Gain factor and position determination system

• US 20050049820A1
• Filed: 07/22/2003
• Published: 03/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Northern Digital Inc. (Roper Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Northern Digital Canada Corporation
• Inventors: Schilling, Christian J., Kirsch, Stefan R., Schild, Hans R.
• Granted Patent: US 6,990,427 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/150
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/062 using magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/081 the magnetic field is produced by the objects or geological structures characterised by the method of magnetic field measurement G01R33/00

Abstract

A system for determining the position, orientation and system gain factor of a probe includes a plurality of magnetic field sources and at least one magnetic field sensor, such that a combination of a magnetic field sensor and a magnetic field source generates a unique measured magnetic field value. The system includes a probe whose gain, position, and orientation affect these unique measured magnetic field values. A processor is configured to receive and iteratively process these unique measured magnetic field values to determine a system gain factor indicative of the gain of the probe and a plurality of location factors indicative of the position and orientation of the probe. The number of unique measured magnetic field values generated must be at least equal to the sum of the number of gain and location factors calculated.

Claims

1. A system for determining the position, orientation and system gain factor of a probe comprising:

a plurality of magnetic field sources;

at least one magnetic field sensor, wherein a combination of a magnetic field sensor and a magnetic field source generates a unique measured magnetic field value, a probe whose gain, position, and orientation affects said unique measured magnetic field values; and

a processor, configured to receive and iteratively process said unique measured magnetic field values, for determining a system gain factor indicative of the gain of said probe and a plurality of location factors indicative of the posiiton and orientation of said probe.

2-42. -42. (Cancelled)