A man-machine interface is provided for a domestic appliance in which remotely sensed buttons, slider bars, marker pucks and a knob are used. The sensing coils for remotely sensing the positions of the buttons, slider bars, marker pucks and the knob are formed on a printed circuit board which is located behind a sealed surface such that there is no risk of contaminants accessing the printed circuit board.

Man-machine interface

At least one time-varying signal is applied to a plurality of coil elements in cooperative relationship with and spanning different portions of a vehicle. The coil elements generate an associated plurality of magnetic field components that interact with the vehicle. At least one detection circuit generates a detected signal responsive to signal components from the coil elements so as to provide for detecting a change in a magnetic condition of the vehicle.

Magnetic crash sensor

The invention relates to an arrangement for sensing ambient conditions in electric equipment. These conditions may include verification of the user, the location of the equipment and various properties of the environment. The invention is preferably applied in mobile terminals. One idea of the invention is to provide a sensor arrangement with a substrate (663) that forms at least part of a sensor, and also serves as a substrate for other sensors (695-698). The substrate is preferably flexible so that it can be formed in a shape which is follows the shape of the device cover. The invention also describes a way to create two- or three-dimensional electrode structures that can be used to optimize the performance of the sensor. When the surface structure is designed to follow the shape of a finger, a very small pressure is required when sliding the finger along the sensor surface. This way the use of the sensor is ergonomic and the measurement is made very reliable.

Improved sensing arrangement

Methods and apparatus for detecting a magnetic field include a semiconductor substrate (20), a coil (18) configured to provide a changing magnetic field in response to a changing current in the coil; and a magnetic field sensing element (16) supported by the substrate. The coil receives the changing current and, in response, generates a changing magnetic field. The magnetic field sensing element detects the presence of a magnetic target (12) by detecting changes to the magnetic field caused by the target and comparing them to an expected value.

Methods and apparatus for magnetic sensor producing a changing magnetic field

A magnetic field sensor has a plurality of magnetic field sensing elements and operates as a motion detector for sensing a rotation or other movement of a target object.

Magnetic field sensor providing a movement detector

This micromachined inductive sensor is used to detect, without contact and through the intermediary of a radiated alternating magnetic field, the position and/or the movement of an object capable of modifying this magnetic field and including for this purpose at least one discontinuity. The sensor comprises a planar transmitter coil for transmitting the alternating magnetic field and planar receiver coils located so as to sense a determined portion of said field and the variations of this magnetic portion sensed due to the discontinuity of the object. The coils are disposed on a common substrate and obtained by selective photolithography operations. According to the invention, in the areas of the substrate in which the transmitter coil is contiguous with a receiver coil, there is provided at least one shielding band electrically independent of the coils and connected to a reference potential. The shielding band is formed from a metallization layer deposited on the substrate.

Micromachined inductive sensor having capacitively decoupled coils

Micro-machined inductive sensor emits an alternating magnetic field in order to detect position and or movement of an object (O), which is capable of modifying the magnetic field, by means of a discontinuity (D,C). The sensor comprises a planar emitting coil (10), which radiates the alternating magnetic field and one or more planar receiving magnetic coils (11-14), arranged in such a manner as to capture a certain part of the radiating field and variations in the field caused by discontinuities in the object (O). The coils are machined on the common substrate by a selective photolithography process. In the areas where the emitter coil (10) is contiguous with the receiver coils (11-14) a shielding strip galvanically independent of the coils (10-14) is connected to a reference potential. The shielding strip is formed by deposition of a metal skin on the substrate.

Micro-machined sensor, particularly for displacement

Ce capteur inductif micro-usine permet, sans contact et par l'intermediaire d'un champ magnetique alternatif rayonne, de detecter la position et/ ou le mouvement d'un objet (O) susceptible de modifier ce champ magnetique et comprenant a cet effet au moins une discontinuite (D, C) . Le capteur comporte une bobine emettrice planaire (10) pour emettre le champ magnetique alternatif et des bobines receptrices planaires (11 a 14) placees de maniere a capter une part determinee dudit champ et les variations de cette part magnetique captee dues a la discontinuite de l'objet (O) . Les bobines sont disposees sur un substrat commun et obtenues par des operations de photolithographie selective.Selon l'invention, dans les zones sur le substrat dans lesquelles la bobine receptrice (10) est contigue a une bobine receptrice (11 a 14) , il est prevu au moins une plage de blindage galvaniquement independante des bobines (10 a 14) et connectee a un potentiel de reference. La plage de blindage (21) est formee par une couche de metallisation deposee sur le substrat.

Coulon Yves De

Papers

Micromachined inductive sensor having capacitively decoupled coils

Micro-machined sensor, particularly for displacement

Capteur inductif micro-usine, notamment pour la mesure de la position et/ou du mouvement d'un objet