SYSTEM AND A METHOD FOR DETERMINING ONE OR MORE PARAMETERS OF A SOURCE OF A POTENTIAL-ENERGY FIELD

• US 20090157331A1
• Filed: 02/09/2007
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
• Original Assignee: Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
• Inventors: Van Netten, Sietse Marten
• Application Number:
  US12/278,900
• Publication Number:
  US 20090157331A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/57
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/145 influenced by the relative movement between the Hall device and magnetic fields see G01R33/06

Abstract

A sensor system for determining parameters of a source of a potential-energy field. The system has a sensor array for sensing a property of the potential-energy field generated by the source, with a first sensor at a first position and a second sensor at a second position. The first and second sensor each have a sensor output for outputting a sensor signal representing the sensed property. A signal processor can determine the sensed property as a function of the position of the at least one first sensor and the at least one second sensor. A correlator is connected to the signal processor and arranged to correlate the determined result to a predetermined result derived for a template source positioned at a predetermined position and/or orientation with respect to the sensor array. A calculator is connected to the correlator. The calculator can determine the parameter from the correlation result.

Claims

1. A sensor system for determining one or more parameters of a source of a potential-energy field, including:

a sensor array for sensing a property of the potential-energy field generated by said source, said sensor array including;

at least one first sensor at a first position, and

at least one second sensor at a second position different from said first position, said at least one first sensor and said at least one second sensor each having a sensor output for outputting a sensor signal representing said sensed property;

a signal processor for determining the sensed property as a function of the position of said at least one first sensor and said at least one second sensor, said signal processor including;

a processor input connected to the sensor outputs of said at least one first sensor and said at least one second sensor, for receiving said sensor signals,

a processor output for outputting a signal representing a determined result;

a correlator arranged to correlate said determined result to a predetermined result derived for a template source positioned at a predetermined position and/or orientation with respect to said sensor array, said correlator including;

a first correlator input connected to said processor output, and

a second correlator input connected to a memory, in which memory data is stored representing said predetermined result

a correlator output for outputting a correlation result;

said system further including a calculator for determining said parameter from the correlation result, said calculator including;

a calculator input connected to said correlator output for receiving said correlation result, and, optionally, a calculator output for outputting said determined parameter.

2. A sensor system according to claim 1, wherein said signal processor is arranged to compare the sensed property of said at least one first sensor with the sensed property of the at least one second sensor.

3. A sensor system according to claim 2, wherein said signal processor is arranged to determine a component of said potential-energy field parallel to the sensor array.

4. A sensor system according to claim 3 wherein said processor is arranged to determine a field gradient, such as a field pressure gradient.

5. A sensor system according to claim 1, wherein said source is one or more of:

a monopole, a dipole, vibrating, constant, (electro)magnetic, electric, acoustic, and/or hydrodynamic.

6. A sensor system according to claim 1, wherein said source is part of a human brain or another electric and/or magnetic active part of a living animal.

7. A sensor system according to claim 1, wherein said parameter includes one or more of:

position, amplitude, orientation, direction of motion.

8. A sensor system according to claim 1, wherein said source is an extended source and wherein said template source is a monopole or a dipole.

9. A sensor system according to claim 1, wherein said memory includes data representing a predetermined result for different orientations of said template source with respect to the sensor array.

10. A sensor system according to claim 1, wherein the distance between said source and said array is of the order of or smaller than the dimensions of the sensor array.

11. A sensor system according to claim 1, including at least two sensor arrays oriented at different angle with respect to each other.

12. A sensor system according to claim 1, wherein said array is substantially one of:

a planar array, an array curved in one direction, an array curved in two directions.

13. A sensor system according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined result represents a monopole or dipole template.

14. A sensor system according to claim 13, wherein said correlator is arranged to determine a distance scaled correlation or convolution of said scaled and shifted template and said measured result.

15. A sensor system according to claim 14, wherein said calculator is arranged to determine a position of a maximum in a result of said correlation or convolution and optionally to determine a source magnitude from said determined position.

16. A sensor system according to claim 1, wherein said correlator is arranged to reconstruct, from said determined result and said predetermined result, a field image of said potential-energy field in a plane, said plane being defined by said sensor array and a position of said source relative to the sensor array.

17. A sensor system according to claim 16, wherein said memory includes data representing a predetermined result for different orientations of said template source with respect to the sensor array, and wherein said correlator is arranged to reconstruct a first image of said potential-energy field using a first predetermined result of a first predetermined orientation of said template source and a second image of said potential-energy field using a second predetermined result of a second predetermined orientation of said template source, and optionally combining said first image and said second image into said field image.

18. A sensor system according to claim 16, wherein said calculator is arranged to determine a location of, optionally local, maximum in said field image, and, optionally, to determine a location of said source to be at said location of maximum and, optionally, to determine an orientation of the source.

19. Use of a sensor system according to claim 1, for medical imaging.

21. A computer program product including program code portions for performing a method as claimed in claim 19 when run on a programmable apparatus.

20. A method for determining one or more parameters of a source of an potential-energy field, including:

sensing a property of the potential-energy field generated by said source;

determining a determined result by determining the sensed property as a function of place;

correlating said determined result to a predetermined result derived for a template source positioned at a predetermined position, optionally with predetermined strength and/or orientation, and

determining said parameter from a correlation result.