Azimuth processing device, azimuth processing method, azimuth processing program, direction finding device, tilt offset correcting method, azimuth measuring method, compass sensor unit, and portable electronic device

• US 8,065,083 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2005
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Mabuchi, Tetsuya, Yamaki, Kiyoshi, Nihashi, Satoshi, Osuga, Chihiro, Sato, Hideki, Omura, Masayoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Dalena
• Assistant Examiner(s): PECHE, JORGE O
• Application Number:
  US11/149,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20060031014A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,356 Days
• Field of Search: 701/220, 701/224, 701/225, 702/150, 342/140, 731/78.R
• US Class Current: 701/224
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 17/38 Testing, calibrating, or compensating of compasses

Abstract

An azimuth processing device is designed for outputting azimuth data based on measurement data sequentially output from a compass sensor. In the device, an accumulation section selectively accumulates substantially new pieces of the measurement data. An offset data updating section updates offset data of the compass sensor based on plural pieces of the measurement data accumulated by said accumulation section. An azimuth data output section outputs the azimuth data based on substantially newest measurement data and the offset data.

Claims

1. An azimuth processing device connected to a storage and a compass sensor for outputting azimuth data based on measurement data output from the compass sensor, the device comprising:

an accumulation section that stores pieces of the measurement data newly output from the compass sensor in the storage for accumulation of measurement data;

an offset data calculating section that calculates an offset data candidate of the compass sensor based on plural pieces of the measurement stored in the storage;

an offset data verifying section that verifies the offset data candidate by checking whether the calculated offset data candidate meets a predetermined criteria or not; and

an offset data updating section coupled to the offset data calculating section, the offset data updating section updating offset data stored in the storage,

wherein the offset data calculating section calculates the offset data candidate when a first predetermined number of pieces of the measurement data are stored in the storage by the accumulation section,

wherein the offset data verifying section checks whether the calculated offset data candidate meets the predetermined criteria or not,

wherein if the offset data candidate meets the predetermined criteria, the offset data updating section updates the offset data previously stored in the storage with the offset data candidate calculated by the offset data calculating section, and

wherein if the offset data candidate does not meets the predetermined criteria, said accumulation section deletes a piece of the measurement data from the storage if the pieces of the measurement data stored in the storage reach a second predetermined number greater than the first predetermined number and stores a further piece of the measurement data output from the compass sensor, and otherwise said accumulation section stores a further piece of the measurement data output from the compass sensor without deleting the measurement data stored in the storage if the pieces of the measurement data stored in the storage do not reach the second predetermined number.

2. The azimuth processing device according to claim 1, further comprising an azimuth data output section that outputs the azimuth data based on newest measurement data and the updated offset data.

3. The azimuth processing device according to claim 1, wherein said accumulation section compares the measurement data newly output from the compass sensor with last accumulated measurement data, and selectively accumulates the measurement data newly output from the compass sensor according to the comparison result.

4. The azimuth processing device according to claim 3, wherein said accumulation section selectively accumulates the measurement data newly output from the compass sensor according to a distance between a position of the measurement data newly output from the compass sensor in a compass space defined for the compass sensor and another position of the last accumulated measurement data in the compass space.

5. The azimuth processing device according to claim 1, wherein said accumulation section accumulates the measurement data sequentially output from a compass sensor comprised of three-axis magnetic sensors for detecting magnitude and direction of geomagnetism along three axes orthogonal to one another, so that each piece of the accumulated measurement data represents geomagnetism components of the three axes.

6. The azimuth processing device according to claim 1, wherein said accumulation section accumulates the measurement data sequentially output from a compass sensor comprised of two-axis magnetic sensors for detecting magnitude and direction of geomagnetism along two axes orthogonal to one another, so that each piece of the accumulated measurement data represents geomagnetism components of the two axes.

7. The azimuth processing device according to claim 1, wherein said offset data verifying section determines a variance in distances between positions of the accumulated plural pieces of the measurement data in a compass space defined for the compass sensor and a position of the offset data candidate in the compass space, and verifies the offset data candidate when the variance falls in a predetermined range.

8. The azimuth processing device according to claim 1,

wherein said offset data verifying section verifies the offset data candidate when difference between maximum and minimum coordinate values on each axis represented by the accumulated measurement data is greater than a predetermined value and when a variation in distances between positions of the accumulated plural pieces of the measurement data in a compass space defined for the compass sensor and a position of the offset data candidate in the compass space falls in a predetermined range.

9. The azimuth processing device according to claim 8, wherein said offset data verifying section determines the variance in distances between positions of the accumulated plural pieces of the measurement data in a spherical compass space and a position of the offset data candidate in the spherical compass space, sets a first predetermined criteria to one-tenth of radius of the spherical compass space, and sets a second predetermined criteria to the radius of the spherical compass space, so that said offset data verifying section verifies the offset data candidate when the variance is less than the one-tenth of the radius of the spherical compass space and when the difference is greater than the radius of the spherical compass space.

10. The azimuth processing device according to claim 1 further comprising a setting section that sets a time interval by which said accumulation section sequentially reads the measurement data from the compass sensor.

11. An azimuth processing method for outputting azimuth data based on measurement data output from a compass sensor, the method comprising the steps of:

storing pieces of the measurement data newly output from the compass sensor in a storage for accumulation of the measurement data;

calculating an offset data candidate of the compass sensor based on plural pieces of the measurement data stored in the storage;

verifying the offset data candidate by checking whether the calculated offset data candidate meets a predetermined criteria or not; and

updating offset data of the compass sensor stored in the storage,

wherein the calculating step calculates the offset data candidate when a first predetermined number of pieces of the measurement data are stored in the storage by the storing step,

wherein the verifying step checks whether the calculated offset data candidate meets the predetermined criteria or not,

wherein if the offset data candidate meets the predetermined criteria, the updating step updates the offset data previously stored in the storage with the offset data candidate calculated by the calculating step, and

wherein if the offset data candidate does not meet the predetermined criteria, said storing step deletes a piece of the measurement data from the storage if the pieces of the measurement data stored in the storage reach a second predetermined number greater than the first predetermined number and stores a further piece of the measurement data output from the compass sensor, and otherwise said storing step stores a further piece of the measurement data output from the compass sensor without deleting the measurement data stored in the storage if the pieces of the measurement data stored in the storage do not reach the second predetermined number.

12. A recording medium for use in a computer having a CPU and a storage, the recording medium containing an azimuth processing program executable by the CPU for outputting azimuth data based on measurement data output from a compass sensor by the steps of:

storing pieces of the measurement data newly output from the compass sensor in the storage for accumulation;

calculating an offset data candidate of the compass sensor based on plural pieces of the measurement data stored in the storage;

verifying the offset data candidate by checking whether the calculated offset data candidate meets a predetermined criteria or not; and

updating offset data of the compass sensor stored in the storage,

wherein the calculating step calculates the offset data candidate when a first predetermined number of pieces of the measurement data are stored in the storage by the storing step,

wherein the verifying step checks whether the calculated offset data candidate meets the predetermined criteria or not,

wherein if the offset data candidate meets the predetermined criteria, the updating step updates the offset data previously stored in the storage with the offset data candidate calculated by the calculating step, and

wherein if the offset data candidate does not meet the predetermined criteria, said storing step deletes a piece of the measurement data from the storage if the pieces of the measurement data stored in the storage reach a second predetermined number greater than the first predetermined number and stores a further piece of the measurement data output from the compass sensor, and otherwise said storing step stores a further piece of the measurement data output from the compass sensor without deleting the measurement data stored in the storage if the pieces of the measurement data stored in the storage do not reach the second predetermined number.

13. A portable electronic device comprising:

a compass sensor;

a storage; and

an azimuth processing device, the azimuth processing device comprising;

an accumulation section that stores pieces of the measurement data newly output from the compass sensor in the storage for accumulation of the measurement data,

an offset data calculating section that calculates an offset data candidate of the compass sensor based on plural pieces of the measurement data stored in the storage;

an offset data verifying section that verifies the offset data candidate by checking whether the calculated offset data candidate meets a predetermined criteria or not; and

an offset data updating section coupled to the offset data calculating section, the offset data updating section updating offset data stored in the storage,

wherein the offset data calculating section calculates the offset data candidate when a first predetermined number of pieces of the measurement data are stored in the storage by the accumulation section,

wherein the offset data verifying section checks whether the calculated offset data candidate meets the predetermined criteria or not,

wherein if the offset data candidate meets the predetermined criteria, the offset data updating section updates the offset data previously stored in the storage with the offset data candidate calculated by the offset data calculating section, and

wherein if the offset data candidate does not meet the predetermined criteria, said accumulation section deletes a piece of the measurement data from the storage if the pieces of the measurement data stored in the storage reach a second predetermined number greater than the first predetermined number and stores a further piece of the measurement data output from the compass sensor, and otherwise said accumulation section stores a further piece of measurement data output from the compass sensor without deleting the measurement data stored in the storage if the pieces of the measurement data stored in the storage do not reach the second predetermined number.