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DIRECTION DETERMINING METHOD AND APPARATUS USING A TRIAXIAL ELECTRONIC COMPASS

  • US 20120317825A1
  • Filed: 06/11/2012
  • Published: 12/20/2012
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2011
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method of determining a direction of a triaxial electronic compass that is oriented in a specific direction by using said triaxial electronic compass and an inclination sensor, wherein said triaxial electronic compass includes a mutually-orthogonal 3-axis geomagnetic sensor and selectively uses two output values from among three output values of said mutually-orthogonal 3-axis geomagnetic sensor, and wherein said inclination sensor detects an inclination of said triaxial electronic compass, said method comprising:

  • obtaining an elevation angle of said specific direction with respect to a horizontal plane from said inclination sensor to switch a selection of two output values from said three output values to another selection of two output values therefrom in accordance with said elevation angle;

    determining a geomagnetic aspect from said two output values selected from among said three output values;

    obtaining a rotational angle about an axis extending in said specific direction from said inclination sensor;

    calculating an angle of a deviation of said direction of said triaxial electronic compass, oriented in said specific direction, which is caused by said selection switching, in accordance with said elevation angle, said geomagnetic aspect and said rotational angle; and

    correcting said direction of said triaxial electronic compass, oriented in said specific direction, in accordance with said deviation angle.

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