Dipole moment detector and localizer

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of displaying the location data.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1 wherein the step of repeating steps b) through e) for all hypothesized locations within the detection range of the array of magnetic sensors comprises the steps of: correlating the measured magnetic field values with each of the estimated magnetic field values for the array of sensors, by multiplying the estimated magnetic field values with the measured magnetic field values and summing the results over the array of sensors; and if one of the resulting correlations has a significantly larger value than the others and if it is greater than a predetermined threshold, declaring a detection for the location corresponding to the calculated values that resulted in the larger correlation value.

Claim 5

The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of displaying the location data.

Claim 8

The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of displaying the location data.

Claim 9

Apparatus for detecting and localizing a magnetic dipole comprising: an array of magnetic sensors; processing means coupled to the array of magnetic sensors, for storing position matrices corresponding to hypothesized locations of the magnetic dipole relative to the array of sensors, for estimating magnetic field values comprising the orientation and magnitude of the dipole at said plurality of hypothesized locations from magnetic field measurements using an electromagnetic moment equation that generates a minimum least-squares estimate that minimizes the sum of squared errors between the actual magnetic field measurements and magnetic field measurements that would be generated by a dipole having an optimal orientation and magnitude, for collecting magnetic field signals indicative of the magnetic field measured at each of the sensors in the presence of the magnetic dipole that is to be detected to provide measured magnetic field values, for removing spatial and temporal variations in the magnetic field measured at each of the sensors by temporally and spatially filtering the measured magnetic field signals, for correlating the measured magnetic field values with each of the estimated magnetic field values by multiplying the estimated magnetic field values with the measured magnetic field values and summing the results over the array of sensors, for identifying the location of the dipole if one of the correlations has a significantly larger value than the others and if it is greater than a predetermined threshold, and if the trajectory location of the dipole corresponds to the location represented by the measured magnetic field signals that produced in the significantly larger value; and display means for displaying the location of the identified dipole.

Claim 10

Apparatus for detecting and localizing a magnetic dipole comprising: an array of magnetic sensors; processing means coupled to the array of magnetic sensors, for storing position matrices corresponding to hypothesized locations of the magnetic dipole relative to the array of sensors, for estimating magnetic field values comprising the orientation and magnitude of the dipole at said plurality of hypothesized locations from magnetic field measurements using an electromagnetic moment equation that generates a minimum least-squares estimate that minimizes the sum of squared errors between the actual magnetic field measurements and magnetic field measurements that would be generated by a dipole having an optimal orientation and magnitude, for collecting magnetic field signals indicative of the magnetic field measured at each of the sensors in the presence of the magnetic dipole that is to be detected to provide measured magnetic field values, for removing spatial and temporal variations in the magnetic field measured at each of the sensors by temporally and spatially filtering the measured magnetic field signals, for correlating the measured magnetic field values with each of the estimated magnetic field values by multiplying the estimated magnetic field values with the measured magnetic field values and summing the results over the array of sensors, for identifying the location of the dipole if one of the correlations has a significantly larger value than the others and if it is greater than a predetermined threshold, and if the trajectory location of the dipole corresponds to the location represented by the measured magnetic field signals that produced in the significantly larger value; and display means for displaying the location of the identified dipole.

Claim 11

The method of claim 1 wherein the step of estimating the orientation and magnitude of the dipole comprises the step of: simultaneously estimating the orientation and magnitude of multiple dipoles to simultaneously detect and localize a plurality of discrete magnetic dipoles.

Claim 12

The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of: comparing the magnitudes and positions of the plurality of discrete magnetic dipoles to predetermined geometric patterns of dipoles that correspond to known complex magnetic objects to classify the plurality of discrete magnetic dipoles as a particular magnetic object.

Claim 13

The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of magnetic sensors comprises a three dimensional array having an arbitrary number of sensors, each of which is positioned in an arbitrary orientation at arbitrary points in space.

Claim 14

The method of claim 5 wherein the step of estimating the orientation and magnitude of the dipole comprises the step of: simultaneously estimating the orientation and magnitude of multiple dipoles to simultaneously detect and localize a plurality of discrete magnetic dipoles.

Claim 15

The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of: comparing the magnitudes and positions of the plurality of discrete magnetic dipoles to predetermined geometric patterns of dipoles that correspond to known complex magnetic objects to classify the plurality of discrete magnetic dipoles as a particular magnetic object.

Claim 16

The method of claim 5 wherein the plurality of magnetic sensors comprises a three dimensional array having an arbitrary number of sensors, each of which is positioned in an arbitrary orientation at arbitrary points in space.

Claim 17

The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the processing means further comprises: means for simultaneously estimating the orientation and magnitude of multiple dipoles to simultaneously detect and localize a plurality of discrete magnetic dipoles.

Claim 18

The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the processing means further comprises: means for comparing the magnitudes and positions of the plurality of discrete magnetic dipoles to predetermined geometric patterns of dipoles that correspond to known complex magnetic objects to classify the plurality of discrete magnetic dipoles as a particular magnetic object.

Claim 19

The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the plurality of magnetic sensors comprises a three dimensional array having an arbitrary number of sensors, each of which is positioned in an arbitrary orientation at arbitrary points in space.