Methods, apparatuses and computer programs are disclosed for estimating, or at least for generating information usable to estimate, the heading of at least one axis of interest of a rigid body. Rigid body is equipped with an antenna of a navigation satellite system (NSS) receiver, and with sensor equipment comprising sensors such as a gyroscope, an angle sensor, and accelerometers, depending on the form of the invention. Rigid body is subject to a known motion comprising causing a point's horizontal position to change, the point being referred to as point B, while keeping another point's position, the point being referred to as point A, fixed relative to the Earth. Considering the motion constraint, an estimation of the heading is generated using sensor equipment data and NSS receiver data. The estimation of the heading may for example be used to estimate the position of any point of rigid body.

The present disclosure includes a vehicle state recognition unit configured to determine states of a vehicle using an acceleration value and an angular velocity value, a stopping state gravity vector calculation unit configured to calculate a stopping state gravity vector value, an accelerating state vehicle acceleration vector calculation unit configured to calculate a vehicle acceleration vector value, a vehicle pitch angle vector calculation unit configured to calculate a vehicle pitch angle vector value, and a vehicle pitch angle calculation unit configured to calculate a vehicle pitch angle using a corresponding vehicle pitch angle vector value.

The present disclosure includes a vehicle state recognition unit configured to determine states of a vehicle using an acceleration value and an angular velocity value, a stopping state gravity vector calculation unit configured to calculate a stopping state gravity vector value, an accelerating state vehicle acceleration vector calculation unit configured to calculate a vehicle acceleration vector value, a vehicle pitch angle vector calculation unit configured to calculate a vehicle pitch angle vector value, and a vehicle pitch angle calculation unit configured to calculate a vehicle pitch angle using a corresponding vehicle pitch angle vector value.

In order to accurately identify a hold state of a mobile device held by a user while the user is moving, provided is a hold state change detection apparatus including an acquiring section that acquires an output signal of a sensor mounted in the mobile device held by the user; a change detecting section that detects a change in a hold state of the mobile device based on the output signal of the sensor; and a hold state judging section that judges the hold state based on the output signal of the sensor. During a prescribed time from the time when the change detecting section detects the change in the hold state, information indicating the hold state prior to the detection of the change in the hold state is output. Also provided is a hold state change detection method and program.

In one example, a vehicle includes a platform and a yaw sensor mounted on the platform. The yaw sensor provides an indication of a yaw rate of rotation of the yaw sensor. The vehicle also includes an actuator that rotates the platform. The vehicle also includes a controller coupled to the yaw sensor and the actuator. The controller receives the indication of the yaw rate from the yaw sensor. The controller also causes the actuator to rotate the platform (i) along a direction of rotation opposite to a direction of the rotation of the yaw sensor and (ii) at a rate of rotation based on the yaw rate of the yaw sensor. The controller also estimates a direction of motion of the vehicle in an environment of the vehicle based on at least the rate of rotation of the platform.

The present disclosure includes a vehicle state recognition unit configured to determine states of a vehicle using an acceleration value and an angular velocity value, a stopping state gravity vector calculation unit configured to calculate a stopping state gravity vector value, an accelerating state vehicle acceleration vector calculation unit configured to calculate a vehicle acceleration vector value, a vehicle pitch angle vector calculation unit configured to calculate a vehicle pitch angle vector value, and a vehicle pitch angle calculation unit configured to calculate a vehicle pitch angle using a corresponding vehicle pitch angle vector value.

The present disclosure includes a vehicle state recognition unit configured to determine states of a vehicle using an acceleration value and an angular velocity value, a stopping state gravity vector calculation unit configured to calculate a stopping state gravity vector value, an accelerating state vehicle acceleration vector calculation unit configured to calculate a vehicle acceleration vector value, a vehicle pitch angle vector calculation unit configured to calculate a vehicle pitch angle vector value, and a vehicle pitch angle calculation unit configured to calculate a vehicle pitch angle using a corresponding vehicle pitch angle vector value.

Systems and methods for the down-hole automatic mechanical coupling and alignment of a first sensor module and a second sensor module are provided. A mating element of a first sensor module includes a sheath with a first cam and a shroud surrounding the first cam. A second mating element of a second sensor module includes a second cam complementary to the first cam. Upon mating, the sheath surrounds at least a portion of the second mating element and the first cam seats against the second cam, with a predetermined axial orientation with respect to each other.

One embodiment is directed towards an inertial measurement unit (IMU) for measuring an input rate of rotation about an input axis. The IMU includes a first three dimensional gyroscope disposed such that a first axis of its three axes is oriented at a skew angle in degrees away from a reference plane, wherein the reference plane is normal to the input axis. The IMU also includes one or more processing devices coupled to the first gyroscope. The IMU also includes one or more data storage devices coupled to the one or more processing devices, the one or more data storage devices including instructions which, when executed by the one or more processing devices, cause the one or more processing devices to calculate the input rate of rotation based on dividing a sensed rate of rotation about the first axis by the sine of the skew angle.

One embodiment is directed towards an inertial measurement unit (IMU) for measuring an input rate of rotation about an input axis. The IMU includes a first three dimensional gyroscope disposed such that a first axis of its three axes is oriented at a skew angle in degrees away from a reference plane, wherein the reference plane is normal to the input axis. The IMU also includes one or more processing devices coupled to the first gyroscope. The IMU also includes one or more data storage devices coupled to the one or more processing devices, the one or more data storage devices including instructions which, when executed by the one or more processing devices, cause the one or more processing devices to calculate the input rate of rotation based on dividing a sensed rate of rotation about the first axis by the sine of the skew angle.