Electronic apparatus and method of correcting offset value of acceleration sensor

• US 7,162,352 B1
• Filed: 06/23/2006
• Issued: 01/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Nishioka, Hisaya
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby; Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US11/473,118
• Publication Number:
  US 20070005215A1
• Time in Patent Office: 200 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/34, 701/36, 701/70, 701/74, 701/75, 340/428, 340/449, 340/440
• US Class Current: 701/74
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 21/00 Testing or calibrating of apparatus or devices covered by the preceding groups
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus includes acceleration computing unit correcting an output value from a acceleration sensor with an offset value so as to obtain an acceleration of a body, rest determining unit determining whether or not the body is at rest based on an output value from the acceleration sensor, when a absolute value of a temperature difference between a measurement temperature and a reference temperature exceeds a predetermined value, level determining unit determining whether or not the body is on the level based on the output value from the acceleration sensor and the offset value, when it is determined that the body is at rest, and offset value updating unit setting a new offset value corresponding to an output value outputted from the acceleration sensor and setting the measurement temperature as a new reference temperature, when it is determined that the body is on the level.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a main body;

an acceleration sensor provided in the main body;

a temperature sensor provided in the main body;

offset value storage unit configure to store a reference temperature and an offset value corresponding to the reference temperature;

acceleration computing unit configure to correct an output value from the acceleration sensor with an offset value stored in the offset value storage unit so as to obtain an acceleration of the main body;

temperature difference determining unit configure to determine whether or not an absolute value of a temperature difference between a measurement temperature measured by the temperature sensor and the reference temperature stored in the offset value storage unit exceeds a predetermined value;

rest determining unit configure to determine whether or not the main body is at rest based on an output value from the acceleration sensor, when the temperature difference determining unit determines that the absolute value of the temperature difference exceeds a predetermined value;

level determining unit configure to determine whether or not the main body is on the level based on the output value from the acceleration sensor and the offset value stored in the offset value storage unit, when the rest determining unit determines that the main body is at rest; and

offset value updating unit for store a new offset value corresponding to an output value outputted from the acceleration sensor in the offset value storage unit and storing the measurement temperature in the offset value storage unit as a new reference temperature, when the level determining unit determines that the main body is on the level.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rest determining unit acquires a plurality of output values outputted from the acceleration sensor in succession every predetermined time and determines whether or not the main body is at rest depending on dispersion of the acquired plural output values.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the level determining unit obtains an upper limit value and lower limit value using an absolute value of the temperature difference, an offset value stored in the offset value storage unit and a temperature characteristic of sensitivity of the acceleration sensor, and determines that the main body is on level when the output value outputted from the sensor is larger than the lower limit value and smaller than the upper limit value.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the level determining unit obtains a threshold using an absolute value of the temperature difference and a temperature characteristic of sensitivity of the acceleration sensor and, when a difference between the output value outputted from the sensor and the offset value stored in the offset value storage unit is smaller than the threshold, determines that the main body is on the level.

5. A method for correcting an offset value of an acceleration sensor in an information processing apparatus comprising an acceleration sensor provided on a main body, a temperature sensor provided in the main body, offset value storage unit for storing a reference temperature and an offset value corresponding to the reference temperature and acceleration computing unit for correcting an output value form the acceleration sensor based on the offset value so as to obtain an acceleration of the main body, the method comprising:

determining whether or not an absolute value of a temperature difference between the measurement temperature of the temperature sensor and a reference temperature exceeds a predetermined value;

determining whether or not the main body is at rest based on an output value from the acceleration sensor when the temperature difference exceeds a predetermined value;

determining whether or not the main body is on the level based on the output value from the acceleration sensor when it is determined that the main body is at rest; and

storing a new offset value corresponding to the output value from the acceleration sensor used for determination on the level condition in the offset value storage unit and storing the measurement temperature in the offset value storage unit as a new reference temperature when it is determined that the main body is on the level.

6. The method for correcting an offset value of an acceleration sensor according to claim 5, wherein the determination about whether the main body is at rest comprises:

acquiring output values of a plurality of the acceleration sensors;

computing the rank of the output values of the plurality of the acceleration sensors; and

determining whether or not the computed rank is smaller than a predetermined value.

7. The method for correcting an offset value of an acceleration sensor according to claim 5, wherein the determination about whether the main body is on the level comprises:

acquiring a plurality of output values outputted from the acceleration sensor in succession every predetermined time; and

determining whether or not the main body is at rest corresponding to dispersion of a plurality of the acquired output values.

8. The method for correcting an offset value of an acceleration sensor according to claim 5, wherein the determination about whether or not the main body is on the level comprises:

acquiring a threshold using the absolute value of the temperature difference and a temperature characteristic of sensitivity of the acceleration sensor; and

determining whether or not the difference between the output value outputted from the sensor and the offset value stored in the offset value storage unit is smaller than the threshold.