NEAR-FIELD MAGNETIC OBJECT TRACKING
First Claim
1. An object tracking system comprising:
- a sensor grid comprising a plurality of sensor clusters configured to sense the presence of an object having a source capable of generating a magnetic field;
wherein each sensor cluster comprises three or more single-axis magnetic sensors;
wherein the sensor grid comprises a first zone near the object and a second zone including all area within the sensor grid not in the first zone; and
wherein the system is configured to update the ambient magnetic field reading of sensors within the second zone.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An object tracking system includes a sensor grid having a plurality of sensor clusters configured to sense the presence of a magnetic field of an object. Each sensor cluster includes three or more single-axis magnetic sensors. The sensors in a cluster may be arranged with their axes parallel to one another. The sensor grid may account for ambient magnetic noise by measuring the magnetic field in a zone a distance away from the object to update the ambient magnetic field noise measurement. The sensor grid or a portion thereof may include a plurality of sensors printed on a common sheet. The sensor grid may comprise one or more sheets overlapped or interconnected. The system may track an object and determine up to three degrees of positioning and three degrees of orientation by using a geometric solution of the intercepts of magnetic field strengths obtained from information collected by the magnetic sensors.
16 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An object tracking system comprising:
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a sensor grid comprising a plurality of sensor clusters configured to sense the presence of an object having a source capable of generating a magnetic field; wherein each sensor cluster comprises three or more single-axis magnetic sensors; wherein the sensor grid comprises a first zone near the object and a second zone including all area within the sensor grid not in the first zone; and wherein the system is configured to update the ambient magnetic field reading of sensors within the second zone. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An object tracking system comprising:
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a sensor grid comprising a plurality of sensor clusters configured to sense the presence of an object having a source capable of generating a magnetic field; wherein the at least a portion of the sensor grid comprises a plurality of sensors printed on a first common sheet; and wherein each sensor cluster comprises three or more single-axis magnetic sensors. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of tracking an object comprising:
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providing a sensor grid comprising a plurality of sensor clusters configured to sense the presence of an object having a source capable of generating a magnetic field; determining up to three degrees of positioning for the object based on a geometric solution of the intercepts of magnetic field strengths obtained from information collected by the magnetic sensors; and determining up to three degrees of orientation for the object based on a geometric solution of the intercepts of magnetic field strengths obtained from information collected by the magnetic sensors. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification