System using magnetic signatures to detect a vehicle event
First Claim
1. An electronic compass system using magnetic signatures to detect a vehicle event comprising:
- a vehicle accessory having at least one electrical state, said vehicle accessory generating a known, consistent, magnetic field of an intensity sufficient to cause a static magnetic offset in said electronic compass, said known, consistent, magnetic field having a magnetic signature;
a magnetic field sensor located in proximity to said vehicle accessory, said magnetic field sensor detecting a combination of Earth'"'"'s magnetic field and said known, consistent, magnetic field and generating a magnetic field signal wherein said Earth'"'"'s magnetic field is modified by said static magnetic offset;
a controller coupled to said magnetic field sensor and receiving said magnetic field signal, said controller having control logic operative to search said magnetic field signal for said magnetic signature, lookup a correction factor for said magnetic signature stored in a memory location, and apply said correction factor to said magnetic field signal; and
a display coupled to said controller, said display displaying a heading unaffected by said static magnetic offset.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An electronic compass system using magnetic signatures to detect a vehicle event which is integrated with an instrument cluster. A vehicle accessory, such as a rear defrost grid, generates a known, consistent, magnetic field of intensity sufficient to cause a static magnetic offset in the electronic compass for each of its'"'"' electrical states. This known consistent, magnetic field has a magnetic signature. A magnetic field sensor detects a combination of Earth'"'"'s magnetic field and the stray magnetic field produced by the vehicle accessory. A controller is coupled to the magnetic field sensor and searches the magnetic field signal for the magnetic signature. The controller then looks up a predetermined correction factor, or uses an algorithm to determine a correction factor, corresponding to the magnetic signature, to eliminate the effect of the static magnetic offset. The controller then displays a heading unaffected by the static magnetic offset.
18 Citations
15 Claims
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1. An electronic compass system using magnetic signatures to detect a vehicle event comprising:
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a vehicle accessory having at least one electrical state, said vehicle accessory generating a known, consistent, magnetic field of an intensity sufficient to cause a static magnetic offset in said electronic compass, said known, consistent, magnetic field having a magnetic signature;
a magnetic field sensor located in proximity to said vehicle accessory, said magnetic field sensor detecting a combination of Earth'"'"'s magnetic field and said known, consistent, magnetic field and generating a magnetic field signal wherein said Earth'"'"'s magnetic field is modified by said static magnetic offset;
a controller coupled to said magnetic field sensor and receiving said magnetic field signal, said controller having control logic operative to search said magnetic field signal for said magnetic signature, lookup a correction factor for said magnetic signature stored in a memory location, and apply said correction factor to said magnetic field signal; and
a display coupled to said controller, said display displaying a heading unaffected by said static magnetic offset. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for using information on a communications bus to eliminate magnetic noise in an electronic compass comprising the steps of:
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generating a known, consistent, magnetic field of an intensity sufficient to cause a static magnetic offset in said electronic compass, said known, consistent magnetic field having a magnetic signature corresponding to at least one electrical state of a vehicle accessory;
detecting a combination of Earth'"'"'s magnetic field and said known, consistent, magnetic field wherein said Earth'"'"'s magnetic field is modified by said static magnetic offset to generate an magnetic field signal;
receiving a magnetic field signal corresponding to said electrical state;
searching said magnetic field signal for said magnetic signature;
looking up a predetermined correction factor for said magnetic signature stored in a memory location;
applying said predetermined compensation factor, corresponding to said magnetic signature, to said magnetic field signal; and
displaying a heading unaffected by said static magnetic offset. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
determining a maximum positive magnetic offset of said vehicle accessory;
determining a maximum negative magnetic offset of said vehicle accessory; and
scaling said compensation factor based upon said maximum and minimum magnetic offsets.
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11. An electronic compass system using magnetic signatures to detect a vehicle event comprising:
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a vehicle having an instrument panel an instrument cluster located in said instrument panel;
a vehicle accessory having at least one electrical state and generating a corresponding known, consistent, magnetic field of an intensity sufficient to cause a static magnetic offset in said electronic compass, said known, consistent, magnetic field having a magnetic signature;
a magnetic field sensor located in said instrument cluster and in proximity to said vehicle accessory, said magnetic field sensor detecting a combination of Earth'"'"'s magnetic field and said known, consistent, magnetic field and generating a magnetic field signal wherein said Earth'"'"'s magnetic field is modified by said static magnetic offset;
a controller located in said instrument cluster and coupled to said magnetic field sensor and receiving said magnetic field signal, said controller having control logic operative to search said magnetic field signal for said magnetic signature, lookup a correction factor for said magnetic signature stored in a memory location, and apply said correction factor for said magnetic field signal; and
a display located in said instrument cluster and coupled to said controller, said display displaying a heading unaffected by said static magnetic offset. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification