초록 ▼

Methods and apparatus are provided for locating the position, preferably in three dimensions, of a sensor by generating magnetic fields which are detected at the sensor. The magnetic fields are generated from a plurality of locations and, in one embodiment of the invention, enable both the orientati

Methods and apparatus are provided for locating the position, preferably in three dimensions, of a sensor by generating magnetic fields which are detected at the sensor. The magnetic fields are generated from a plurality of locations and, in one embodiment of the invention, enable both the orientation and location of a single coil sensor to be determined. The present invention thus finds application in many areas where the use of prior art sensors comprising two or more mutually perpendicular coils is inappropriate.

대표청구항 ▼

[ We claim:] [1.] A method of determining the location and the orientation of a field sensor relative to a plurality of field generators of known location, each field generator comprising a plurality of collocated field generating elements, the method comprising the steps of: 1) for each generator,

[ We claim:] [1.] A method of determining the location and the orientation of a field sensor relative to a plurality of field generators of known location, each field generator comprising a plurality of collocated field generating elements, the method comprising the steps of: 1) for each generator, energising each generating element and measuring the respective field generated by each generating element at the field sensor;2) for each field generator calculating, from the measurements of the field generated by each of its generating elements and an estimate of the orientation of the sensor, an estimate of the distance from that particular field generator to the sensor;3) utilising the estimates of distance from step 2, and the known location of the field generators to calculate an estimate of the location of the sensor;4) employing the estimated location of the sensor from step 3) and the measurements of the field at the sensor to calculate a new estimate of the orientation of the sensor;5) repeating steps 2) to 4) iteratively with step 2) employing the new estimate of sensor orientation from the preceding step 4), to improve the estimates of location and orientation of the sensor.