Abstract: A pointing electronic device is provided with: an inertial measurement module, to generate motion input data, indicative of motion of the pointing electronic device, at an input data rate; a pointing determination unit, to implement a pointing algorithm at a processing data rate based on the motion input data, to generate screen-frame displacement data corresponding to 3D-space movements of the pointing electronic device, the processing data rate being higher than the input data rate. The pointing electronic device is further provided with a rate upscaling unit, interposed between the inertial measurement module and the pointing determination unit, to implement a data-rate upscaling of the motion input data, in order to generate upscaled motion input data to be processed by the pointing determination unit at a data rate matching the processing data rate, via a predictive data reconstruction of missing samples based on the actual motion input data.

Abstract: A remote access device and methods of operation thereof are provided for accessing a physical object or location. The remote access device includes an accelerometer, a wireless transmitter, and control circuitry. The control circuitry causes the wireless transmitter to transition between a first operating mode and a second operating mode in response to receiving signals from the accelerometer indicating a first change in motion states of the remote access device. The control circuitry causes the wireless transmitter to transition between a first operating mode and a second operating mode in response to receiving signals from the accelerometer indicating a second change in motion states of the remote access device. The control circuitry further causes the wireless transmitter to transition between the first operating mode and the second operating mode in response to receiving signals from the accelerometer indicating a third change in motion states of the remote access device.

Abstract: An embodiment system includes: a first motion sensor configured to generate first sensor data indicative of a first type of movement of an electronic device; a first feature detection circuit configured to determine at least one orientation-independent feature based on the first sensor data; and a classifying circuit configured to determine whether or not the electronic device is located on a stationary surface based on the at least one orientation-independent feature.

Abstract: An electronic device has sensing circuitry and control circuitry. The control circuitry generates, based on generated sensor data, information indicative of movement of the electronic device. The control circuitry generates control signals to control operation of the electronic device in a plurality of power states, including a working-power state, an intermediate-power state and a low-power state, based on the information indicative of movement.

Abstract: In an embodiment pointing electronic device, a sensor fusion processing stage generates an orientation estimation quantity indicative of an orientation about a longitudinal axis based on a sensor fusion algorithm envisaging processing of acceleration and gyroscopic signals; and a pointing determination stage implements an orientation-compensation of the gyroscopic signal as a function of the orientation estimation and generates screen-frame displacement data corresponding to 3D-space movements of the pointing electronic device based on the orientation-compensated gyroscopic signal.

Abstract: A computing system includes a first hardware element having a first accelerometer and a first gyroscope, and a second hardware element having a second accelerometer and a second gyroscope. The first and second hardware elements are moveable with respect to each other. The computing system recursively generates a result signal indicative of a relative orientation of the first and second hardware elements with respect to each other. The result signal may be generated by generating a first intermediate signal indicative of a angle between the first and second hardware elements based on signals generated by the first and second accelerometers and generating a second intermediate signal indicative of the angle based on signals generated by the first and second gyroscopes. The result signal indicative of the angle may be generated as a weighted sum of the first intermediate signal and the second intermediate signal. At least one of the first and second hardware elements is controlled by on the result signal.

Abstract: A remote access device and methods of operation thereof are provided for accessing a physical object or location. The remote access device includes an accelerometer, a wireless transmitter, and control circuitry. The control circuitry causes the wireless transmitter to transition between a first operating mode and a second operating mode in response to receiving signals from the accelerometer indicating a first change in motion states of the remote access device. The control circuitry causes the wireless transmitter to transition between a first operating mode and a second operating mode in response to receiving signals from the accelerometer indicating a second change in motion states of the remote access device. The control circuitry further causes the wireless transmitter to transition between the first operating mode and the second operating mode in response to receiving signals from the accelerometer indicating a third change in motion states of the remote access device.

Abstract: A microelectromechanical weather pattern recognition system includes: at least one movement sensor, of a MEMS type, which generates a movement signal, in the presence and as a function of at least one weather pattern to be recognized; and a recognition circuitry, which is coupled to the movement sensor and which receives the movement signal; extracts given features of the movement signal; and perform processing operations, based on the given features of the movement signal, in order to recognize the weather pattern by executing at least one, appropriately trained, machine-learning algorithm.

Abstract: A device for generating a control signal based on the linear movement of a linear member is provided. The device includes a linear member, a rotatable member, a first inertial measurement unit (IMU) coupled to the rotatable member and a second IMU having a fixed position. The device also includes a processing circuit which uses sensing signals from the IMUS to determine an attitude of the first IMU referenced to the second IMU and generate a control signal based on the attitude.

Abstract: An electronic device has an input which, in operation, receives an input stream of accelerometer data samples indicative of acceleration values along at least one axis. The devices includes circuitry, coupled to the input. The circuitry, in operation, executes an automatic-learning algorithm on blocks of samples of the input stream of accelerometer data samples to identify, for each block, a corresponding condition-of-user-movement from among a plurality of determined conditions-of-user-movement. The circuitry generates a plurality of streams of samples based on the input stream of accelerometer data samples, and for each condition of movement identified, selects a corresponding stream of samples of the plurality of streams of samples. The circuitry executes a wrist-tilt gesture detection algorithm using samples of the selected stream of the plurality of streams of samples.

Abstract: A computing system includes a first hardware element having a first accelerometer and a first gyroscope, and a second hardware element having a second accelerometer and a second gyroscope. The first and second hardware elements are moveable with respect to each other. The computing system recursively generates a result signal indicative of a relative orientation of the first and second hardware elements with respect to each other. The result signal may be generated by generating a first intermediate signal indicative of a angle between the first and second hardware elements based on signals generated by the first and second accelerometers and generating a second intermediate signal indicative of the angle based on signals generated by the first and second gyroscopes. The result signal indicative of the angle may be generated as a weighted sum of the first intermediate signal and the second intermediate signal. At least one of the first and second hardware elements is controlled by on the result signal.

Abstract: Digital signal processing circuitry, in operation, determines, based on accelerometer data, a carry-position of a device. Double-tap detection parameters are set using the determined carry-position. Double-taps are detected using the set double-tap detection parameters. In response to detection of a double-tap, control signals, such as a flag or an interrupt signal, are generated and used to control operation of the device. For example, a device may enter a wake mode of operation in response to detection of a double-tap.

Abstract: A system recognizes a gesture of bringing a mobile electronic device to a user ear. The system may be integrated in the mobile electronic device and is provided with a movement sensor which provides a movement signal indicative of the movement of the mobile electronic device. A pressure sensor provides a pressure signal indicative of a pressure acting on the mobile electronic device during the movement. A processing stage performs a joint processing of the movement signal and of the pressure signal in order to recognize the gesture.

Abstract: An embodiment pointing method to generate screen-frame displacement data based on 3D-space movements of a pointing electronic device, comprises receiving a gravity vector (g), having components (gx, gy, gz) corresponding to respective projections of gravity acceleration ({right arrow over (g)}) on three axes (X, Y, Z) of a 3D reference system associated with the pointing electronic device, generated by a sensor-fusion algorithm from joint processing of an acceleration signal, indicative of acceleration acting on the pointing electronic device along the three axes, and of a gyroscope signal (Gyro), indicative of angular rate of rotation of the pointing electronic device around the three axes. The method further comprises implementing a roll-compensation of the gyroscope signal (Gyro) as a function of the gravity vector (g) to determine a roll-compensated gyroscope signal (Gyro?); and generating the screen-frame displacement data based on the roll-compensated gyroscope signal (Gyro?).

Abstract: An embodiment inertial measurement system includes: at least one motion sensor to output motion data with an output data rate (ODR) period; and a control unit coupled to the motion sensor to control operation thereof based on a power mode switching, according to which each ODR period includes: a first phase, in which the motion sensor is controlled in a condition of low power consumption; and a subsequent measurement phase, in which the motion sensor is controlled to perform measurements for generation of measurement data. The control unit adaptively adjusts the duration of the ODR period based on at least one check related to the measurement data generated during the measurement phase.

Abstract: A low-power pointing method and an electronic device are disclosed. In an embodiment, an electronic device includes a first processor configured to receive attitude quaternion data, indicative of an orientation of the electronic device in a 3D-space, generated by a sensor-fusion algorithm from joint processing of an acceleration signal, indicative of acceleration acting on the electronic device along three reference axes of the 3D-space, and of a gyroscope signal, indicative of angular rate of rotation of the electronic device about the three reference axes of the 3D-space, process the quaternion data to determine an orientation difference between a current orientation and a previous orientation of the electronic device in the 3D-space, translate the orientation difference from the quaternion space to a tilt-compensated angular rate of rotation of the electronic device in the 3D-space and generate screen-frame displacement data based on the tilt-compensated angular rate of rotation.

Abstract: A gesture-recognition system for a digital-pen-like device, envisages: at least one motion sensor to provide at least one motion signal indicative of movements of the digital-pen-like device; a gesture-recognition signal processor, coupled to the at least one motion sensor to process the motion signal and to implement a plurality of gesture recognition algorithms based on the motion signal, each of the gesture recognition algorithms being configured to recognize a corresponding gesture performed by a user of the digital-pen-like device; and a controller coupled to the gesture-recognition signal processor and transmitting gesture-recognition data indicative of a recognized gesture towards a host apparatus, with which the digital-pen-like device is associated.

Abstract: Digital signal processing circuitry, in operation, determines, based on accelerometer data, a carry-position of a device. Double-tap detection parameters are set using the determined carry-position. Double-taps are detected using the set double-tap detection parameters. In response to detection of a double-tap, control signals, such as a flag or an interrupt signal, are generated and used to control operation of the device. For example, a device may enter a wake mode of operation in response to detection of a double-tap.

Abstract: A remote access device and methods of operation thereof are provided for accessing a physical object or location. The remote access device includes an accelerometer, a wireless transmitter, and control circuitry. The control circuitry causes the wireless transmitter to transition between a first operating mode and a second operating mode in response to receiving signals from the accelerometer indicating a first change in motion states of the remote access device. The control circuitry causes the wireless transmitter to transition between a first operating mode and a second operating mode in response to receiving signals from the accelerometer indicating a second change in motion states of the remote access device. The control circuitry further causes the wireless transmitter to transition between the first operating mode and the second operating mode in response to receiving signals from the accelerometer indicating a third change in motion states of the remote access device.

Abstract: Technological advancements are disclosed that utilize inertial sensor data associated with a device to determine a new feature array and if the new feature array is within an existing class within a state space associated with the inertial sensor data. In response to the new feature array being included in the existing class, the new feature array is added to the existing class and a representation of the existing class in the state space is updated based on the new feature array and an existing representation of the existing class. In response to the new feature array not being included in the existing class, a new class is created based on the new feature array.