Hand-held controllers including electrically conductive springs for head-mounted-display systems

• US 10,447,265 B1
• Filed: 06/07/2017
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2017
• 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: Tompkins, Glen Jason, Johnson, Bradley Morris
• Primary Examiner(s): Faragalla, Michael A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bibbee, Chayce R
• Application Number:
  US15/616,554
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• 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 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/975 using a capacitive movable element

Abstract

A hand-held controller for a head-mounted-display system may include (1) a printed circuit board, (2) an electronic component that is separate from the printed circuit board, and (3) at least one conductive spring. The at least one conductive spring may include (1) a circuit-board connection portion electrically coupled to the printed circuit board and (2) a component connection portion electrically coupled to the electronic component. The at least one conductive spring may include an electrically conductive material that electrically couples the electronic component to the printed circuit board. Various other apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A hand-held controller comprising:

a printed circuit board;

an electronic component that is separate from the printed circuit board, the electronic component comprising;

an electrode having an electrode surface; and

an insulating member covering a covered portion of the electrode surface, the insulating member defining a channel over an exposed portion of the electrode surface; and

at least one conductive torsion spring comprising;

a circuit-board connection portion electrically coupled to the printed circuit board; and

a component connection portion electrically coupled to the electronic component, the at least one conductive torsion spring comprising an electrically conductive material that electrically couples the electronic component to the printed circuit board, wherein the component connection portion is at least partially disposed within the channel so that the component connection portion is slidable within the channel and along the exposed portion of the electrode surface to maintain an electrical coupling between the component connection portion and the electrode throughout a range of motion of the electronic component.

2. The hand-held controller of claim 1, further comprising a button housing, wherein the electronic component is disposed within the button housing.

3. The hand-held controller of claim 2, wherein:

the button housing is movable between an extended position and a depressed position; and

the circuit-board connection portion of the at least one conductive torsion spring is disposed closer to the component connection portion of the at least one conductive torsion spring when the button housing is in the depressed position than when the button housing is in the extended position.

4. The hand-held controller of claim 3, wherein the button housing is biased toward the extended position by the at least one conductive torsion spring.

5. The hand-held controller of claim 2, wherein the button housing is rotatable about a pivot member.

6. The hand-held controller of claim 5, wherein the at least one conductive torsion spring further comprises a coiled portion surrounding part of the pivot member.

7. The hand-held controller of claim 2, wherein the electrode comprises a capacitive electrode disposed along an inner surface portion of the button housing.

8. The hand-held controller of claim 7, wherein the button housing comprises an insulated wall adjacent the capacitive electrode.

9. The hand-held controller of claim 1, wherein the at least one conductive torsion spring further comprises:

a coiled portion;

a circuit-board-side protruding portion extending between the coiled portion and the circuit-board connection portion; and

a component-side protruding portion extending between the coiled portion and the component connection portion such that the component-side protruding portion is not disposed within the channel.

10. The hand-held controller of claim 1, wherein the component connection portion comprises an arcuate region that contacts the exposed portion of the electrode surface within the channel.

11. The hand-held controller of claim 10, wherein the arcuate region of the component connection portion is slidable within the channel and along the exposed portion of the electrode surface.

12. The hand-held controller of claim 10, wherein the arcuate region of the component connection portion is partially disposed within the channel such that at least part of the arcuate region protrudes from the channel.

13. The hand-held controller of claim 1, wherein the at least one conductive torsion spring comprises two conductive torsion springs that are separated from each other by an insulated barrier.

14. The hand-held controller of claim 1, wherein the at least one conductive torsion spring is disposed between the printed circuit board and the electronic component.

15. A head-mounted-display system comprising:

a head-mounted display;

at least one hand-held controller comprising;

a printed circuit board;

an electronic component that is separate from the printed circuit board, the electronic component comprising;

an electrode having an electrode surface; and

an insulating member covering a covered portion of the electrode surface, the insulating member defining a channel over an exposed portion of the electrode surface; and

at least one conductive torsion spring comprising;

a circuit-board connection portion electrically coupled to the printed circuit board; and

a component connection portion electrically coupled to the electronic component, the at least one conductive torsion spring comprising an electrically conductive material that electrically couples the electronic component to the printed circuit board, wherein the component connection portion is at least partially disposed within the channel so that the component connection portion is slidable within the channel and along the exposed portion of the electrode surface to maintain an electrical coupling between the component connection portion and the electrode throughout a range of motion of the electronic component.

16. The head-mounted-display system of claim 15, wherein:

the at least one hand-held controller further comprises a button housing; and

the electronic component is disposed within the button housing.

17. The head-mounted-display system of claim 16, wherein:

the button housing is movable between an extended position and a depressed position; and

the circuit-board connection portion of the at least one conductive torsion spring is disposed closer to the component connection portion of the at least one conductive torsion spring when the button housing is in the depressed position than when the button housing is in the extended position.

18. The head-mounted-display system of claim 15, wherein the at least one conductive torsion spring further comprises:

a coiled portion;

a circuit-board-side protruding portion extending between the coiled portion and the circuit-board connection portion; and

a component-side protruding portion extending between the coiled portion and the component connection portion such that the component-side protruding portion is not disposed within the channel.

19. The head-mounted-display system of claim 15, wherein the component connection portion comprises an arcuate region that contacts the exposed portion of the electrode surface within the channel.

20. A method comprising:

electrically connecting a circuit-board connection portion of at least one conductive torsion spring to a printed circuit board, the at least one conductive torsion spring comprising an electrically conductive material; and

electrically connecting a component connection portion of the at least one conductive torsion spring to an electronic component that is separate from the printed circuit board such that the at least one conductive torsion spring electrically couples the electronic component to the printed circuit board, the electronic component comprising;

an electrode having an electrode surface; and

an insulating member covering a covered portion of the electrode surface, the insulating member defining a channel over an exposed portion of the electrode surface, wherein the component connection portion is at least partially disposed within the channel so that the component connection portion is slidable within the channel and along the exposed portion of the electrode surface to maintain an electrical coupling between the component connection portion and the electrode throughout a range of motion of the electronic component.