Magnetic azimuth measurement apparatus

• US 7,317,315 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2003
• Issued: 01/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ohnuma, Hiroshi, Aizawa, Manabu
• Primary Examiner(s): Aurora; Reena
• Assistant Examiner(s): WHITTINGTON, KENNETH
• Application Number:
  US10/685,924
• Publication Number:
  US 20040135576A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,546 Days
• Field of Search: 324/244, 324/245, 324/247, 324/249, 324/253, 324/254, 324/258, 324/260, 324/261, 332/71, 333/00, 333/55, 333/61
• US Class Current: 324/247
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 17/30 Earth-inductor compasses
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/2006 by influencing the self-induction of one or more coils G01D5/22 takes precedence

Abstract

A magnetic azimuth measurement apparatus without arithmetic means nor any mechanical motion such as rotation, not affecting its mass production ability because of a simple configuration, and making it possible to measure a azimuth in higher precision, is provided. A trigger signal generates if a condition determining circuit detects that a switched output signal reaches a maximum (positive peak), and this trigger signal enables an output interface circuit to hold a switching signal. The switching signal held by the output interface circuit is a digital representation of a detection coil position parallel to an external magnetic field. Accordingly, it is possible to obtain the azimuth of the external magnetic field with respect to the sensor device.

Claims

1. A magnetic azimuth measurement apparatus comprising:

a magnetic detection unit having three or more magnetic detection devices with directionality, the magnetic detection devices being disposed at equal angnlar intervals based on a predetermined rule in such a way that directionalities thereof are different from each another;

a sampling unit for sequentially switching and sampling electromagnetic conversion outputs of magnetic detection devices of the magnetic detection unit;

a condition determining unit for determining whether or not the electromagnetic conversion output being sequentially switched and sampled by the sampling unit meets a predetermined condition; and

an azimuth information output unit for outputting magnetic azimuth information based on a result of the determination of the condition determining unit,

wherein,

each of the three or more magnetic detection devices of the magnetic detection unit comprises a thin film magnetic core, a thin film excitation coil and a thin film detection coil around the magnetic core,

the three or more magnetic detection devices disposed in a wheel-spoke arrangement with their cores positioned to point along their respective axes from a common point, and

the sampling unit sequentially operates switches in response to a signal from a binary counter if the number of detection coils of the magnetic detection devices is set to be 2ⁿ, the number of the switches being the same as that of the detection coils.

2. The magnetic azimuth measurement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

each magnetic azimuth device of the magnetic detection unit comprises a magnetic core made of a soft magnetic material, an excitation coil for exciting thereof, and a detection coil for detecting an external magnetic field.

3. The magnetic azimuth measurement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

in the magnetic detection unit, the thin film excitation coils corresponding to the three or more magnetic detection devices are configured to form one excitation coil shared by the three or more magnetic detection devices.

4. The magnetic azimuth measurement apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

in the magnetic detection unit, all the magnetic detection coils have the same one end.

5. The magnetic azimuth measurement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the excitation coil and detection coil for each of the magnetic detection devices are formed with a two-layer structure.

6. The magnetic azimuth measurement apparatus according to claim 2, 3, or 4 wherein:

the magnetic core comprises a material that enable provision and elimination of inductive magnetic anisotropy to be carried out with heat treatment in a magnetic field.

7. The magnetic azimuth measurement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the sampling unit switches electromagnetic conversion outputs of the magnetic detection devices, and performs synchronous detection of a switched signal with a predetermined frequency, thereby sampling a voltage change corresponding to an external magnetic strength.

8. The magnetic azimuth measurement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the condition determining unit supplies a trigger signal to the azimuth information output unit as a result of determination if the electromagnetic output being sequentially sampled by the sampling unit is a maximum, a minimum, or zero crossing.

9. The magnetic azimuth measurement apparatus according to claim 8, wherein:

the azimuth information output unit outputs a signal for switching, which is sampled by the sampling unit if the trigger signal is received from the condition determining unit, as information indicating an azimuth of the external magnetic field.

10. A magnetic azimuth measurement apparatus comprising:

a magnetic detection unit having three or more magnetic detection devices with directionality, the magnetic detection devices being disposed at equal angular intervals based on a predetermined rule in such a way that directionalities thereof are different from each another;

a sampling unit for sequentially switching and sampling electromagnetic conversion outputs of magnetic detection devices of the magnetic detection unit;

a condition determining unit for determining whether or not the electromagnetic conversion output being sequentially switched and sampled by the sampling unit meets a predetermined condition; and

an azimuth information output unit for outputting magnetic azimuth information based on a result of the determination of the condition determining unit,

wherein,

each of the three or more magnetic azimuth devices of the magnetic detection unit comprises a thin film radial magnetic core, said magnetic core insulated by an insulating layer and made of a soft magnetic material, a thin film excitation coil, and a thin film detection coil around the magnetic core,

the three or more magnetic detection devices disposed in a wheel-spoke arrangement with their cores positioned to point along their respective axes from a common point, and

the sampling unit sequentially operates switches in response to a signal from a binary counter if the number of detection coils of the magnetic detection devices is set to be 2ⁿ, the number of the switches being the same as that of the detection coils.