Gyroscope apparatus

• US 10,216,290 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2017
• Issued: 02/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lumini Corporation
• Original Assignee: Adtile Technologies Inc.
• Inventors: Scandaliato, Angelo, Forsblom, Nils, Metti, Maximilian
• Primary Examiner(s): Henson, Mischita L
• Application Number:
  US15/483,967
• Publication Number:
  US 20170293368A1
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 17/28 Electromagnetic compasses with north seeking magnetic elements and having electric pick-offs G01C17/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 7/00 Measuring gravitational fields or waves; Gravimetric prospecting or detecting
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 7/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors

Abstract

A gyroscope apparatus for a device including an accelerometer and a magnetic component has a gravity vector generator connected to the accelerometer and receptive to acceleration readings therefrom. A magnetic component output generator is connected to the magnetic component and receptive to magnetic component readings. A sensor fusion engine is connected to the gravity vector generator and to the magnetic component output generator, with a gravity vector value and a magnetic field vector value at a first time instance being combined to represent a first orientation value. The gravity vector value and the magnetic field vector value at a second time instance are combined to represent a second orientation value. An orientation rate of change is derived from a difference between the first orientation value and the second orientation value.

Claims

1. A gyroscope apparatus for a device including an accelerometer and a magnetic component, the apparatus comprising:

a gravity vector generator connected to the accelerometer and receptive to acceleration readings therefrom at a first time instance and at a second time instance, gravity vector values being extracted from the acceleration readings;

a magnetic component output generator connected to the magnetic component and receptive to magnetic component readings therefrom at the first time instance and at the second time instance, magnetic field vector values being extracted from the magnetic component readings, the magnetic component being a polyfill engine generating the magnetic component readings based upon predetermined assumptions; and

a sensor fusion engine connected to the gravity vector generator and to the magnetic component output generator, the gravity vector value and the magnetic field vector value at the first time instance being combined to represent a first orientation value, and the gravity vector value and the magnetic field vector value at the second time instance being combined to represent a second orientation value, an orientation rate of change being derived from a difference between the first orientation value and the second orientation value.

2. The gyroscope apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gravity vector generator includes a low pass filter that removes dynamic acceleration components of the gravity vector values, with static acceleration components of the gravity vector values remaining.

3. The gyroscope apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a calibrator connected to the magnetic component, magnetic component readings being adjusted by a calibration factor prior to the magnetic field vector values being extracted.

4. The gyroscope apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a filter connected to the magnetic component, selected components of magnetic field vector values corresponding to local magnetic disturbances being removed by the filter.

5. The gyroscope apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a magnetic field projector connected to the magnetic component, the magnetic field vector values being projected onto a horizontal plane, with a remaining angle corresponding to a heading relative to magnetic north.

6. The gyroscope apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a frame converter included in the sensor fusion engine;

wherein the orientation rate of change is converted to be defined relative to either one of a device frame or a world frame.

7. The gyroscope apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an application programming interface receptive to requests from an external application for device orientation values;

wherein in response to the requests, the application programming interface invokes the sensor fusion engine to generate the first orientation value, the second orientation value, and the orientation rate of change.

8. The gyroscope apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a camera in communication with the sensor fusion engine.

9. The gyroscope apparatus of claim 7, wherein the application programming interface outputs the orientation rate of change to the requesting external application.

10. The gyroscope apparatus of claim 8, wherein a correction is applied to the gravity vector values based upon data from the camera.

11. The gyroscope apparatus of claim 10, wherein the correction applied to the gravity vector values is propagated to the magnetic field vector values.

12. A gyroscope apparatus for a device including an accelerometer and a magnetic component, the apparatus comprising:

a gravity vector generator connected to the accelerometer and receptive to acceleration readings therefrom at a first time instance and at a second time instance, gravity vector values being extracted from the acceleration readings;

a magnetic component output generator connected to the magnetic component and receptive to magnetic component readings therefrom at the first time instance and at the second time instance, magnetic field vector values being extracted from the magnetic component readings;

a magnetic field projector connected to the magnetic component, the magnetic field vector values being projected onto a horizontal plane, with a remaining angle corresponding to a heading relative to magnetic north,

a sensor fusion engine connected to the gravity vector generator and to the magnetic component output generator, the gravity vector value and the magnetic field vector value at the first time instance being combined to represent a first orientation value, and the gravity vector value and the magnetic field vector value at the second time instance being combined to represent a second orientation value, an orientation rate of change being derived from a difference between the first orientation value and the second orientation value.

13. The gyroscope apparatus of claim 12, wherein the magnetic component is a three-axis magnetometer.

14. The gyroscope apparatus of claim 12, wherein the magnetic component is a compass.

15. The gyroscope apparatus of claim 12, wherein the gravity vector generator includes a low pass filter that removes dynamic acceleration components of the gravity vector values, with static acceleration components of the gravity vector values remaining.

16. The gyroscope apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

a calibrator connected to the magnetic component, magnetic component readings being adjusted by a calibration factor prior to the magnetic field vector values being extracted.

17. The gyroscope apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

a filter connected to the magnetic component, selected components of magnetic field vector values corresponding to local magnetic disturbances being removed by the filter.

18. The gyroscope apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

a frame converter included in the sensor fusion engine;

wherein the orientation rate of change is converted to be defined relative to either one of a device frame or a world frame.

19. The gyroscope apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

an application programming interface receptive to requests from an external application for device orientation values;

wherein in response to the requests, the application programming interface invokes the sensor fusion engine to generate the first orientation value, the second orientation value, and the orientation rate of change.

20. The gyroscope apparatus of claim 19, wherein the application programming interface outputs the orientation rate of change to the requesting external application.

21. The gyroscope apparatus of claim 20, wherein a correction is applied to the gravity vector values based upon data from the camera.

22. The gyroscope apparatus of claim 21, wherein the correction applied to the gravity vector values is propagated to the magnetic field vector values.

23. The gyroscope apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a camera in communication with the sensor fusion engine.

24. A gyroscope apparatus for a device including an accelerometer and a magnetic component, the apparatus comprising:

a gravity vector generator connected to the accelerometer and receptive to acceleration readings therefrom at a first time instance and at a second time instance, gravity vector values being extracted from the acceleration readings;

a magnetic component output generator connected to the magnetic component and receptive to magnetic component readings therefrom at the first time instance and at the second time instance, magnetic field vector values being extracted from the magnetic component readings;

a sensor fusion engine connected to the gravity vector generator and to the magnetic component output generator, the gravity vector value and the magnetic field vector value at the first time instance being combined to represent a first orientation value, and the gravity vector value and the magnetic field vector value at the second time instance being combined to represent a second orientation value, an orientation rate of change being derived from a difference between the first orientation value and the second orientation value; and

a frame converter included in the sensor fusion engine;

wherein the orientation rate of change is converted to be defined relative to either one of a device frame or a world frame.

25. The gyroscope apparatus of claim 24, wherein the magnetic component is a three-axis magnetometer.

26. The gyroscope apparatus of claim 24, wherein the magnetic component is a compass.

27. The gyroscope apparatus of claim 24, wherein the gravity vector generator includes a low pass filter that removes dynamic acceleration components of the gravity vector values, with static acceleration components of the gravity vector values remaining.

28. The gyroscope apparatus of claim 24, further comprising:

a calibrator connected to the magnetic component, magnetic component readings being adjusted by a calibration factor prior to the magnetic field vector values being extracted.

29. The gyroscope apparatus of claim 24, further comprising:

a filter connected to the magnetic component, selected components of magnetic field vector values corresponding to local magnetic disturbances being removed by the filter.

30. The gyroscope apparatus of claim 24, further comprising:

a magnetic field projector connected to the magnetic component, the magnetic field vector values being projected onto a horizontal plane, with a remaining angle corresponding to a heading relative to magnetic north.

31. The gyroscope apparatus of claim 24, further comprising:

an application programming interface receptive to requests from an external application for device orientation values;

wherein in response to the requests, the application programming interface invokes the sensor fusion engine to generate the first orientation value, the second orientation value, and the orientation rate of change.

32. The gyroscope apparatus of claim 31, wherein the application programming interface outputs the orientation rate of change to the requesting external application.

33. The gyroscope apparatus of claim 24, further comprising a camera in communication with the sensor fusion engine.

34. The gyroscope apparatus of claim 33, wherein a correction is applied to the gravity vector values based upon data from the camera.

35. The gyroscope apparatus of claim 34, wherein the correction applied to the gravity vector values is propagated to the magnetic field vector values.