Method and arrangement for determining altitude

• US 9,297,650 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2013
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Suunto Oy (Anta International Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Suunto Oy (Anta International Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nieminen, Heikki, Lindman, Erik
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): AIELLO, JEFFREY P
• Application Number:
  US13/744,493
• Publication Number:
  US 20130204567A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,166 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 25/00 Manufacturing, calibrating, cleaning, or repairing instruments or devices referred to in the other groups of this subclass testing, calibrating or compensating compasses G01C17/38
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 5/00 Measuring height; Measuring distances transverse to line of sight; Levelling between separated points; Surveyors' levels G01C3/20, G01C3/30 take precedence

Abstract

The invention relates to a portable electronic device and method for determining altitude. The device can comprise a satellite-positioning sensor for determining the elevation of the device on the basis of satellite data, a barometric sensor for measuring atmospheric-pressure information and/or an acceleration sensor for measuring acceleration information, and means for determining the altitude reading on the basis of the satellite-based elevation and the atmospheric-pressure and/or acceleration information. According to the invention, the means for determining the altitude reading are arranged to calculate a corrected altitude reading with the aid of the rate of change in elevation determined at least partly on the basis of the elevation determined on a satellite basis and atmospheric-pressure and/or acceleration information. With the aid of the invention, the altitude profile of exercise can be measured precisely.

Claims

1. A system for determining altitude comprising:

a portable electronic device;

one of a first satellite-positioning sensor coupled to the device, the satellite-positioning sensor configured for determining a satellite-based elevation of the device on the basis of satellite data, and a mechanism for receiving altitude-position information from a first separate unit including a second satellite-positioning sensor;

at least one of a first barometric sensor for measuring atmospheric-pressure coupled to the device, a mechanism for receiving atmospheric-pressure information from a second separate unit including a second barometric sensor, a first acceleration sensor for measuring atmospheric-pressure information coupled to the device, and a mechanism for receiving acceleration information from a third separate unit including a second acceleration sensor; and

a processor coupled to the device, the processor configured for determining an altitude reading on the basis of the satellite-based elevation, and at least one of the atmospheric-pressure information and the acceleration information, the processor arranged to calculate a corrected altitude reading with the aid of a rate of change of the elevation on the basis of at least one of a satellite-based determined elevation data, and the atmospheric pressure information and/or the acceleration information based on dynamic response time of the atmospheric pressure information and/or the acceleration information with respect to the rate of elevation change.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first satellite-positioning sensor, the first barometric sensor, the first acceleration sensor and the processor are within the portable electronic device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first barometric sensor, the first satellite-positioning sensor and the first acceleration sensor is not within the portable electronic device, and wherein the at least one of the sensors not within the device is configured to communicate wirelessly with the device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is arranged to calculate a satellite-based determined elevation statistically on the basis of several satellite-based altitude measurements.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is arranged to use atmospheric-pressure information in order to determine the rate of change of the elevation.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is arranged to use acceleration information in order to determine the rate of change of the elevation.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is arranged to calculate, on the basis of the rate of change of atmospheric pressure and/or acceleration information, an estimate for the rate of change of the elevation, wherein the processor is arranged to calculate a correction term for the altitude reading on the rate of change of the elevation and a time factor, and wherein the processor is arranged to add the correction term to the elevation determined on a satellite basis, in order to obtain a corrected altitude reading.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the time factor is less than 600 ms.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is arranged to utilize the equation, H_t+1=H_t+V_tΔ

t, wherein H_t+1 is a new corrected altitude reading, wherein H_t is a previous corrected altitude reading or an altitude reading determined directly on a satellite basis, wherein V_t is the rate of change of the elevation, and wherein Δ

t is a time factor between the moments of time t and t+1.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the satellite-positioning sensor is arranged to change its state at intervals between an active state and a passive state, wherein, when the satellite-positioning sensor is in a passive state, the processor is arranged to use the most recent satellite-based altitude reading determined when the satellite-positioning sensor was in an active state.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is arranged to determine the reliability of an altitude reading determined on a satellite basis, and if the reliability meets a predefined criteria, the processor is configured to utilize the altitude reading determined on a satellite basis, or a corrected calculated altitude reading to determine a new corrected altitude reading.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the device further includes memory for storing previous atmospheric-pressure data, wherein the device is configured to estimate the reliability of measurements, and wherein if the reliability meets a predefined criteria, the device is arranged to correct previous altitude values measured with only the aid of atmospheric pressure.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein if the reliability of an altitude reading determined on the satellite basis does not meet the predefined criteria, then the processor is arranged to use a previous altitude reading estimated to be reliable.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the device is configured for estimating the reliability of a corrected altitude reading.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the device is arranged to use an iterative or recursive algorithm, which is further arranged to make the altitude reading more correct continuously on the basis of measurement data.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the device is configured to estimate the reliability of a corrected altitude reading are arranged to estimate the reliability on the basis of the stabilization time of an algorithm.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the device further includes a display for showing a corrected altitude reading.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the device is configured for calculating the direction and/or distance to a specified navigation point, and wherein the device further includes a display for showing the direction and/or distance and an altitude reading determined directly on a satellite or atmospheric-pressure basis, or the difference in altitude to the navigation point.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the device is configured to provide a weather alert if a change in atmospheric pressure cannot be explained by a change in elevation, wherein the device is configured to utilize a corrected altitude reading.

20. The system of claim 1, further including a memory, and wherein the device is arranged to:

determine and to record on the memory the altitude of the device with the aid of the first satellite-positioning sensor;

change the first satellite-positioning sensor at least once from an active state to a passive state based upon pre-programming; and

calculate a corrected altitude reading when the first satellite-positioning sensor is in a passive state, by utilizing the recorded elevation and the rate of change of the elevation, wherein the preprogramming can include at least one of when predefined reliability criteria for the elevation are met, a time basis, and in response to a command by a user.

21. A method for determining altitude of a portable electronic device including the steps of:

measuring the elevation of the device with the aid of a satellite-positioning system;

measuring atmospheric pressure with the aid of at least one of a barometric sensor and an acceleration sensor; and

determining a corrected elevation on the basis of a satellite-based measured elevation and at least one of an atmospheric-pressure measurement and an acceleration measurement, the corrected elevation is determined at least partly by correcting the satellite-based determined elevation afterwards on the basis of the rate of change of the elevation detected on the basis of at least one of the atmospheric-pressure measurement and the acceleration measurement.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the corrected altitude reading is determined by adding to the elevation measured with the aid of the satellite-positioning system, the change in elevation determined with the aid of the rate of change of atmospheric pressure and a time factor, after determining the previous corrected altitude reading.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the elevation is measured with the aid of the satellite-positioning system at least for as long as the reliability of the measurement result of the elevation meets a predefined criteria, and wherein when the measurement with the aid of the satellite-positioning system is interrupted, the corrected elevation is determined iteratively or recursively at preset intervals on the basis of the rate of change of the atmospheric pressure and of the previous determined elevation.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the rate of change of the atmospheric pressure is determined independently of the satellite positioning.