Abstract: Controlling playback by strokes entered via a MIDI interface or measured by one or more motion sensors is disclosed. The variations of the playback speed can also be smoothed to ensure a better musical rendition. The velocity of the strokes can also be taken into account to control the volume of the audio output and other gestures or strokes can also act on the tremolo or vibrato.

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 method for configuring a device for detecting a situation from a set of situations where a physical system comprises the following steps: reception of a learning sequence corresponding to a given situation of the physical system; determination of parameters of a hidden-state Markov statistical model recorded in the detection device and relating to the given situation, on the basis of a prior initialisation of these parameters.

Abstract: A system and method for estimating the orientation of an object in space at the instant k using measurements of the total acceleration (yA), of magnetic field (yM) and of the speed of rotation (yG) of said object in relation to three space axes, comprising a step of preprocessing said measurements (yA, yM, yG) at an instant k so as to detect the existence of a disturbance in said measurements and to compute corrected measurements at the instant k and a step of estimating the orientation ({circumflex over (q)}k) at the instant k by an observer on the basis of the corrected measurements ({tilde over (y)}A,k, {tilde over (y)}M,k, {tilde over (y)}G,k) at the instant k obtained from the preprocessing step. The estimation step advantageously uses matrices for transforming the frame of the object into a fixed frame which are applied, in case of disturbance, to a quaternion deduced from the integration of a measurement of speed of rotation composed with a quaternion of orientation computed at the instant k?1.

Abstract: A pointing device includes accelerometers and rotational sensors that are coupled to a processor. The processor samples the accelerometers and rotational sensors to detect gravity and pointing device motion and uses algebraic algorithms to calculate roll compensated cursor control signals. The processor transmits the cursor control signals to a receiver that is coupled to an electronic device that moves the cursor on the visual display.

Abstract: The invention discloses an improved method and device for sensing orientation of an object in space in a Working Reference Frame. The device of the invention includes an angular velocity sensor with at least two sensing axes and a linear acceleration sensor with at least three sensing axes. The method used for sensing orientation of the object in space in the Working Reference Frame uses synthetic values of the gravity component of the acceleration of the object. It depends upon the number of sensing axes of the angular velocity sensor and upon the dynamicity of the movement of the object. The dynamicity of the movement of the object is tested to compute the synthetic values which are used. The method and device of the invention allow control of a cursor on a display, independently of the roll imparted to the device by a user, in a seamless manner which is greatly improved over the devices and methods of the prior art.

Abstract: A smart handheld device with a touch screen which can be used as a 2D or 3D mouse to control applications running on a host device. The smart device can include an optical sensor for, when a motion capture mode is activated, automatically detecting that it lies on a surface, measuring displacements of the device on the surface and emulating displacements of a cursor on the screen of the host device. The smart device can include a two axes gyroscope which can, when the motion capture mode is activated, measure yaw and pitch of the device in free space and convert changes in orientation measurements into displacements of a cursor on the screen of the host device. The touch screen is divided into zones and sub-zones to control various applications running on the device or on the host. The zones are configurable through a graphical user interface.

Abstract: A system for controlling a digital sensor (CN) for measuring a physical quantity (GP) includes a transducer (TRD) delivering as output an analog signal representative of the physical quantity (GP), with means (MGD) for implementing gain and/or shift on the analog output signal (SA1) of the transducer (TRD), and with an analog-digital converter (CAN) at the output of the sensor (CN) so as to deliver a digital signal (SN1). A first means (MA1) applies a first shift to the analog signal of the physical quantity (GP), and a second means (MA2) applies a second shift to the digital signal (SN1). Control means (CMD) continuously controls the first application means (MA1), on the basis of the digital signal (SN1), as well as the second application means (MA2), on the basis of the digital signal (SN1) and/or of the first shift.

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: 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: A method determining values of parameters representing a movement of an entity represented by an articulated chain, by a sensor assembly including at least one sensor for a parameter representing an orientation of a first segment of the articulated chain, the method including: reception of an orientation value measured and supplied by the orientation sensor; estimation of a value of at least one first parameter representing a movement of the first segment by processing the orientation value; and, based on a predetermined movement model of the articulated chain, as a time change model, including at least one relationship of time dependency between the at least one first parameter and at least one other parameter representing a movement of another segment of the articulated chain: estimation of a value of the at least one other parameter by application of the time change model to the estimated value of the at least one first parameter.

Abstract: A pointing device includes accelerometers and rotational sensors that are coupled to a processor. The processor samples the accelerometers and rotational sensors to detect gravity and pointing device motion and uses algebraic algorithms to calculate roll compensated cursor control signals. The processor transmits the cursor control signals to a receiver that is coupled to an electronic device that moves the cursor on the visual display.

Abstract: The invention pertains to a system for real-time determination of a parameter of a movement (PM, Tp) of repetitive form comprising: first means (EST1) for estimating an approximation (Tr) of the period of said movement of repetitive form, before the end of the current movement, on the basis of representative signals (S1, S2) indicative of said movement; means (DET) for determining a size (F) of sliding window on the basis of said period (Tr) estimated by said first estimating means (EST1); second means (EST2) for precisely estimating, by sliding window, said movement parameter, on the basis of representative signals (S1, S2) indicative of said movement and of said size (F) of sliding window delivered by said first estimating means (EST1).

Abstract: A pointing device includes accelerometers and rotational sensors that are coupled to a processor. The processor samples the accelerometers and rotational sensors to detect gravity and pointing device motion and uses algebraic algorithms to calculate roll compensated cursor control signals. The processor transmits the cursor control signals to a receiver that is coupled to an electronic device that moves the cursor on the visual display.

Abstract: A system for controlling a digital sensor (CN) for measuring a physical quantity (GP) includes a transducer (TRD) delivering as output an analog signal representative of the physical quantity (GP), with means (MGD) for implementing gain and/or shift on the analog output signal (SA1) of the transducer (TRD), and with an analog-digital converter (CAN) at the output of the sensor (CN) so as to deliver a digital signal (SN1). A first means (MA1) applies a first shift to the analog signal of the physical quantity (GP), and a second means (MA2) applies a second shift to the digital signal (SN1). Control means (CMD) continuously controls the first application means (MA1), on the basis of the digital signal (SN1), as well as the second application means (MA2), on the basis of the digital signal (SN1) and/or of the first shift.

Abstract: Systems and methods for recognizing the gestures of an entity, notably a human being, and, optionally, for controlling an electrical or electronic system or apparatus, are discussed. The system uses sensors that measure signals, preferentially representative of inertial data about the movements of said entity, and implements a process for enriching a dictionary of said gestures to be recognized and a recognition algorithm, for recognition among the classes of gestures in said dictionary. The algorithm implemented is preferably of the dynamic time warping type. The system carries out preprocessing operations, such as the elimination of signals captured during periods of inactivity of the entity, subsampling of the signals, and normalization of the measurements by reduction, and preferentially uses, to classify the gestures, specific distance calculation modes and modes for merging or voting between the various measurements by the sensors.

Abstract: A gyroscopic exercise ball (10) includes a housing (10a, 10b) surrounding a rotor (12) centrally disposed on a shaft (14) having two ends (28) mounted in notches (26) of a freely rotatable gimbal ring (24). The ring and the ends of said shaft are disposed in a groove having a height larger than a diameter of the ends of the shaft. The diameter is larger than a thickness of the gimbal ring, and a rotation rate sensor (60) measures the rotor speed. A processor (110) is in communication with the rotation rate sensor to calculate an exercise evaluation. A pitch axis and a roll axis gyroscopic sensor (80, 70) are in communication with the processor. The exercise evaluation determines energy expenditure, force, power, angles or angular velocity of motion, range of motion, position, speed or trajectory of motion, and an evaluation of form for an individual exercise.

Abstract: A system for counting a basic displacement of a person includes a housing (BT) and a fixing device (EF) for securely mounting the housing (BT) on the person. Within the housing are a magnetometer for measuring the direction of the terrestrial magnetic field in the reference frame of the housing, a device for determining a quantity representative of the inclination of the measured magnetic field with respect to the vertical, and a device for detecting a change of orientation of an orthogonal projection of the direction of the terrestrial magnetic field in a horizontal planar reference frame having axes of constant directions and tied in translation to the person, on the basis of the measured direction of the magnetic field and of the quantity representative of the inclination of the magnetic field with respect to the vertical.

Abstract: A pointing device includes accelerometers and rotational sensors that are coupled to a processor. The processor samples the accelerometers and rotational sensors to detect gravity and pointing device motion and uses algebraic algorithms to calculate roll compensated cursor control signals. The processor transmits the cursor control signals to a receiver that is coupled to an electronic device that moves the cursor on the visual display.

Abstract: System for counting an elementary displacement of a person, comprising a casing and fixing means for securely tying said casing to a part of the body of said person, comprising: a magnetometer with at least one measurement axis; and calculation means adapted for performing, for each measurement axis, the scalar product of at least one temporal mask and of the component of the signal along the measurement axis over the duration of said mask.