Tracking position and movement using a magnetic field
AssigneeOmmo Technologies, Inc.
InventorsFathollah Memarzanjany, Minjie Zheng
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a general aspect, a position tracking system includes a sphere magnet that produces a magnetic field in a space. A magnetic field control system is configured to change the magnetic field by rotating the sphere magnet through a time-series of rotations over a time period. A position marker includes a magnetic field sensor that is configured to measure the magnetic field in the space during the time period. A data processing apparatus is configured to determine the position of the position marker based on magnetic field measurements obtained by the magnetic field sensor in the space during the time period.
Claims20
A position tracking system comprising:
- a sphere magnet that produces a magnetic field in a space;
- a magnetic field control system configured to change the magnetic field over a time period by rotating the sphere magnet through one or more rotations about each of two different axes concurrently, at different rotation speeds about each of the two axes;
- a position marker comprising a magnetic field sensor configured to measure the magnetic field in the space during the time period;
- and
- a data processing apparatus configured to determine a position of the position marker based on magnetic field measurements obtained by the magnetic field sensor in the space during the time period.
A position tracking method comprising:
- by operation of a magnetic field control system, changing a magnetic field in a space over a time period by rotating a sphere magnet through one or more rotations about each of two different axes concurrently, at different rotation speeds about each of the two axes;
- obtaining, during the time period, magnetic field measurements at a position marker comprising a magnetic field sensor in the space;
- receiving the magnetic field measurements at a data processing apparatus;
- and
- by operation of the data processing apparatus, determining a position of the position marker based on the magnetic field measurements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.