Alken Inc.

Allan G Rodgers

Robert F Higgins

Herbert R Jones

Allan G Rodgers, Jr

Keith M Hanf

Suzanne T Gagnon

James C Farr

An apparatus and method for implementing a technique for adaptively assigning weighting factors to position and orientation determinations in an electromagnetic or hybrid tracking system having multiple transmitters or multiple receivers. The apparatus may reduce the impact of eddy current distortion to the position and orientation determinations.

Adaptive weighting of multiple sources in a magnetic or hybrid tracking system

In an AC magnetic tracker one or more multi-axis field sources, each operating at a different frequency, or frequency set, are detected and tracked in three-dimensional space, even when wireless or otherwise not physically connected to the tracking system. Multiple sources can be tracked simultaneously as they each operate with their own unique detectable set of parameters. The invention not only provides the ability to uniquely identify one or more sources by their frequencies, but also to synchronize with these frequencies in order to measure signals that then allow tracking the position and orientation (P&O) of the source(s). Further, these sources need not be present at the time of system start-up but can come and go while being detected, discriminated and tracked. It also should be noted that application of such systems in multiples with more sensors not synchronized to a source or sources also could be employed to give the reverse appearance of a known source phase and incoherency with the sensors.

AC magnetic tracking system with non-coherency between sources and sensors

A magnetic tracker system for use on an operator's head makes 'mouse'/cursor movements on a screen similar to that of the classic computer 'mouse'/track ball/touchpad/joystick. Only head movements are used as opposed to lifting a hand from the keyboard for making such moves. The new &#x201c;mouse&#x201d; avoids interrupting the hands from their position on the keyboard and has no moving mechanical parts that become clogged and that need a special surface (mouse pad) or special surface measurements (optical mouse).

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Jericho, VT, United States of America

Allan G Rodgers