US 12,292,542 B2
Estimating magnetic field using a network of satellites
Brian Anderson, Mt. Airy, MD (US); Regupathi Angappan, Baltimore, MD (US); Robin Barnes, Elkridge, MD (US); Sabine Stanley, Finksburg, MD (US); and Sarah Vines, Baltimore, MD (US)
Assigned to THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY, Baltimore, MD (US)
Appl. No. 18/023,911
Filed by THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY, Baltimore, MD (US)
PCT Filed Sep. 2, 2021, PCT No. PCT/US2021/048833
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 28, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/051471, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 10, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/073,834, filed on Feb. 28, 2023.
Prior Publication US 2024/0012171 A1, Jan. 11, 2024
Int. Cl. G01V 3/40 (2006.01); B64G 1/32 (2006.01); G01V 3/36 (2006.01); G01V 3/38 (2006.01)
CPC G01V 3/40 (2013.01) [B64G 1/32 (2013.01); G01V 3/36 (2013.01); G01V 3/38 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving, by a computing device, magnetometer measurements from a plurality of globally distributed satellites, wherein the magnetometer measurements from the plurality of globally distributed satellites globally and simultaneously cover magnetic field measurements of an area encompassing the Earth;
generating, by the computing device, a magnetic field model of the Earth based on the receiving the magnetometer measurements;
refining the magnetic field model by grouping the magnetometer measurements into area groupings and applying spherical harmonic functions to calculate amplitudes at each area grouping to generate a refined magnetic field model; and
storing or outputting, by the computing device, the magnetic field model, the refined magnetic field model, or both.