DETERMINING CHANGES IN PHYSICAL LOCATION BASED ON THE OBSERVED MAGNETIC FIELD
First Claim
1. A method for electronically determining whether an entity has moved, the method comprising:
- generating a first reading of an observed magnetic field, said first reading being generated by at least one magnetic sensor disposed within an electronic module coupled with the entity;
generating a second reading of the observed magnetic field, said second reading being generated by said at least one magnetic sensor;
electronically processing the first reading and the second reading in order to detect whether a difference exists between the first reading and the second reading; and
generating a signal if a difference is detected.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods for determining whether a device has moved based upon sensed changes to the observed magnetic field are disclosed herein. Various embodiments function on the principle that it is highly unlikely that the observed magnetic field will be the same in any two given locations (at least, when the observed magnetic field is measured in three dimensions), and moreover, it is unlikely that the observed magnetic field will change if the device remains stationary. Various embodiments therefore include one or more magnetic sensors (e.g., a compass) disposed within the device. The device can be configured to periodically check its current reading of the observed magnetic field. If the device determines that its magnetic reading has changed relative to its last reading, a possible or actual relocation event can then be declared.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for electronically determining whether an entity has moved, the method comprising:
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generating a first reading of an observed magnetic field, said first reading being generated by at least one magnetic sensor disposed within an electronic module coupled with the entity; generating a second reading of the observed magnetic field, said second reading being generated by said at least one magnetic sensor; electronically processing the first reading and the second reading in order to detect whether a difference exists between the first reading and the second reading; and generating a signal if a difference is detected. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An electronic module for determining whether an entity has moved, the electronic module adapted to be electrically or physically coupled with the entity, the electronic module comprising:
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a processor adapted to execute a set of instructions; memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory is adapted to store a set of instructions; at least one magnetic sensor adapted to generate readings of the observed magnetic field, and a first set of instructions disposed within the memory, the first set of instructions adapted to compare a first reading and a second reading of the observed magnetic field, the first set of instructions further adapted to generate a signal if a difference between the first reading and the second reading is detected. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A computer-readable medium containing instructions which, when executed by a computer, perform a process comprising:
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generating a first reading of the observed magnetic field, said first reading being generated by at least one magnetic sensor; generating a second reading of the observed magnetic field, said second reading being generated by said at least one magnetic sensor; electronically processing the first reading and the second reading in order to detect whether a difference exists between the first reading and the second reading; and generating a signal if a difference is detected. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification