Handheld controller with trigger button and sensor retainer assembly

• US 10,386,922 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2016
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: META Platforms Technologies LLC (Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC (Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.))
• Inventors: Andersen, Blake Francis, Hammerstein, Julian James, Higgins, Jason Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Faragalla, Michael A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shah, Sujit
• Application Number:
  US15/173,558
• Publication Number:
  US 20170192506A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,173 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00

Abstract

Handheld controllers are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the controller includes a main body and a sensor assembly at least partially disposed in the main body. The sensor assembly can include a control surface (e.g., a button) configured to receive at least a portion of a user'"'"'s finger. A sensor portion can be disposed between the control surface and a rear member. The sensor portion can comprise a foam layer, a backing layer and a sensor layer between the foam layer and the backing layer. The foam layer can be compressed toward the control surface to minimize an air gap between the sensor layer and the control surface.

Claims

1. A handheld controller, comprising:

a housing; and

a button at least partially disposed in the housing, wherein the button includes a control member, a rear member, and a sensor stack disposed between the control member and the rear member, wherein the control member, the rear member, and the sensor stack are movable as a unit relative to the housing, and wherein the sensor stack comprises—

a first layer including a compressible material and facing toward a rear side of the control member;

a second layer including a sensor, the second layer directly adjacent a rear side of the first layer; and

a third layer directly adjacent a rear side of the second layer, wherein at least portions of the first layer, the second layer, the third layer, and the control member have substantially the same contoured shape, and wherein the rear member engages the third layer such that the first layer is compressed toward the control member by way of the rear member being fixed to the control member via a friction fit, thereby minimizing a gap between the second layer and the control member.

2. The handheld controller of claim 1 wherein the compressible material comprises a conductive foam.

3. The handheld controller of claim 1 wherein the first layer is configured to have a compressed thickness less than 1 mm.

4. The handheld controller of claim 1 wherein the compressible material has a dielectric constant different than the dielectric constant of air.

5. The handheld controller of claim 1 wherein the sensor is a touch-sensitive sensor.

6. The handheld controller of claim 1 wherein the sensor is a capacitive sensor.

7. The handheld controller of claim 1 wherein the sensor is a first sensor, and further comprising a second sensor configured to detect movement of the button relative to the housing.

8. The handheld controller of claim 7 wherein the second sensor comprises a Hall effect sensor configured to detect movement of a magnet coupled to the rear member.

9. A handheld controller, comprising:

a main body; and

a sensor assembly at least partially disposed in the main body, wherein the sensor assembly includes a control member, a rear member, and a sensor portion disposed between the control member and the rear member, wherein the control member, the rear member, and the sensor portion are movable as a unit relative to the main body, and wherein the sensor portion comprises a foam layer facing toward a rear side of the control member, a backing layer, and a sensor layer between and directly adjacent to the foam layer and the backing layer, and wherein the foam layer is compressed toward the rear side of the control member to minimize an air gap between the sensor layer and the control member by way of the rear member being fixed to the control member via a friction fit.

10. The handheld controller of claim 9 wherein at least portions of the backing layer, the sensor layer, the foam layer, and the control member have substantially the same shape.

11. The handheld controller of claim 9 wherein the sensor layer comprises a capacitive touch-sensitive layer.

12. The handheld controller of claim 9 wherein the foam layer has a compressed thickness less than 1 mm.

13. The handheld controller of claim 9, further comprising a second sensor configured to detect movement of the control member relative to the main body.

14. The handheld controller of claim 13 wherein the second sensor comprises a Hall effect sensor configured to detect movement of a magnet disposed on a support structure extending from the control member through the sensor portion toward the rear member.

15. The handheld controller of claim 13, further comprising electronics in the main body configured to communicatively couple the sensor layer to a virtual reality system.

16. A handheld controller, comprising:

a main body;

a handle extending from the main body;

a trigger button connected to the handle and positioned for engagement by a finger of a user, the trigger button comprising a control member, a rear member, and a sensor stack between the control member and the rear member and immediately adjacent to the control member, wherein the control member, the rear member, and the sensor stack are movable as a unit relative to the handle, and wherein the sensor stack comprises—

a first layer including a compressible material and facing toward a rear side of the control member;

a second layer including a sensor, the second layer directly adjacent a rear side of the first layer; and

a third layer directly adjacent a rear side of the second layer, wherein at least portions of the first layer, the second layer, the third layer, and the control member have substantially the same shape, and wherein the rear member engages the third layer such that the first layer is compressed toward the control member by way of the rear member being fixed to the control member via a friction fit, thereby minimizing a gap between the second layer and the control member.

17. The handheld controller of claim 16 wherein the compressible material comprises a conductive foam.

18. The handheld controller of claim 16 wherein the compressible material has a dielectric constant different than the dielectric constant of air.

19. The handheld controller of claim 16 wherein the sensor is a capacitive sensor.

20. The handheld controller of claim 16 wherein the sensor is a first sensor, and further comprising a second sensor connected to the sensor stack and configured to detect movement of the trigger button relative to the handle.