Patent ID: 8001696

Claim:
A calibration method for calibrating a compass system suitable for use in a vehicle, said calibration method comprising: sampling data points of a magnetic field with a magneto-responsive sensor; processing output signals of said magneto-responsive sensor via compass circuitry, wherein said compass circuitry comprises (a) an analog-to-digital converter for converting analog signals of said magneto-responsive sensor to digital signals and (b) a digital-to-analog converter for converting digital signals to analog signals that are supplied to said magneto-responsive sensor for adjusting said magneto-responsive sensor; adjusting said output signals of said magneto-responsive sensor to be within an operable range of said analog-to-digital converter via an initial calibration mode; after completion of said initial calibration mode, processing output signals of said magneto-responsive sensor to determine when said output signals are outside a range of said analog-to-digital converter; and adjusting an output of said digital-to-analog converter to reposition said output signals of said magneto-responsive sensor to be within said range of said analog-to-digital converter.