Motion sensor, method, and computer-readable storage medium providing a motion sensor with a magnetic field sensing element for generating a magnetic field signal and a state processor to identify a plurality of states corresponding to ranges of values of the magnetic field signal having a reduced amount of state chatter
View Patent ↗A motion sensor has a magnetic field sensing element for generating a magnetic field signal and a state processor to identify a plurality of states corresponding to ranges of signal values of the magnetic field signal. The state processor includes a state peak logic module configured to generate states that have a reduced amount of state chatter.
1. A motion sensor, comprising:
a plurality of magnetic field sensing elements configured to generate a plurality of magnetic field signals indicative of a magnetic field associated with an object; and
a respective plurality of state processors, each state processor coupled to receive a signal representative of a respective one of the plurality of magnetic field signals, wherein each one of the plurality of state processors is configured to generate a respective STATE_SM signal indicative of a plurality of states associated with a respective one of the plurality of magnetic field signals, wherein each one of the plurality of states is indicative of a respective range of signal values, wherein the STATE_SM signal comprises a plurality of first direction state transitions and a plurality of second direction state transitions, wherein the plurality of first direction state transitions and the plurality of second direction state transitions of the STATE_SM signal comprise state transition chatter, and wherein each one of the plurality of state processors comprises:
a respective state peak logic module coupled to receive the respective STATE_SM signal and configured to generate a respective STATE_PEAK signal, wherein the STATE_PEAK signal comprises a plurality of first direction state peak transitions and a plurality of second direction state peak transitions, wherein the plurality of first direction state peak transitions and the plurality of second direction state peak transitions of the STATE_PEAK signal comprise reduced state transition chatter.
2. The motion sensor of claim 1 , wherein states values of the STATE_SM signal are held in a STATE_SM register and wherein state values of the STATE_PEAK signal are held in an SM_PEAK register.
3. The motion sensor of claim 2 , further comprising a vibration processor coupled to the plurality of state processors, wherein the vibration processor comprises an inflection processor configured to generate a two-state POSCOMP_PK signal having state transitions that occur when a state represented by the STATE_PEAK signal differs from a state represented by the STATE_SM signal by a predetermined number of states.
4. The motion sensor of claim 3 , wherein the state peak logic module comprises a state peak logic processor configured, if the POSCOMP_PK signal is equal to a first state, and a state value of the STATE_SM signal is greater than a state value of the STATE_PEAK signal by the predetermined number of states, to set a state value held in the STATE_PEAK register to equal a state value held in the STATE_SM register, wherein the state peak logic processor is further configured, if the POSCOMP_PK signal is equal to a second different state, and a state value of the STATE_SM signal is less than a state value of the STATE_PEAK signal by the predetermined number of states, to also set a state value held in the STATE_PEAK register to equal a state value held in the STATE_SM register.
5. The motion sensor of claim 3 , wherein the vibration, processor is configured to generate a vibration signal indicative of a vibration of at least one of the object or the plurality of magnetic field sensing elements in response to at least one of the STATE_PEAK signal, the STATE_SM signal, or the POSCOMP_PK signal.
6. The motion sensor of claim 3 , wherein the state processor is further configured to generate a two-state POSCOMP signal having first and second different state transitions that occur when at least one of the STATE_SM signal or the STATE_PEAK signal are representative of respective first and second states.
7. The motion sensor of claim 6 , wherein the first and second states are different states.
8. The motion sensor of claim 6 , wherein the vibration processor is configured to generate a vibration signal indicative of a vibration of at least one of the object or the plurality of magnetic field sensing elements in response to at least one of the STATE_PEAK signal, the STATE_SM signal, the POSCOMP signal, or the POSCOMP_PK signal.
9. A method of detecting a motion of an object, comprising:
generating a plurality of magnetic field signals indicative of a magnetic field associated with the object;
generating a STATE_SM signal indicative of a plurality of states associated with a respective one of the plurality of magnetic field signals, wherein each one of the plurality of states is indicative of a respective range of signal values, wherein the STATE_SM signal comprises a plurality of first direction state transitions and a plurality of second direction state transitions, wherein the plurality of first direction state transitions and the plurality of second direction state transitions of the STATE_SM signal comprise state transition chatter; and
generating a STATE_PEAK signal related to the STATE_SM signal, wherein the STATE_PEAK signal comprises a plurality of first direction state peak transitions and a plurality of second direction state peak transitions, wherein the plurality of first direction state peak transitions and the plurality of second direction state peak transitions of the STATE_PEAK signal comprise reduced state transition chatter.
10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
holding states values of the STATE_SM signal in a STATE_SM register; and
holding values of the STATE_PEAK signal in an SM_PEAK register.
11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
generating a two-state POSCOMP_PK signal having state transitions that occur when a state represented by the STATE_PEAK signal differs from a state represented by the STATE_SM signal by a predetermined number of states.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
if the POSCOMP_PK signal is equal to a first state, and a state value of the STATE_SM signal is greater than a state value of the STATE—PEAK signal by a predetermined number of states, setting a state value held in the STATE_PEAK register to equal a state value held in the STATE_SM register; and
if the POSCOMP_PK signal is equal to a second different state, and a state value of the STATE_SM signal is less than a state value of the STATE_PEAK signal by the predetermined number of states, setting as state value held in the STATE_PEAK register to equal a state value held in the STATE_SM register.
13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
generating as vibration signal indicative of a vibration of at least one of the object or the plurality of magnetic field sensing elements in response to at least one of the STATE_PEAK signal, the STATE_SM signal, or the POSCOMP_PK signal.
14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
generating a two-state POSCOMP signal having first and second different state transitions that occur when at least one of the STATE_SM signal or the STATE_PEAK signal are representative of respective first and second states.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first and second states are different states.
16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
generating a vibration signal indicative of a vibration of at least one of the object or the plurality of magnetic field sensing elements in response to at least one of the STATE_PEAK signal, the STATE_SM signal, the POSCOMP signal, or the POSCOMP_PK signal.
17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer readable code thereon for providing sensing of a motion of an object, the medium comprising:
instructions for receiving a plurality of magnetic field signals indicative of a magnetic field associated with the object;
instructions for generating a STATE_SM signal indicative of a plurality of states associated with a respective one of the plurality of magnetic field signals, wherein each one of the plurality of states is indicative of a respective range of signal values, wherein the STATE_SM signal comprises a plurality of first direction state transitions and a plurality of second direction state transitions, wherein the plurality of first direction state transitions and the plurality of second direction state transitions of the STATE_SM signal comprise state transition chatter; and
instructions for generating a STATE_PEAK signal related to the STATE_SM signal, wherein the STATE_PEAK signal comprises a plurality of first direction state peak transitions and a plurality of second direction state peak transitions, wherein the plurality of first direction state peak transitions and the plurality of second direction state peak transitions of the STATE_PEAK signal comprise reduced state transition chatter.
18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , further comprising:
instructions for holding states values of the STATE_SM signal in a STATE_SM register; and
instructions for holding values of the STATE_PEAK signal in an SM_PEAK register.
19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 , further comprising:
instructions for generating a two-state POSCOMP_PK signal having state transitions that occur when a state represented by the STATE_PEAK signal differs from a state represented by the STATE_SM signal by a predetermined number of states.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19 , further comprising:
instructions for, if the POSCOMP_PK signal is equal to a first state, and a state value of the STATE_SM signal is greater than a state value of the STATE_PEAK signal by a predetermined number of states, setting a state value held in the STATE_PEAK register to equal a state value held in the STATE_SM register; and
instructions for, if the POSCOMP_PK signal is equal to a second different state, and a state value of the STATE_SM signal is less than a state value of the STATE_PEAK signal by the predetermined number of states, setting a state value held in the STATE_PEAK register to equal a state value held in the STATE_SM register.
21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19 , further comprising:
instructions for generating a vibration signal indicative of a vibration of at least one of the object or the plurality of magnetic field sensing elements in response to at least one of the STATE_PEAK signal, the STATE_SM signal, or the POSCOMP_PK signal.
22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19 , further comprising:
instructions for generating a two-state POSCOMP signal having first and second different state transitions that occur when at least one of the STATE_SM signal or the STATE_PEAK signal are representative of respective first and second states.
23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 22 , wherein the first and second states are different states.
24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 22 , further comprising:
instructions for generating a vibration signal indicative of a vibration of at least one of the object or the plurality of magnetic field sensing elements in response to at least one of the STATE_PEAK signal, the STATE_SM signal, the POSCOMP signal, or the POSCOMP_PK signal.