Abstract: A compact convenient hand-held, accelerometer-based computer control device is utilized to control on-screen animated characters presented by a comer-driven display in which the movement, persona, style, and voice of the character is controlled. The control device detects accelerations which are used to provide the on-screen character a particular persona, style or voice quality determined by the user. Character motion is determined by acceleration patterns based upon a learned language. The system requires only a series of easily learned hand movement patterns for corresponding character control.The style or emotional content of the movement is specified directly from gross accelerometer outputs without pattern matching. The outputs can also be used in connection with speech synthesis to provide voice quality attributes to audible information. The system has particular relevance to control of on-screen characters in interactive theater and virtual reality systems.

Abstract: A compact convenient hand-held, accelerometer-based computer control device s utilized to control on-screen animated characters presented by a computer-driven display in which the movement, persona, or style of the character is controlled through movement of the device in a predetermined pattern which results in recognizable patterns of accelerations that are detected to give the on-screen character a particular persona or style determined by the user. Thus, the system requires only a series of easily learned hand movement patterns for corresponding character control. In an alternative embodiment, once a movement has been determined, the style or emotional content of the movement is specified directly from gross accelerometer output without pattern matching. In another embodiment, the outputs of two or more accelerometers are combined, with the combined waveforms constituting a language for graphical object control.