APPARATUS, SYSTEM AND METHOD OF ESTIMATING AN ORIENTATION OF A MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20150185002A1
• Filed: 12/27/2013
• Published: 07/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Yang, Xue, Yang, Lei
• Granted Patent: US 10,222,208 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/22 for measuring angles or tapers; for testing the alignment of axes
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/00 Gyroscopes; Turn-sensitive devices using vibrating masses; Turn-sensitive devices without moving masses; Measuring angular rate using gyroscopic effects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/006 Pedometers

Abstract

Some demonstrative embodiments include apparatuses, systems and/or methods of estimating an orientation of a mobile device. For example, an apparatus may include an orientation estimator to receive an indication of first and second consecutive steps of a user carrying a mobile device, to determine an angular rotation of an orientation parameter between the first and second steps, and to determine a value of the orientation parameter based on a comparison between the angular rotation and at least one predefined angular rotation threshold.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an integrated circuit;

an input to the circuit; and

an output from the circuit,

the integrated circuit including an orientation estimator to receive an indication of first and second consecutive steps of a user carrying a mobile device, to determine at least one angular rotation, between said first and second steps, of at least one respective orientation parameter of said mobile device, and to determine a value of said orientation parameter based on a comparison between said angular rotation and an angular rotation threshold.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one orientation parameter comprises at least one orientation parameter selected from the group consisting of a yaw of said mobile device, a pitch of said mobile device and a roll of said mobile device.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said orientation estimator is to determine a yaw value representing said yaw based on a comparison between a yaw angular rotation of said yaw between said steps and a yaw angular rotation threshold.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said orientation estimator is to update said yaw value, if said yaw angular rotation is greater than said yaw angular rotation threshold.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said orientation estimator is to update said yaw value based on said yaw angular rotation and a yaw bias.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said orientation estimator is to update said yaw bias based on said yaw angular rotation, if said yaw angular rotation is less than said yaw angular rotation threshold.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said orientation estimator is to update said yaw bias according a yaw moving average, within a time window, of one or more yaw angular rotation values, which are less than the yaw angular rotation threshold.

8. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said orientation estimator is to reset said yaw value, if the yaw angular rotation is less than the yaw angular rotation threshold.

9. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said orientation estimator is to reset a pitch value representing said pitch and a roll value representing said roll, if a pitch angular rotation of said pitch between said steps is less than a pitch angular rotation threshold, and a roll angular rotation of said roll between said steps is less than a roll angular rotation threshold.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said orientation estimator is to update said pitch value, if said pitch angular rotation is greater than said pitch angular rotation threshold, and to update said roll value, if said roll angular rotation is greater than said roll angular rotation threshold.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said orientation estimator is to update said pitch value based on said pitch angular rotation and a pitch bias, and to update said roll value based on said roll angular rotation and a roll bias.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said orientation estimator is to update said pitch bias according to a pitch moving average of one or more pitch angular rotation values, which are less than the pitch angular rotation threshold, and to update said roll bias according to a roll moving average of roll angular rotation values, which are less than the roll angular rotation threshold.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said orientation estimator to determine said angular rotation based on an integral of a sequence of measured values of said orientation parameter between the first step and the second step.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said orientation estimator is to correct one or more orientation errors of a gyroscope of said mobile device based on the value of said orientation parameter.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said orientation estimator is operate in an indoor environment.

16. A mobile device comprising:

a processor;

a memory;

a pedometer to detect steps of a user carrying said mobile device;

an orientation sensor to measure at least one orientation parameter of said mobile device; and

an orientation estimator to receive an indication from said pedometer of first and second consecutive steps, to determine an angular rotation of said orientation parameter between said steps, and to adjust a value of said orientation parameter based on a comparison between said angular rotation and a predefined angular rotation threshold.

17. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein said at least one orientation parameter comprises at least one orientation parameter selected from the group consisting of a yaw of said mobile device, a pitch of said mobile device and a roll of said mobile device.

18. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein said orientation estimator is to determine a yaw value representing said yaw based on a comparison between a yaw angular rotation of said yaw between said steps and a yaw angular rotation threshold.

19. A method comprising:

receiving an indication of first and second consecutive steps of a user carrying a mobile device;

determining an angular rotation of an orientation parameter of said mobile device between said first and second steps; and

determining a value of said orientation parameter based on a comparison between said angular rotation and a predefined angular rotation threshold.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said at least one orientation parameter comprises at least one orientation parameter selected from the group consisting of a yaw of said mobile device, a pitch of said mobile device and a roll of said mobile device.

21. The method of claim 20 comprising determining a yaw value representing said yaw based on a comparison between a yaw angular rotation of said yaw between said steps and a predefined yaw angular rotation threshold.

22. A product including a non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a machine, result in:

receiving an indication of first and second consecutive steps of a user carrying a mobile device;

determining an angular rotation of an orientation parameter of said mobile device between said first and second steps; and

determining a value of said orientation parameter based on a comparison between said angular rotation and a predefined angular rotation threshold.

23. The product of claim 22, wherein said at least one orientation parameter comprises at least one orientation parameter selected from the group consisting of a yaw of said mobile device, a pitch of said mobile device and a roll of said mobile device.

24. The product of claim 23, wherein said instructions result in determining a yaw value representing said yaw based on a comparison between a yaw angular rotation of said yaw between said steps and a predefined yaw angular rotation threshold.

25. The product of claim 24, wherein said instructions result in updating said yaw value, if said yaw angular rotation is greater than said predefined yaw angular rotation threshold.