ORIENTATION SENSING IN A MULTI PART DEVICE

• US 20090239586A1
• Filed: 06/15/2007
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Breakwaters Innovations LLC
• Original Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Boeve, Hans M. B., Ikkink, Teunis J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,958,644 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 17/30 Earth-inductor compasses
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 9/00 Measuring inclination, e.g. by clinometers, by levels
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0225 Rotatable telephones, i.e. the body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis perpendicular to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0243 using the relative angle between housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

A device comprises a first part (1) which has user input means (10) and comprising a three-degrees-of-freedom orientation sensing system (11) for determining a three-degrees-of-freedom orientation (01) of the first part (1) with respect to a reference coordinate frame (XYZ) defined by the earths gravity field (Fg) and magnetic field (Fm). A second part (2) comprises a display (20) for displaying orientation information (OI) on a three-degrees-of-freedom orientation (02) of the second part (2), and sensing means (21) for sensing an one-degree-of-freedom or a two-degrees-of-freedom orientation of the second part (2). Further, are provided means (5) for calculating the three-degrees-of-freedom orientation (02) of the second part (2) from the three-degrees-of-freedom orientation (01) of the first part (1) and the one-degree-of-freedom or the two-degrees-of-freedom orientation of the second part (2), and means (6) for generating the orientation information (01) in response to the calculated three-degrees-of-freedom orientation (02) of the second part (2) to obtain correct display of the orientation information (01) independent on an orientation of the second part (2) with respect to the first part (1).

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a first part having user input means and comprising a three-degrees-of-freedom orientation sensing system (for determining a three-degrees-of-freedom orientation of the first part with respect to a reference coordinate frame (XYZ) defined by the earths gravity field (Fg) and magnetic field (Fm),

a second part comprising a display for displaying orientation information on a three-degrees-of-freedom orientation of the second part, and sensing means for sensing an one-degree-of-freedom or a two-degrees-of-freedom orientation of the second part, and

means for calculating the three-degrees-of-freedom orientation of the second part from the three-degrees-of-freedom orientation of the first part and the one-degree-of-freedom or the two-degrees-of-freedom orientation of the second part, and

means for generating the orientation information in response to the calculated three-degrees-of-freedom orientation of the second part to obtain correct display of the orientation information independent on an orientation of the second part with respect to the first part.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensing means (21) comprises an accelerometer or magnetometer sensor.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first part and the second part are rotatably connected for rotating with respect to each other in a clamshell movement and/or a swivel movement.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for generating the orientation information is constructed for displaying the orientation information comprising an indication of a direction or of a text.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an open-closed detector for detecting whether the device is in an open state or in a closed state from the three-degrees-of-freedom orientation of the first part and the one-degree-of-freedom or the two-degrees-of-freedom orientation of the second part.

6. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the three-degrees-of-freedom orientation sensing system comprises an electronic compass.

7. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the three-degrees-of-freedom orientation sensing system comprises a three-dimensional accelerometer and a two-dimensional magnetometer.

8. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensing means for sensing an one-degree-of-freedom or a two-degrees-of-freedom orientation of the second part comprises:

an one-dimensional or two-dimensional sensor, producing sensor signals

S_i=f_i(β

,ξ

).

9. A device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the sensing means for sensing an one-degree-of-freedom orientation of the second part comprises:

an one-dimensional accelerometer, producing an accelerometer signal

A=u·

cos β

+v·

sin β

, and

wherein the means for calculating the three-degrees-of-freedom orientation of the second part from the three-degrees-of-freedom orientation of the first part and the one-degree-of-freedom orientation of the second part are constructed for determining the scalars u and v from the orientation of the first part.

10. A device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the sensing means for sensing an one-degree-of-freedom orientation of the second part comprises:

an one-dimensional magnetometer, producing an magnetometer signal

M=u·

cos β

+v·

sin β

, and

wherein the means for calculating the three-degrees-of-freedom orientation of the second part from the three-degrees-of-freedom orientation of the first part and the one-degree-of-freedom orientation of the second part, are constructed for determining the scalars u and v from the orientation of the first part and the inclination angle of the second part with respect to the earth'"'"'s magnetic field.

11. A device as claimed in claim 1, the device being a mobile phone.