DEVICE, METHOD, COMPUTER PROGRAMME AND SYSTEM FOR DETECTING IF AN OBJECT OR A PERSON CROSSES A LIMIT MARKED BY A MAGNETIC FIELD

• US 20100321185A1
• Filed: 10/15/2008
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V.
• Original Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V.
• Inventors: Leipold, Thomas, Bernhard, Josef
• Granted Patent: US 8,749,385 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/551
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 5/0423 braking or blocking when leaving a particular area
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2454 Checking of authorisation of a person accessing tagged items in an EAS system

Abstract

A device for recognizing when an object or a person crosses a threshold that is marked by a magnetic field comprises a first magnetic field sensor that is designed to detect a first magnetic field component of the magnetic alternating field and to deliver an associated magnetic field sensor signal. The device comprises a second magnetic field sensor that is designed to detect a second magnetic field component of the alternating magnetic field. The device also comprises an evaluator that is designed to deliver information in response to a change in a phase relationship between the magnetic field sensor signal delivered by the first magnetic field sensor and a reference signal based on the detection of the second magnetic field component by the second magnetic field sensor, said information indicating that the object or person has crossed the marked threshold.

Claims

1-25. -25. (canceled)

26. A device for detecting whether an object or person crosses a limit marked by an magnetic alternating field, the device comprising:

a first magnetic field sensor that detects a first magnetic field component of the magnetic alternating field and delivers an associated magnetic field sensor signal;

a second magnetic field sensor that detects a second magnetic field component of the magnetic alternating field; and

an evaluator configured to deliver information that indicates that the object or person has crossed the marked limit in response to a change in a phase relation between the magnetic field sensor signal and a reference signal based on the detected second magnetic field component.

27. The device of claim 26, wherein the first magnetic field sensor and the second magnetic field sensor are disposed such that a magnetic field main sensitivity direction of the first magnetic field sensor encloses an acute angle in a range between 45°

and 90°

with a magnetic field main sensitivity direction of the second magnetic field sensor.

28. The device of claim 26, wherein the first magnetic field sensor and the second magnetic field sensor are disposed such that a magnetic field main sensitivity direction of the first magnetic field sensor encloses an acute angle in a range between 75°

and 90°

with a magnetic field main sensitivity direction of the second magnetic field sensor.

29. The device of claim 26, wherein the evaluator prevents provision of information that indicates that the object or the person has crossed the marked limit if a change in the phase relation between the magnetic field sensor signal and the reference signal is effected on the basis of a rotation of the device.

30. The device of claim 29, wherein the device detects rotation of the device relative to the magnetic alternating field, and the evaluator takes into account the detected rotation during delivery of the information which indicates that the object or the person has crossed the marked limit.

31. The device of claim 29, and further comprising:

a reference signal corrector that, based on the reference signal and information relating to rotation of the device relative to the magnetic alternating field, produces a phase-corrected reference signal in which the influence of rotations of the device relative to the magnetic alternating field upon a phase position is at least reduced in comparison to the reference signal, wherein the evaluator evaluates a phase relation between the magnetic field sensor signal and the phase-corrected reference signal to provide the information that indicates that the object or person has crossed the marked limit.

32. The device of claims 29, and further comprising:

a movement detector that detects rotation of the device relative to the magnetic alternating field on the basis of information relating to at least one of the magnetic field components.

33. The device of claim 32, and further comprising:

a third magnetic field sensor that detects a third magnetic field component of the magnetic alternating field, a magnetic field main sensitivity direction of the third magnetic field sensor differing from magnetic field main sensitivity directions of the first magnetic field sensor and second magnetic field sensors, wherein the rotation detector detects the rotation of the device relative to the magnetic alternating field on the basis of a magnetic field sensor signal delivered by the second magnetic field sensor and on the basis of a magnetic field sensor signal delivered by the third magnetic field sensor.

34. The device of claim 33, wherein the magnetic field main sensitivity direction of the first magnetic field sensor enclosing an acute angle in a range between 70°

and 90°

with a plane which is spanned by the magnetic field main sensitivity directions of the second magnetic field sensor and of the third magnetic field sensor.

35. The device of claim 33, wherein the rotation detector detects a rotation of the device relative to the magnetic alternating field if a phase relation between a magnetic field sensor signal delivered by the second magnetic field sensor and a magnetic field sensor signal delivered by the third magnetic field sensor changes relative to an initial phase relation by more than a prescribed phase relation change threshold.

36. The device of claim 26, wherein the evaluator delivers the information that indicates that the object or the person has crossed the marked limit in response to a change in polarity of the magnetic field sensor signal delivered by the first magnetic field sensor relative to the reference signal.

37. The device of claim 26, and further comprising:

a reference signal producer that determines the reference signal as a function of at least two magnetic field sensor signals from at least two magnetic field sensors.

38. The device of claim 37, and further comprising:

a third magnetic field sensor that detects a third magnetic field component of the magnetic alternating field, a magnetic field main sensitivity direction of the third magnetic field sensor differing from magnetic field main sensitivity directions of the first and second magnetic field sensors, wherein the reference signal producer determines the reference signal as a function of a magnetic field sensor signal of the second magnetic field sensor and a magnetic field sensor signal of the third magnetic field sensor.

39. The device of claim 38, wherein the reference signal producer (a) determines which of the magnetic field sensor signals delivered by the second magnetic field sensor and by the third magnetic field sensor is stronger, and (b) derives the reference signal from the stronger of the magnetic field sensor signals delivered by the second magnetic field sensor and by the third magnetic field sensor.

40. The device of claim 39, wherein the reference signal producer effects a phase correction with respect to the reference signal such that an effective phase position of the reference signal remains unchanged if a change occurs with respect to the magnetic field sensor signals from which the reference signal is derived.

41. The device of claim 26, and further comprising:

an actuator that brakes or locks a movement of the object in response to information delivered by the evaluator that indicates that the object or the person has crossed the marked limit.

42. The device of claim 41, wherein the actuator further releases braking or locking of the object in response to information delivered by the evaluator which indicates that the object or the person has crossed the marked limit if the movement of the object was previously braked or locked.

43. The device of claim 26, and further comprising:

a signal transmitter that emits a warning signal in response to information delivered by the evaluator which indicates that the object or the person has crossed the marked limit.

44. The device of claim 26, wherein the device signals a goal event if the evaluator delivers information that indicates that the device has crossed a limit marked by a magnetic alternating field, unless the device crosses limits marked by a magnetic alternating field at least twice within a prescribed period of time without an acceleration acting on the device between the twofold crossing of the marked limits, which acceleration is greater than or equal to a prescribed maximum acceleration.

45. A device for detecting if an object or a person crosses a limit marked by a magnetic constant field, the device comprising:

a first magnetic field sensor that detects a first magnetic field component of the magnetic constant field and delivers an associated magnetic field sensor signal;

a second magnetic field sensor that detects a second magnetic field component of the magnetic constant field; and

an evaluator that deliver information which indicates that the object or the person has crossed the marked limit in response to a change in the sign relation between the magnetic field sensor signal and the reference signal based on the detected second magnetic field component.

46. A method for detecting if an object or person crosses a limit marked by a magnetic alternating field, the method comprising:

detecting a first magnetic field component of the magnetic alternating field;

delivering a signal based on the detection of the first magnetic field component;

detecting a second magnetic field component of the magnetic alternating field; and

delivering information that indicates that the object or the person has crossed the marked limit in response to a change in a phase relation between the signal delivered on the basis of detection of the first magnetic field component, and a signal based on the detection of the second magnetic field component.

47. The method of claim 46, and further comprising:

detecting whether playing equipment crosses a first limit marked by a magnetic field or whether the playing equipment crosses a second limit marked by a magnetic field, the first limit being marked by a first conductor part which is subjected to a flow of current along a goal line of a goal, and the second limit being marked by a second conductor part which is subjected to a flow of current along a crossbar of the goal, and

signaling that a goal event occurs, in response to detection that the playing equipment has crossed the first limit or the second limit, unless information is present which indicates that the playing equipment crosses a third limit marked by a magnetic field after crossing the second limit, the third limit being marked by a third conductor part which is subjected to a flow of current and is disposed such that the third limit is crossed by playing equipment which moves beyond the goal above the crossbar.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein establishing whether the playing equipment crosses the third limit within a prescribed period of time after crossing the second limit is determined by:

detecting whether the playing equipment has crossed two marked limits within the prescribed period of time; and

if the playing equipment has crossed two marked limits within the prescribed period of time;

detecting whether an acceleration has acted on the playing equipment between crossing the two limits and whether the acceleration is greater than or equal to a prescribed maximum acceleration, and

providing information that indicates that the playing equipment has crossed the third limit if no acceleration greater than or equal to the prescribed maximum acceleration has acted on the playing equipment between crossing the two limits.

49. A system for detecting if an object or person crosses a limit marked by a magnetic alternating field, the system comprising:

an alternating field source which is designed to produce a magnetic alternating field along a limit to be marked; and

a device comprising;

a first magnetic field sensor that detects a first magnetic field component of the magnetic alternating field and delivers an associated magnetic field sensor signal;

a second magnetic field sensor that detects a second magnetic field component of the magnetic alternating field; and

an evaluator configured to deliver information that indicates that the object or person has crossed the marked limit in response to a change in a phase relation between the magnetic field sensor signal and a reference signal based on the detected second magnetic field component.

50. A playing area comprising:

a goal at least partially delimiting a goal area;

a first electrical conductor that is disposed along a first delimitation of the goal area;

a second electrical conductor that is disposed along a second delimitation of the goal area, wherein the second delimitation of the goal area is situated opposite the first delimitation of the goal area; and

an excitation mechanism that is designed to excite a current flow in the first electrical conductor and to excite a current flow in the second electrical conductor.