates the number of revolutions covered by the input shaft. The functioning of the multiturn units is ascertainable by the multiturn code words generated independently of each other.

Abstract: An apparatus for monitoring the consumption of fluid by a user, particularly fluids being drank from a container. The apparatus may be used with wide variety of container types. The fluid monitoring unit uses a pair of gears in rotational engagement with each other such that fluid passes around them and rotation of at least one gear is indicative of fluid consumption. The gears in at least one exemplary embodiment are arranged to have low frictional resistance with respect to each other and their respective axles such that the gears quickly and easily rotate and over a wide fluid flow range. This allows the apparatus to accurately and consistently monitor fluid flow from very low flow rates to high flow rates and therefore provide very reliable consumption information. The apparatus in one exemplary embodiment includes an electromagnetic drinking straw embodiment that allows a user to monitor the consumption of fluids from virtually any container type.

Abstract: An encoder having a code scale, an illumination system, and a plurality of photodetectors is disclosed. The code scale has a plurality of tracks that are illuminated by the illumination system. Each photodetector receives light from a corresponding one of the tracks and generates a signal indicative of a quantity of light received from that track. Each photodetector is limited to detecting light in a band of wavelengths corresponding to that track. Each track generates light in a band of wavelengths corresponding to that track, and the band of wavelengths corresponding to one of the tracks is different from the band of wavelengths corresponding to the tracks that are next to that track. The tracks can include alternating reflective and absorptive stripes, alternating transmissive and reflective stripes, or alternating luminescent and absorptive stripes.

Abstract: The invention relates to an information carrier (10), having a metal layer (40) with at least one track (14) in which marks (20) are disposed, which can be detected by means of light of a central wavelength (?) which is emitted by a light source (30) and which is incident upon the information carrier (10) at an angle (?i), and from which the position of the information carrier (10) can be derived, wherein the marks (20) are formed by areas (25) which are structured at least by first structures (22) of a lattice period (?) which are disposed on the back side (40b) of the metal layer (40) and/or on the front side (40a) of the metal layer (40), and wherein the lattice period (?) of the first structures (22) satisfies the equation ?=?/(np*?sin(?i)) or ?=?/(np*+sin(?i)), wherein ? is the central wavelength of the used light, ?i is the angle at which the light of the light source (30) is incident upon the information carrier (10) and np* is the effective index of a plasmon mode along the metal layer (40).

Abstract: A rotary encoder using built-in self test ability with redundant and fault tolerant position sensing. Wherein the rotary encoder is used with a variety of rotary equipment including a valve actuator including the generation of speed data (1). The use for diagnosing valve actuator problem and other rotary equipment includes the frequency analysis performed upon speed or position or torque or thrust or vibration data including the speed or position data of the valve provided by the rotary encoder.

Abstract: A reflective optical encoder for a gear train. The reflective optical encoder includes a gear train with a plurality of gears. Each of the gears is operably coupled to at least one other gear of the plurality of gears. A reflective code pattern is accessible on a surface of at least one of the gears. A reflective optical sensor detects light reflected by the reflective code pattern. Position logic coupled to the optical sensor determines a rotational parameter of the gear train based on the light reflected by the reflective code pattern. Additionally, the position logic may determine rotational parameter of a pinion coupled to the gear train based on the rotational parameter of the gear train.

Abstract: A position-measuring device for measuring linear and/or angular positions includes at least two measuring standards on which at least one code track is applied, and includes a scanning unit for scanning the code tracks. The measuring standards are positioned with respect to each other such that at least one code track of a first measuring standard and at least one code track of a second measuring standard at least partially overlap and the position information of at least one of the code tracks is scannable by the scanning unit in the region of overlap.

Abstract: An encoder device includes first through fourth photodiodes each having a rhombus shape and a length of X1 in an X direction, the photodiodes being disposed adjacent to each other in the X direction such that a line passing through a pair of opposing vertices of the rhombus shape of each of the photodiodes is parallel to an X axis; a slit member that includes light transmitting sections and light shielding sections alternately arranged, and is movable in the X direction, each of the light transmitting and shielding sections having a length of 2×X1 in the X direction; and a logic circuit that generates first and second detection signals from output signals of the photodiodes that have received lights passing through the light transmitting sections, a phase of the second detection signal being shifted by a ¼ period of the first detection signal relative to the first detection signal.

Abstract: An optical encoder includes an incoherent light source; a first grating, which is an amplitude grating having a first grating period, for spatial amplitude modulation of the incoherent light from the light source; a second grating, which is a phase grating having a second grating period, for spatial phase modulation of light from the first grating; a third grating, which is an amplitude grating having a third grating period, for spatial amplitude modulation of light from the second grating; and a light detecting element for detecting light from the third grating. The encoder detects relative displacement between the respective gratings. The optical transfer function from the light source to the light detecting element is enhanced, and the efficiency in utilizing light is improved.

Abstract: A rotation angle detector is provided with a spring to thrust a rotary body against protrusions formed on an inner wall of an opening via a detector body in a manner to keep the rotary body rotatable without any play in a linked motion with a steering shaft. As a result, the detector can detect rotation angles of the steering shaft with high accuracy.

Abstract: A method of providing input to an inspection system for inspecting material laid by a composite material placement machine. A placement machine component that drives a first encoder output is used to drive a second encoder output. The second encoder output is used to trigger image acquisition by the inspection system. Existing components can be used to provide encoding capability for a placement machine inspection system. Because encoder output signals for material placement and for material inspection are driven by the same component, material placement locations can be determined more precisely compared with other methods.

Abstract: A device for measuring the position, path, or rotational angle of an object exhibits a dimensional gauge that is connected to the object and that can be scanned. The dimensional gauge assigns measured values to the object's positional range, and these measured values repeat themselves cyclically in the object's successive positional ranges. The number of the completed measured value cycles is counted by an encoding unit with code disks (3, 4, 5), which exhibit an absolute angular encoding capability (34, 44, 54). The code disks (3, 4 or 4, 5) are arranged in succession and are coupled by a differential gear (21, 30, 40 or 22, 45, 50). The number of completed measured value cycles is determined from the reciprocal angular position of the code disks (3, 4, 5).

Abstract: First and second signal detecting element groups are respectively arranged to face first and second signal detecting tracks that are provided on a first code wheel. In addition, third and fourth signal detecting element groups are respectively arranged to face third and fourth signal detecting tracks that are provided on a second code wheel. A code string is output from the first and second signal detecting element groups to obtain a circular gray-code for detecting the rotation of the first code wheel within one revolution. Further, a code string is output from the third and fourth signal detecting element groups to obtain a circular gray-code for detecting the rotation of the first code wheel over one revolution.

Abstract: A rotary electric component includes a case for accommodating a rotary body having a cylindrical operation portion and for rotatably supporting the rotary body and a substrate having a rotation detecting means linked to the rotary body at a lower portion of the case. A guide groove whose distance from the center of rotation of the rotary body is continuously changed is formed in a bottom surface of the rotary body. The rotary detecting means of the substrate has a sliding portion fitted to the guide groove of the rotary body to slide according to the rotation of the rotary body, and outputs a signal according to a movement location of the sliding portion.

Abstract: The present invention provides a rotation detecting device having a small size, low manufacturing costs, and excellent quietness, and an automobile equipped with the rotation detecting device. The rotation detecting device comprises a non-rotating internal gear 2b concentrically arranged with the rotation center of a rotary body (a steering shaft), a planetary gear 4 that meshes with the internal gear 2b and that rotates and revolves on the inner circumference of the internal gear 2b with the rotation of the rotary body, a rotation transmitting member 6 that is concentrically arranged with the rotation center of the rotary body and that rotates on its own axis by the rotation of the planetary gear 4, a scale plate 7 provided in the rotation transmitting member 6, and a rotation angle detecting unit 11 arranged to face the scale plate 7 for detecting the rotation angle of one or more full rotations of the rotary body.

Abstract: An absolute measuring system for the determination of angles or paths is described. During normal operation the encoder of this system is fed by a voltage supply (mains). If the voltage supply fails the encoder is switched to an auxiliary power supply which uses less energy. In this operating mode the encoder only calculates a coarse value of the measured value which it stores in the memory. To maintain the auxiliary power supply a chargeable memory is provided which is assigned to the encoder.

Abstract: A rotation angle detecting device includes a housing which is constituted by a combination of a case and a cover; a resistance board; a code wheel; a slider rotating plate; a slider; a circuit board; signal detecting elements; and a gear which transmits the rotation of the code wheel at a predetermined speed reduction ratio to the slider rotating plate, which are enclosed in the housing. Circular pin insertion holes are formed in positions where the code wheel, the case, and the cover face each other, respectively. A pin insertion hole having a circular-arc shape is formed in the slider rotating plate.

Abstract: First and second targets, the numbers of which are coprime, are provided at a rotor. Two detecting means oppose each of the first and second targets to output detection signals having phases different from each other in accordance with each position of the targets as the rotor rotates. The rotational angle detecting apparatus has calculating means for executing a predetermined calculation based on each detection signal of the two detecting means and storage means for storing a relation between a result of calculation executed in advance by the calculating means and an electrical angle of a detection signal, obtains an electrical angle of each detection signal by referring to the storage means using a calculation result of the calculating means and detects a rotational angle of the rotor based on the obtained electrical angle. Consequently, no discontinuous portion forms in a detected steering angle signal and the differential signal thereof.

Abstract: A steering angle sensor assembly is for use with a vehicle having a rotatable steering mechanism. The assembly includes a first rotational indexing member operably couplable to the steering mechanism for rotation therewith. The steering mechanism and the first indexing member are each rotatable through a rotational range including a plurality of revolutions. The first indexing member defines a first rotational axis. A plurality of indexing elements are disposed on the first indexing member and circumscribe the first rotational axis. A first sensing device is positioned to sense the plurality of indexing elements as the first indexing member rotates. The first sensing device outputs a first signal representative of a rotational position of the first rotational indexing member within one of the revolutions. A second rotational indexing member defines a second rotational axis. A reduction gear mechanism operably couples the first and second indexing members.

Abstract: Three rotation sensors circumferentially arranged at 90 degree intervals in a disk code wheel attached to a motor's output shaft respectively output a signal corresponding the rotational speed of the wheel. An error component of one period (one-periodic component) or an error component of two period (two-periodic component) is generated per rotation when the code wheel is eccentric to the output shaft or is elliptically deformed, respectively. Control means averages the signals of the first and second sensors to obtain a first correction signal and subtracts the signal of the third sensor from the signal of the first sensor to obtain a second correction signal while removing the two-periodic component. The control means subtracts or adds the first correction signal relative to the second correction signal upon coinciding these signals in phase and amplitude to calculate a rotation measurement signal from which the periodic components are removed.

Abstract: An optical control device includes a drive member formed with a plurality of reflecting regions along a second track and movable along the second track for driving a driven member to move along a first track. An optical unit emits a light beam that is incident upon an aligned reflecting region, and receives a light beam that was reflected by the aligned reflecting region to generate an electrical output. A controller determines actual positions of the drive member on the second track and the driven member on the first track, and controls the drive member to move along the second track so as to dispose the driven member at a desired position on the first track.

Abstract: A gear-reduction device for measuring and transmitting the movements of a rotary object has a sequential arrangement of wheel/pinion pairs. Each wheel/pinion pair consists of a gear wheel and a pinion that are rigidly connected to a common gear axle. At least part of the gear wheels lie in different parallel planes that are inclined at an oblique angle in relation to the plane of rotation of the rotary object. The gear wheels are of equal diameter, and each of the pinions drives the next following gear wheel. The first wheel in the sequence of wheel/pinion pairs is driven by the rotary object, while the last of the pinions drives a swivel-mounted optical angle-measuring device.

Abstract: A timepiece includes a reference wheel and a target wheel each having one or more reflective members for reflecting a light generated from a light emitting device. The position of the reference wheel may be positively determined when receiving a starting code which includes one or more “off” signals and one or more “on” signals reflected by the reflective member of the reference wheel. The reference wheel may be quickly rotated to align an orifice with the light emitting device, for allowing the light to be reflected by the reflective member of the target wheel.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus for optoelectronically determining power for a moving machine element. The apparatus includes two parallel coding discs which are mounted on the machine element and each have grid lines or light windows distributed over their circumference. A light source is arranged on one side of the coding discs and has an associated light meter on the opposite side of the discs. The light source and the light meter are preferably of an annular design in order to transilluminate all the light windows to a largely uniform degree. A diffusion disc is arranged in the beam path between the light source and the coding discs and a light barrier is mounted outside the region of the light windows. At least one of the light windows on one of the coding discs is formed in the beam path of the light barrier and a translucent endless zone is formed on the other of the parallel coding discs.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for the multiple detection of optoelectronic signals, especially for detecting the positions of setting elements of flaps, slides, valves, etc. arranged in motor vehicles, to determine the steering angles for controlling driving dynamics, or to determine rotational angles or a linear movement converted into a rotational movement. At least two signal paths extend at an angle relative to one another, with one signal path extending substantially parallel to and under a clock disc and with the second signal path intersecting a sensor element perpendicularly through the clock disc. Signals in the first signal path are deflected by a reflector element underneath the clock disc in the direction towards the sensor element where the coincide with signals in the second signal path.

Abstract: A fast mechanical shutter, based on rotating chopper wheels, has been designed and implemented to shutter the entrance slit of a spectrograph. This device enables an exposure time of 9 &mgr;s to be achieved for a 0.8 mm wide spectrograph entrance slit, achieves 100% transmission in the open state, and an essentially infinite extinction ratio. The device further incorporates chopper wheel position sensing electronics to permit the synchronous triggering of a laser source.

Abstract: An optical encoder assembly reduces the space required to mount multiple thumbwheels on a control panel by utilizing wheels with integral encoder patterns. An encoder pattern comprising two tracks of reflective dots is attached to the side of each wheel. Two optical transceivers are mounted on a printed circuit board next to each wheel so that the pattern elements in each of the tracks move past one of the transceivers as the wheels rotate. The transceivers send electrical pulses to a microprocessor each time a dot passes a transceiver. The dots in the two tracks are offset circumferentially to provide a 90 degree phase shift between the tracks as the wheels rotate on a common shaft. The use of dots reduces blurring of the pulse signals. A chassis is mounted to the panel and supports the shaft, the printed circuit board, and a rubber dust shield which rubs against the wheels to provide braking action. The chassis, printed circuit board and dust shield all include slots through which the wheels rotate.

Abstract: A rotation detector has a simple structure and operates reliably to check quickly for erroneous installation as an encoder for detecting the rotation rate of a multi-rotation body that rotates for a finite number of revolutions of one revolution or more. A stator member is formed of a housing and a cover coupled together, and a detection window is formed on an outer peripheral wall of the housing. A rotor member is rotatably supported by the housing and the cover, and a rotary ring arranged concentrically with the center of rotation of the rotor member is housed in the stator member. Rotation of the rotor member is intermittently transmitted to the rotary ring via an intermediate gear. According to the variation of outputs from photointerrupters that turn on or off according to the rotation of the rotary ring, an absolute position of the rotor member is detected.

Abstract: An absolute-value encoder device for detecting a plurality of rotation quantities is disclosed. An A/B phase forming portion 610 forms an A-phase pulse signal and a B-phase pulse signal, based on light passing through a slit rotating together with a rotary shaft. One period of each of those pulse signals corresponds to one revolution of a rotary shaft. The A- and B-phase pulse signals are displaced in phase by 90° from each other. When an A/B-phase state detecting portion 640 detects a state change of each of those pulse signals, a clock forming portion 66 changes a frequency of a clock pulse signal to another frequency.

Abstract: A combined torque and angular position detector includes two disks rotatable about a common axis. Relative angular displacement of the disks results from torque applied thereto. Each disk has a number of regions of differing optical transmissivity and these control the transmission of optical radiation from a source to an array on which an image of the regions of the disks is formed. A data processor processes image intensity data and determines the angular positions of the disks and their relative displacement. Alternative arrangements are descried in which positional information is derived by providing one disk regions of intermediate transmissivity of width varying around one disk, by having the regions of lesser transmissivity of width varying around one disk or by arranging combinations of regions of several different widths around one disk.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for quantifying the amount of backlash in drive trains. Using two optical transducers techniques are disclosed that lend themselves to self diagnosis of backlash in drive train systems. The techniques are useful in autochanger drive systems, but are also applicable to all systems involving the driven motion of devices.

Abstract: A meter for measuring electricity usage for a given load includes a housing and two light sources disposed in the housing and configured to output light at a predetermined frequency. Two light receivers are disposed in the housing so that a light path is defined between each light source and its respective light receiver. Each light receiver is configured to receive the light from its light source and to output a signal responsively thereto. A rotatable member is disposed in the housing in the light paths and is rotatable responsively to the electricity usage. The member has a first portion and a second portion. The first portion transmits incident light while the second portion blocks light. The first portion and the second portion are defined on the member so that the member modulates the light as it rotates. A filter circuit in communication with the light receiver is configured to receive the output signal from the light receiver and to detect therefrom modulation of the light by the rotatable member.