Digital compass with multiple sensing and reporting capability
First Claim
1. A multi-function electronic compass, comprising:
- a microprocessor system including electronic memory for managing functions of the electronic compass;
a magnetometer system coupled to the microprocessor for sensing the Earth'"'"'s magnetic field and providing input according to the direction of the Earth'"'"'s magnetic field relative to the orientation of the compass;
a display for providing output including directional indicia for a user of the compass; and
an accelerometer for sensing changes in acceleration of the compass;
wherein the microprocessor system uses accelerometer input and stored data to determine walking distance for a user of the compass, integrating the walking distance with direction input to determine changes in location for the user, and displays connected legs of a walking trip on the display, with the legs arranged in direction of travel and the length of each leg proportional to walking distance traveled in the direction of the leg.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A multi-function electronic compass incorporates multiple sensors in addition to magnetometers inputting sensed data to a microprocessor system which calculates a variety of results from the sensed data in addition to direction. Direction indicia and other results are output for a user on a display. Additional sensors include one or more of an inclinometer, an altimeter, an accelerometer, and a barometer. In one aspect the compass has a tilt-up lid with a sighting port and an adjacent mirror, and the microprocessor system displays directional indicia backwards so the reflected indicia in the mirror adjacent to the sighting port are directly readable by the user using the sighting port. In one model a laser beam is included as an aid in sighting.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A multi-function electronic compass, comprising:
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a microprocessor system including electronic memory for managing functions of the electronic compass;
a magnetometer system coupled to the microprocessor for sensing the Earth'"'"'s magnetic field and providing input according to the direction of the Earth'"'"'s magnetic field relative to the orientation of the compass;
a display for providing output including directional indicia for a user of the compass; and
an accelerometer for sensing changes in acceleration of the compass;
wherein the microprocessor system uses accelerometer input and stored data to determine walking distance for a user of the compass, integrating the walking distance with direction input to determine changes in location for the user, and displays connected legs of a walking trip on the display, with the legs arranged in direction of travel and the length of each leg proportional to walking distance traveled in the direction of the leg. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A multi-function electronic compass, comprising:
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a microprocessor system including electronic memory for managing functions of the electronic compass;
a magnetometer system coupled to the microprocessor for sensing the Earth'"'"'s magnetic field and providing input according to the direction of the Earth'"'"'s magnetic field relative to the orientation of the compass;
a display for providing output including directional indicia for a user of the compass;
a tilt-up lid including a sighting port and an adjacent mirror; and
an input for the user to initiate a sighting mode;
wherein the user of the compass in sighting mode may incline the tilt up lid at a predefined angle and sight a distant target through the sighting port, and the microprocessor system in the sighting mode produces directional display in reverse, such that the directional display reflected in the mirror adjacent the sighting port is directly readable by the user while maintaining the sight of the distant target. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for night navigation using an electronic compass, comprising steps of:
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(a) setting a course direction and entering the course direction in the electronic compass;
(b) implementing a group of at least three LEDs on a face of the compass;
(c) determining a heading as a user moves at night with the compass;
(d) comparing the heading with the entered course direction;
(c) activating the LEDs selectively to indicate adherence to or deviation from course. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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Specification