Patent ID: 6606799
Filing Date: 2003-08-19
Classification: G01C,G01V

Abstract:
An electronic azimuth meter comprising:a main body; X-direction and Y-direction magnetic sensors disposed in the main body for detecting magnetic field components in two orthogonal directions comprising X and Y axes of the main body; a magnetic part disposed in or comprising the main body which deforms a magnetic field incident on the X-direction and the Y-direction magnetic sensors and forms deformed magnetic field components Bmx and Bmy at locations of the N-direction and the Y-direction magnetic sensors by being magnetized by geomagnetism, the magnetic field components Bmx and Bmy having components in oblique directions relative to a direction of the geomagnetism specified by magnetic field components Bx and By in an X-Y plane; an approximate equation storing circuit for storing, with regard to the respective directions of N and Y, a plurality of approximate equations calculated based on magnetic field values Vx and Vy detected by the N-direction and Y-direction magnetic sensors with regard to a number of azimuths of the azimuth meter in the geomagnetism specified by the magnetic field components Bx and By, the approximate equations representing relationships between the detected values Vx and Vy of the magnetic sensors and the magnetic field components Bx and By of the geomagnetism; and an azimuth calculating circuit for calculating the azimuth of the main body by selecting specific approximate equations from the plurality of approximate equations with regard to the respective directions of N and Y based on the detected values Vx and Vy of the N-direction and Y-direction magnetic sensors.