Abstract: A controlling unit and a method of correcting an actual limit value of a sensor signal is described, wherein above or below the limit value a specific state of the sensor is recognized, the method including the steps of determining a new limit value of the sensor, determining a stability criteria to decide whether the actual limit value is corrected with said new limit value and approaching the actual limit value to the new limit value when the conditions are fulfilled to correct the actual limit value for said sensor.

Abstract: A portable articulated arm coordinate measurement machine can include a base, a manually positionable articulated arm portion having opposed first and second ends, the arm portion including a plurality of connected arm segments, an electronic circuit that receives the position signals from the transducers, a first inclinometer coupled to the base, wherein the inclinometer is configured to produce a first electrical signal responsive to an angle of tilt of the base and an electrical system configured to record a first reading of the first inclinometer and a second reading of the first inclinometer, wherein the first reading is in response to at least one of a first force applied to the base and a third force applied to the mounting structure, wherein the second reading is in response to at least one of a second force applied to the base and a fourth force applied to the mounting structure.

Abstract: The present invention relates to resolver calibration for permanent magnet synchronous motor. According to embodiments of the present invention, the high frequency rotating voltage vector is generated and injected into a resolver associated with a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM). Due to the saliency effect, when a reference point is detected in a phase current, the rotor position of the PMSM is known. At this point, by acquiring the resolver position, the resolver offset may be accurately determined for calibration. According to embodiments of the present invention, the resolver offset may be accurately determined and calibrated without increasing device dimension and cost. Respective methods, apparatuses, systems, and computer products are disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a measurement apparatus which includes a probe having a leading edge portion configured to come into contact with a surface to be measured and a holding portion configured to hold the leading edge portion, and measures a shape of the surface by scanning the probe relative to the surface in a state in which the leading edge portion and the surface are in contact, comprising a processing unit configured to correct measurement data at a measurement point on the surface based on data of a scanning distance of the probe and information about abrasion of the leading edge portion caused by scanning of the probe.

Abstract: Phase sensitive X-ray imaging methods provide substantially increased contrast over conventional absorption based imaging, and therefore new and otherwise inaccessible information. The use of gratings as optical elements in hard X-ray phase imaging overcomes some of the problems impairing the wider use of phase contrast in X-ray radiography and tomography. To separate the phase information from other contributions detected with a grating interferometer, a phase-stepping approach has been considered, which implies the acquisition of multiple radiographic projections. Here, an innovative, highly sensitive X-ray tomographic phase contrast imaging approach is presented based on grating interferometry, which extracts the phase contrast signal without the need of phase stepping. Compared to the existing phase step approach, the main advantage of this new method dubbed “reverse projection” is the significantly reduced delivered dose, without degradation of the image quality.

Abstract: A calibration jig allowing simple and repeatable calibration of a probe optical tomographic apparatus is disclosed. The jig includes a holding member removably attachable to an attachment section of the apparatus and a reflective surface held by the holding member. The reflective surface reflects measurement light emitted from an emitting section of the attachment section and directs reflected light back to the emitting section. If a probe of the apparatus is covered with a sheath, the jig may include a light transmitting member, which generates the same dispersion as dispersion at the sheath, between the emitting section and the reflective surface. The reflective surface may be a single reflective surface disposed within an area corresponding to twice a coherence length of the laser light with a zero path position of the reflective surface being the center of the area.

Abstract: Systems and methods are operable maintain a proscribed Self Separation distance between an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) and an object. In an example system, consecutive intruder aircraft locations relative to corresponding locations of a self aircraft are determined, wherein the determining is based on current velocities of the intruder aircraft and the self aircraft, and wherein the determining is based on current flight paths of the intruder aircraft and the self aircraft. At least one evasive maneuver for the self aircraft is computed using a processing system based on the determined consecutive intruder aircraft locations relative to the corresponding locations of the self aircraft.

Abstract: A calibration system includes a channel block (102) having a plurality of channels (104) formed therein. The channels are configured to correspond to locations where treatment devices are inserted for treatment of a patient. The channels are dimensioned to restrict motion of the treatment devices. A tracking system (128) is configured to monitor a position of a treatment device (108) inserted in one or more of the channels. The tracking system is configured to generate tracking data for the at least one treatment device for comparison with an expected position for the treatment device.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a robotic positioning device and a locating mat. The locating mat includes a location pattern and can be disposed on a floor at a desired position relative to a movable cradle of an imaging system. The robotic positioning device is configured to be disposed, at least partially, above the locating mat. The robotic positioning device includes a docking device that includes an optical device and a guide manipulator supported on the docking device. The guide manipulator can be positioned relative to the movable cradle based, at least partially, on image data associated with the optical device and the location pattern of the locating mat. The guide manipulator can position an instrument guide relative to a patient disposed on the movable cradle.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method of detecting an object using a detection signal supplied by a proximity sensor. The method comprises the steps of generating a reference signal by filtering the value of the detection signal, defining a first detection threshold, and going from an object non-detecting state to an object detecting state when the value of the detection signal becomes greater than the first detection threshold. When the value of the detection signal becomes greater than the first detection threshold, the value of the reference signal is readjusted in a manner such that the value of the detection signal again becomes less than or respectively greater than, the first detection threshold.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving real-time sensor data from N sensors on the computing device. The real-time sensor data corresponds to a transition in a physical state of the computing device caused by a user of the computing device. The method also includes applying a linear function to the real-time sensor data from each of the N sensors; determining a vector based on an N-tuple comprising the derivatives; comparing the vector with a pre-determined hyperplane with N?1 dimensions; and determining based on the comparison whether the transition is an event corresponding to any of one or more pre-determined imminent uses of the computing device by the user or a non-event not corresponding to any of the pre-determined imminent uses of the computing device by the user.

Abstract: A system comprises an inertial measurement unit comprising one or more gyroscopes configured to measure angular velocity about a respective one of three independent axes and one or more accelerometers configured to measure specific force along a respective one of the three independent axes; a magnetometer configured to measure strength of a local magnetic field along each of the three independent axes; and a processing device coupled to the inertial measurement unit and the magnetometer; the processing device configured to compute kinematic state data for the system based on measurements received from the magnetometer and the inertial measurement unit. The processing device is further configured to calculate magnetometer measurement calibration parameters using a first technique when position data is unavailable and to calculate magnetometer measurement calibration parameters using a second technique when position data is available.

Abstract: Embodiments provide a method for determining sine or cosine correction values for an error compensation in an angle sensor. At least three pairs of values for at least three rotation angle values of an angle sensor are detected. Each pair of values includes a rotation angle value and an associated measurement signal value. The associated measurement signal value includes a sine component and a cosine component. The sine correction value for an offset error of the sine components of the measurement signal values is determined by adding the sine components of two detected measurement signal values. The cosine correction value for an offset error of the cosine components of the measurement signal values is determined by adding the cosine components of two detected measurement signal values. The sine correction value for the offset error of the sine components or the cosine correction value for the offset error of the cosine components is provided for error compensation.

Abstract: A method for detecting a human's steps and estimating the horizontal translation direction and scaling of the resulting motion relative to an inertial sensor is described. When a pedestrian takes a sequence of steps the displacement can be decomposed into a sequence of rotations and translations over each step. A translation is the change in the location of pedestrian's center of mass and a rotation is the change along z-axis of the pedestrian's orientation. A translation can be described by a vector and a rotation by an angle.

Abstract: Systems and methods for reducing error detection latency in LPV approaches are provided. In certain embodiments, a method for navigational guidance includes calibrating inertial measurements acquired from an inertial navigation system with satellite-based augmentation system position measurements acquired from a satellite-based augmentation system to create corrected inertial navigation system positions. The method also includes determining whether the satellite-based augmentation system experienced a fault when the inertial measurements were calibrated with the satellite-based augmentation system position measurements. Further, when the satellite-based augmentation system did not experience a fault, the method includes monitoring the satellite-based augmentation system navigation position measurements based on the corrected inertial navigation system positions.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques for determining floors at a geographic location using barometric air pressure sensors in a mobile phone. An exemplary method includes identifying a first height associated with a location based on a client device. The first height indicates an entry level of the client device at the location. Using information regarding an amount of outside air pressure at the location, a pressure sensor in the client device is calibrated. A pressure offset for the location is calculated. The pressure offset identifies a difference between air pressure readings inside the location and the amount of outside air pressure at the location. Using the calibrated pressure sensor, a second height associated with the location is determined based on readings from the calibrated pressure sensor and the pressure offset. The second height indicates a different level at the location that the client device is currently on.

Abstract: The techniques described herein are directed to receiving parameters directed to correcting spatial error and/or jitter associated with an interaction device connected to a computing device. In some instances, the parameters are encrypted parameters that may be decrypted and consumed to correct the spatial error and/or the jitter associated with the interaction device. For instance, the parameters may provide an adjustment to one or more reported positions of input received from a detection area of the interaction device, so that a display position more accurately reflects, based on the adjustment, an actual position of input on the detection area of the interaction device.

Abstract: There is provided a position information correction device including an input point acquisition section which acquires position information of an input point specified by an operating object, a direction detection section which detects a movement direction of the operating object based on displacement of the position information acquired by the input point acquisition section for each input point, a determination section which takes a majority vote of the movement directions of past input points acquired by the input point acquisition section in the past, and determines the movement direction of the operating object with respect to a current input point acquired by the input point acquisition section at a current time point, and a position information correction section which, when the movement direction detected by the direction detection section differs from the movement direction determined by the determination section, corrects position information of the current input point.

Abstract: A system has at least one sensor and a controller communicatively coupled to the sensor. The system further has logic configured to calculate a calibration value based upon an initial state of the sensor and store the calibration value in memory.

Abstract: An excavation control system includes a working unit having a bucket, a designed landform data storage part storing designed landform data, a bucket position data generation part that generates bucket position data, a designed surface data generation part, and an excavation limit control part. The designed surface data generation part generates superior and subordinate designed surface data based on the designed landform and bucket position data. The superior designed surface data indicates a superior designed surface corresponding to a prescribed position on the bucket. The subordinate designed surface data indicates a plurality of subordinate designed surfaces linked to the superior designed surface. The designed surface data generation part generates shape data based on the superior and subordinate designed surface data. The shape data indicates shapes of the superior designed surface and the plurality of subordinate designed surfaces.

Abstract: The present invention includes steps of, determining a search starting position; setting a center position, and a first position and a second position with a distance provided therebetween; obtaining a measurement point group including measurement points of the center position, the first position, and the second position; and determining a measurement point closest to the tip portion in the measurement point group based on positions of the measurement points in a second direction and selecting a position of the measurement point in a first direction as a selected position. When the measurement point group is obtained initially after the determination of the search starting position, the search starting position is set as the center position; and when the measurement point group is obtained after the selection of the selected position, the selected position is set as the center position. The distance is narrowed for every selection of the selected position.

Abstract: Navigation units, systems, and methods for use in the context of personal navigation, and associated methods for initialization, navigation, assistance, and correction, all in the field of inertial navigation and related applications. The inertial navigation units, systems, and methods of the invention utilize multiple accelerometers to gather specific force data for improvement of the initialization, navigation, assistance, or corrective processes.

Abstract: Disclosed are an apparatus and method for adaptively compensating a position error of a resolver. The apparatus adaptively estimating a position error contained in position information of a rotor of a motor, which is digitalized by a resolver-digital converter, and subtracting the estimated position error from the measured position information of the rotor, thereby calculating compensated position information. A regression equation and a recursive least square method applied to the regression equation are used for the adaptive estimation of the position information.

Abstract: A computer-implemented augmented reality method includes obtaining an image acquired by a computing device running an augmented reality application, identifying image characterizing data in the obtained image, the data identifying characteristic points in the image, comparing the image characterizing data with image characterizing data for a plurality of geo-coded images stored by a computer server system, identifying locations of items in the obtained image using the comparison, and providing, for display on the computing device at the identified locations, data for textual or graphical annotations that correspond to each of the items in the obtained image, and formatted to be displayed with the obtained image or a subsequently acquired image.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system (1) comprising a deformable surface (2) and a first and a second sensor (C1, C2) designed to provide a first and a second measurement signal (S1, S2) intended to be collected by a processing circuit (12), said system (1) comprising first and second measurement paths (V1, V2) for collecting the first and second measurement signals (S1, S2), said system (1) being characterised in that it comprises a common calibration member (20) for simultaneously injecting into the first and second measurement paths (V1, V2) a calibration signal (SE), said common calibration member (20) being designed so that the image signals (S?1, S?2, S?n) restored via said measurement paths (V1, V2, Vn) are independent of said movable surface (2). Deformable movable surface systems, of the deformable mirror type.

Abstract: A method for creating an artifact for use with an optical three-dimensional measuring system includes steps of: (a) providing an artifact that comprises an inspection surface, which artifact is configured to be scanned by a non-contact sensor included in the optical three-dimensional measuring system, which artifact comprises at least one of a substantially spherical body and a turbine engine component, and which inspection surface comprises a surface of one of the substantially spherical body and the turbine engine component; (b) heating the artifact to a predetermined temperature; and (c) coating the inspection surface of the heated artifact with an approximately uniform coating of dry film lubricant.

Abstract: Disclosed is a sensor that can accurately detect displacement and prevents the phenomenon of a contact section between a shaft member and a sliding element receiver being shifted. The sensor comprising: a case having a through hole; a resistance substrate fixed at an inside of said case; a shaft member having a first end portion which is one end of the shaft member placed within said case and a second end portion which is other end of the shaft member exposed to an outside of said case from said through hole, said shaft member being placed at said through hole in a movable manner in an axial direction; and a sliding element receiver having a bearing end contacting with said second end portion of said shaft member, and attached with a brush sliding together with said resistance substrate, said sliding element receiver being capable of moving relatively against said resistance substrate with said shaft member. A hemispherical end face is formed at said first end portion.

Abstract: Systems and methods for estimating a height of a mobile device are described. A reference pressure estimate is generated using atmospheric data from one or more reference locations. Various approaches for determining the reference pressure estimate are described. The reference pressure estimate is used, along with a pressure measurement at a position of a mobile device, to estimate the height of the mobile device.

Abstract: An angle detecting apparatus is obtained. The angle detecting apparatus is capable of correcting an electrical angle frequency component of an angle signal contained angle signal. An angle detecting apparatus computes an angle signal of a rotary machine from a sine signal and a cosine signal obtained from the angle signal. Offset correction values for the sine signal and the cosine signal are computed from the angle signal. The computed offset correction value for the sine signal is added to the sine signal to correct the sine signal, and the computed offset correction value for the cosine signal is added to the cosine signal to correct the cosine signal.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of calculating a surface shape of a target surface, including the steps of defining, as a measurement target region, each of a plurality of regions on the target surface in which adjacent regions overlap each other, and obtaining data that give the heights at the plurality of positions in each of the plurality of regions, and removing, for each of the plurality of regions, an average data from the data that are obtained in the step of obtaining the data and give the heights at the plurality of positions in each of the plurality of regions, thereby generating correction data for each of the plurality of regions.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for calibration of a robot on a platform and a robot, in relation to an object using a measuring unit mounted on the robot including placing CAD models so that the robot reaches the object, manipulating the CAD models to move the measuring unit to a pose in relation to the platform allowing measurement of a feature on the object, storing the pose, and generating a CAD model of the feature. The real robot is moved to the pose, the real platform is moved where measurements of the feature can be made, 3D measurements of the feature are performed and based thereon generating a second CAD model, performing a best fit between the CAD models, and calculating a 6 degrees of freedom pose difference between the CAD models, and instructing the mobile platform to move to compensate for the pose difference.

Abstract: Based on a local coordinate velocity vector calculated by a local coordinate velocity vector calculation unit and an attitude angle calculated by an attitude angle calculation unit, a change portion of a detected value in the past that is similar to a change in a detected value of attitude and velocity during movement of the user is extracted as a correlation calculation unit provided in each of a reference velocity vector calculation unit and a reference attitude angle calculation unit carries out predetermined correlation calculation. Then, a reference value of the detected value used when correcting the detected value is calculated and generated by the reference velocity vector calculation unit and the reference attitude angle calculation unit, using the result of the extraction.

Abstract: A system for determining an error in a sensed position of a machine includes a position sensing system, a dead reckoning system, and a controller. The controller is configured to determine a difference between a sensed position and a calculated position determined by dead reckoning. The difference is compared to an error threshold defining a maximum acceptable distance between the sensed position of the machine and the calculated position of the machine and an error signal generated if the difference exceeds the error threshold. A pair of offset dead reckoning processes may be used.

Abstract: In a device in which the rotation angle of the rotor is detected with a resolver, the rotation angle of the rotor with less error can be obtained while reducing burden of the operator. The measured angle value acquisition unit (210) acquires the measured-rotation angle value of a motor shaft. The error calculation unit (220) calculates the error included in each of measured-rotation angle values. The frequency component acquisition unit (230) determines the phase and the amplitude of a frequency component of the error based on the errors. Thus, by using the error frequency component acquisition device (121), the phase and amplitude of the frequency component of the error included in the measured-rotation angle value can be automatically calculated and the correction with respect to the measure-rotation angle value can be performed using the acquired phase and amplitude. Therefore, the rotation angle of the rotor with less error can be obtained, while reducing the burden of the operator.

Abstract: A position detector having a plurality of sensor units is used. Each of the sensor units is configured to determine positions. The sensor units are selectively used for outputting positions of a moving object. Positional outputs are generated by combining outputs from a plurality of the sensor units in a segment where the plurality of sensor units output positions together, for allowing the positional outputs to change continuously from a start to an end of the segment.

Abstract: A magnetic field generator includes a substrate, a main generator coil, at least one field sensor, at least one shim coil, a driver circuit and a correction circuit. The main generator coil, the field sensor, and the shim coil are all disposed on the substrate. The driver circuit is coupled to drive the main generator coil with a driving current at a selected frequency. The correction circuit is coupled to receive a signal at the selected frequency from the at least one field sensor and, in response to deviations in the signal from a predefined baseline, to drive the at least one shim coil with a driving current having an amplitude configured to return the signal to the baseline.

Abstract: Track information generating devices, methods, and programs acquire a self-contained navigation track of a vehicle indicated by time-series pieces of self-contained navigation information, and acquire a GPS track of the vehicle indicated by time-series pieces of GPS information. The devices, methods, and programs compare the self-contained navigation track with the GPS track to correct the self-contained navigation information so as to reduce a difference between the self-contained navigation track and the GPS track.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a measurement unit and a calculation unit, wherein the calculation unit expresses a measurement error of each measurement as a polynomial including a term that has a coefficient whose value is dependent on setting of the measurement area and a term that has a coefficient whose value is not dependent on the setting of the measurement area, obtains a matrix equation with respect to the coefficients of the polynomial by applying a least-squares method to each of the measurement data items for the overlapping region, assigns data about the terms of the polynomial and each of the measurement data items for the overlapping region to the matrix equation, calculates the coefficients of the polynomial from a singular value decomposition of the matrix equation to which the data has been assigned, and corrects each of the measurement data items for the measurement areas by using the coefficients.

Abstract: A system and method of integrated data registration (IDR) is presented. A method receives a first position data of a fixed or moving object from a first source that is remote from the object. A second position data of the object is then received from a second source that is different than the first source and that is determined independently from the first position data. Correction estimates are determined based, at least in part, on the second position data. The first position data is then corrected with the correction estimates.

Abstract: An installation error estimating device has a predicted pattern acquirer which obtains a predicted positioning distribution pattern, which is obtained by computing a characteristic pattern of a predicted positioning distribution obtained by predicting a logical positioning distribution, at each observation point where a wireless tag is installed for positioning; and an observation data inputter to which positioning results obtained from the wireless tags by a tag reader are input as observation data. A dispersion pattern analyzer computes a characteristic pattern of a measured positioning distribution, which is obtained by statistical analysis of the applicable positioning result, as a measured positioning distribution pattern at each observation point based on the observation. An installation error estimator computes the installation error for the tag reader using the predicted positioning distribution patterns obtained and the measured positioning distribution patterns computed.

Abstract: A system for a machine having an implement and operating on a slope is provided. The system includes an implement position sensor, inclination sensor and an inclination module. The implement position sensor is configured to generate a signal indicative of a position of the implement relative to a frame of the machine. The inclination sensor, mounted on the implement, is configured to generate a signal indicative of an inclination of the implement relative to the frame of the machine. The inclination module is configured to receive the signals. The inclination module is also configured to correlate the position of the implement and the inclination of the implement with a predefined dataset to determine a bias factor associated with the implement. Further, the inclination module is configured to determine an inclination angle of the slope based on the determined bias factor.

Abstract: A technique for estimating the closest point of approach (CPA) of an object includes: tracking a range rate of the object based on Doppler measurements of the object; computing a first CPA estimate based on the tracked range rate; separately tracking a position of the object based on position measurements of the object; computing a second CPA estimate based on the tracked position; and computing a fused CPA estimate based on the first and second CPA estimates.

Abstract: An angle detection apparatus includes a grating disk supported by a rotation axis and three or more detectors arrayed proximate to a front surface of the grating disk at equal distances in a circumferential direction of the grating disk. A rotation angle of the grating disk rotated by a reference angle from a predetermined initial position is detected by each of the detectors. An angle error at each of the detectors is measured from a difference between the rotation angle and the reference angle. A tangential vector is acquired by rotating by 90° a directional vector of each of the detectors relative to the rotation center. An eccentricity vector is calculated whose inner product with the tangential vector is the angle error.

Abstract: A reference measurement object having known properties is used for the purpose of calibrating a coordinate measuring machine. A plurality of reference measured values are picked up on the reference measurement object. Calibration data are determined using the reference measured values and using the known properties of the reference measurement object. The calibration data comprises a first number of polynomial coefficients that are selected to correct nonlinear measuring errors using at least one polynomial transformation. The first number of polynomial coefficients is reduced in an iterative method to a lesser second number, with a plurality of pairs of polynomial coefficients being formed and with a polynomial coefficient of a pair being eliminated in each case when a statistical dependence between the polynomial coefficients of the pair is greater than a defined threshold value.

Abstract: Provided is a measuring apparatus that measures a position or a displacement of a target object by calculating a phase difference between a reference signal and a measuring signal. The measuring apparatus includes a demodulation unit configured to demodulate the measuring signal by the first frequency to thereby generate a demodulated signal including the component of the second frequency, a cyclic error component, and a harmonic component occurred due to demodulation; a decimation filter configured to remove the harmonic component from the demodulated signal to thereby output a signal including the component of the second frequency and the cyclic error component; and a measuring signal correcting unit configured to detect and remove the cyclic error component included in the output signal from the decimation filter.

Abstract: Methods and systems are for controlling movement of at least one propulsion unit on a marine vessel. The method comprises plotting a first plurality of points representing a first surface of a first propulsion unit and plotting a second plurality of points representing a second surface. The method further comprises limiting movement of at least the first propulsion unit such that the first surface does not come within a predetermined distance of the second surface during said movement.

Abstract: A computer-implemented augmented reality method includes obtaining an image acquired by a computing device running an augmented reality application, identifying image characterizing data in the obtained image, the data identifying characteristic points in the image, comparing the image characterizing data with image characterizing data for a plurality of geo-coded images stored by a computer server system, identifying locations of items in the obtained image using the comparison, and providing, for display on the computing device at the identified locations, data for textual or graphical annotations that correspond to each of the items in the obtained image, and formatted to be displayed with the obtained image or a subsequently acquired image.

Abstract: In order to determine a virtual sensor tool center point sensor TCP of a light section sensor, the invention provides that: the sensor TCP is placed in sufficient concordance with a point on a line on a surface a so-called feature of a reference part with a known location; a normal to the surface of the reference part is determined; the Z direction of the sensor is brought in concordance with the normal of the surface of the reference part, and; a defined alignment of the sensor with the line of the feature is determined.

Abstract: A motion analysis apparatus includes: a threshold value determining section that determines whether the amount of inertia in a first period is within a threshold value range; a bias value setting section that sets, if it is determined that the amount of inertia is within the threshold value range, a bias value included in the amount of inertia on the basis of a first average value that is an average value of the amount of inertia detected in the first period; and an analysis information calculating section that analyzes a motion of a measurement object using correction data from which the bias value is removed.

Abstract: A bias value associated with a sensor, e.g., a time-varying, non-zero value which is output from a sensor when it is motionless, is estimated using a ZRO-tracking filter which is a combination of a moving-average filter and a Kalman filter having at least one constraint enforced against at least one operating parameter of the Kalman filter. It achieves faster convergence on an estimated bias value and produces less estimate error after convergence. A resultant bias estimate may then be used to compensate the biased output of the sensor in, e.g., a 3D pointing device.