Abstract: A measurement processing method, wherein: during an operational phase, a second computer executes a first algorithm for estimating a new value of a datum; during a phase when the second computer is unavailable, a first computer determines and records characteristics of a signal measured by a sensor, the number of characteristics determined during the phase being strictly less than the number of intermediate measurements that the first computer establishes during the operational phase; the unavailability phase is stopped at a time t2 and the method proceeds to an active recovery phase, during which the second computer executes a second algorithm for estimating a value of the datum at a time within the interval [t1; t2] based on the characteristics determined and recorded during the unavailability phase; then the active recovery phase is stopped and the method returns to the operational phase.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for extracting depth information for an image by identifying a point of interest appearing in at least two images, calculating depth information for the point of interest by evaluating positions of the point of interest within the images with a change in position of the portable device, defining an image region based on a shared characteristic and assigning the depth information calculated for the point of interest to the defined region.

Abstract: Method for determining the orientation of the trajectory followed by a pedestrian, associated with a trajectory frame, with respect to a reference frame is provided. At least one motion sensor associated with the pedestrian generates data representative of the motion of the sensor housing on the basis of said sensor assembly in the reference frame. A first rotation transformation operator representative of the orientation of the reference frame with respect to the trajectory frame is calculated. The data representative of the motion after transformation by said first operator exhibits at least one characteristic of a set of characteristics which are representative of signals of walking or running motion of a pedestrian and are expressed in the pedestrian frame.

Abstract: A method of location of a device includes a displacement law containing a corrective factor of a bias combined by an arithmetical operation with a measured variable, and particles, each particle being associated with a current value of the corrective factor. The current value of the corrective factor being constructed at each iteration on the basis of a previous current value of the corrective factor, computed during a previous iteration, to which is added a random variable drawn according to a predefined probability law. The current values of various particles are initialized, before the first iteration, to various initial values, and during each iteration, for each particle whose coordinates are updated with the aid of this displacement law, the value of the corrective factor in the displacement law is taken equal to this corrective factor's current value associated with the particle.

Abstract: A method for filtering the signals arising from a sensor assembly (EC) comprising at least one measurement sensor for measuring a vector physical field which is substantially constant over time and in space in a reference frame, said sensor assembly (EC) being tied in motion to a moving frame, moving in the reference frame, the method comprising the steps consisting in: applying a first transformation (T1) to the measurements of a measurement sensor of the sensor assembly (EC) which are provided in the moving frame, to a pseudo reference frame, with the aid of a first change-of-frame operator (R(t)) by rotation between the moving frame and the pseudo reference frame; and applying a filtering (FILT) to the measurements thus transformed in the pseudo reference frame; and applying a second transformation (T2), the inverse of said first transformation, to the measurements filtered by said filtering (FILT), from the reference frame to the moving frame, with the aid of a second change-of-frame operator (R?1(t))

Abstract: Movement of a poly-articulated object, having a plurality of segments linked by at least one articulation, is estimated. Inertial measurements are obtained from capture modules that are fixed relative to respective segments, each module having an accelerometer and a gyrometer, with the measurements being expressed in a measurement reference frame that is fixed relative to the respective segment. The measurements are used to determine at least one stress vector external to the object so as to control a physical model of this object representing the object. Kinematic quantities associated with the segments of the object are then estimated using fundamental dynamics principles using the computed stress vector(s).

Abstract: The invention relates to a portable device with improved sensor position change detection. It aims at detecting a change of position of a mobile device relative to a user and, based on this change of position, a change of orientation of the mobile device relative to the user. This allows, when the orientation of the mobile device suddenly changes relative to a user, to keep track of this change. This is particularly useful for position tracking techniques such as Pedestrian Dead Recognition (PDR), which rely on an iterative determination of the orientation of a mobile device relative to the user, and may be affected by a sudden and important change of this relative orientation.

Abstract: A remote control, such as a 3D air mouse, includes motion sensors used to measure position/orientation in space to alternatively control a cursor on a display, recognize gestures by the user so that data/commands can be entered into an electronic system being controlled or the like. Timed sequences of pressing a single trigger button and the quantity of motion during said sequences are both timed in relation to thresholds to switch between modes.

Abstract: An iterative method determines a bias of a sensor for measuring a substantially continuous physical vector field in a reference frame, in which the sensor is linked in movement to a frame that is mobile in the reference frame. An iteration of the method includes: estimating a bias value in the mobile frame, correcting a measurement from the sensor of the estimated bias value, in the mobile frame, transforming the corrected measurement of the mobile frame in the reference frame, from a rotational change of frame operator between the mobile frame and the reference frame, and forming a criterion representative of a variation of the transformed corrected measurement.

Abstract: A system for detecting at least one transient phase in a steady activity of an animated being includes processing circuitry for determining signals representative of the motion of the animated being along at least one axis, for calculating a resultant signal representative of a statistical link between samples of signals representative of the motion belonging respectively to at least two temporally offset sliding windows over the samples, and for detecting a transient phase on the basis of the resultant signal.

Abstract: A step detection method comprises the following steps: a) based on at least one signal coming from at least one motion sensor rigidly attached to a portable device, detect events suitable to correspond to steps of a user carrying the portable device; b) based on at least one signal, or on at least one signal coming from another sensor also rigidly attached to the portable device, identify intervals of time during which the device is being manipulated; and c) identify as steps those, from amongst the events detected, which do not coincide with the intervals of time. A device for the implementing such a method, a mobile telephone and touchscreen tablet comprising such a device are also provided.

Abstract: A method of location of a device includes a displacement law containing a corrective factor of a bias combined by an arithmetical operation with a measured variable, and particles, each particle being associated with a current value of the corrective factor. The current value of the corrective factor being constructed at each iteration on the basis of a previous current value of the corrective factor, computed during a previous iteration, to which is added a random variable drawn according to a predefined probability law. The current values of various particles are initialized, before the first iteration, to various initial values, and during each iteration, for each particle whose coordinates are updated with the aid of this displacement law, the value of the corrective factor in the displacement law is taken equal to this corrective factor's current value associated with the particle.

Abstract: Parameters characterizing the orientation and the position of each sensor, including at least one accelerometer, are evaluated in the reference frame of each segment, together with the length of each segment, by using predetermined configurations and motions of a structure to which the sensors are attached. This makes it possible to provide a device for capturing the motions of a body with measurements which enables greater reliability of the measurements.

Abstract: A method for estimating a path of a moving element or body using a sensor assembly includes: receiving acceleration values provided by an accelerometer; receiving angular velocity values provided by a gyrometer; processing the values provided for estimating at least one angular position value using the angular velocity values and at least two Cartesian position values defining a path of the moving element or body using acceleration values and the at least one previously estimated angular position value; estimating rotation parameters, by inverting a rotational realignment model of the estimated path subject to prior knowledge of the path; retroactively correcting the at least one estimated angular position value, by applying a rotation on this value using estimated rotation parameters, so as to provide at least one corrected angular position value.

Abstract: The invention discloses a device and a method to control an object on a surface using motion sensor measurements and relative and absolute pointing algorithms. Relative pointing is preferred at low speeds and absolute pointing is preferred at high speeds. Transition between the results of the two algorithms has to be smoothed, using a weighted combination of the two results. The weights may be made dependent over time or over speed of the device. Maximum and minimum values of different parameters may have to be set to avoid jumps or changes in direction which may affect the user's experience negatively. The goal is that the user has consistent perceptions what he or she sees on the screen and the movements he or she imparts on the device, while still keeping the position of the object as close as possible to the position calculated by an absolute pointing algorithm.

Abstract: A method for detecting a manipulation of a mobile device, comprises the following steps: a) determining, by means of a sensor, the orientation of the vertical direction in a reference frame tied to the mobile device at a plurality of successive instants; b) calculating, for each instant, the angle formed by the orientation of the vertical direction in the reference frame and a reference orientation, and c) detecting a manipulation when the angle exceeds a first threshold. An apparatus for detecting a manipulation of a mobile device comprises: a sensor for measuring the orientation of a vertical direction in a reference frame tied to the mobile device, and a processor connected to the sensor configured or programmed to implement such a method. A mobile phone comprising such an apparatus is also provided.

Abstract: A system and method of controlling a cursor (120) in a surface (100) by measurements of attitude of a pointer (110). The measurements can be provided by inertial, optical, magnetic, ultrasound, radiofrequency or video means and appropriate processing means. The method includes a step of computing the displacements of the intersection of a vector tied to the pointer with a projection surface. The projection surface can be predetermined on the basis of the measurements of the attitude and/or of the angular velocity of the pointer. The pointed-at surfaces can be planes, cylinders or spheres. The pointing can be performed in limited fashion or by sliding. The control of the cursor, in absolute mode or in relative mode, can allow the triggering of functions controlled by the orientation of the cursor on the pointed-at surface.

Abstract: A measurement processing method, wherein: during an operational phase, a second computer executes a first algorithm for estimating a new value of a datum; during a phase when the second computer is unavailable, a first computer determines and records characteristics of a signal measured by a sensor, the number of characteristics determined during the phase being strictly less than the number of intermediate measurements that the first computer establishes during the operational phase; the unavailability phase is stopped at a time t2 and the method proceeds to an active recovery phase, during which the second computer executes a second algorithm for estimating a value of the datum at a time within the interval [t1; t2] based on the characteristics determined and recorded during the unavailability phase; then the active recovery phase is stopped and the method returns to the operational phase.

Abstract: A 3D pointing device and a method are disclosed to control an object on a surface and to improve the user experience when the user moves the object beyond the limits of the surface where the object can no longer be visualized. The user experience is enhanced by defining the behavior of a cursor in a margin around the screen.

Abstract: A system for capturing the movements of a body having substantially rigid segments articulated together includes attitude units fastened onto the segments of the body, the units each including at least one accelerometer and one magnetometer, and a reduced number of gyroscopes. The system also includes a pseudo-static state detection module and a module for calculating pseudo-static angles. When all segments are detected in a pseudo-static state, the state vector is provided by the module for calculating pseudo-static angles. When a segment is detected in a dynamic state, the state vector is provided at the output of a Kalman filter.