External field response distribution visualization device and external field response distribution visualization method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12105159-B2
Application number	US-202017776121-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2020
Priority date	Nov 28, 2019
Publication date	Oct 1, 2024
Grant date	Oct 1, 2024

Abstract

An external field response distribution visualization device includes: an induction circuit that induces a first field component from each of induction positions; a sensor that senses a field strength at sensing positions for each of the induction positions; and an information processing circuit that generates an image showing an external field response distribution. The information processing circuit: calculates, using the sensing result as a boundary condition, an induction position dependent field function that takes an induction and sensing positions as inputs and outputs the field strength; calculates an imaging function that takes an imaging target position as an input and outputs an image intensity, and is defined based on the strength output from the induction position dependent field function in response to inputting the imaging target position; and generates the image based on the imaging function.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An external field response distribution visualization device that generates an image showing an external field response distribution, which is a distribution of responses to an external field, the external field response distribution visualization device comprising:
one or more induction circuits that sequentially induce a first field component from each of actual induction positions defined outside of an object as positions relative to the object;
one or more sensors that sense, at each of actual sensing positions defined outside of the object as positions relative to the object, a strength of a field including a second field component induced from the object by the first field component sequentially induced from each of the actual induction positions, to sense the strength of the field at the actual sensing positions for each of the actual induction positions; and
an information processing circuit that obtains a sensing result of the strength of the field and generates the image showing the external field response distribution of an area including an interior of the object based on the sensing result, wherein
the information processing circuit:
derives an induction position dependent field function that takes a virtual induction position and a virtual sensing position as inputs and outputs a strength of the field at the virtual sensing position, using the sensing result as a boundary condition;
derives an imaging function that takes an imaging target position as an input and outputs an image intensity at the imaging target position, and is defined based on a strength output from the induction position dependent field function in response to inputting the imaging target position, as the virtual induction position and the virtual sensing position, into the induction position dependent field function; and
generates the image based on the imaging function.

2. The external field response distribution visualization device according to claim 1 , wherein
the information processing circuit derives the induction position dependent field function by deriving a solution of a Laplace equation which the induction position dependent field function satisfies, using the sensing result as the boundary condition.

3. The external field response distribution visualization device according to claim 1 , wherein
the information processing circuit derives the imaging function that corresponds to a limit value of the induction position dependent field function, by performing a limit operation on the induction position dependent field function that directs the virtual induction position and the virtual sensing position input into the induction position dependent field function toward the imaging target position.

4. The external field response distribution visualization device according to claim 1 , wherein
the actual induction positions are defined in a first plane, and
the actual sensing positions are defined in a second plane that is the same as or different than the first plane.

5. The external field response distribution visualization device according to claim 1 , wherein
the actual sensing positions are located on a first side of the object and the actual induction positions are on a second opposite side of the object.

6. The external field response distribution visualization device according to claim 1 , wherein
the actual sensing positions and the actual induction positions are located on the same side of the object.

7. The external field response distribution visualization device according to claim 1 , wherein
the one or more induction circuits is a single induction circuit that induces the first field component from each of the actual induction positions by moving to each of the actual induction positions, and
the one or more sensors is a single sensor that senses the strength of the field at each of the actual sensing positions by moving to each of the actual sensing positions.

8. The external field response distribution visualization device according to claim 1 , wherein
the one or more induction circuits are a plurality of induction circuits disposed at the actual induction positions, and
the one or more sensors are a plurality of sensors disposed at the actual sensing positions.

9. The external field response distribution visualization device according to claim 8 , wherein
the plurality of induction circuits are disposed in a first plane, and
the plurality of sensors are disposed in a second plane that is the same as or different than the first plane.

10. The external field response distribution visualization device according to claim 8 , wherein
the plurality of induction circuits are disposed on a first straight line, and
the plurality of sensors are disposed on a second straight line that is the same as or different than the first straight line.

11. The external field response distribution visualization device according to claim 1 , wherein
the object moves,
the one or more induction circuits induce the first field component from each of the actual induction positions defined relative to the object that moves, by inducing the first field component from a predetermined position at different times, and
the one or more sensors sense the strength of the field at each of the actual sensing positions defined relative to the object that moves, by sensing the strength of the field at a predetermined position at different times.

12. The external field response distribution visualization device according to claim 1 , wherein
the one or more induction circuits are included in a first wall, and
the one or more sensors are included in a second wall that is the same as or different than the first wall.

13. The external field response distribution visualization device according to claim 1 , wherein
the one or more induction circuits and the one or more sensors are included in a floor.

14. The external field response distribution visualization device according to claim 1 , wherein
the one or more induction circuits are included in a first pole, and
the one or more sensors are included in a second pole that is the same as or different than the first pole.

15. The external field response distribution visualization device according to claim 5 , wherein
in a three-dimensional space of x-coordinates, y-coordinates, and z-coordinates, the virtual induction position is expressed as (y 1 , z 1 ), the virtual sensing position is expressed as (x, y 2 , z 2 ), a z-coordinate of a position of the one or more induction circuits is defined as 0, and a z-coordinate of a position of the one or more sensors is defined as z 0 ,
the induction position dependent field function is defined as:

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Assignees

• Univ Kobe Nat Univ Corp
• Integral Geometry Science Inc

Inventors

• Kimura Kenjiro
• Mima Yuki
• Suzuki Shogo
• Kimura Noriaki

Classifications

• G01R33/10 Primary

  Plotting field distribution {; Measuring field distribution} · CPC title

• G01R33/0023 Primary

  Electronic aspects, e.g. circuits for stimulation, evaluation, control; Treating the measured signals; calibration (G01R33/0017 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01R33/16 Primary

  Measuring susceptibility {(G01R33/1238 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• G01N27/72

  by investigating magnetic variables · CPC title

• G01V3/08

  operating with magnetic or electric fields produced or modified by objects or geological structures or by detecting devices (with electromagnetic waves G01V3/12) · CPC title