Patent ID: 9587942
Date: 2017-03-07
CPC Classifications: B60R,G01C,H04N,H05B

Claim:
1. A compass system for a vehicle, said compass system comprising: a compass sensor disposed at or near an interior heated surface of a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said compass system; wherein the interior heated surface has a heating element disposed thereat and wherein the heating element is heated by an electrically resistive material of the heating element passing an applied electric current when the heating element is powered; compass circuitry, wherein said compass circuitry, responsive to an output of said compass sensor indicative of sensed magnetic signals, is operable to determine a vehicle directional heading of the equipped vehicle; wherein said compass circuitry is operable to determine a magnetic signature generated by the heating element when the heating element is powered; and wherein said compass circuitry, responsive to a determination that the heating element is powered, is operable to compensate for the magnetic signature generated by the heating element to determine the vehicle directional heading, and wherein the compensation is derived from the determined magnetic signature.