APPARATUSES AND METHODS FOR DYNAMIC TRACKING AND COMPENSATION OF MAGNETIC NEAR FIELD

1 . A method for tracking dynamic near fields and correcting a magnetic field measured together with an angular position in a body reference system where the angular position has an unknown yaw offset relative to a gravitational reference system, the method comprising:

calculating a magnetic field difference between (1) a magnetic field in the gravitational reference system, evaluated based on the measured magnetic field and assuming that the angular position is accurate, and (2) a previous estimated total magnetic field including previous tracked near fields, in the gravitational reference system;

estimating current near fields to be a sum of the previous near fields and a portion of the calculated field difference;

computing a magnitude difference between magnitudes of a current estimated total magnetic field including the estimated current near-fields and the measured magnetic field, and an angular difference between (1) a first angle between the current estimated total magnetic field and a fixed vector in the gravitational reference system, and (2) a second angle between the measured magnetic field and the fixed vector expressed in the body reference system;

comparing the magnitude difference and the angle difference with noise to determine whether the current measured magnetic field is consistent with the previously tracked magnetic near fields; and

if the comparing determines that the current measured magnetic field is consistent with the previously tracked magnetic near fields, updating the angular position using the current estimated total magnetic field, and correcting the measured magnetic field for the current near field effects using the updated angular position.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein if the comparing determines that the current measured magnetic field not is consistent with the previously tracked magnetic near fields, the angular position is not updated and the measured magnetic field is not corrected for the current near field effects using the updated angular position.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the angular position of the body is updated using a singular value decomposition based algorithm.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising estimating an error associated with updating the yaw angle.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the comparing is based on dynamic factors multiplying noise magnitudes.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the comparison is performed relative to a predetermined number of measurements or measurements acquired over a predetermined time interval.

7 . An apparatus configured to perform a method for tracking dynamic near fields and correcting a magnetic field measured together with an angular position in a body reference system having an unknown yaw offset relative to a gravitational reference system, the apparatus comprising:

an interface configured to receive the magnetic field and the angular position measured by a magnetometer and motion sensors attached to a device; and

a data processing unit configured

to calculate a magnetic field difference between (1) a magnetic field in the gravitational reference system, evaluated based on the measured magnetic field and assuming that the angular position is accurate, and (2) a previous estimated total magnetic field including previous tracked near fields, in the gravitational reference system;

to estimate current near fields to be a sum of the previous near fields and a portion of the calculated field difference;

to compute a magnitude difference between magnitudes of a current estimated total magnetic field including the estimated current near-fields and the measured magnetic field, and an angular difference between (1) a first angle between the current estimated total magnetic field and a fixed vector in the gravitational reference system, and (2) a second angle between the measured magnetic field and the fixed vector expressed in the body reference system;

to compare the magnitude difference and the angle difference with noise to determine whether the current measured magnetic field is consistent with the previously tracked magnetic near fields; and

if determined that the current measured magnetic field is consistent with the previously tracked magnetic near fields, to update the angular position using the current estimated total magnetic field, and to correct the measured magnetic field for the current near field effects using the updated angular position.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein if determined that the current measured magnetic field not is consistent with the previously tracked magnetic near fields, the data processing unit is configured not to update the angular position and not to correct the measured magnetic field for the current near field effects.

9 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the data processing unit is configured to update the angular position of the body a singular value decomposition based algorithm.

10 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the data processing unit is further configured to estimate an error associated with updating the yaw angle.

11 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the data processing unit is further configured to compare the magnitude difference and the angle difference with noise based on dynamic factors multiplying noise magnitudes.

12 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the data processing unit is configured compare the magnitude difference and the angle difference relative to a predetermined number of measurements or measurements acquired over a predetermined time interval.

13 . A computer readable medium storing executable codes which when executed by a processor make the processor execute a method of tracking for dynamic near fields and correcting a magnetic field measured together with an angular position in a body reference system having an unknown yaw offset relative to a gravitational reference system, the method comprising:

calculating a magnetic field difference between (1) a magnetic field in the gravitational reference system, evaluated based on the measured magnetic field and assuming that the angular position is accurate, and (2) a previous estimated total magnetic field including previous tracked near fields, in the gravitational reference system;

estimating current near fields to be a sum of the previous near fields and a portion of the calculated field difference;

computing a magnitude difference between magnitudes of a current estimated total magnetic field including the estimated current near-fields and the measured magnetic field, and an angular difference between (1) a first angle between the current estimated total magnetic field and a fixed vector in the gravitational reference system, and (2) a second angle between the measured magnetic field and the fixed vector expressed in the body reference system;

comparing the magnitude difference and the angle difference with noise to determine whether the current measured magnetic field is consistent with the previously tracked magnetic near fields; and

if the comparing determines that the current measured magnetic field is consistent with the previously tracked magnetic near fields, updating the angular position using the current estimated total magnetic field, and correcting the measured magnetic field for the current near field effects using the updated angular position.

14 . The computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein if the comparing determines that the current measured magnetic field not is consistent with the previously tracked magnetic near fields, the angular position is not updated and the measured magnetic field is not corrected for the current near field effects using the updated angular position.

15 . The computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the angular position of the body is updated using a singular value decomposition based algorithm.

16 . The computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises estimating an error associated with updating the yaw angle.

17 . The computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the comparing is based on dynamic factors multiplying noise magnitudes.

18 . The computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the comparison is performed relative to a predetermined number of measurements or measurements acquired over a predetermined time interval.