Handheld Controllers With Touch-Sensitive Controls

• US 20190291000A1
• Filed: 03/23/2018
• Published: 09/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valve Corporation, Valve Software Co.
• Original Assignee: Valve Corporation
• Inventors: Campbell, Ian, Bellinghausen, Jeffrey Peter, Hensley, Brian, Dalton, Scott, Goerz, Michael Jacob, Yoo, Cheng Tad
• Granted Patent: US 10,639,543 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/20 Input arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/21 characterised by their sensors, purposes or types
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/214 for locating contacts on a surface, e.g. floor mats or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/218 using pressure sensors, e.g. generating a signal proportional to the pressure applied by the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• 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 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface

Abstract

Described herein are, among other things, handheld controllers having touch-sensitive controls, as well as methods for use of the touch-sensitive controls and methods for assembling the handheld controllers. An example handheld controller may include a top-surface control (e.g., a “trigger button”) that includes a switch, a pressure sensor, and a touch sensor for detecting a presence, location, and/or gesture of a finger on the top-surface control.

Claims

1. A handheld controller comprising:

one or more processors;

a housing having a front surface and a top surface;

a front-surface control residing on the front surface of the housing and controllable by a thumb of a user of the handheld controller; and

a top-surface control residing on the top surface of the housing and controllable by at least one of a middle finger or index finger of the user, the top-surface control comprising;

a top cover;

a touch sensor adjacent to the top cover and configured to provide, to the one or more processors, touch data indicative of a touch input based at least in part on contact between the at least one of the middle finger or the index finger and the top cover;

a switch residing at least partly beneath the top cover and configured to provide, to the one or more processors, selection data indicative of a selection of the top-surface control based at least on a press of the top cover by the at least one of the middle finger or the index finger; and

a pressure sensor coupled to the switch and configured to provide, to the one or more processors, force data indicative of an amount of force of the press of the top cover by the at least one of the middle finger or the index finger.

2. The handheld controller as recited in claim 1, further comprising logic configured to detect a presence of the at least one of the middle finger or the index finger based at least in part on the touch data provided by the touch sensor.

3. The handheld controller as recited in claim 1, wherein the touch data is indicative of a location of the at least one of the middle finger or the index finger on the top cover as the location changes over time, and further comprising logic configured to detect a gesture of the at least one of the middle finger or the index finger based at least in part on the touch data provided by the touch sensor.

4. The handheld controller as recited in claim 1, wherein the touch sensor comprises a first region and a second region, and further comprising logic configured to detect a presence of the at least one of the middle finger or the index finger and to determine that the at least one of the middle finger or the index finger is located in the first region of the touch sensor based at least in part on the touch data provided by the touch sensor.

5. The handheld controller as recited in claim 1, wherein the top-surface control comprises a first top-surface control controllable by at least one of a first middle finger or a first index finger of the user, the top cover comprises a first top cover, the touch sensor comprises a first touch sensor configured to provide first touch data indicative of a first touch input, the switch comprises a first switch configured to provide first selection data, and the pressure sensor comprises a first pressure sensor configured to provide first force data, and further comprising:

a second top-surface control residing on the top surface of the housing and controllable by at least one of a second middle finger or a second index finger of the user, the second top-surface control comprising;

a second top cover;

a second touch sensor adjacent to the second top cover and configured to provide, to the one or more processors, second touch data indicative of a second touch input based at least in part on contact between the at least one of the second middle finger or the second index finger and the top cover;

a second switch residing at least partly beneath the second top cover and configured to provide, to the one or more processors, second selection data indicative of a selection of the second top-surface control based at least on a press of the second top cover by the at least one of the second middle finger or the second index finger; and

a second pressure sensor coupled to the second switch and configured to provide, to the one or more processors, second force data indicative of an amount of force of the press of the second top cover by the at least one of the second middle finger or the second index finger.

6. A handheld controller comprising:

one or more processors;

a housing having a top surface; and

a top-surface control residing on the top surface of the housing and controllable by at least one finger of a user operating the handheld controller, the top-surface control comprising;

a top cover;

a touch sensor adjacent to the top cover and configured to provide, to the one or more processors, touch data indicative of a touch input based at least in part on contact between the at least one finger and the top cover; and

a switch residing at least partly beneath the top cover and configured to provide, to the one or more processors, selection data indicative of a selection of the top-surface control based at least on a press of the top cover by the at least one finger.

7. The handheld controller as recited in claim 6, wherein the touch sensor comprises a capacitive touch sensor, a resistive touch sensor, or an infrared touch sensor.

8. The handheld controller as recited in claim 6, further comprising logic configured to detect a presence of the at least one finger based at least in part on the touch data provided by the touch sensor.

9. The handheld controller as recited in claim 6, wherein the touch data is indicative of a location of the at least one finger on the top cover as the location changes over time, and further comprising logic configured to detect a gesture of the finger based at least in part on the touch data provided by the touch sensor.

10. The handheld controller as recited in claim 6, wherein the touch sensor comprises a first region and a second region, and further comprising logic configured to detect a presence of the at least one finger and to determine that the at least one finger is located in the first region of the touch sensor based at least in part on the touch data provided by the touch sensor.

11. The handheld controller as recited in claim 6, wherein the top-surface control further comprises a pressure sensor coupled to the switch and configured to provide, to the one or more processors, force data indicative of an amount of force of the press of the top cover by the at least one finger.

12. The handheld controller as recited in claim 6, wherein the housing further comprises a front surface, the handheld controller further comprising a front-surface control residing on the front surface of the housing and controllable by a thumb of the user.

13. The handheld controller as recited in claim 6, wherein the top-surface control comprises a left top-surface control controllable by at least one finger of a left hand of the user, the top cover comprises a left top cover, the touch sensor comprises a left touch sensor configured to provide first touch data indicative of a first touch input, and the switch comprises a left switch configured to provide first selection data, and further comprising:

a right top-surface control residing on the top surface of the housing and controllable by at least one finger of a right hand of the user, the right top-surface control comprising;

a right top cover;

a right touch sensor adjacent to the top cover and configured to provide, to the one or more processors, second touch data indicative of a touch input based at least in part on contact between the at least one finger of the right hand and the top cover; and

a right switch residing at least partly beneath the right top cover and configured to provide, to the one or more processors, second selection data indicative of a selection of the right top-surface control based at least on a press of the right top cover by the at least one finger of the right hand.

14. One or more computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed on one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising:

receiving touch data from a touch sensor of a handheld controller, the touch sensor residing adjacent to a top-surface control of the handheld controller, the top-surface control being operable by at least one finger of a user of the handheld controller; and

determining at least one of a location or a presence of the at least one finger of the user based at least in part on the touch data.

15. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 14, the acts further comprising:

receiving selection data from a switch of the handheld controller based at least in part upon a press of the top-surface control by the at least one finger, the switch residing adjacent the touch sensor; and

determining that the top-surface control has been selected based at least in part on the selection data.

16. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 14, the acts further comprising receiving force data from a pressure sensor of the handheld controller based at least in part upon a press of the top-surface control by the at least one finger, the pressure sensor residing adjacent the touch sensor.

17. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 14, the acts further comprising detecting a gesture of the at least one finger based at least in part on the touch data.

18. A method for assembling at least a portion of a handheld controller, the method comprising:

coupling a switch to a top surface of a housing of the handheld controller, the switch configured to generate selection input at least partly in response to a press of the switch;

coupling a touch sensor to a top cover and to one or more processors of a handheld controller, the touch sensor configured to generate touch data and provide the touch data to the one or more processors; and

coupling the top cover to the top surface of the housing to at least partly cover the switch such that selection of the top cover by a finger of a user of the handheld controller causes the press of the switch.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, further comprising coupling a pressure sensor to the switch and to the one or more processors at least partly prior to the coupling of the top cover to the top surface of the housing, the pressure sensor configured generate force data indicative of a force of the press of the switch.

20. The method as recited in claim 18, further comprising coupling a front-surface control to a front surface of the housing, the front-surface control operable by a thumb of the user.

21. A handheld controller comprising:

one or more processors;

a housing having a top surface; and

a top-surface control residing on the top surface of the housing and controllable by at least one finger of a user operating the handheld controller, the top-surface control comprising;

a top cover;

a touch sensor adjacent to the top cover and configured to provide, to the one or more processors, touch data indicative of a touch input based at least in part on contact between the at least one finger and the top cover; and

a pressure sensor configured to provide, to the one or more processors, force data indicative of an amount of force of the press of the top cover by the at least one finger.

22. The handheld controller as recited in claim 21, wherein the top-surface control further comprises a switch residing at least partly beneath the top cover and configured to provide, to the one or more processors, selection data indicative of a selection of the top-surface control based at least on a press of the top cover by the at least one finger.

23. The handheld controller as recited in claim 21, wherein the touch sensor comprises a capacitive touch sensor, a resistive touch sensor, or an infrared touch sensor.

24. The handheld controller as recited in claim 21, further comprising logic configured to detect a presence of the at least one finger based at least in part on the touch data provided by the touch sensor.

25. The handheld controller as recited in claim 21, wherein the touch data is indicative of a location of the at least one finger on the top cover as the location changes over time, and further comprising logic configured to detect a gesture of the finger based at least in part on the touch data provided by the touch sensor.

26. The handheld controller as recited in claim 21, wherein the touch sensor comprises a first region and a second region, and further comprising logic configured to detect a presence of the at least one finger and to determine that the at least one finger is located in the first region of the touch sensor based at least in part on the touch data provided by the touch sensor.

27. The handheld controller as recited in claim 21, wherein the housing further comprises a front surface, the handheld controller further comprising a front-surface control residing on the front surface of the housing and controllable by a thumb of the user.

28. The handheld controller as recited in claim 21, wherein the top-surface control comprises a left top-surface control controllable by at least one finger of a left hand of the user, the top cover comprises a left top cover, the touch sensor comprises a left touch sensor configured to provide first touch data indicative of a first touch input, and the pressure sensor comprises a left pressure sensor configured to provide first force data, and further comprising:

a right top-surface control residing on the top surface of the housing and controllable by at least one finger of a right hand of the user, the right top-surface control comprising;

a right top cover;

a right touch sensor adjacent to the top cover and configured to provide, to the one or more processors, second touch data indicative of a touch input based at least in part on contact between the at least one finger of the right hand and the top cover; and

a right pressure sensor configured to provide, to the one or more processors, second force data indicative of an amount of force of the press of the second top cover by the at least one finger.