Magnetic vector dynamics for managing vehicle movements
A proximity detection and collision avoidance system determines whether a collision risk exists between two vehicles by measuring magnetic field vectors generated on each of the vehicles as the relative distance between the vehicles decreases.
1 . A proximity detection system, comprising:
at least one magnetic field generator associated with a first location configured to generate at least one magnetic field; and
at least one magnetic field detector associated with a second location, the at least one magnetic field detector having at least two detection axes,
wherein the at least two detection axes are oriented at angles from each other; and
wherein the at least one magnetic field detector is configured to determine a strength of the at least one magnetic field in each of a first vector component corresponding to a first of the at least two detection axes and a second vector component corresponding to a second of the at least two detection axes, and to generate a signal based on a first rate of change of the strength of the at least one magnetic field in the first vector component and based on a second rate of change of the at least one magnetic field in the second vector component to indicate a proximity of the first location and the second location with respect to each other.
2 . The proximity detection system of claim 1 , where the first location is one of a vehicle, a stationary location, and a person.
3 . The proximity detection system of claim 1 , wherein the second location is one of a vehicle, a person, and a stationary location.
4 . The proximity detection system of claim 2 , wherein the second location is the stationary location.
5 . The proximity detection system of claim 1 , wherein the at least two detection axes are orthogonal.
6 . The proximity detection system of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic field detector is further configured to determine a relative strength of one of the first vector component or the second vector component to a composite of the first vector component and the second vector component.
7 . The proximity detection system of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic field generator and/or magnetic field detector includes a direction providing system and wherein the signal is also based on an output of the direction providing system.
8 . The proximity detection system of claim 7 , wherein the first location is a first vehicle and the second location is a second vehicle, wherein the first vehicle has another magnetic field detector and the second vehicle has another magnetic field generator (MFG), wherein each of the first vehicle and the second vehicle generates a compass direction, and wherein the signal is generated also based on the compass direction of the second vehicle.
9 . The proximity detection system of claim 8 , wherein the signal is not generated unless the first vehicle and the second vehicle are approaching each other.
10 . The proximity detection system of claim 6 , wherein the magnetic field detector is further configured to determine a relative strength of the first vector component and the second vector component at a field strength threshold.
11 . A proximity detection system, comprising:
at least one magnetic field generator associated with a first location configured to generate at least one magnetic field; and
at least one magnetic field detector associated with a second location, the at least one magnetic field detector having at least two detection axes,
wherein the at least two detection axes are oriented at angles from each other; and
wherein the at least one magnetic field detector is configured to:
(a) determine a strength of the at least one magnetic field in each of a first vector component corresponding to a first of the at least two detection axes and a second vector component corresponding to a second of the at least two detection axes, to determine a relative strength of each of the first vector component and the second vector component to a composite of the first vector component and the second vector component; and
(b) generate a signal based on a first rate of change of the relative strength of the first vector component to the composite of the first vector component and the second vector component and a second rate of change of the relative strength of the second vector component to the composite of the first vector component and the second vector component to indicate a proximity of the first location and the second location with respect to each other.
12 . The proximity detection system of claim 7 , wherein the direction providing system is one or more of a magnetic compass, a solid state compass, a buried wire system, a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, a gyrocompass and/or an accelerometer.
13 . The proximity detection system of claim 8 , wherein the first vehicle is adapted to transmit the compass direction of the first vehicle to the second vehicle and wherein the signal is generated also based on a comparison between the compass direction of the first vehicle and the compass direction of the second vehicle.
14 . A method of proximity detection, the method comprising the steps of:
generating at least one magnetic field associated with a first location;
determining a strength of the at least one magnetic field at a second location in each of a first vector component corresponding to a first detection axis of a magnetic field detector and a second vector component corresponding to a second detection axis of the magnetic field detector, wherein the first detection axis and the second detection axis are oriented at angles from each other; and
generating a signal based on a first rate of change of the strength of the at least one magnetic field in the first vector component and based on a second rate of change of the at least one magnetic field in the second vector component to indicate a proximity of the first location and the second location with respect to each other.
15 . The method of proximity detection of claim 14 ,
wherein the first location is one of a vehicle, a stationary location, and a person;
wherein the second location is one of another vehicle, another person, and a another stationary location;
wherein the first axis and second axis are orthogonal;
and further comprising the steps of:
determining a relative strength of one of the first vector component or the second vector component to a composite of the first vector component and the second vector component; and
generating the signal based also on an output of a direction providing system.
16 . The method of proximity detection of claim 15 , wherein the first location is a first vehicle and the second location is a second vehicle.
17 . The method of proximity detection of claim 16 , wherein the signal is not generated unless the first vehicle and the second vehicle are approaching each other.
18 . The method of proximity detection of claim 16 , wherein the direction providing system is at least one of a magnetic compass, a solid state compass, a buried wire system, a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, a gyrocompass and/or an accelerometer.
19 . The method of proximity detection of claim 18 , further comprising transmitting, by the first vehicle, a compass heading of the first vehicle to the second vehicle and generating the signal based also on a comparison between the output of the direction providing system and the compass heading.
20 . A proximity detection system, comprising:
at least one magnetic field generator associated with a first location configured to generate at least one magnetic field; and
at least one magnetic field detector associated with a second location, the at least one magnetic field detector having at least two detection axes,
wherein the at least two detection axes are oriented at angles from each other;
wherein the at least one magnetic field detector is configured to determine a strength of the at least one magnetic field in each of a first vector component corresponding to a first of the at least two detection axes and a second vector component corresponding to a second of the at least two detection axes, to determine a relative strength of each of the first vector component and the second vector component to a composite of the first vector component and the second vector component, and to generate a signal based on a first rate of change of the relative strength of the first vector component to the composite of the first vector component and the second vector component and a second rate of change of the relative strength of the second vector component to the composite of the first vector component and the second vector component to indicate a proximity of the first location and the second location with respect to each other; and
wherein the at least one magnetic field generator and/or the at least one magnetic field detector includes a direction providing system and the at least one magnetic field detector is configured to generate the signal based also on a direction output of the direction providing system.