Compass orientation compensation

• US 7,020,971 B1
• Filed: 09/16/2004
• Issued: 04/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yazaki North America Incorporated (Yazaki Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yazaki North America Incorporated (Yazaki Corporation)
• Inventors: Driscoll, Andrew John, Goslee, Nathan Vincent, Currie, John F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bennett, G. Bradley
• Application Number:
  US10/942,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20060053644A1
• Time in Patent Office: 565 Days
• Field of Search: 333/55.R, 333/56, 333/57, 333/58, 333/59
• US Class Current: 33/356
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 17/38 Testing, calibrating, or compensating of compasses

Abstract

A compass system comprises an electronic compass capable of providing a raw compass reading, at least one adjustment factor relating to a position of the electronic compass, and a compensation device selectively providing a compensated compass reading based on the raw compass reading and the adjustment factor. Further, at least one adjustment factor relating to the position of the electronic compass is defined and may be stored in a memory.

Claims

1. A compass system, comprising:

an electronic compass installed in a vehicle in at least one known angle with respect to at least one plane in the vehicle, the compass being capable of providing a raw compass reading;

at least one adjustment factor relating to a position of the electronic compass the at least one adjustment factor including the at least one known angle; and

a compensation device selectively providing a compensated compass reading based on the raw compass reading and the adjustment factor.

2. The compass system of claim 1, wherein the at least one adjustment factor includes proximity to another device.

3. The compass system of claim 1, wherein the at least one adjustment factor is a plurality of adjustment factors.

4. The compass system of claim 1, wherein the at least one adjustment factor includes at least one of a yaw angle, a pitch angle, and a roll angle.

5. The compass system of claim 1, further comprising a display connected to the electronic compass, wherein the display is capable of displaying the compensated compass reading.

6. The compass system of claim 1, further comprising a housing, wherein the electronic compass is disposed within the housing.

7. The compass system of claim 1, wherein the compensation device is included within the electronic compass.

8. The compass system of claim 1, wherein the compensation device is not included within the electronic compass.

9. The compass system of claim 1, further comprising a memory that stores the at least one adjustment factor and provides the at least one adjustment factor to the compensation device.

10. The compass system of claim 1, wherein the memory is included within the electronic compass.

11. The compass system of claim 1, wherein the memory is not included within the electronic compass.

12. A method for compensating for the position of an electronic compass, comprising:

installing the electronic compass in a vehicle in at least one known angle with respect to at least one plane in the vehicle;

defining at least one adjustment factor that includes the at least one known angle; and

storing the at least one adjustment factor in a memory.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising providing a compensated compass reading based on the at least one adjustment factor and a raw compass reading provided by the electronic compass.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one adjustment factor is a plurality of adjustment factors.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one adjustment factor includes at least one of a yaw angle, a pitch angle, a roll angle, and proximity to another device.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising connecting a display to the electronic compass, wherein the display is capable of displaying the compensated compass reading.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the compensated compass reading is provided by a compensation device that is not included in the electronic compass.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising a housing, wherein the electronic compass is disposed within the housing.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the electronic compass includes a compensation device that is used to provide the compensated compass reading.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the memory providing the at least one adjustment factor to the compensation device.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the memory is included within the electronic compass.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the memory is not included within the electronic compass.

23. A compass system, comprising

electronic compass means for providing a raw compass reading;

a circuit board associated with the compass means for processing the compass reading the circuit board being installed in the vehicle in a certain orientation, the circuit board including memory means for storing an adjustment factor, and compensating means for adjusting the raw compass reading according to the stored adjustment factors to provide a compensated compass reading;

wherein the adjustment factors include the angular difference in alignment between the circuit board and the vehicle in a horizontal plane and the angular difference in alignment between the circuit board and the vehicle in a vertical plane.

24. The compass system of claim 23, wherein the adjustment factors include at least one of a yaw angle, a pitch angle, and a roll angle.

25. The compass system of claim 23, wherein the adjustment factors include proximity to another device.