In an apparatus and method for controlling operation of a utility vehicle that detects a magnetic field generated by an area signal in electric current supplied from an electric power supply through a boundary wire and is driven by an electric motor powered by an onboard battery that is charged at a charging station. The vehicle runs within the working area based on the detected magnetic field and is provided with a socket to connect/disconnect supply of the electric current to the boundary wire. It is determined whether after power supply was once disconnected, the supply is reconnected. The area signal is inserted with a signal indicating the vehicle to return to the charging station when the power supply is reconnected. Operation of the motor is controlled to make the vehicle run to the charging station when the return instruction signal is inserted to the area signal.

In an apparatus for controlling operation of a utility vehicle that detects a magnetic field generated by electric current flowing through a boundary wire of a working area and is driven to run within the working area based on the detected magnetic field, having left and right magnetic sensor installed at lateral right and left positions of the vehicle to produce outputs proportional to strength of the magnetic field, turning mode is switched between gentle turning mode to make the vehicle turn while running near the boundary wire and sharp turning mode to make the vehicle pause near the boundary wire and then turn, when it is determined from the outputs of the magnetic sensors that the vehicle approaches the boundary wire, each time predetermined conditions are satisfied, and operation of the prime mover is controlled such that the vehicle turns in accordance with the switched turning mode.

In an apparatus for controlling operation of a utility vehicle that detects a magnetic field generated by electric current flowing through a boundary wire of a working area and is driven to run within the working area based on the detected magnetic field, having left and right magnetic sensor installed at lateral right and left positions of the vehicle to produce outputs proportional to strength of the magnetic field, turning mode is switched between gentle turning mode to make the vehicle turn while running near the boundary wire and sharp turning mode to make the vehicle pause near the boundary wire and then turn, when it is determined from the outputs of the magnetic sensors that the vehicle approaches the boundary wire, each time predetermined conditions are satisfied, and operation of the prime mover is controlled such that the vehicle turns in accordance with the switched turning mode.

Systems, devices, and methods for magnetic fingerprinting for proximity-based systems are described herein. One device includes instructions stored thereon executable by a processor to receive location information associated with a mobile device in a facility, determine that the mobile device is within a particular distance of an area of the facility based on the location information, determine magnetic field information associated with the mobile device, and allow access to the area via a relay associated with the area responsive to a determination that the user is allowed access based on the magnetic field information.

Systems, devices, and methods for magnetic fingerprinting for proximity-based systems are described herein. One device includes instructions stored thereon executable by a processor to receive location information associated with a mobile device in a facility, determine that the mobile device is within a particular distance of an area of the facility based on the location information, determine magnetic field information associated with the mobile device, and allow access to the area via a relay associated with the area responsive to a determination that the user is allowed access based on the magnetic field information.

A magnetic sensor including a first magneto resistive effect element located on a first surface of a substrate and having a sensitivity axis in a first direction that is one of in-plane directions of the first surface, a positioning soft magnetic body including a first most proximal portion of which a relative position with respect to the magneto resistive effect element is defined, and provided in a non-contact manner with respect to the first magneto resistive effect element, and a first soft magnetic body and a second soft magnetic body juxtaposed in the first direction and extending in a direction away from the first surface, and each of the first soft magnetic body and the second soft magnetic body is magnetically connected to the positioning soft magnetic body.

A magnetic sensor including a first magneto resistive effect element located on a first surface of a substrate and having a sensitivity axis in a first direction that is one of in-plane directions of the first surface, a positioning soft magnetic body including a first most proximal portion of which a relative position with respect to the magneto resistive effect element is defined, and provided in a non-contact manner with respect to the first magneto resistive effect element, and a first soft magnetic body and a second soft magnetic body juxtaposed in the first direction and extending in a direction away from the first surface, and each of the first soft magnetic body and the second soft magnetic body is magnetically connected to the positioning soft magnetic body.

A method for filtering the signals arising from a sensor assembly (EC) comprising at least one measurement sensor for measuring a vector physical field which is substantially constant over time and in space in a reference frame, said sensor assembly (EC) being tied in motion to a moving frame, moving in the reference frame, the method comprising the steps consisting in: applying a first transformation (T1) to the measurements of a measurement sensor of the sensor assembly (EC) which are provided in the moving frame, to a pseudo reference frame, with the aid of a first change-of-frame operator (R(t)) by rotation between the moving frame and the pseudo reference frame; and applying a filtering (FILT) to the measurements thus transformed in the pseudo reference frame; and applying a second transformation (T2), the inverse of said first transformation, to the measurements filtered by said filtering (FILT), from the reference frame to the moving frame, with the aid of a second change-of-frame operator (R.sup.−1(t)) by rotation between the pseudo reference frame and the moving frame, the inverse of said first operator (R(t)).

A method for filtering the signals arising from a sensor assembly (EC) comprising at least one measurement sensor for measuring a vector physical field which is substantially constant over time and in space in a reference frame, said sensor assembly (EC) being tied in motion to a moving frame, moving in the reference frame, the method comprising the steps consisting in: applying a first transformation (T1) to the measurements of a measurement sensor of the sensor assembly (EC) which are provided in the moving frame, to a pseudo reference frame, with the aid of a first change-of-frame operator (R(t)) by rotation between the moving frame and the pseudo reference frame; and applying a filtering (FILT) to the measurements thus transformed in the pseudo reference frame; and applying a second transformation (T2), the inverse of said first transformation, to the measurements filtered by said filtering (FILT), from the reference frame to the moving frame, with the aid of a second change-of-frame operator (R.sup.−1(t)) by rotation between the pseudo reference frame and the moving frame, the inverse of said first operator (R(t)).

An electronic device comprises a magnetic sensor, a memory configured to store a first geo-magnetic map and a second geo-magnetic map. The first geo-magnetic map may include geo-magnetic data for each of a plurality of positions at a first altitude in an area and the second geo-magnetic map may include geo-magnetic data for each of a plurality of positions at a second altitude in the area. The electronic device may further include a processor configured to identify an altitude of the electronic device, select one of the first geo-magnetic map and the second geo-magnetic map corresponding to the altitude of the electronic device, compare the selected geo-magnetic map with geo-magnetic data sensed by the magnetic sensor, and provide a position of the electronic device using a result of the comparison.