Tracking the geographic location of an animal

• US 7,411,512 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2006
• Issued: 08/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Michael L. Domeier
• Original Assignee: Michael L. Domeier
• Inventors: Domeier, Michael L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg; George A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham; Lam P
• Application Number:
  US11/370,503
• Publication Number:
  US 20070210927A1
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.13, 340/573.2, 340/988, 340/995.1, 342/357.01, 342419-424, 342450-457, 324/323, 324244-261, 33268-273, 332/75.R, 332/75.G, 332/81, 332/86, 701200-217, 702150-154
• US Class Current: 340/573.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 17/30 Earth-inductor compasses
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/08 involving use of the magnetic field of the earth

Abstract

Systems and techniques for tracking the geographic location. In one aspect, a method includes receiving timed magnetic field information descriptive of a magnetic field to which a magnetometer was subject, the magnetic field information having been collected while the magnetometer was associated with an animal, receiving timed longitude information descriptive of a longitude position of the animal, the longitude information having been collected while the magnetometer was associated with the animal, and matching the longitude information that is relevant to a first time to the magnetic field information that is relevant to the first time to determine a geographic location of the animal at the first time.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving timed magnetic field inclination information descriptive of inclination of a magnetic field to which a magnetometer was subject, the magnetic field inclination information having been collected while the magnetometer was associated with an animal;

receiving timed longitude information descriptive of a longitude position of the animal, the longitude information comprising information descriptive of the illumination of the animal and having been collected while the magnetometer was associated with the animal; and

matching the longitude information that is relevant to a first time to the magnetic field inclination information that is relevant to the first time to determine a geographic location of the animal at the first time.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating a tracking device that includes the magnetometer with the animal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the timed magnetic field inclination information comprises:

receiving alignment information descriptive of an alignment of the magnetometer, the alignment information having been collected while the magnetometer was associated with the animal; and

correcting magnetic field information to account for the alignment of the magnetometer using the alignment information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

receiving the magnetic field inclination information comprises receiving information descriptive of a direction of the magnetic field from a magnetometer that maintains a known relationship with gravity; and

matching the longitude information to the magnetic field inclination information comprises comparing the information descriptive of the direction of the magnetic field with information describing an inclination of the earth'"'"'s magnetic field.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving information descriptive of a magnitude of the magnetic field; and

comparing the information descriptive of the magnitude of the magnetic field with information describing a magnitude of the earth'"'"'s magnetic field.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the magnetic field inclination information and the longitude information comprises receiving data directly from the data output of a tracking device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the determined geographic location from the data output of a tracking device.

8. A tracking device comprising:

a vector magnetometer to generate an output descriptive of direction of a magnetic field to which the tracking device is subject at a collection of different times;

a longitude sensor to generate an output descriptive of a longitude position of the tracking device at the collection of different times, wherein the longitude sensor comprises a photodetector and is to generate the output descriptive of the longitude position based on illumination detected by the photodetector; and

a data store to store one or more of a) the descriptions output by the vector magnetometer and the longitude sensor and b) a description of the geographic position of the tracking device,

wherein the one or more of the description output by the vector magnetometer, the description output by the longitude sensor, and the description of the geographic position of the tracking device is timed so that a time to which the description is relevant can be determined,

wherein at least some of the description output by the vector magnetometer and at least some of the description output by the longitude sensor are relevant to a same first time, and

wherein the description of the geographic position can be determined based at least in part on the descriptions output by the vector magnetometer and the longitude sensor.

9. The tracking device of claim 8, further comprising:

an environmental enclosure encasing the vector magnetometer, the longitude sensor, and the data store to form a mechanical barrier between the encased components and the outside environment.

10. The tracking device of claim 8, further comprising:

an alignment sensor to generate an output descriptive of an alignment of the vector magnetometer relative to gravity.

11. The tracking device of claim 8, further comprising:

an alignment member to align the vector magnetometer relative to gravity.

12. The tracking device of claim 8, wherein the vector magnetometer comprises an inclination compass.

13. The tracking device of claim 8, wherein the vector magnetometer comprises a collection of components that are sensitive to the magnetic field to which the tracking device is subject and are aligned in different directions relative to each another.

14. The tracking device of claim 8, wherein the vector magnetometer comprises a magneto-inductive sensor vector magnetometer.

15. The tracking device of claim 8, wherein the tracking device further comprises:

a processor to determine a description of the geographic position based on the descriptions output by the vector magnetometer and the longitude sensor.

16. The tracking device of claim 8, further comprising:

an attachment member to attach the tracking device to an animal.

19. The tracking device of claim 10, wherein the alignment sensor comprises:

an accelerometer.

20. The tracking device of claim 10, wherein the alignment sensor is mounted in a fixed mechanical relationship with the vector magnetometer.

21. The tracking device of claim 10, wherein the tracking device further comprises:

a processor to determine an inclination of the magnetic field based on the descriptions output by the vector magnetometer and the alignment sensor.

17. A tracking device comprising:

a first means for generating an output descriptive of inclination of a magnetic field to which the tracking device is subject at a collection of different times;

a second means for generating an output descriptive of a longitude position of the tracking device at the collection of different times, wherein the second means comprises a means for detecting illumination and is to generate the output descriptive of the longitude position based on illumination detected by the photodetector; and

a means for outputting from the tracking device one or more of a) information descriptive of the outputs descriptive of the inclination of the magnetic field and the longitude position and b) a description of the geographic position of the tracking device,

wherein the description of the geographic position can be determined based at least in part on the outputs descriptive of the inclination of the magnetic field and the longitude position,

wherein the one or more of the output descriptive of the inclination of the magnetic field, the output descriptive of the longitude position, and the description of the geographic position of the tracking device is timed, and

wherein at least some of the output descriptive of the inclination of the magnetic field and at least some of the output descriptive of the longitude position are relevant to a same first time.

18. The tracking device of claim 17, wherein the first means comprises a means for sensing alignment relative to gravity.

22. A tracking device comprising:

a magnetometer to generate an output descriptive of a magnetic field to which the tracking device is subject at a collection of different times;

an alignment sensor, the alignment sensor to generate an output descriptive of an alignment of the magnetometer relative to gravity

a longitude sensor to generate an output descriptive of a longitude position of the tracking device at the collection of different times; and

a data store to store one or more of a) the descriptions output by the magnetometer, the longitude sensor, and the alignment sensor, b) a description of direction of the magnetic field and the description output by the longitude sensor, and c) a description of the geographic position of the tracking device,

wherein the one or more of the description output by the magnetometer, the description output by the longitude sensor, the description output by the alignment sensor, the description of the direction, and the description of the geographic position of the tracking device is timed so that a time to which the description is relevant can be determined,

wherein at least some of the description output by the magnetometer, at least some of the description output by the longitude sensor, and at least some of the description output by the alignment sensor are relevant to a same first time, and

wherein the description of the geographic position can be determined based at least in part on the descriptions output by the magnetometer, the longitude sensor, and the alignment sensor.

23. The tracking device of claim 22, wherein the alignment sensor comprises:

an accelerometer.

24. The tracking device of claim 23, wherein the accelerometer comprises a three-axis accelerometer.

25. The tracking device of claim 22, wherein:

the magnetometer comprises a vector magnetometer; and

the alignment sensor is mounted in a known mechanical relationship with the vector magnetometer.

26. The tracking device of claim 22, wherein the tracking device further comprises:

a processor to determine the inclination of the magnetic field based on the descriptions output by the magnetometer and the alignment sensor.