Velocity or distance measuring apparatus using magnetic dipoles
First Claim
1. Apparataus mounted on a vehicle for measuring velocity and/or distance travelled by the vehicle on a ferromagnetic surface, comprising:
- means for transmitting including a transmitter core with at least two spaced transmitter faces for implanting spaced magnetic dipoles with a given spatial geometry on said ferromagentic surface;
means for detecting located on said vehicle at a given distance remote from said means for transmitting for generating detection signals upon detection of said implanted magnetic dipoles, and including an electrical bridge comprising at least two magnetic sensing means connected in respective arms of said bridge, the spatial separation of said at least two magnetic sensing means corresponding with the spatial geometry of said at least two spaced transmitter faces;
means for triggering said means for transmitting in response to said detection signals to implant a magnetic dipole in said ferromagnetic surface; and
means for processing said detection signals to provide corresponding output signals with each output signal being a function of the time elapsed between the implantation of one of said magnetic dipoles and the detection of said one magnetic dipole, and said processing means including a discrimination circuit for processing detection signals having a predetermined characteristic.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A non-contact system suitable for measuring velocity/distance of an object travelling inside a ferromagnetic pipeline utilizes magnetic dipoles written into the pipe surface by a transmission coil. These dipoles can be detected by a magnetic detector situated a fixed distance from the transmission point. If the time taken for a dipole to travel from the transmitter to the detector is recorded then this time will be proportional to the velocity of the system. The system functions both as a velocity measurement device and as a distance marker.
Once the system detects a dipole it requests a further imprint, hence, a constant spacing is maintained between dipoles equal to the spacing between transmitter and detector.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. Apparataus mounted on a vehicle for measuring velocity and/or distance travelled by the vehicle on a ferromagnetic surface, comprising:
- means for transmitting including a transmitter core with at least two spaced transmitter faces for implanting spaced magnetic dipoles with a given spatial geometry on said ferromagentic surface;
means for detecting located on said vehicle at a given distance remote from said means for transmitting for generating detection signals upon detection of said implanted magnetic dipoles, and including an electrical bridge comprising at least two magnetic sensing means connected in respective arms of said bridge, the spatial separation of said at least two magnetic sensing means corresponding with the spatial geometry of said at least two spaced transmitter faces; means for triggering said means for transmitting in response to said detection signals to implant a magnetic dipole in said ferromagnetic surface; and means for processing said detection signals to provide corresponding output signals with each output signal being a function of the time elapsed between the implantation of one of said magnetic dipoles and the detection of said one magnetic dipole, and said processing means including a discrimination circuit for processing detection signals having a predetermined characteristic. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
- means for transmitting including a transmitter core with at least two spaced transmitter faces for implanting spaced magnetic dipoles with a given spatial geometry on said ferromagentic surface;
Specification