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US 9,069,339 B2Granted
Sensor fusion
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsMichael A. Cretella, Jr., Venu Madhav Duggineni, Michael Man-Cheung Eng, Ronald Keryuan Huang, Christopher Moore, Christopher T. Mullens
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Accurate and reliable techniques for determining a current status of an accessory device in relation to an electronic device are described.
Claims20
An electronic device, comprising:
- a housing comprising a front portion having an opening;
- a magnetometer disposed within the housing and configured to detect a magnetic offset between the magnetometer and an external magnetic element angularly disposed with respect to the magnetometer;
- an outer protective layer overlaying a display and disposed within the opening of the housing;
- a gyroscope and an accelerometer configured to cooperatively determine an orientation of the electronic device with respect to an inertial reference frame and to provide a magnetic offset correction factor in accordance with the determined orientation;
- and
- a processor disposed within the housing and configured to determine an angular position of the external magnetic element with respect to the magnetometer using the magnetic offset and the magnetic offset correction factor, wherein the processor is further configured to alter an operating state of the electronic device in accordance with the determined angular position of the external magnetic element.
3 more elements
A portable electronic device having a touch sensitive display, the portable electronic device comprising:
- a housing;
- a magnetometer disposed within the housing and configured to determine a magnetic offset associated with an external magnetic field emitted by an external magnet, the external magnet being angularly disposed with respect to the housing;
- an orientation sensor configured to determine an orientation of the housing with respect to an inertial reference frame and to provide a magnetic offset correction factor in accordance with the determined orientation;
- and
- a processor configured to determine an angular position of the external magnet with respect to the housing by using signals provided by the magnetometer and orientation sensor, the processor being further configured to alter an operating state of the portable electronic device in accordance with the determined angular position of the external magnet.
2 more elements
A method performed by a processor disposed within a portable electronic device, the method comprising:
- receiving a magnetic offset value from a magnetometer disposed within the electronic device when a magnetic field is detected;
- determining when the magnetic field is emitted by an external magnetic element disposed proximate the portable electronic device;
- receiving a magnetic offset correction value from an orientation sensor disposed within the portable electronic device that provides an orientation of the portable electronic device with respect to an inertial reference frame;
- determining an angular position of the detected external magnetic element with respect to the portable electronic device using the magnetic offset value and the magnetic offset correction value;
- and
- changing an operating state of the portable electronic device in accordance with the determined angular position of the external magnetic element.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.