Patent 7112956 was granted and assigned to Mitsumi Electric on September, 2006 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
In an index signal generator for generating an index signal for use in a direct-drive motor having a rotation axis and comprising a stator and a rotor, a particular at least one of M magnetized elements is used as an index detection magnet having magnetic force which is different from those in remaining ones of the M magnetized elements. Wound around one of a specific one of particular three cores in the stator, an index detection coil detects variations of the magnetic force generated by the ring-shaped permanent magnet to produce a detected signal. On the basis of the detected signal, the index signal is generated.