Yamaha Corporation

Satoshi Nihashi

Hideki Sato

Masayoshi Omura

Kiyoshi Yamaki

Kiyoshi Hasebe

Masahiro Mukojima

Takashi Inagaki

Noriaki Kono

Chihiro Osuga

Toshifumi Fujimura

Tetsuya Mabuchi

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.

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

A portable terminal (e.g., portable telephone) is constituted using a geomagnetic sensor for detecting an azimuth, and a GPS receiver for detecting a present position thereof. A direction of a prescribed place (e.g., Mecca) is calculated based on the azimuth information and position information, so that the calculated direction is indicated by an arrow displayed on the screen of a display. In addition, a prescribed message is displayed on the screen of the display, or it is produced as preset vocalized sounds by a speaker. The azimuth information and position information are automatically produced at each religious service time, at which a user, especially a muslim who pray, holds a religious service in the direction of Mecca. In addition, the portable terminal can detect a direction match between the direction designated by the prescribed portion (e.g., antenna) of the portable terminal body and the direction of Mecca.

Portable terminal

A method is designed for measuring a magnetic offset of a geomagnetic sensor equipped in a portable information terminal apparatus having a storage. The geomagnetic sensor has a magnetic sensitivity to a geomagnetic field and is affected by magnetization to cause the magnetic offset. In the method, an output of the geomagnetic sensor is measured to successively provide measurement data of the geomagnetic field from the output of the geomagnetic sensor. The measurement data is stored in the storage. The measurement data is read out from the storage when a number of the measurement data stored in the storage reaches a predetermined number, and an offset value of the magnetic offset is estimated based on the predetermined number of the measurement data read out from the storage.

Method and apparatus for measuring magnetic offset of geomagnetic sensor and portable electronic apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Hamamatsu, Japan

Satoshi Nihashi