Resolution of magnetic dipole ambiguity in position tracking measurements
First Claim
1. A method for position tracking, comprising:
- using a co-axial pair of first and second field generators fixed at a respective known offset from one another along a common axis in a location pad, generating respective first and second magnetic fields in a vicinity of an object;
measuring the first and second magnetic fields using a position sensor associated with the object;
calculating ambiguous position coordinates of the object with respect to the location pad based on the measured first and second magnetic fields using at least eight vectors;
invalidating all position coordinates not similarly measured by first and second magnetic fields using the at least eight vectors; and
calculating unambiguous position coordinates of the object with respect to the location pad from similarly measured position coordinates from the at least eight vectors based on the measured first and second magnetic fields and the known offset.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for position tracking includes using first and second field generators located at respective different first and second locations to generate respective first and second magnetic fields in a vicinity of first and second objects. The first and second fields are measured using first and second position sensors respectively associated with the first and second objects. First and second potential relative coordinates of the first object relative to the second object are calculated responsively to the first and second magnetic field. The potential relative coordinates are processed in order to determine a correct relative coordinate of the first object relative to the second object.
41 Citations
6 Claims
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1. A method for position tracking, comprising:
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using a co-axial pair of first and second field generators fixed at a respective known offset from one another along a common axis in a location pad, generating respective first and second magnetic fields in a vicinity of an object; measuring the first and second magnetic fields using a position sensor associated with the object; calculating ambiguous position coordinates of the object with respect to the location pad based on the measured first and second magnetic fields using at least eight vectors; invalidating all position coordinates not similarly measured by first and second magnetic fields using the at least eight vectors; and calculating unambiguous position coordinates of the object with respect to the location pad from similarly measured position coordinates from the at least eight vectors based on the measured first and second magnetic fields and the known offset. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A position tracking system, comprising:
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a location pad comprising a co-axial pair of first and second field generators fixed at a known offset from one another along a common axis, which are arranged to generate respective first and second magnetic fields in a vicinity of an object; a position sensor associated with the object, which is arranged to measure the first and second magnetic fields; and a processor, which is arranged to calculate ambiguous position coordinates of the object with respect to the location pad based on the measured first and second magnetic fields using at least eight vectors and to invalidate all position coordinates not similarly measured by first and second magnetic fields using the at least eight vectors and to calculate unambiguous position coordinates of the object with respect to the location pad from similarly measured position coordinates from the at least eight vectors based on the measured first and second magnetic fields and the known offset. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
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Specification