System for three dimensional positioning and tracking
US6316934A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 30, 1999 |
| Grant date | Nov 13, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 30, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01B7/004
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A system for monitoring of the position of at least one portion of an object. The system includes a plurality of transmitters operative to transmit alternating magnetic fields within a three-dimensional space, and at least one positioning sensor arranged to be fixed to at least one corresponding portion of the object whose position it is sought to monitor. Each of the positioning sensors includes a magnetic field receiver having at least one active axis and operative to receive at least one component, lying along the at least one active axes respectively, of the alternating magnetic fields. Each of the positioning sensors also includes at least one digital signal processor for storing at least one characteristic of the magnetic fields as transmitted by the plurality of transmitters, and comparing the characteristic to at least one characteristic of the magnetic fields as received by at least a corresponding one of the positioning sensors and, accordingly, determining and providing an output indication of at least one position characteristic of at least one corresponding portion of the object.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.