Electrical control system
DCFirst Claim
1. An electrical compass system for a vehicle, said system including sensing means for sensing a magnetic field and providing output signals representative thereof, circuit means coupled to said sensing means for providing display output signals, and display means coupled to said circuit means and responsive to said display output signals for displaying the sensed magnetic field;
- wherein the improvement comprises compensation means for correcting the sensed and displayed magnetic field for a steady state local magnetic field interference;
said compensation means comprising;
means coupled to said circuit means for establishing a predetermined display output signal when said sensing means is positioned in predetermined alignment with a known magnetic field;
comparing means coupled to said sensing means and to said circuit means for comparing signals from said sensing means and said display output signals and applying a control signal to said circuit means when signals from said sensing means correspond to a direction which differs from said predetermined display output signal; and
means coupled to said circuit means and to said sensing means for applying a correction signal to said sensing means and said correction signal generated by said circuit means in response to said control signal from said comparing means to cause said predetermined display output signal to occur.
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Abstract
The system of the present invention provides an electrical digital compass for use in a vehicle which includes a unique compensation and variation correction control which is readily set by the vehicle operator with the operation of push-button switches. The electrical display system and circuitry includes a microprocessor for comparing the information from a magnetic field sensor when the vehicle is aligned in a magnetically known direction and for providing a correction signal to assure the displayed output corresponds to the predetermined magnetic field alignment. In areas where magnetic variation is significant, the system generates, stores and processes a correction signal to assure the displayed output corresponds to the true heading of the vehicle. In one embodiment of the invention, a temperature sensor is provided to indicate the ambient temperature in which the vehicle is operating and which is digitally displayed to the operator.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. An electrical compass system for a vehicle, said system including sensing means for sensing a magnetic field and providing output signals representative thereof, circuit means coupled to said sensing means for providing display output signals, and display means coupled to said circuit means and responsive to said display output signals for displaying the sensed magnetic field;
- wherein the improvement comprises compensation means for correcting the sensed and displayed magnetic field for a steady state local magnetic field interference;
said compensation means comprising;means coupled to said circuit means for establishing a predetermined display output signal when said sensing means is positioned in predetermined alignment with a known magnetic field; comparing means coupled to said sensing means and to said circuit means for comparing signals from said sensing means and said display output signals and applying a control signal to said circuit means when signals from said sensing means correspond to a direction which differs from said predetermined display output signal; and means coupled to said circuit means and to said sensing means for applying a correction signal to said sensing means and said correction signal generated by said circuit means in response to said control signal from said comparing means to cause said predetermined display output signal to occur. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
- wherein the improvement comprises compensation means for correcting the sensed and displayed magnetic field for a steady state local magnetic field interference;
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9. A digital compass system for a vehicle comprising:
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a magnetic field sensor; a sensor circuit coupled to said sensor for providing output signals representative of the orientation of said sensor with respect to a magnetic field; a microprocessor and interface circuit means coupling said microprocessor to said sensor circuit for providing display output signals representative of the magnetic direction of orientation of said sensor; display means coupled to said microprocessor for displaying said magnetic direction; and compensation circuit means including operator actuated switch means coupled to said microprocessor for supplying signals applied to said sensor to compensate for local magnetic field interference which otherwise causes said sensor to provide output signals which deviate from the actual magnetic orientation of said sensor with respect to the earth'"'"'s magnetic field such that the actual magnetic orientation of said sensor will be displayed. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A digital electrical compass system for a vehicle comprising:
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an electrical magnetic field sensor for mounting to a vehicle; a microprocessor coupled to said sensor and including memory circuit means programmed to respond to signals from said sensor to provide display output signals therefrom; a compass calibration switch coupled to said microprocessor for providing a calibration command thereto when actuated to cause said microprocessor to supply a sensor correction signal applied to said sensor to provide a predetermined display output signal in response thereto when the vehicle is aligned in a predetermined magnetic position; and display means coupled to said microprocessor for displaying the vehicle'"'"'s heading. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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23. A digital control and display module for a vehicle comprising:
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a housing for central mounting to a vehicle roof near the windshield and including a digital display means for providing temperature and compass heading information; temperature and compass control switches mounted to said housing; and an electrical circuit including temperature sensing means and magnetic field sensing means, said circuit coupled to said switch means and to said display means and mounted within said housing for selectively displaying to a vehicle operator temperature and compass heading information.
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24. A digital electrical compass system for a vehicle comprising:
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an electrical magnetic field sensor for mounting to a vehicle; circuit means coupled to said sensor and responsive to signals from said sensor to provide display output signals representative of the position of said sensor with respect to a magnetic field;
said circuit means including means for providing a sensor correction signal applied to said sensor to provide a predetermined display output signal in response thereto when the vehicle is aligned in a predetermined position with respect to the earth'"'"'s magnetic field; and
means for providing a variation correction signal when said sensor is aligned in a known true direction, said variation correction signals employed to modify direction information signals from said sensor to provide said display output signals which represent the true heading of the vehicle; anddisplay means coupled to said circuit means and responsive to said display output signals for displaying the vehicle'"'"'s true heading. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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26. A digital compass system for a vehicle comprising:
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a magnetic field sensor; circuit means coupled to said sensor for providing output signals repesentative of the orientation of said sensor with respect to a magnetic field, said circuit means including operator actuated switch means to effect operation of said compass system; and display means coupled to said circuit means for displaying the detected magnetic direction, said display mens also providing operator prompting information in response to the actuation of said operator actuated switch means.
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Specification