Virtual gyroscope using dual magnetometers for electronic devices

• US 9,683,845 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2014
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Foust, Kenneth P., Daniel, Kevin J., Ding, Xianfeng, Alban, Eduardo X., Camacho-Aguilera, Rodolfo E.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATIDAR, JAY M
• Application Number:
  US14/497,945
• Publication Number:
  US 20160091313A1
• Time in Patent Office: 998 Days
• Field of Search: 324244
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 17/38 Testing, calibrating, or compensating of compasses
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/00 Gyroscopes; Turn-sensitive devices using vibrating masses; Turn-sensitive devices without moving masses; Measuring angular rate using gyroscopic effects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/60 Electronic or nuclear magnetic resonance gyrometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 25/005 initial alignment, calibration or starting-up of inertial devices

Abstract

A magnetometer unit which may be incorporated in an electronic device receives first magnetic response data from a first magnetic sensor and second magnetic response data from a second magnetic sensor displaced from the first magnetic sensor. The magnetometer unit generates a composite response surface representation from the first magnetic response data and the second magnetic response data, and stores the composite response surface representation in a non-transitory memory.

Claims

1. A virtual gyroscope for an electronic device, comprising:

a controller comprising a magnetometer unit comprising logic to;

receive first magnetic response data from a first magnetic sensor and second magnetic response data from a second magnetic sensor displaced from the first magnetic sensor;

generate a first response surface from the first magnetic response data and a second response surface from the second magnetic response data;

generate a composite response surface representation from the first magnetic response data and the second magnetic response data;

compare the first response surface and the second response surface to the composite response surface; and

select one of the first magnetic response data or the second magnetic response data as an output of the magnetometer unit; and

an accelerometer unit comprising logic, at least partially including hardware logic, to;

generate orientation data for the electronic device; and

a combiner unit comprising logic to;

combine one of the first magnetic response data or the second magnetic response data with the orientation data from the accelerometer unit.

2. The virtual gyroscope of claim 1, wherein the magnetometer unit further comprises logic to:

output one of the first magnetic response data or the second magnetic response data.

3. An electronic device, comprising:

at least one electronic component; and

a controller comprising a magnetometer unit comprising logic to;

receive first magnetic response data from a first magnetic sensor and second magnetic response data from a second magnetic sensor displaced from the first magnetic sensor;

generate a first corrected response surface from the first magnetic response data and a second corrected response surface from the second magnetic response data;

generate a composite response surface representation from the first magnetic response data and the second magnetic response data;

select one of the first magnetic response data or the second magnetic response data as an output of the magnetometer unit; and

compare the first response surface and the second response surface to the composite response surface;

an accelerometer unit comprising logic, at least partially including hardware logic, to;

generate orientation data for the electronic device;

and

a combiner unit comprising logic to;

combine one of the first magnetic response data or the second magnetic response data with the orientation data from the accelerometer unit.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the magnetometer unit further comprises logic to:

output one of the first magnetic response data or the second magnetic response data.

5. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising logic instructions which, when executed by a controller, configure the controller to:

receive first magnetic response data from a first magnetic sensor and second magnetic response data from a second magnetic sensor displaced from the first magnetic sensor;

generate a first corrected response surface from the first magnetic response data and a second corrected response surface from the second magnetic response data;

generate a composite response surface representation from the first magnetic response data and the second magnetic response data;

select one of the first magnetic response data or the second magnetic response data as an output of the magnetometer unit; and

compare the first response surface and the second response surface to the composite response surface;

generate orientation data for the electronic device;

and

combine one of the first magnetic response data or the second magnetic response data with the orientation data from the accelerometer unit.

6. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 5, wherein the magnetometer unit further comprises logic, at least partially including hardware logic, configured to:

output one of the first magnetic response data or the second magnetic response data.

7. A method to determine a position of an electronic device, comprising:

receiving first magnetic response data from a first magnetic sensor and second magnetic response data from a second magnetic sensor displaced from the first magnetic sensor;

generating a first corrected response surface from the first magnetic response data and a second corrected response surface from the second magnetic response data;

generating a composite response surface representation from the first magnetic response data and the second magnetic response data;

selecting one of the first magnetic response data or the second magnetic response data as an output of the magnetometer unit;

comparing the first response surface and the second response surface to the composite response surface

generating orientation data for the electronic device; and

combining one of the first magnetic response data or the second magnetic response data with the orientation data from the accelerometer unit.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the magnetometer unit further comprises logic, at least partially including hardware logic, configured to:

output one of the first magnetic response data or the second magnetic response data.