Angular position detector including a variable reluctance resolver-encoder

1. An angular position detector comprising:

a cylindrical rotor having an axis of rotation, the cylindrical rotor further including a first ring comprising a plurality of alternating teeth and valleys,

a first first-ring magnetic sensor having a sensor surface facing the first ring and spaced from the rotor by a first gap, the first first-ring magnetic sensor being configured to produce a first signal in response to movement of the first ring past the first first-ring magnetic sensor;

a second first-ring magnetic sensor having a sensor surface facing the first ring and spaced from the rotor by a second gap, the second first-ring magnetic sensor being configured to produce a second signal in response to movement of the first ring past the second first-ring magnetic sensor, the second first-ring magnetic sensor being circumferentially offset from the first first-ring magnetic sensor by a first angle; and

a controller operatively connected to the first and second first-ring magnetic sensors and configured to produce a first output signal based on the first and second signals

wherein the rotor includes a second ring comprising a plurality of alternating teeth and valleys axially adjacent the first ring;

the angular position detector further including:

a first second-ring magnetic sensor facing the second ring and spaced from the second ring by a first space, the first second-ring magnetic sensor being configured to produce a third signal in response to movement of the second ring past the first second-ring magnetic sensor;

a second second-ring magnetic sensor facing the second ring and spaced from the second ring by a second space, the second second-ring magnetic sensor being configured to produce a fourth signal in response to movement of the second ring past the second second-ring magnetic sensor, the second second-ring magnetic sensor being circumferentially offset from the first second-ring magnetic sensor by a second angle;

wherein the controller is operatively connected to the first and second second-ring magnetic sensors, and

wherein the plurality of teeth of the first ring are axially aligned with the plurality of valleys of the second ring.

2. The angular position detector according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of teeth has a first radially extending side wall and a second radially extending side wall.

3. An angular position detector comprising:

a cylindrical rotor having an axis of rotation, the cylindrical rotor further including a first ring comprising a plurality of alternating teeth and valleys and a second ring comprising a plurality of alternating teeth and valleys axially adjacent the first ring, and a third ring comprising a target;

a first first-ring magnetic sensor having a sensor surface facing the first ring and spaced from the rotor by a first gap, the first first-ring magnetic sensor being configured to produce a first signal in response to movement of the first ring past the first first-ring magnetic sensor;

a second first-ring magnetic sensor having a sensor surface facing the first ring and spaced from the rotor by a second gap, the second first-ring magnetic sensor being configured to produce a second signal in response to movement of the first ring past the second first-ring magnetic sensor, the second first-ring magnetic sensor being circumferentially offset from the first first-ring magnetic sensor by about 180°;

a first second-ring magnetic sensor facing the second ring and spaced from the second ring by a first space, the first second-ring magnetic sensor being configured to produce a third signal in response to movement of the second ring past the first second-ring magnetic sensor;

a second second-ring magnetic sensor facing the second ring and spaced from the second ring by a second space, the second second-ring magnetic sensor being configured to produce a fourth signal in response to movement of the second ring past the second second-ring magnetic sensor, the second second-ring magnetic sensor being circumferentially offset from the first second-ring magnetic sensor by about 180 degrees;

a first third-ring sensor facing the third ring; and

a controller operatively connected to the first and second first-ring magnetic sensors and to the first and second second-ring magnetic sensors and to the first third-ring magnetic sensor,

wherein the controller is configured to produce a first output signal based on a first pair of the first, second, third and fourth signals and a second output signal based on a second pair of the first, second, third and fourth signals, and

wherein the rotor and the first and second first-ring magnetic sensors and the first and second second-ring magnetic sensors are configured such that in the presence of constant angular motion of the first and second rings a sum or difference of the first and second output signals remains constant independently of changes in the first signal or the second signal or the third signal or the fourth signal.

4. The angular position detector according to claim 3 , wherein the first output signal is based on a sum or difference of the first signal and the fourth signal and the second output signal is based on a sum or difference of the second and third signal.

5. The angular position detector according to claim 3 , wherein the first output signal is based on a sum or difference of the first signal and the third signal and the second output signal is based on a sum or difference of the second and fourth signal.

6. The angular position detector according to claim 3 ,

wherein each of the plurality of teeth of the first ring has a length in a circumferential direction and each of the plurality of valleys of the first ring has the same length in the circumferential direction, wherein a maximum width of the first sensor surface in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation is substantially the same as the length in the circumferential of each of the plurality of teeth, and

wherein the rotor has a cylindrical outer surface at locations outside the first ring and the second ring, and wherein the plurality of teeth are flush with the cylindrical outer surface of the rotor and the plurality of valleys are inset relative to the cylindrical outer surface.

7. The angular position detector according to claim 5 , including an analog to digital converter for producing a first pulsed output signal based on the first output signal.