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Compass orientation compensationRelated Patent Categories: Geometrical Instruments, Indicator Of Direction Of Force Traversing Natural Media, Magnetic Field Responsive, Error Indicator, Preventor, Or CompensatorCompass orientation compensation description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060053644, Compass orientation compensation. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] This invention relates to configuring an electronic compass for use regardless of the mounting orientation of the compass. [0002] Modern vehicles include an ever-increasing number of devices that assist drivers and occupants (collectively "users") with the task of navigating the vehicle. For example, electronic compasses, such as digital compasses using a printed circuit board to determine a vehicle's compass heading, provide users with valuable navigation information as they operate their vehicles. Moreover, other devices within the vehicle can benefit from accessing the navigation information provided by a compass. For example, a Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation system might use compass information to augment the GPS information at low or stationary speeds where GPS-only systems experience reduced accuracy. [0003] Despite the advantages provided by vehicle compasses, at present including a compass within a vehicle is often expensive. For example, due to space constraints and varying vehicle designs, the circuit board for the compass must be installed in different vehicles in a wide variety of different placements and orientations. In one type of vehicle, the circuit board may be installed in a right-side up manner, facing the front portion of the vehicle. In another type of vehicle, the circuit board could be installed in an upside-down manner, and at a substantial angle with respect to the front portion of the vehicle. Different placements and orientations of the circuit board need to be compensated for if the compass is to provide useful information to the occupants of the vehicle. Presently, however, the need to compensate for installation-specific attributes prevents the installation of a single compass in different vehicles with different installation configurations. Thus, at present, it is often expensive and inefficient for vehicle manufacturers and their suppliers to provide compasses in vehicles. [0004] Accordingly, there is a need for a compass with the ability to compensate for different installation configurations in a vehicle. In particular, it would be desirable to be able to compensate compass output to allow a plurality of acceptable mounting placements and orientations for a single compass in a vehicle. SUMMARY OF INVENTION [0005] A compass system comprises an electronic compass capable of providing a raw compass reading, at least one adjustment factor relating to a position of the electronic compass, and a compensation device capable of providing a compensated compass reading based on the raw compass reading and the adjustment factor. Further, at least one adjustment factor relating to the position of the electronic compass is defined and may be stored in a memory. Some embodiments include a vehicle, wherein the electronic compass is located in the vehicle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0006] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a compass system installed in a vehicle, according to an embodiment. [0007] FIGS. 2A and 2B are process flow diagrams illustrating processes for identifying, storing, and using adjustment factors relating to the position of an electronic compass, according to an embodiment. [0008] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating default adjustment factors, according to an embodiment. [0009] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an upside-down circuit board 20 mounted at the default yaw angle, according to an embodiment. [0010] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a right-side up circuit board mounted at a 90 degree yaw angle, according to an embodiment. [0011] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an upside-down circuit board mounted at a 90 degree yaw angle, according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION System Overview [0012] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary embodiment of a compass system 10 installed in a vehicle 12. The compass system 10 can be used in a variety of different vehicles 12. In many embodiments, vehicle 12 will be an automobile or a truck. However, vehicles 12 can also include airplanes, boats, helicopters, motorcycles, bicycles, hot air balloons, submarines, blimps, or any other apparatus used to move users from place to place. Further, those skilled in the art will recognize that compass system 10 will be functional and operation even if not placed within a vehicle 12, and thus that embodiments are possible in which compass system 10 is not in a vehicle 12. [0013] The compass system 10 may include a compass housing 14 and a compass display 16, connected by connection 18. However, as discussed below, some or all of these components may be absent in some embodiments. [0014] Compass housing 14 is an optional but preferred component that in some embodiments contains or partially contains a circuit board 20. Circuit board 20 comprises an electronic or digital compass such as will be known to those skilled in the art. The flexibility of connection 18, discussed below, allows vehicle designers to place compass housing 14 and/or circuit board 20 in a wide variety of placement locations, mounting orientations, and mounting angles. [0015] Compass display 16 is used to display compass headings to a human user such as a vehicle operator. Those skilled in the art will understand that compass display 16 may include other driver information such as outside temperature, gas mileage information, trip miles, etc. For example, compass display 16 may be an overhead display or mirror compass display such as are known in the art. In some embodiments, compass display 16 is optional because the primary use for the navigation information from compass system 10 is for use by another device, and not a human user. However, in many embodiments, compass display 16 is included for access by a human user within vehicle 12. The compass display 16 can be located virtually anywhere within the interior of the vehicle 12. In some embodiments, compass display 16 is located in a vehicle's instrument panel. In some embodiments, compass display 16 is configured so that a user may from time to time move it to various locations within vehicle 12. [0016] Further, some embodiments of compass system 10 include more than one compass display 16. A wide range of different compass displays 16 can be incorporated into the compass system 10. Different compass displays 16 may provide users with different opportunities to interact with the compass system 10. In some embodiments, compass display 16 may be associated with an input mechanism such as buttons, a touch screen, or other input device known to those of ordinary skill in the art, thereby allowing a user to reconfigure adjustment factors 22, discussed below. [0017] As noted above, compass display 16 is attached to circuit board 20, or, in some embodiments, housing component 14, by a connection 18. Connection 18 can be any kind of connection as will be known to those skilled in the art, including a wired connection, a wireless connection, or a combination of both wired and wireless technologies. In some embodiments compass display 16 and/or circuit board 20 include a serial port for connection to a communications bus in vehicle 12, and connection 18 includes the communications bus. Use of a communications bus in vehicle 12 as well as other various types of wired and wireless connections will be known to those skilled in the art. In embodiments in which compass system 10 is intended for use in a vehicle 12, connection 18 provides vehicle designers with the flexibility of placing the housing 14 and/or circuit board 20 at virtually any location within the vehicle 12. [0018] Circuit board 20, i.e., an electronic compass, determines directional information, for example, compass headings that may be shown on compass display 16. As noted above, circuit board 20 is in some embodiments at least partially covered by compass housing 14. [0019] Circuit board 20 in many embodiments includes a memory 24 for storing information necessary to compensate for the placement, orientation, and/or installation angle within a vehicle 12. In some embodiments, as discussed in more detail below, circuit board 20 includes a compensation device such as processor 26 that uses adjustment factors 22 to compensate for the orientation of circuit board 20. In other embodiments (not shown) memory 24 and/or processor 26 are located separately from circuit board 20. For example, in the embodiments discussed above in which connection 18 is a communications bus in vehicle 12, those skilled in the art will understand that memory 24 and processor 26 could be located in or associated with a variety of different components of vehicle 12. In general, those skilled in the art will recognize that the location of memory 24 and processor 26 are not critical to the operation of compass system 10. Continue reading about Compass orientation compensation... Full patent description for Compass orientation compensation Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Compass orientation compensation patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Compass orientation compensation or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Workpiece center and edge finder having visual light indicator Next Patent Application: Level, angle and distance measuring device Industry Class: Geometrical instruments ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Compass orientation compensation patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.43895 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Novartis , Pfizer , Philips , Polaroid , Procter & Gamble , 174 |
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