Magnetic field measuring apparatus, magnetic field measuring method and recording medium with magnetic field measuring program recorded thereon

1. A magnetic field measuring apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor;

a magnetic sensor array that is configured by arraying a plurality of magnetic sensor cells to form a surface covering at least a part of a target object to be measured, each of the plurality of magnetic sensor cells having a magnetic sensor including a magnetoresistive element and a magnetic flux concentrator;

a measurement data acquiring unit configured to acquire, using the at least one processor, measurement data measured by the magnetic sensor array;

a signal space separating unit configured to perform, using the at least one processor, signal separation on a magnetic field spatial distribution indicated by the measurement data based on a position and magnetic sensitivity of each magnetic sensor;

a calibration magnetic field generating unit configured to generate a calibration magnetic field at a position on a straight line that can be drawn without crossing the plurality of magnetic sensor cells from a measurement space outside the measurement space where the plurality of magnetic sensor cells are not arranged in the closed space that is composed of the smallest convex polygon that includes all of the plurality of magnetic sensor cells in a cross-sectional view; and

a calibrating unit configured to calibrate, using the at least one processor, a sensor error for the magnetic sensor based on a separation error in a case where the signal separation has been performed on a spatial distribution of the calibration magnetic field.

2. The magnetic field measuring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:

the magnetic sensor array is composed of the plurality of magnetic sensor cells three-dimensionally arrayed in an arc shape in a cross sectional view; and

an angle formed by a straight line connecting the center of a plane composed of a string connecting both end points of an arc and the center of the calibration magnetic field generating unit, and a straight line connecting a contact point between the arc and the string on the same cross section as the center of the plane, and the center of the calibration magnetic field generating unit, is greater than 6 degrees.

3. The magnetic field measuring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of magnetic sensor cells further comprises:

a magnetic field generating unit for generating a feedback magnetic field to reduce an input magnetic field detected by the magnetic sensor; and

an output unit for outputting an output signal corresponding to a feedback current that is to flow for the magnetic field generating unit to generate the feedback magnetic field.

4. The magnetic field measuring apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of magnetic sensor cells further comprises:

a magnetic field generating unit for generating a feedback magnetic field to reduce an input magnetic field detected by the magnetic sensor; and

an output unit for outputting an output signal corresponding to a feedback current that is to flow for the magnetic field generating unit to generate the feedback magnetic field.

5. The magnetic field measuring apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein:

each of magnetic sensors, each magnetic sensor being identical to the magnetic sensor, includes the magnetoresistive element and two magnetic flux concentrators arranged on both ends of the magnetoresistive element;

the magnetoresistive element is arranged at a position sandwiched between the two magnetic flux concentrators.

6. The magnetic field measuring apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the magnetic field generating unit includes a feedback coil wound along an axial direction of a magnetic field being a detection target of the magnetic sensor, so as to enclose the magnetoresistive element and the two magnetic flux concentrators.

7. The magnetic field measuring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the calibration magnetic field generating unit has at least three or more calibration coils, each of the calibration coils generating the calibration magnetic field in a different axial direction from other axial directions.

8. The magnetic field measuring apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the calibration magnetic field generating unit has at least three or more calibration coils, each of the calibration coils generating the calibration magnetic field in a different axial direction from other axial directions.

9. The magnetic field measuring apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the different axial direction is an axial direction orthogonal to other axial directions.

10. The magnetic field measuring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the signal space separating unit uses a position where the calibration magnetic field generating unit is arranged as a coordinate origin in calculation in performing signal separation on a spatial distribution of the calibration magnetic field.

11. The magnetic field measuring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the signal space separating unit performs signal separation on the magnetic field spatial distribution based on basis vectors calculated from an orthonormal functions and the position and the magnetic sensitivity of each of the magnetic sensor.

12. The magnetic field measuring apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the calibrating unit calibrates the sensor error by changing the basis vectors.

13. The magnetic field measuring apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the calibrating unit optimizes the basis vectors so as to minimize the separation error.

14. The magnetic field measuring apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a synchronous detection unit configured to detect, using the at least one processor, the calibration magnetic field, which is an alternating magnetic field, using a signal of a frequency of the alternating magnetic field.

15. The magnetic field measuring apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the frequency of the alternating magnetic field is higher than 80 Hz, and lower than or equal to a cutoff frequency of an attenuation property of a magnetic field by the magnetic flux concentrator.

16. A magnetic field measuring method, comprising:

acquiring measurement data measured by a magnetic sensor array that is configured by arraying a plurality of magnetic sensor cells to form a surface covering at least a part of a target object to be measured, each of the plurality of magnetic sensor cells having a magnetic sensor including a magnetoresistive element and a magnetic flux concentrator;

performing signal separation on a magnetic field spatial distribution indicated by the measurement data based on a position and magnetic sensitivity of each magnetic sensor;

generating a calibration magnetic field at a position on a straight line that can be drawn without crossing the plurality of magnetic sensor cells from the measurement space outside the measurement space where the plurality of magnetic sensor cells are not arranged in the closed space that is composed of the smallest convex polygon that includes all of the plurality of magnetic sensor cells in a cross-sectional view; and

calibrating a sensor error for the magnetic sensor based on a separation error in a case where signal separation has been performed on a spatial distribution of the calibration magnetic field.

17. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium with magnetic field measuring program recorded thereon that, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to function as perform operations including:

acquiring measurement data measured by a magnetic sensor array that is configured by arraying a plurality of magnetic sensor cells to form a surface covering at least a part of a target object to be measured, each of the plurality of magnetic sensor cells having a magnetic sensor including a magnetoresistive element and a magnetic flux concentrator;

performing signal separation on a magnetic field spatial distribution indicated by the measurement data based on a position and magnetic sensitivity of each magnetic sensor;

generating a calibration magnetic field at a position on a straight line that can be drawn without crossing the plurality of magnetic sensor cells from the measurement space outside the measurement space where the plurality of magnetic sensor cells are not arranged in the closed space that is composed of the smallest convex polygon that includes all of the plurality of magnetic sensor cells in a cross-sectional view; and

calibrating a sensor error for the magnetic sensor based on a separation error in a case where the signal separation has been performed on a spatial distribution of the calibration magnetic field.

18. A magnetic field measuring apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor;

a magnetic sensor array that is configured by arraying a plurality of magnetic sensor cells to form a surface covering at least a part of a target object to be measured, each of the plurality of magnetic sensor cells having a magnetic sensor including a magnetoresistive element and a magnetic flux concentrator;

a measurement data acquiring unit configured to acquire, using the at least one processor, measurement data measured by a magnetic sensor cell group that is at least a part of the plurality of magnetic sensor cells in the magnetic sensor array;

a signal space separating unit configured to perform, using the at least one processor, signal separation on a magnetic field spatial distribution indicated by the measurement data based on a position and a magnetic sensitivity of each magnetic sensor of the magnetic sensor cell group;

a calibration magnetic field generating unit configured to generate a calibration magnetic field at a plurality of different positions; and

a calibrating unit configured to calibrate, using the at least one processor, a sensor error in the magnetic sensor of a first magnetic sensor cell group of the plurality of magnetic sensor cells based on the separation error in a case where signal separation has been performed on a spatial distribution of the calibration magnetic field generated at a first position, and calibrating the sensor error in the magnetic sensor of a second magnetic sensor cell group of the plurality of magnetic sensor cells based on a separation error in a case where signal separation has been performed on a spatial distribution of the calibration magnetic field generated at a second position.

19. A magnetic field measuring method, comprising:

acquiring measurement data measured by a magnetic sensor cell group that is at least a part of a plurality of magnetic sensor cells in a magnetic sensor array, which is configured by arraying a plurality of magnetic sensor cells to form a surface covering at least a part of a target object to be measured, each of the plurality of magnetic sensor cells having a magnetic sensor including a magnetoresistive element and a magnetic flux concentrator;

performing signal separation on a magnetic field spatial distribution indicated by the measurement data based on a position and magnetic sensitivity of each magnetic sensor of the magnetic sensor cell group;

generating a calibration magnetic field at a plurality of different calibration positions; and

calibrating a sensor error in the magnetic sensor of a first magnetic sensor cell group of the plurality of magnetic sensor cells based on the separation error in a case where signal separation has been performed on a spatial distribution of the calibration magnetic field generated at a first position, and calibrating the sensor error in the magnetic sensor of a second magnetic sensor cell group of the plurality of magnetic sensor cells based on a separation error in a case where signal separation has been performed on a spatial distribution of the calibration magnetic field generated at a second position.

20. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium with magnetic field measuring program recorded thereon that, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform operations including:

acquiring measurement data measured by a magnetic sensor cell group that is at least a part of a plurality of magnetic sensor cells in a magnetic sensor array, which is configured by arraying the plurality of magnetic sensor cells to form a surface covering at least a part of a target object to be measured, each of the plurality of magnetic sensor cells having a magnetic sensor including a magnetoresistive element and a magnetic flux concentrator;

performing signal separation on a magnetic field spatial distribution indicated by the measurement data based on a position and a magnetic sensitivity of each magnetic sensor of the magnetic sensor cell group;

generating a calibration magnetic field at a plurality of different positions;

calibrating a sensor error in the magnetic sensor of a first magnetic sensor cell group of the plurality of magnetic sensor cells based on the separation error in a case where signal separation has been performed on a spatial distribution of the calibration magnetic field generated at a first position, and calibrating the sensor error in the magnetic sensor of a second magnetic sensor cell group of the plurality of magnetic sensor cells based on a separation error in a case where signal separation has been performed on a spatial distribution of the calibration magnetic field generated at a second position.