Location systems for handheld electronic devices

• US 9,816,821 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2008
• Issued: 11/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Caballero, Ruben, Hill, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Neha
• Application Number:
  US12/204,739
• Publication Number:
  US 20100057359A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,358 Days
• Field of Search: 701214
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/1654 with electromagnetic compass
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers

Abstract

An electronic device such as a portable electronic device is provided. The device may have wireless circuitry such as a global satellite navigation system receiver for receiving global satellite navigation system signals and for producing corresponding global satellite navigation system data. The global satellite navigation system data may include information on the current position of the portable electronic device. The portable electronic device may also have one or more sensors that are used to gather data in addition to the global satellite navigation system data. The sensors may include accelerometers and other devices capable of determining how the portable electronic device is oriented with respect to the Earth'"'"'s magnetic field and how the device is being moved. When the device is moved, the movement and resulting change in orientation may be used in conjunction with the global satellite navigation system data to compute a current geographic location.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device having a housing, comprising:

a global navigation satellite system receiver that produces satellite location data from received satellite signals;

an accelerometer in the housing that detects movement of the portable electronic device and that produces corresponding accelerometer signals;

wherein the accelerometer comprises at least one vibrating element;

a sensor with a magnetic element that measures how the portable electronic device is oriented with respect to the Earth'"'"'s magnetic field and that produces corresponding compass signals; and

processing circuitry in the housing that computes where the portable electronic device is geographically located based on the satellite location data, the accelerometer signals, and the compass signals, wherein the processing circuitry in the portable electronic device uses at least the compass signals to compute a geographic location of the portable electronic device and wherein the processing circuitry in the portable electronic device uses the compass signals at least to compute a heading change of the portable electronic device.

2. The portable electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the accelerometer comprises a three-axis accelerometer.

3. The portable electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the processing circuitry is configured to run a location engine that processes signals from multiple sensors including the accelerometer to improve accuracy in the computed geographic location based on the satellite location data.

4. Circuitry in a portable electronic device having a housing comprising:

an antenna;

a global satellite navigation system receiver coupled to the antenna that receives satellite navigation signals and that produces corresponding global satellite navigation system receiver location data;

an accelerometer in the housing that produces accelerometer data in response to movement of the portable electronic device;

a sensor with a magnetic element that measures how the portable electronic device is oriented with respect to the earth'"'"'s magnetic field and that produces corresponding compass signals;

processing circuitry in the housing that computes the portable electronic device'"'"'s current geographic location based on the global satellite navigation system receiver location data, the accelerometer data, and the compass signals, wherein the processing circuitry in the portable electronic device uses at least the compass signals to compute a geographic location of the portable electronic device and wherein the processing circuitry in the portable electronic device uses the compass signals at least to compute a heading change of the portable electronic device;

a radio-frequency transceiver circuitry that receives cellular telephone signals;

a speaker through which the processing circuitry presents music to a user; and

a display on which a map and a visual indicator of current geographic location are displayed.