Position determination device and method

US11029161B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• SONY GROUP CORPORATION · JP

Inventors

• Rolf Noethlings · Stuttgart, DE
• Ben Eitel · Stuttgart, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 16, 2016
• Grant date: Jun 8, 2021
• Expiry date: Dec 1, 2037

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01C21/08
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A position determination device, for example for indoor positioning, includes data input circuitry configured to obtain at least one magnetic field vector sensed by a magnetic sensor, data processor circuitry configured to determine the magnetic magnitude and a further magnetic parameter of the at least one obtained magnetic field vector, comparison circuitry configured to compare the determined magnetic magnitude with a predetermined magnetic magnitude map of a region around the magnetic sensor to obtain a first estimate of the sensor position and to compare the determined further magnetic parameter with a corresponding predetermined further parameter map of a region around the magnetic sensor to obtain a second estimate of the sensor position, and position determination circuitry configured to weight the first and second estimates of the sensor position according to determined weight information and to determine the sensor position from the weighted first and second estimates.