Mobile terminal apparatus

• US 7,194,816 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2005
• Issued: 03/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amosense Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: C&N, Inc.
• Inventors: Tamura, Yasuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): GUADALUPE, YARITZA
• Application Number:
  US11/067,210
• Publication Number:
  US 20060010699A1
• Time in Patent Office: 757 Days
• Field of Search: 333/55.R, 333/56, 333/55.D, 33/1.E, 333/63.R, 701/220
• US Class Current: 33/355.00R
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 17/28 Electromagnetic compasses with north seeking magnetic elements and having electric pick-offs G01C17/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/006 Pedometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/10 Devices for predicting weather conditions computers per se G06; display devices G09
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2217/005 Blur detection

Abstract

A mobile terminal apparatus 1 uses an acceleration sensor as a tilt angle sensor 24, and realizes various applications based on this detection result. A processing unit 10 counts the number of steps of a human based on acceleration components of low frequency detected by the tilt angle sensor that detects the acceleration components. At that time, the acceleration component of an axis among three axes which most approximates a gravity axis is mainly used. A viewpoint relative to a three-dimensional object or a three-dimensional space displayed on a display unit 36 is moved. By effectively utilizing the detection result of the tilt angle sensor, it is possible to realize a mobile terminal apparatus 1 featuring greater usefulness.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal apparatus, comprising:

a magnetic sensor which detects three-axis components of a terrestrial magnetism vector;

a tilt angle sensor which detects acceleration components in three-axis directions;

a processing unit which is connected to the magnetic sensor and the tilt angle sensor, and which determines azimuth by performing coordinate transformation on the terrestrial magnetism components detected by said magnetic sensor, based on a detection result of said tilt angle sensor,

wherein said processing unit detects acceleration components of a frequency in a predetermined range, based on a detection result along an axis among the axes of said tilt angle sensor which most approximates a gravity axis, said processing unit further determines detected acceleration components that do not converge within a predetermined period of time as vibrations due to walking motion and counts a number of user'"'"'s steps based on said determining.

2. A mobile terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said processing unit determines user'"'"'s ambulation trajectory based on the azimuth and the number of steps.

3. A mobile terminal apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a barometric sensor which detects the atmospheric pressure, wherein said processing unit predicts weather based on a detection result of said barometric pressure.

4. A mobile terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said processing unit further counts an acceleration component that has converged within a predetermined period of time as a shock.

5. A mobile terminal apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a barometric sensor which detects the atmospheric pressure, wherein said processing unit predicts weather based on a detection result of said barometric pressure.

6. A mobile terminal apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a barometric sensor which detects the atmospheric pressure, wherein said processing unit predicts weather based on a detection result of said barometric pressure.

7. A mobile terminal apparatus, comprising:

a magnetic sensor which detects three-axis components of a terrestrial magnetism vector;

a tilt angle sensor which detects acceleration components in three-axis directions;

a display unit which displays an image from a predetermined viewpoint relative to a three-dimensional object or a three-dimensional space; and

a processing unit which is connected to the magnetic sensor, the tilt angle sensor and the display unit, and which determines azimuth by performing coordinate transformation on the terrestrial magnetism components detected by said magnetic sensor, based on a detection result of said tilt angle sensor,

wherein said processing unit causes the display unit to display the image, detects at least one of an orientation and a posture of the mobile terminal apparatus as a change in a yaw angle, a pitch angle and a roll angle based on a detection result of said magnetic sensor and said tilt angle sensor, and, based on the detected change, moves the viewpoint relative to the three-dimensional object or the three-dimensional space in the vertical direction, horizontal direction and depth direction, such that a user may observe the three-dimensional object or the three-dimensional space from any direction and distance.

8. A Mobile terminal apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a barometric sensor which detects the atmospheric pressure, wherein said processing unit predicts weather based on a detection result of said barometric pressure.

9. A mobile terminal apparatus, comprising:

a magnetic sensor which detects three-axis components of a terrestrial magnetism vector;

a tilt angle sensor which detects acceleration components in three-axis directions;

an image pickup unit which acquires moving images; and

a processing unit which is connected to the magnetic sensor, the tilt angle sensor and the image pickup unit, and which determines azimuth by performing coordinate transformation on the terrestrial magnetism components detected by said magnetic sensor, based on a detection result of said tilt angle sensor,

wherein, based on a detection result of said magnetic sensor and said tilt angle sensor, said processing unit detects camera-shake in the moving images picked up by the image pickup unit during aquisition of moving images, and then corrects a frame at the detection of camera-shake such that a feature point of the frame at the detection of camera-shake is aligned to that of a frame preceding the frame at the detection of camera-shake.

10. A mobile terminal apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a barometric sensor which detects the atmospheric pressure, wherein said processing unit predicts weather based on a detection result of said barometric pressure.