Direction detection for a vehicle
First Claim
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1. A device for detecting running direction of a vehicle, comprising:
- direction detecting means for detecting direction of the terrestrial magnetic field and outputting first and second detection signals indicative thereof;
steering angle detecting means for detecting steering angle of said vehicle and outputting a steering angle signal indicative thereof; and
control unit means responsive to said first and second signals and said steering angle signal, for calculating said running direction of said automotive vehicle based on said first and second signals and for determining the occurrence of abnormalities in said terrestrial magnetic field based on all of said signals.
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Abstract
A device and method for detecting the running direction of an automotive vehicle includes terrestrial magnetic field direction detection, vehicle steering angle detection, and response to the signals of these detectors for producing the vehicle running direction signal. In a computer, or equivalent circuitry, occurrence of abnormalities of the terrestrial magnetic field is decided when the relationship between the change in the vehicle running direction and the change in the steering angle does not satisfy a predetermined requirement.
25 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A device for detecting running direction of a vehicle, comprising:
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direction detecting means for detecting direction of the terrestrial magnetic field and outputting first and second detection signals indicative thereof; steering angle detecting means for detecting steering angle of said vehicle and outputting a steering angle signal indicative thereof; and control unit means responsive to said first and second signals and said steering angle signal, for calculating said running direction of said automotive vehicle based on said first and second signals and for determining the occurrence of abnormalities in said terrestrial magnetic field based on all of said signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A device for detecting a running direction of a vehicle, comprising:
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direction detection means attached to said vehicle for detecting the direction of the terrestrial magnetic field; turning angle detection means for detecting the turning angle of said vehicle; first calculation means, receiving said detection from said direction detection means, for calculating successively the running direction of said vehicle; memory means for storing said running direction calculated in said first calculation means; second calculation means for determining the change in said running direction on the basis of said running direction calculated in said first calculation means and said running direction stored in said memory means, and for determining whether the relationship between said determined change in said running direction and variation in said detected vehicle turning angle is not within a predetermined relationship, and for determining an abnormality of said terrestrial magnetic field direction detection when the result of said relationship determination is affirmative; and means for prohibiting updating of data in said memory means when said abnormality is determined by said second calculation means. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for detecting a running direction of a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
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detecting a direction of the terrestrial magnetic field; detecting a steering angle direction of the vehicle; calculating a running direction of the vehicle based on the detected terrestrial magnetic field direction; and determining the occurrence of an abnormality in the terrestrial magnetic field based on the detected terrestrial magnetic field direction and the detected steering angle direction. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification