Vehicle compass system with heated windshield compensation
First Claim
1. A compass system for a vehicle, said compass system comprising:
- a compass sensor disposed at or near an interior heated surface of a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said compass system;
wherein the interior heated surface has a heating element disposed thereat and wherein the heating element is heated by an electrically resistive material of the heating element passing an applied electric current when the heating element is powered;
compass circuitry, wherein said compass circuitry, responsive to an output of said compass sensor indicative of sensed magnetic signals, is operable to determine a vehicle directional heading of the equipped vehicle;
wherein said compass circuitry is operable to determine a magnetic signature generated by the heating element when the heating element is powered; and
wherein said compass circuitry, responsive to a determination that the heating element is powered, is operable to compensate for the magnetic signature generated by the heating element to determine the vehicle directional heading, and wherein the compensation is derived from the determined magnetic signature.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A compass system for a vehicle includes a compass sensor and compass circuitry. The compass sensor is disposed at or near an interior heated surface of a windshield of a vehicle equipped with the compass system. The compass circuitry, responsive to an output of the compass sensor indicative of sensed magnetic signals or fields, is operable to determine a directional heading of the vehicle. The compass circuitry is operable to determine a magnetic signature generated by a heating element that heats the interior heated surface of the windshield when the heating element is powered. The compass circuitry, responsive to a determination that the heating element is powered, is operable to compensate the sensed magnetic signals to determine the vehicle directional heading. The compensation is derived from the determined magnetic signature. The compass circuitry may compensate the sensed magnetic signals by applying an offset derived from the determined magnetic signature.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A compass system for a vehicle, said compass system comprising:
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a compass sensor disposed at or near an interior heated surface of a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said compass system; wherein the interior heated surface has a heating element disposed thereat and wherein the heating element is heated by an electrically resistive material of the heating element passing an applied electric current when the heating element is powered; compass circuitry, wherein said compass circuitry, responsive to an output of said compass sensor indicative of sensed magnetic signals, is operable to determine a vehicle directional heading of the equipped vehicle; wherein said compass circuitry is operable to determine a magnetic signature generated by the heating element when the heating element is powered; and wherein said compass circuitry, responsive to a determination that the heating element is powered, is operable to compensate for the magnetic signature generated by the heating element to determine the vehicle directional heading, and wherein the compensation is derived from the determined magnetic signature. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A compass system for a vehicle, said compass system comprising:
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a compass sensor disposed at or near an interior heated surface of a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said compass system; a camera disposed at and behind the interior heated surface of the windshield, wherein said camera views through the interior heated surface of the windshield, and wherein said compass sensor is disposed at or near said camera; wherein the interior heated surface has a heating element disposed thereat and wherein the heating element is heated by an electrically resistive material of the heating element passing an applied electric current when the heating element is powered; compass circuitry, wherein said compass circuitry, responsive to an output of said compass sensor indicative of sensed magnetic signals, is operable to determine a vehicle directional heading of the equipped vehicle; wherein said compass circuitry is operable to determine a magnetic signature generated by the heating element when the heating element is powered; wherein said compass circuitry, responsive to a determination that the heating element is powered, is operable to compensate for the magnetic signature generated by the heating element to determine the vehicle directional heading; and wherein said compass circuitry is operable to compensate for the magnetic signature generated by the heating element by applying an offset derived from the determined magnetic signature. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A compass system for a vehicle, said compass system comprising:
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a compass sensor disposed at or near an interior heated surface of a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said compass system; wherein said compass sensor is disposed at one of (i) an interior rearview mirror assembly disposed at and behind the interior heated surface of the windshield of the equipped vehicle and (ii) an accessory module disposed at and behind the interior heated surface of the windshield of the equipped vehicle; wherein the interior heated surface of the windshield comprises one of (i) a heated localized region at or near said compass sensor and (ii) substantially the entire surface of the windshield; wherein the interior heated surface has a heating element disposed thereat and wherein the heating element is heated by an electrically resistive material of the heating element passing an applied electric current when the heating element is powered; compass circuitry, wherein said compass circuitry, responsive to an output of said compass sensor indicative of sensed magnetic signals, is operable to determine a vehicle directional heading of the equipped vehicle; wherein said compass circuitry is operable to determine a magnetic signature generated by the heating element when the heating element is powered; wherein said compass circuitry, responsive to a determination that the heating element is powered, is operable to compensate for the magnetic signature generated by the heating element to determine the vehicle directional heading, and wherein the compensation is derived from the determined magnetic signature; wherein said compass circuitry is operable to compensate for the magnetic signature generated by the heating element by applying an offset derived from the determined magnetic signature; and wherein said compass circuitry, responsive to the determination that the heating element is powered, is operable to apply said offset to one of (i) the output of said compass sensor and (ii) the determined vehicle directional heading of the equipped vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification