Abstract: A position measurement system configured to measure a position of an object. The system includes an optical system to obtain a first measurement wave and a second measurement wave from a radiation source, and to allow the first and second measurement wave to at least partially interfere with each other after interaction of at least one of the first and second measurement wave with the object to form a first detection beam. The system further includes a first detector to receive the first detection beam. The system also has a processing unit configured to receive an output from the first detector and to determine a signal representative for the position of the object from the output, wherein the optical system includes a phase modulator configured to modulate a phase difference between the first measurement wave and the second measurement wave.

Abstract: A position measurement system configured to measure a position of an object. The system includes an optical system to obtain a first measurement wave and a second measurement wave from a radiation source, and to allow the first and second measurement wave to at least partially interfere with each other after interaction of at least one of the first and second measurement wave with the object to form a first detection beam. The system further includes a first detector to receive the first detection beam. The system also has a processing unit configured to receive an output from the first detector and to determine a signal representative for the position of the object from the output, wherein the optical system includes a phase modulator configured to modulate a phase difference between the first measurement wave and the second measurement wave.

Abstract: A respiratory monitor comprises: a first sensor (20, 70) configured to generate a respiration-related motion monitoring signal (72) indicative of respiration related motion; a second sensor (20, 22, 80, 82) configured to generate a sound monitoring signal (84) indicative of respiration-related sound; and a signals synthesizer (90) configured to synthesize a respiratory monitor signal (46) based on the respiration-related motion monitoring signal and the respiration-related sound monitoring signal. A sensor for use in respiratory monitoring comprises an accelerometer (30) and a magnetometer (32) together defining a unitary sensor (20) configured for attachment to a respiring subject (10) so as to move as a unit responsive to respiration related motion of the respiring subject.

Abstract: The dental position tracking system includes a toothbrush (30) which has a system (20) for determining the orientation of the toothbrush in the mouth of a user relative to the earth, based on measured stored information. Information is stored in the toothbrush concerning target ranges of expected measured toothbrush orientations for each of a plurality of dental zones (22). A processor (24) compares the measured toothbrush orientation information with the target orientation ranges, following conversion of both the target orientation information and the measured toothbrush orientation information to the same coordinate system. The processor then determines which if any of the target ranges matches, within a selected tolerance thereof, with the toothbrush orientation information. Any difference between the target range and the measured toothbrush orientation information is then used to partially adjust the target information range, in order to compensate for a change of position of the user's head.

Abstract: The dental position tracking system includes a toothbrush (30) which has a system (20) for determining the orientation of the toothbrush in the mouth of a user relative to the earth, based on measured stored information. Information is stored in the toothbrush concerning target ranges of expected measured toothbrush orientations for each of a plurality of dental zones (22). A processor (24) compares the measured toothbrush orientation information with the target orientation ranges, following conversion of both the target orientation information and the measured toothbrush orientation information to the same coordinate system. The processor then determines which if any of the target ranges matches, within a selected tolerance thereof, with the toothbrush orientation information. Any difference between the target range and the measured toothbrush orientation information is then used to partially adjust the target information range, in order to compensate for a change of position of the user's head.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system and a method in which an electrophysiological signal is sensed capacitively with at least two closely spaced electrodes such that the electrodes experience strongly correlated skin-electrode distance variations. To be able to derive a motion artifact signal, the capacitive coupling between the electrodes and skin is made intentionally different. With a signal processing means the motion artifact signal can be removed from the measured signal to leave only the desired electrophysiological signal. Since the measured quantity is dependant on the electrode-skin distance itself, the system and method do not need to rely on the constancy of a transfer function. Hereby, they give reliable motion artifact free output signals.

Abstract: An electronic device has an orientation sensing system for determining an orientation of the device. The system includes a magnetometer and an accelerometer. The system further has a calibration device configured to calibrate the sensing system for operational use. The accelerometer supplies measurements used to constrain a range of possible directions of the external magnetic field to be determined. The calibration device numerically solves a set of equations and is equally usable for a 2D or 3D magnetometer in combination with a 2D or 3D accelerometer.

Abstract: Systems comprising generating devices comprising sensors for generating sensor signals representing orientations of the generating devices are provided with comparing devices comprising comparators for comparing the sensor signals with reference signals for interpreting the orientations, to increase the number of possible applications. The generating devices and the comparing devices may form parts of one apparatus or of different apparatuses and then communicate wiredly or wirelessly via radio or infrared. Reference sensors for generating the reference signals and/or reference memories for storing the reference signals may be located in the comparing devices and/or in sources and then communicate wiredly or wirelessly via radio or infrared. Further comparators in the comparing devices may introduce adjustable sensitivities.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system and a method in which an electrophysiological signal is sensed capacitively with at least two closely spaced electrodes such that the electrodes experience strongly correlated skin-electrode distance variations. To be able to derive a motion artifact signal, the capacitive coupling between the electrodes and skin is made intentionally different. With a signal processing means the motion artifact signal can be removed from the measured signal to leave only the desired electrophysiological signal. Since the measured quantity is dependant on the electrode-skin distance itself, the system and method do not need to rely on the constancy of a transfer function. Hereby, they give reliable motion artifact free output signals.

Abstract: An electronic compass has a 2D magnetometer for determining two of the three components of the earth-magnetic field vector. Values for the magnitude and inclination of the field at the location of the device are given. If at least one of the body axes of the device is held horizontally in operational use, an educated guess can be made about the actual orientation of the device (e.g., heading and tilt angles) with respect to the earth. Accordingly, this compass is a very-low cost device.

Abstract: A pointing device (10) is disclosed comprising a light emitter (65) for emitting a plurality of light beams (100) in mutually different controlled directions. The light beams are individually identifiable. The receiving apparatus that is used with this pointing device comprises a light detector for detecting one or more of the plurality of light beams emitted by the pointing device. It determines which of the plurality of individually identifiable light beams are detected. Based thereon the orientation of the pointing device with respect to a target surface may be determined.

Abstract: A respiratory monitor comprises: a first sensor (20, 70) configured to generate a respiration-related motion monitoring signal (72) indicative of respiration related motion; a second sensor (20, 22, 80, 82) configured to generate a sound monitoring signal (84) indicative of respiration-related sound; and a signals synthesizer (90) configured to synthesize a respiratory monitor signal (46) based on the respiration-related motion monitoring signal and the respiration-related sound monitoring signal. A sensor for use in respiratory monitoring comprises an accelerometer (30) and a magnetometer (32) together defining a unitary sensor (20) configured for attachment to a respiring subject (10) so as to move as a unit responsive to respiration related motion of the respiring subject.

Abstract: The dental position tracking system includes a toothbrush (30) which has a system (20) for determining the orientation of the toothbrush in the mouth of a user relative to the earth, based on measured stored information. Information is stored in the toothbrush concerning target ranges of expected measured toothbrush orientations for each of a plurality of dental zones (22). A processor (24) compares the measured toothbrush orientation information with the target orientation ranges, following conversion of both the target orientation information and the measured toothbrush orientation information to the same coordinate system. The processor then determines which if any of the target ranges matches, within a selected tolerance thereof, with the toothbrush orientation information. Any difference between the target range and the measured toothbrush orientation information is then used to partially adjust the target information range, in order to compensate for a change of position of the user's head.

Abstract: A magnetic field sensor circuit comprises a first magneto-resistive sensor (Rx) which senses a first magnetic field component in a first direction to supply a first sense signal (Vx). A first flipping coil (FC1) applies a first flipping magnetic field with a periodically changing polarity to the first magneto-resistive sensor (Rx) to cause the first sense signal (Vx) to have alternating different levels synchronized with the first flipping magnetic field. A second magneto -resistive sensor (Ry) senses a second magnetic field component in a second direction different than the first direction to supply a second sense signal (Vy). A second flipping coil (FC2) applies a second flipping magnetic field with a periodically changing polarity to the second magneto -resistive sensor (Ry) to cause the second sense signal (Vy) to have an alternating different levels synchronized with the second flipping magnetic field. The first flipping magnetic field and the second flipping magnetic field have a phase shift.

Abstract: An electronic device has an orientation sensing system for determining an orientation of the device. The system comprises a magnetometer and an accelero meter. The system further has calibration means to calibrate the sensing system for operational use. The accelerometer supplies measurements used to constrain a range of possible directions of the external magnetic field to be determined. The calibration means numerically solves a set of equations and is equally well useable for a 2D or 3D magnetometer in combination with a 2D or 3D accelerometer.

Abstract: An electronic compass has a 2D magnetometer for determining two of the three components of the earth-magnetic field vector. Values for the magnitude and inclination of the field at the location of the device are given. If at least one of the body axes of the device is held horizontally in operational use, an educated guess can be made about the actual orientation of the device (e.g., heading and tilt angles) with respect to the earth. Accordingly, this compass is a very-low cost device.

Abstract: An orientation sensing system uses an algorithm that iteratively improves an estimate of the body attitude. In each iteration, an error vector is generated that represents the difference between the actually measured sensor signals on the one hand, and a model-based prediction of these sensor signals, given the attitude estimate of the previous iteration, on the other hand. From the compound sensor data error vector, an attitude estimation error (a 3 degrees-of-freedom rotation) is calculated by multiplying the compound error vector by the pseudo-inverse of a sensitivity matrix. An improved attitude estimate is then obtained by applying the inverse of the attitude estimation error to the old attitude estimate.

Abstract: A magnetic field sensor circuit comprises a first magneto-resistive sensor (Rx) which senses a first magnetic field component in a first direction to supply a first sense signal (Vx). A first flipping coil (FC1) applies a first flipping magnetic field with a periodically changing polarity to the first magneto-resistive sensor (Rx) to cause the first sense signal (Vx) to have alternating different levels synchronized with the first flipping magnetic field. A second magneto -resistive sensor (Ry) senses a second magnetic field component in a second direction different than the first direction to supply a second sense signal (Vy). A second flipping coil (FC2) applies a second flipping magnetic field with a periodically changing polarity to the second magneto -resistive sensor (Ry) to cause the second sense signal (Vy) to have an alternating different levels synchronized with the second flipping magnetic field. The first flipping magnetic field and the second flipping magnetic field have a phase shift.

Abstract: A high-performance, integrated AMR sensor has compensation and flipping coils for signal conditioning of the sensor output. At least one of the coils is formed in the laminate that connects the AMR sensor with its IC within a single package. As a result, the dimensions of the die area of the AMR sensor and the package size can be kept small.

Abstract: Devices (1) comprising sensor arrangements (2) for providing first field information (11-13) defining at least parts of first fields and for providing second field information (14, 15) defining at least parts of second fields are provided with updaters (4) for updating parameters of the first and/or second fields via criterion-dependent iterations, to become more reliable and user friendly. The fields may be earth gravitational fields and/or earth magnetic fields and/or further fields. The parameters comprise magnitudes of the fields and dot products of the fields. The criterion-dependent iterations comprise magnitude functions and dot product functions. The magnitude functions define new magnitudes being functions of old magnitudes and of updated magnitudes and the dot product functions define new dot products being functions of old dot products and of updated dot products.