Hand-held controllers for virtual reality system

• US 9,678,566 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2015
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: META Platforms Technologies LLC (Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Oculus VR, LLC (Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.))
• Inventors: Webb, James S., Rogoza, Benjamin E. Tunberg, Higgins, Jason Andrew, Talati, Sharvil Shailesh, Chen, Yi-yaun, Konzen, Neil Warren, Bristol, Peter Wesley
• Primary Examiner(s): Yen, Jason
• Application Number:
  US14/729,951
• Publication Number:
  US 20160357249A1
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1043 being characterized by constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0132 comprising binocular systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0156 with optionally usable elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• 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 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• 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 3/0308 comprising a plurality of distinctive and separately oriented light emitters or reflectors associated to the pointing device, e.g. remote cursor controller with distinct and separately oriented LEDs at the tip whose radiations are captured by a photo-detector associated to the screen
• 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 3/0346 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: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof

Abstract

There is provided a handheld controller for a virtual reality system. The hand-held controller includes a user-input surface and a grip coupled to the user-input surface. The user-input surface has a first user-input key. The hand-held controller further includes a cage coupled to the user-input surface. The cage includes a plurality of illumination sources on an outer surface of the cage, which provide light to be detected by a camera for sensing a position of the controller based on a user motion.

Claims

1. A hand-held controller for a virtual reality system, the hand-held controller comprising:

a user-input surface comprising a first user-input key;

a grip coupled to the user-input surface;

a cage having a ring shape that is coupled to the user-input surface at two points without the grip interposed therebetween; and

a plurality of illumination sources on an outer surface of the ring shape of the cage.

2. The hand-held controller of claim 1, wherein the grip is integrally formed with the user-input surface.

3. The hand-held controller of claim 1, wherein the grip is slanted at an angle with respect to the user-input surface.

4. The hand-held controller of claim 1, further comprising a structural web coupling the cage to the user-input surface.

5. The hand-held controller of claim 4, further comprising a second user-input key mounted at least in part on the structural web.

6. The hand-held controller of claim 1, wherein the plurality of illumination sources comprises a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

7. The hand-held controller of claim 6, further comprising a power source to supply power to the user-input surface and the plurality of LEDs.

8. The hand-held controller of claim 1, wherein the plurality of illumination sources comprises a plurality of passive reflectors.

9. The hand-held controller of claim 1, wherein the first user-input key is selected from the group consisting of a thumbstick, a button, a trigger, and a directional pad.

10. The hand-held controller of claim 9, wherein the first user-input key is a button selected from the group consisting of an A or X button, a B or Y button, a start button, a back button, a forward button, and a home button.

11. The hand-held controller of claim 1, wherein:

the user-input surface comprises a plurality of user-input keys including the first user-input key; and

respective user-input keys of the plurality of user-input keys are selected from a group consisting of a thumbstick, a button, a trigger, and a directional pad.

12. The hand-held controller of claim 1, further comprising a trigger mounted on the grip at a position configured to be actuated by a middle finger of a user.

13. The hand-held controller of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of illumination sources are positioned to be visible to a forward-looking camera on a head-mounted display worn by a user when the user holds the grip in a neutral position.

14. The hand-held controller of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of illumination sources are positioned to face away from a user when the user holds the grip in a neutral position.

15. The hand-held controller of claim 1, wherein the cage is configured to be positioned above a user'"'"'s hand when the user holds the grip in a neutral position.

16. The hand-held controller of claim 15, wherein the user-input surface forms an inner front surface of the cage.

17. The hand-held controller of claim 1, wherein:

the user-input surface comprises a plurality of user-input keys including the first user-input key; and

the user-input surface is a touch-sensitive surface partitioned into a plurality of sections, each section corresponding to a respective user-input key of the plurality of user-input keys and including at least one touch sensor to detect a touch on the corresponding section.

18. The hand-held controller of claim 1, wherein the cage is detachably coupled to at least one of the user-input surface and the grip.

19. The hand-held controller of claim 1, wherein the cage comprises an over-molded rubber material or a hard plastic.

20. The hand-held controller of claim 1, wherein:

the ring shape is continuously curved;

the two points include a first point and a second point;

a first end and a second end of the cage are respectively coupled to the user-input surface at the first and second points; and

the grip is coupled to the user-input surface midway between the first point and the second point on a circumference of the user-input surface.

21. A hand-held controller for a virtual reality system, the hand-held controller comprising:

a body comprising;

a touch-sensitive user-input surface partitioned into a plurality of sections, each section corresponding to at least one user-input function; and

a grip coupled to the touch-sensitive user-input surface and slanted at a predetermined angle in a vertical direction from the touch sensitive user input surface;

a cage having a ring shape that is coupled to the touch-sensitive user-input surface at two points without the grip interposed therebetween;

a plurality of illumination sources on an outer surface of the ring shape of the cage;

a structural web coupling the cage to the body; and

a power source configured to supply power to the body and cage.