Device for measuring position and orientation using non-dipole magnet IC fields

Claim 1

A device for determining position and orientation of a receiving antenna with respect to a transmitting antenna using a plurality of electromagnetic fields, said device comprising: transmitting means for transmitting a plurality of non-rotating electromagnetic fields, each from a different location where said transmitting means comprises more than one non-dipole antennae; means for supplying a current to said transmitting means for creating said transmitted electromagnetic fields; receiving means disposed to receive said electromagnetic fields, wherein said receiving means is disposed inside a volume of space where non-dipole field conditions exist; and processing means for measuring and converting output signals from said receiving means into position and orientation measurements.

Claim 2

A device for determining position and orientation of a receiving antenna with respect to a transmitting antenna using a plurality of electromagnetic fields, said device comprising: transmitting means for transmitting a plurality of non-rotating electromagnetic fields, each from a different location where said transmitting means comprises more than one non-dipole antennae; means for supplying a current to said transmitting means for creating said transmitted electromagnetic fields; receiving means disposed to receive said electromagnetic fields, wherein said receiving means is disposed inside a volume of space where non-dipole field conditions exist; and processing means for measuring and converting output signals from said receiving means into position and orientation measurements.

Claim 11

A device for determining position and orientation of a receiving antenna with respect to a transmitting antenna using a plurality of electromagnetic fields, said device comprising: transmitting means comprising three transmitting antennae for transmitting a plurality of electromagnetic fields, and said three transmitting antennae being disposed such that said three transmitting antennae bound a volume of space in which non-dipole electromagnetic fields exist; receiving means disposed inside said volume of space to receive said electromagnetic fields where each said transmitting antenna consists of a formed elongate electrical conductor patterned in a desired shape bounding a portion of said volume of space; each of said transmitting antennae has an effective radius defined by the mean distance from an axis of said transmitting antenna to its corresponding border, and said receiving means being spaced from said transmitting means by a distance less than the smaller of said effective radii; and processing means for measuring and converting output signal from said receiving means into position and orientation measurements.

Claim 12

A device for determining position and orientation of a receiving antenna with respect to a transmitting antenna using a plurality of electromagnetic fields, said device comprising: transmitting means comprising three transmitting antennae for transmitting a plurality of electromagnetic fields, and said three transmitting antennae being disposed such that said three transmitting antennae bound a volume of space in which non-dipole electromagnetic fields exist; receiving means disposed inside said volume of space to receive said electromagnetic fields where each said transmitting antenna consists of a formed elongate electrical conductor patterned in a desired shape bounding a portion of said volume of space; each of said transmitting antennae has an effective radius defined by the mean distance from an axis of said transmitting antenna to its corresponding border, and said receiving means being spaced from said transmitting means by a distance less than the smaller of said effective radii; and processing means for measuring and converting output signal from said receiving means into position and orientation measurements.

Claim 15

A method for determining position and orientation of a receiving antenna with respect to a non-rotating, non-dipole transmitting antenna using a plurality of electromagnetic fields, said method comprising the steps of: transmitting said electromagnetic fields to receiving means; positioning said receiving means inside a volume of space where non-dipole field conditions exist; processing and converting output signals, received from said receiving means, into position and orientation measurements by: a) defining a geometry of a transmitting antenna by measuring x, y, z coordinates of ends of each of a plurality of discrete segments of said transmitting antenna; b) measuring more than one induction field components generated in said receiving means by said transmitting antenna; c) computing a magnitude of measured induction vectors of said measured induction field components; d) determining a plurality of angles between said measured induction vectors by computing dot products of said measured induction vectors; e) representing said computed magnitudes and said angles as a linear extrapolation by using a first order Taylor expansion yielding six equations with three unknowns (dX, dY, and dZ); f) computing partial derivatives (dX, dY and dZ) defined by said six equations; g) determining change in position values (dX, dY and dZ) using an iterative approximation; and h) iterating said change in position values (dX, dY and dZ) until said change in position values are sufficiently small to give an accurate indication of the coordinates of said receiving means in the x, y, z coordinate plane defined by said transmitting antenna.

Claim 16

A method for determining position and orientation of a receiving antenna with respect to a non-rotating, non-dipole transmitting antenna using a plurality of electromagnetic fields, said method comprising the steps of: transmitting said electromagnetic fields to receiving means; positioning said receiving means inside a volume of space where non-dipole field conditions exist; processing and converting output signals, received from said receiving means, into position and orientation measurements by: a) defining a geometry of a transmitting antenna by measuring x, y, z coordinates of ends of each of a plurality of discrete segments of said transmitting antenna; b) measuring more than one induction field components generated in said receiving means by said transmitting antenna; c) computing a magnitude of measured induction vectors of said measured induction field components; d) determining a plurality of angles between said measured induction vectors by computing dot products of said measured induction vectors; e) representing said computed magnitudes and said angles as a linear extrapolation by using a first order Taylor expansion yielding six equations with three unknowns (dX, dY, and dZ); f) computing partial derivatives (dX, dY and dZ) defined by said six equations; g) determining change in position values (dX, dY and dZ) using an iterative approximation; and h) iterating said change in position values (dX, dY and dZ) until said change in position values are sufficiently small to give an accurate indication of the coordinates of said receiving means in the x, y, z coordinate plane defined by said transmitting antenna.

Claim 18

A device for determining position and orientation of a receiving antenna with respect to a transmitting antenna using a plurality of electromagnetic fields, said device comprising: transmitting means comprising three transmitting antennae for transmitting a plurality of said electromagnetic fields, and said transmitting antenna being disposed such that said three transmitting antennae bound a volume of space in which a plurality of non-dipole electromagnetic fields exist wherein said three antennas are arranged non-orthogonally; receiving means being disposed inside said volume of space to receive said plurality of electromagnetic fields; and processing means for measuring and converting output signals from said receiving means into position and orientation measurements.

Claim 19

A device for determining position and orientation of a receiving antenna with respect to a transmitting antenna using a plurality of electromagnetic fields, said device comprising: transmitting means comprising three transmitting antennae for transmitting a plurality of said electromagnetic fields, and said transmitting antenna being disposed such that said three transmitting antennae bound a volume of space in which a plurality of non-dipole electromagnetic fields exist wherein said three antennas are arranged non-orthogonally; receiving means being disposed inside said volume of space to receive said plurality of electromagnetic fields; and processing means for measuring and converting output signals from said receiving means into position and orientation measurements.