Revolution counter for determining a number of revolutions of a rotary element

This application claims the priority of German Patent Application, Serial No. 101 51 234.1, filed Oct. 17, 2001, pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. A revolution counter includes a single sensor which scans movement of a rotary element and generates a raw signal commensurate with a rotary position of the rotary element for ascertaining one of at least three areas of angular ranges. Two of these areas include each a single continuous angular range, whereas a third area includes at least two angular ranges, which interrelate but are separated from one another. A power generation system delivers energy pulses to the sensor, when the rotary element rotates below a minimum value, so that a raw signal can be detected and the corresponding angular range area can be determined. The power generation system and the rotary element are so interconnected as to ascertain for at least part of the thus determined areas of angular ranges, by which of the angular ranges the rotary element is rotated, and to establish the number of revolutions based on the ascertained angular ranges.