A remote control system for consumer electronic equipment having a display screen, comprising: a control circuit coupled to said consumer electronic equipment for controlling operation thereof; a remote control unit having a handheld case and plurality of sensors disposed within said case, including: (a) at least one touchpad responsive to manipulation by a user's finger; (b) at least one acceleration sensor responsive to movement of the remote control unit; and (c) at least one case perimeter sensor that discriminates which parts of the case are in contact with the user's body; said remote control unit being configured to produce a sensory input message containing information extracted from said plurality of sensors; a pattern recognizer receptive of said sensory input message; said pattern recognizer being configured to classify the received sensory input message according to a predetermined recognition scheme to generate message meaning data; control logic responsive to said message meaning data to generate at least one command that is communicated to said control circuit, wherein said pattern recognizer is configured to redefine a zone of interaction, by interpreting how the user is holding said remote control unit based on information extracted from at least one of said acceleration sensors or case perimeter sensors, wherein said remote control unit includes a power management system (200, 202, 204) and wherein said control logic is configured to generate at least one command that is communicated to said power management system to alter power management system behavior on said message meaning data; and wherein said power management system is configured to perform: placing of said plurality of sensors included in said remote control unit, into a sleep mode; detecting movement of said remote control unit by waking said acceleration sensor up in the sleep mode; determining whether or not said remote control unit is held by the user, by waking said case perimeter sensor up when the movement of said remote control unit is detected; and releasing the sleep mode when the detecting detects that said remote control unit is held by the user. a control circuit coupled to said consumer electronic equipment for controlling operation thereof; a remote control unit having a handheld case and plurality of sensors disposed within said case, including: (a) at least one touchpad responsive to manipulation by a user's finger; (b) at least one acceleration sensor responsive to movement of the remote control unit; and (c) at least one case perimeter sensor that discriminates which parts of the case are in contact with the user's body; (a) at least one touchpad responsive to manipulation by a user's finger; (b) at least one acceleration sensor responsive to movement of the remote control unit; and (c) at least one case perimeter sensor that discriminates which parts of the case are in contact with the user's body; said remote control unit being configured to produce a sensory input message containing information extracted from said plurality of sensors; a pattern recognizer receptive of said sensory input message; said pattern recognizer being configured to classify the received sensory input message according to a predetermined recognition scheme to generate message meaning data; control logic responsive to said message meaning data to generate at least one command that is communicated to said control circuit, wherein said pattern recognizer is configured to redefine a zone of interaction, by interpreting how the user is holding said remote control unit based on information extracted from at least one of said acceleration sensors or case perimeter sensors, wherein said remote control unit includes a power management system (200, 202, 204) and wherein said control logic is configured to generate at least one command that is communicated to said power management system to alter power management system behavior on said message meaning data; and wherein said power management system is configured to perform: placing of said plurality of sensors included in said remote control unit, into a sleep mode; detecting movement of said remote control unit by waking said acceleration sensor up in the sleep mode; determining whether or not said remote control unit is held by the user, by waking said case perimeter sensor up when the movement of said remote control unit is detected; and releasing the sleep mode when the detecting detects that said remote control unit is held by the user. placing of said plurality of sensors included in said remote control unit, into a sleep mode; detecting movement of said remote control unit by waking said acceleration sensor up in the sleep mode; determining whether or not said remote control unit is held by the user, by waking said case perimeter sensor up when the movement of said remote control unit is detected; and releasing the sleep mode when the detecting detects that said remote control unit is held by the user.