Portable electronic compass
First Claim
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1. A compass comprising:
- a. a plurality of Hall effect sensors;
b. a magnet pivotably mounted in fixed proximity to said sensors;
c. a signal generating circuit means for detecting the electrical current flowing through said sensors;
d. display means for, converting said generated signals into a visible display corresponding to the orientation of said magnet in relation to said sensor;
e. a motion-sensing switch for activating said circuit means only when said compass is in motion;
f. an oscillating power supply for supplying cyclical power impulses to said circuit means, said Hall effect sensors and said display means.
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Abstract
The invention is a motion sensitive, battery operated compass utilizing Hall effect digital switches to sense the orientation of the compass in relation to the earth'"'"'s magnetic field. A vibration sensing circuit serves to turn the compass on when it is in motion, and to turn the compass off when it is at rest. A chopper circuit is provided to interrupt the power supply at a predetermined frequency to conserve battery power. The Hall effect switches are mounted in a known relationship to a rotating magnet allowing selection and decoding of the sensor outputs to provide signals for the operation of an alpha numberic display.
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Citations
4 Claims
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1. A compass comprising:
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a. a plurality of Hall effect sensors; b. a magnet pivotably mounted in fixed proximity to said sensors; c. a signal generating circuit means for detecting the electrical current flowing through said sensors; d. display means for, converting said generated signals into a visible display corresponding to the orientation of said magnet in relation to said sensor; e. a motion-sensing switch for activating said circuit means only when said compass is in motion; f. an oscillating power supply for supplying cyclical power impulses to said circuit means, said Hall effect sensors and said display means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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Specification