阅读说明：本技术 使用分段电容式触控触发器的手持控制器 (Handheld controller using segmented capacitive touch trigger ) 是由 陈逸原 格伦·詹森·汤普金斯 布拉德利·莫里斯·约翰逊 于 2017-05-10 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种手持控制器,包括在纵向方向上延伸的手柄。手柄被成形并定尺寸以由用户的手抓住。触发器从手柄的外表面突出,并且响应于用户的手的手指按压触发器而相对于手柄移动。触发器包括与用户的手的手指接触的触控表面,以检测用户的手的手指在触控表面上的滑动。(A hand held controller includes a handle extending in a longitudinal direction. The handle is shaped and dimensioned to be grasped by a hand of a user. The trigger protrudes from an outer surface of the handle and moves relative to the handle in response to a finger of a hand of a user pressing the trigger. The trigger includes a touch surface in contact with a finger of the user's hand to detect a sliding of the finger of the user's hand on the touch surface.)

1. A hand held controller comprising:

a handle extending in a longitudinal direction, the handle shaped and dimensioned to be grasped by a hand of a user; and

a trigger protruding from an outer surface of the handle and configured to move relative to the handle in response to a finger of a user's hand pressing the trigger, the trigger including a touch surface in contact with the finger of the user's hand to detect a sliding of the finger of the user's hand on the touch surface.

2. A handheld controller according to claim 1, wherein the touch surface comprises a plurality of segmented tracks configured to generate different sensor signals indicating which of the segmented tracks are in contact with a finger.

3. A hand held controller according to claim 2 further comprising a sensor interface circuit for receiving the different sensor signals from the plurality of segmented tracks and processing the different sensor signals to determine finger slippage based on the order in which the different sensor signals indicate finger contact or disengagement with the segmented tracks.

4. A hand held controller according to claim 2 wherein each of the plurality of segmented rails is spaced from an adjacent rail by a spacing distance.

5. A hand held controller according to claim 2 wherein each of the plurality of segmented rails extends in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

6. A hand held controller according to claim 1 wherein the touch surface is a capacitive touch surface.

7. A hand held controller according to claim 1 further comprising a ring attached to an end of the handle and having an annular surface defining a plane that forms a predetermined angle with respect to the longitudinal direction.

8. A hand held controller according to claim 1 wherein the handle has a cylindrical shape.

9. A hand held controller according to claim 1 wherein the touch surface is made of plastic or glass.

10. A hand held controller according to claim 1 wherein the handle is made of an engineering plastic.

11. A hand held controller according to claim 1 wherein the trigger is further configured to detect depression of the trigger by a finger of a user's hand.

12. A hand held controller according to claim 1 further comprising a magnetic sensor embedded within the handle and configured to detect a depth of motion of the trigger when a finger of a user's hand presses the trigger in a direction towards the handle.

13. A hand held controller according to claim 11 wherein the magnetic sensor is a hall effect sensor, a fluxgate magnetometer or a magneto resistive sensor.

14. The handheld controller of claim 1, further comprising a wireless communication interface configured to emit wireless signals representative of tactile inputs received from the touch surface.

15. A hand held controller comprising:

a handle extending in a longitudinal direction, the handle shaped and dimensioned to be grasped by a hand of a user; and

a trigger protruding from an outer surface of the handle and configured to move relative to the handle in response to a finger of a user's hand pressing the trigger, the trigger including a touch surface in contact with the finger of the user's hand to detect a sliding of the finger of the user's hand on the touch surface.

16. A handheld controller according to claim 15, wherein the touch surface comprises a plurality of segmented tracks configured to generate different sensor signals indicating which of the segmented tracks are in contact with a finger.

17. A hand held controller according to claim 16 further comprising a sensor interface circuit for receiving the different sensor signals from the plurality of segmented tracks and processing the different sensor signals to determine finger slippage based on the order in which the different sensor signals indicate finger contact or disengagement with the segmented tracks.

18. A hand held controller according to claim 16 or 17 wherein each of the plurality of segmented rails is spaced from an adjacent rail by a spacing distance.

19. A hand held controller according to any of claims 16 to 18 wherein each of the plurality of segmented rails extends in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

20. A hand held controller according to any of claims 15 to 19 wherein the touch surface is a capacitive touch surface.

21. A hand held controller according to any of claims 15 to 20 further comprising a ring attached to an end of the handle and having an annular surface defining a plane which forms a predetermined angle with respect to the longitudinal direction.

22. A hand held controller according to any of claims 15 to 21 wherein the handle has a cylindrical shape.

23. A hand held controller according to any of claims 15 to 22 wherein the touch surface is made of plastic or glass.

24. A hand held controller according to any one of claims 15 to 23 wherein the handle is made of an engineering plastic.

25. A hand held controller according to any of claims 15 to 24 wherein the trigger is further configured to detect depression of the trigger by a finger of a user's hand.

26. A hand held controller according to any of claims 15 to 25, further comprising a magnetic sensor embedded within the handle and configured to detect a depth of motion of the trigger when a finger of a user's hand presses the trigger in a direction towards the handle.

27. A hand held controller according to claim 26 wherein the magnetic sensor is a hall effect sensor, a fluxgate magnetometer or a magneto resistive sensor.

28. A hand held controller according to any of claims 15 to 27 further comprising a wireless communication interface configured to emit wireless signals representative of tactile inputs received from the touch surface.

Description of the Related Art

The VR system may include a controller to translate movement of a user's body into tangible actions in the virtual world. Some controllers provide vibratory feedback to Android or iOS VR head mounted devices (headsets) to play motion-based games. The controller may be equipped with gyroscopes, accelerometers or geomagnetic field sensors to trace motion back into the game, allowing intuitive gameplay (gameplay) as if the player were in the game.

SUMMARY

Brief Description of Drawings

The teachings of the embodiments can be readily understood by considering the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is an exemplary schematic perspective view of a handheld controller according to an embodiment.

Fig. 2 is an exemplary schematic side view of a handheld controller according to an embodiment.

Fig. 3 is an example schematic view of a touch surface of a trigger according to an embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an exemplary schematic block diagram of a handheld controller according to an embodiment.

The figures depict various embodiments for purposes of illustration only.

Detailed Description

In the following description of embodiments, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding. It is noted, however, that embodiments may be practiced without one or more of these specific details. In other instances, well-known features have not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily complicating the description.

Embodiments are described herein with reference to the figures, wherein like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements. Also in the figures, the left-most digit of each reference number corresponds to the figure in which the reference number is first used.

Embodiments relate to a handheld controller for tracking motion, position, natural gestures, and finger movements of a user's hand to produce a hand's sense of presence for more realistic and tactile VR. The controller may let the user make social gestures like fingers, waving hands and holding up thumbs, or let the user manipulate objects in a virtual space, pick up toys or fire a laser gun with intuitive, natural hand movements.

In one embodiment, the handheld controller includes a handle extending in a longitudinal direction. The handle is shaped and dimensioned to be grasped by a hand of a user. The trigger protrudes from an outer surface of the handle and moves relative to the handle in response to a finger of a hand of a user pressing the trigger. The trigger includes a touch surface in contact with a finger of the user's hand to detect a sliding of the finger of the user's hand on the touch surface.

In one embodiment, the touch surface includes segmented tracks (segmented tracks) to generate different sensor signals indicating which segmented tracks are in contact with the finger.

In one embodiment, the handheld controller includes a sensor interface circuit for receiving different sensor signals from the segmented track and processing the different sensor signals to determine finger sliding based on the order in which the different sensor signals indicate finger contact or disengagement with the segmented track.

In one embodiment, each of the segmented tracks is spaced apart from an adjacent track by a spacing distance.

In one embodiment, each of the segmented tracks extends in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

In one embodiment, the touch surface is a capacitive touch surface.

In one embodiment, the handheld controller includes a ring attached to an end of the handle. The ring has an annular surface. The annular surface defines a plane forming a predetermined angle with respect to the longitudinal direction.

In one embodiment, the handle has a cylindrical shape.

In one embodiment, the touch surface is made of plastic or glass.

In one embodiment, the handle is made of an engineering plastic.

In one embodiment, the trigger detects depression of the trigger by a finger of a hand of a user.

In one embodiment, the handheld controller includes a magnetic sensor embedded within the handle. The magnetic sensor detects a depth of motion of the trigger when a finger of a hand of a user presses the trigger in a direction toward the handle.

In one embodiment, the magnetic sensor is a Hall (Hall) effect sensor, a fluxgate magnetometer, or a magnetoresistive sensor.

In one embodiment, the handheld controller includes a wireless communication interface for transmitting wireless signals representing tactile inputs received from the touch-sensitive surface.

Embodiments in accordance with the invention are disclosed in particular in the accompanying claims directed to handheld controllers/systems, wherein any feature mentioned in one claim category (e.g. system) may also be claimed in another claim category (e.g. method, storage medium, computer program product). The dependencies or back-references in the appended claims are chosen for formal reasons only. However, any subject matter resulting from an intentional back-reference (especially multiple references) to any preceding claim may also be claimed, such that any combination of a claim and its features is disclosed and may be claimed, irrespective of the dependencies chosen in the appended claims. The subject matter which can be claimed comprises not only the combination of features as set forth in the appended claims, but also any other combination of features in the claims, wherein each feature mentioned in the claims can be combined with any other feature or combination of other features in the claims. Furthermore, any of the embodiments and features described or depicted herein may be claimed in a separate claim and/or in any combination with any of the embodiments or features described or depicted herein or in any combination with any of the features of the appended claims.