Smart-phone bracket for car and truck navigation

• US 20130220010A1
• Filed: 03/25/2013
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Loomis, Peter Van Wyck, Ulman, Morrison
• Granted Patent: US 8,893,548 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/178.R
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0241 for telephones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0258 for navigation systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/265 constructional aspects of navigation devices, e.g. housings, mountings, displays G01C21/3688 takes precedence

Abstract

Inertial navigation systems for wheeled vehicles with constrained motion degrees of freedom are described. Various parts of the navigation systems may be implemented in a smart-phone.

Claims

1. A navigation system comprising:

a bracket for rigidly attaching a smart-phone to a car or truck such that inertial sensors in the smart-phone sense constrained vehicle motion rather than arbitrary motion, and;

a MEMS pressure altimeter included in the bracket for providing altitude data to the smart-phone for use in combination with inertial sensor data to estimate vehicle position, heading and speed.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a wire for connecting the bracket and the smart-phone, the wire capable of transmitting sensor data.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a wire for connecting the bracket and the smart-phone, the wire capable of transmitting electrical power.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a wireless system for transmitting data between the bracket and the smart-phone.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a wire for connecting the bracket and the car or truck, the wire capable of transmitting electrical power.

6. The system of claim 1, the bracket further comprising:

a pitch rate gyro and a yaw rate gyro.

7. The system of claim 6, the pitch rate and yaw rate gyros being MEMS gyros.

8. The system of claim 1, the bracket further comprising:

a longitudinal accelerometer.

9. The system of claim 8, the longitudinal accelerometer being a MEMS accelerometer.

10. The system of claim 1, the bracket further comprising:

a GNSS receiver.

11. The system of claim 1, the smart-phone being a tablet computer.

12. A navigation system comprising:

a sensor unit capable of being rigidly attached to a car or truck, the sensor unit comprising;

an altimeter,

a pitch rate gyro and yaw rate gyro,

a longitudinal accelerometer, and

a wireless system for sending sensor data to a smart-phone.

13. The system of claim 12, the sensor unit further comprising a GNSS receiver.

14. The system of claim 12, the altimeter comprising a MEMS pressure sensor.

15. The system of claim 12, the pitch rate and yaw rate gyros being MEMS gyros.

16. The system of claim 12, the longitudinal accelerometer being a MEMS accelerometer.

17. The system of claim 12 further comprising:

a wire for connecting the sensor unit to the car or truck, the wire capable of transmitting electrical power.

18. The system of claim 12, the smart-phone being a tablet computer.