Magnetic vector sensor positioning and communication system

• US 9,588,599 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2016
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Correlated Magnetics Research, LLC
• Original Assignee: Correlated Magnetics Research, LLC
• Inventors: Fullerton, Larry W., Roberts, Mark D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Edun, Muhammad N
• Application Number:
  US15/079,393
• Publication Number:
  US 20160266662A1
• Time in Patent Office: 348 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/21 characterised by their sensors, purposes or types
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/126 Rotatable input devices for instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/143 Touch sensitive instrument input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/145 Instrument input by combination of touch screen and hardware input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/126 Rotatable input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/143 Touch sensitive input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/145 Input by combination of touch screen and hardware input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03544 having dual sensing arrangement, e.g. two balls or two coils used to track rotation of the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means

Abstract

A system is described herein for monitoring the movement of one or more magnet sources located external to a device using the vector data from one or more magnetic vector sensors incorporated in the device to determine a position and/or to communicate information.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first device comprising a screen and at least one vector magnetic sensor that senses the magnetic field produced by the Earth;

a second device comprising a modulating magnetic source, said first device is configured to utilize the at least one vector magnetic sensor which interfaces with the modulating magnetic source in the second device to obtain vector data, said vector data corresponding to information communicated from the second device to the first device;

wherein said information comprises an identifier; and

,

wherein said first device is configured to use said identifier with a location look up table.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the information is location information corresponding to a location of said second device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said location information comprises a latitude and longitude of said second device.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein said location information comprises an altitude of said second device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said first device comprises a compass.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said first device comprises an accelerometer.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said modulating magnetic source comprises an electromagnet.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said first device is configured to determine a presence of said second device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said first device is configured to use the information for authentication purposes.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said first device is configured to interpolate a location based on said information.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said first device is configured to extrapolate a location based on said information.

12. A system comprising:

a first device comprising a screen and at least one vector magnetic sensor that senses the magnetic field produced by the Earth;

a second device comprising a modulating magnetic source, said first device is configured to utilize the at least one vector magnetic sensor which interfaces with the modulating magnetic source in the second device to obtain vector data, said vector data corresponding to information communicated from the second device to the first device; and

a third device comprising a modulating magnetic source.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said second device and said third device have at least one different magnetic characteristic.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said at least one different magnetic characteristic comprises a different throw.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein said at least one different magnetic characteristic comprises a different amplitude.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein said at least one different magnetic characteristic comprises a different directionality.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein said at least one different magnetic characteristic comprises a different coding.

18. A system comprising:

a first device comprising a screen and at least one vector magnetic sensor that senses the magnetic field produced by the Earth;

a second device comprising a modulating magnetic source, said first device is configured to utilize the at least one vector magnetic sensor which interfaces with the modulating magnetic source in the second device to obtain vector data, said vector data corresponding to information communicated from the second device to the first device; and

,

wherein said first device is configured to verify an environment based on a priori knowledge of the second device.