Through-wall position sensor
First Claim
1. A through wall position sensor system comprising:
- at least one field producing element separated by a wall from an array of sensors, wherein the array of sensors detects a property associated with the at least one field producing element and outputs a corresponding output signal indicative of the property associated with the at least one field producing element; and
a processor communicatively coupled to the array of sensors for processing the output signal from one or more sensors, wherein the processor utilizes a tracking curve fit algorithm to analyze the output signal from the one or more sensors by fitting the output signals to a bell-shaped characteristic curve, wherein the tracking curve fit algorithm utilizes an iterative calculation that takes into account one or more prior sensor output signals to determine at least one of a lateral position of and/or a height of the bell-shaped characteristic curve and a best fit of the output signals to the bell-shaped characteristic curve to determine a position associated with the field producing element.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for measuring the position of at least one field producing element (e.g., a magnet) without a direct electrical or physical connection between the field producing element and one or more sensors. In one embodiment, the output from an array of sensors (e.g., Hall Effect sensors) is curve fit using an algorithm having a characteristic bell curve (e.g., curve fit tracking algorithm, center of gravity algorithm, etc.) to determine at least one of an absolute or relative position associated with the field producing element and/or a property associated with the field producing element (e.g., magnetic flux). Another embodiment is directed to detecting errors in one or more of the sensors and excluding the output of the faulty sensors in determining the position associated with the field producing element.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A through wall position sensor system comprising:
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at least one field producing element separated by a wall from an array of sensors, wherein the array of sensors detects a property associated with the at least one field producing element and outputs a corresponding output signal indicative of the property associated with the at least one field producing element; and a processor communicatively coupled to the array of sensors for processing the output signal from one or more sensors, wherein the processor utilizes a tracking curve fit algorithm to analyze the output signal from the one or more sensors by fitting the output signals to a bell-shaped characteristic curve, wherein the tracking curve fit algorithm utilizes an iterative calculation that takes into account one or more prior sensor output signals to determine at least one of a lateral position of and/or a height of the bell-shaped characteristic curve and a best fit of the output signals to the bell-shaped characteristic curve to determine a position associated with the field producing element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for determining a position of a member comprising:
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providing a field producing element; detecting at least one property associated with the field producing element by a plurality of sensors, wherein the plurality of sensors output a signal indicative of the at least one property detected; processing the signals related to the at least one detected property of the field producing element for the plurality of sensors with a tracking curve fit algorithm to analyze the output signal from the plurality of sensors to determine a position associated with the field producing element by fitting the output signal from the plurality of sensors to a bell-shaped characteristic curve, wherein the tracking curve fit algorithm utilizes an iterative calculation that takes into account one or more prior output signals to determine at least one of a lateral position of and/or a height of the bell-shaped characteristic curve and a best fit of the output signals to the bell-shaped characteristic curve; and analyzing the signals using a bell-shaped characteristic curve to determine a position associated with the magnetic field producing element. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A method for determining a position of a field producing element comprising:
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providing a field producing element; detecting a property of the field producing element by a plurality of sensors, wherein at least a portion of the sensors output a signal indicative of the property detected; processing the signals output from at least a portion of the sensors; and analyzing the signals output from at least a portion of the sensors using a bell-shaped characteristic curve with a tracking curve fit algorithm to analyze output signals from at least portion of the sensors to determine a position associated with the field producing element by fitting output signals from the at least a portion of the sensors to a bell-shaped characteristic curve, wherein the tracking curve fit algorithm utilizes an iterative calculation that takes into account one or more prior output signals to determine at least one of a lateral position of and/or a height of the bell-shaped characteristic curve and a best fit of the output signals to the bell-shaped characteristic curve; and determining a defect in at least one of the plurality of sensors based on the step of analyzing the signals output from at least a portion of the sensors using a bell-shaped characteristic curve. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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Specification