Magnetic position measurement system with field containment means
First Claim
1. In a magnetic position measurement system, the improvement comprising means for containing a magnetic field used to conduct measurements of position of an object in at least three dimensions, said containing means comprising a magnetic field permeable attenuator located adjacent a region where position of said object in three dimensions is being measured by a magnetic field, said attenuator attenuating said magnetic field on a side of said attenuator remote from said region, said system including transmitter means for engaging said attenuator on a side thereof opposite said remote side, a number of transmit axes multiplied by a number of receive axes being at least equal to a desired number of measured degrees of freedom.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A magnetic field position and orientation measurement system contains, confines and re-directs the magnetic field from one or more transmitters such that the fields are attenuated in areas outside of the operating volume in areas where metallic objects are commonly found. An attenuator made of a highly permeable material such as ferrite or mumetal may be placed on top of a conductive plate. The permeable attenuator may be as thin as 0.001 inches. on top of the permeable attenuator, a transmitter system is placed including at least three transmitters. In one embodiment, the transmitter consists of a PC board carrying the transmitter. The transmitter system, the permeable attenuator and the conductive plate, where used, may only be from ½ inch to ⅝ of an inch in thickness combined. The permeable attenuator may have a flat, planar configuration. Alternatively, it may be made to resemble, in cross-section, a cake pan having a flat central region with uplifted peripheral edges. Alternatively, the permeable attenuator may have a generally flat configuration with peripheral edges that taper outwardly from the top surface thereof to the bottom surface thereof with the taper making an angle with the bottom surface in the range of, preferably, 30° to 85°. The conductive plate is optional.
158 Citations
33 Claims
- 1. In a magnetic position measurement system, the improvement comprising means for containing a magnetic field used to conduct measurements of position of an object in at least three dimensions, said containing means comprising a magnetic field permeable attenuator located adjacent a region where position of said object in three dimensions is being measured by a magnetic field, said attenuator attenuating said magnetic field on a side of said attenuator remote from said region, said system including transmitter means for engaging said attenuator on a side thereof opposite said remote side, a number of transmit axes multiplied by a number of receive axes being at least equal to a desired number of measured degrees of freedom.
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22. A magnetic position measurement system, comprising:
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a) a magnetic field permeable attenuator;
b) a transmitter means above said attenuator for measuring in three dimensions;
c) said transmitter means and attenuator being laminated together. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method of measuring position of an object in a prescribed three dimensional space including the steps of:
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a) defining a three dimensional space;
b) locating a magnetic field permeable attenuator adjacent said space;
c) placing transmitter means on a side of said attenuator facing said space, a number of transmit axes multiplied by a number of receive axes being at least equal to a desired number of measured degrees of freedom;
d) operating said transmitter means; and
e) measuring position of said object. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification