1. A magneto-resistive sensor for measuring a magnetic field based on an anisotropic magneto-resistive (AMR) effect or a gigantic magneto-resistive (GMR) effect, comprising:
a substrate;
a plurality of resistors, comprising first magneto-resistive layer strips and at least one second layer strip in series with the first magneto-resistive layer strips, arranged in form of a half or full bridge circuit on the substrate, said plurality of resistors having a resistance value that depends on a magnetic field strength;
wherein said first magneto-resistive layer strips have a resistance that depends on temperature according to a first temperature coefficient; and said at least one second layer strip has a resistance that depends on temperature according to a second temperature coefficient different from the first temperature coefficient.
2. The magneto-resistive sensor of claim 1, wherein a resistance of the at least one second layer strip is unaffected by the magnetic field strength.
3. The magneto-resistive sensor of claim 1, wherein the mathematical sign of the temperature coefficient of the resistance value of the at least one second layer strip is opposite to the mathematical sign of the temperature coefficient of the resistance value of the first magneto-resistive layer strips.
4. The magneto-resistive sensor of claim 3, wherein the temperature coefficient of the resistance value of the at least one second layer strip is negative and that of the first magneto-resistive layer strips is positive.
5. The magneto-resistive sensor of claim 1 implemented as a full bridge circuit, wherein two resistors which are located diagonally opposed in the bridge circuit comprise the at least one second layer strip.
6. The magneto-resistive sensor of claim 1, wherein two resistors which are diagonally opposed in the bridge circuit comprise both first magneto-resistive layer strips with a different shape anisotropy as well as the at least one second layer strip.
7. The magneto-resistive sensor of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of resistors comprises at least one trim layer region with an adjustable resistance value.
8. The magneto-resistive sensor of claim 7, wherein a material of the at least one trim layer region is the same as a material of the first magneto-resistive layer strips.
9. The magneto-resistive sensor of claim 7, wherein a material of the at least one trim layer region is the same as a material of the at least one second layer strip.
10. The magneto-resistive sensor of claim 1, wherein each resistor comprises a first and a second trim layer region, and wherein a material of the first trim layer region is the same as a material of the at least one second layer strip and a material of the second trim layer region is the same as a material of the first magneto-resistive layer strips.
11. A sensor for detecting magnetic fields, comprising:
a substrate; and
a bridge circuit on the substrate, the bridge circuit comprising:
a plurality of resistors having a resistance value that depends on magnetic field strength, the resistors comprising:
first magneto-resistive layer strips having a resistance dependent on temperature, and
at least one second layer strip in series with the first magneto-resistive layer strips, said at least one second layer strip having a dependence of resistance on temperature different from the dependence of resistance on temperature of the first magneto-resistive layer strips.
12. The sensor of claim 11, wherein the bridge circuit is a full bridge circuit, and the resistors comprise an anisotropic magneto-resistance material.
13. The sensor of claim 11, wherein the bridge circuit is a full bridge circuit, and the first magneto-resistive layer strips comprise magneto-resistive spin-valve layer strips.
14. The sensor of claim 11, wherein the temperature dependence of the resistance of the first layer strips is inverse from the temperature dependence of the second layer strips.
15. The sensor of claim 11, wherein the resistance of the second layer strips is independent of temperature.
16. The sensor of claim 11, wherein at least one of the sensors has a trim layer region having an adjustable resistance.
17. The sensor of claim 16, wherein the trim layer region comprises a material the same as a material of the first magneto-resistive layer strips.
18. The sensor of claim 16, wherein the trim layer region comprises a material the same as a material of the at least one second layer strip.
19. The sensor of claim 11, wherein each resistor comprises a first and a second trim layer region, and wherein a material of the first trim layer region is the same as a material of the at least one second layer strip and a material of the second trim layer region is the same as a material of the first magneto-resistive layer strips.
20. The sensor of claim 11, wherein the bridge circuit is a half bridge circuit.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A flow control assembly for controlling the flow of fluid, comprising:
a casing having an interior and a casing outlet;
a piston having a piston inlet and an edge, wherein said piston interfaces with the casing in a manner such that the edge is cooperable with the casing outlet to control the flow of fluid through the assembly;
a biasing member for biasing said casing with said piston; and
a sensor for measuring pressure within the assembly.
2. The flow control assembly of claim 1, wherein the biasing member is a spring.
3. The flow control assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a pressure transducer.
4. The flow control assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensor interfaces with the interior of the casing.
5. The flow control assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensor is positioned for measuring pressure at a point adjacent to the piston inlet.
6. The flow control assembly of claim 1, further comprising a piston stop.
7. The flow control assembly of claim 6, wherein said piston stop is a retaining cap that interfaces with said piston.
8. The flow control assembly of claim 1, further comprising a fluid stop.
9. The flow control assembly of claim 8, wherein said fluid stop is a rolling membrane.
10. The flow control assembly of claim 1, further comprising a tension seat.
11. The flow control assembly of claim 10, wherein said tension seat interfaces with said biasing member to adjust the force applied by said biasing member to said piston.
12. The flow control assembly of claim 10, wherein said tension seat interfaces with a valve housing.
13. The flow control assembly of claim 1, further comprising a piston seat.
14. The flow control assembly of claim 13, wherein said piston seat has rounded edges.
15. A flow control assembly for controlling the flow of fluid, comprising:
a casing having an interior, an upstream casing section, and a downstream casing section, wherein said upstream casing section has a piston opening and said downstream casing section has a fluid exit port;
a piston having an upstream piston section and a downstream piston section, wherein said upstream piston section has a fluid inlet port, said downstream piston section has an edge, and said piston slidably interfaces with the casing in a manner such that said edge is cooperable with said fluid exit port;
a biasing member for biasing said casing with said piston; and
a sensor for measuring the pressure within assembly.
16. The flow control assembly of claim 15, wherein said biasing member is a spring.
17. The flow control assembly of claim 15, wherein the sensor is a pressure transducer.
18. The flow control assembly of claim 15, wherein the sensor interfaces with the interior of the casing.
19. The flow control assembly of claim 15, wherein the sensor is positioned for measuring pressure at a point adjacent to the fluid inlet port.
20. The flow control assembly of claim 15, further comprising a piston stop.
21. The flow control assembly of claim 20, wherein said piston stop is a retaining cap that interfaces with said piston.
22. The flow control assembly of claim 15, further comprising a fluid stop.
23. The flow control assembly of claim 22, wherein said fluid stop is a rolling membrane.
24. The flow control assembly of claim 15, further comprising a tension seat.
25. The flow control assembly of claim 24, wherein said tension seat interfaces with said biasing member to adjust the force applied by said biasing member to said piston.
26. The flow control assembly of claim 24, wherein said tension seat interfaces with a valve housing.
27. The flow control assembly of claim 15, further comprising a piston seat.
28. The flow control assembly of claim 27, wherein said piston seat has rounded edges.
29. A flow control assembly having a casing, piston, and biasing member, further comprising a sensor for measuring the fluid pressure within the assembly.
30. A method for calculating the rate of flow in a flow control assembly having a fixed fluid inlet and a variable fluid outlet,
said method comprising:
measuring the fluid pressure at a position upstream to the fixed fluid inlet,
measuring the area of the fixed fluid inlet, and
measuring the fluid pressure at a position downstream of the fixed fluid inlet but upstream of the variable fluid outlet.