Glove interface object with thumb-index controller

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10055018-B2
Application number	US-201414517733-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 17, 2014
Priority date	Aug 22, 2014
Publication date	Aug 21, 2018
Grant date	Aug 21, 2018

Abstract

A glove interface object is provided, comprising: an index finger portion; a resistance circuit including an index resistor defined along a length of the index finger portion, and a power source for applying a current across the index resistor; a thumb portion; a probe circuit including a thumb contact defined on the thumb portion, the probe circuit configured to read a voltage, via the thumb contact, at a location along the length of the index resistor at which contact between the thumb contact and the index resistor occurs; a data processing module for processing the voltage read by the probe circuit to generate thumb-index control data that is indicative of the location at which the contact between the thumb contact and the index resistor occurs; a communications module configured to send the thumb-index control data to a computing device for processing to define a setting for a virtual environment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An interface object, comprising:
an index finger portion;
a resistance circuit including an index resistor defined along a length of the index finger portion, and a power source for applying a current across the index resistor;
a thumb portion;
a probe circuit including a thumb contact defined on a fingertip region of the thumb portion, the probe circuit configured to read a voltage, via the thumb contact, at a location along the length of the index resistor at which contact between the thumb contact and the index resistor occurs;
a pressure sensor defined at the fingertip region of the thumb portion, the pressure sensor configured to detect a pressure applied to the fingertip region of the thumb portion;
a data processing module for processing the voltage read by the probe circuit to generate thumb-index control data that is indicative of the location along the length of the index resistor at which the contact between the thumb contact and the index resistor occurs, the data processing module further processing a signal from the pressure sensor to generate pressure sensor data that quantifies the detected pressure applied to the fingertip region of the thumb portion during the contact between the thumb contact and the index resistor;
a communications module configured to send the thumb-index control data and the pressure sensor data to a computing device for processing to define a setting for a virtual environment, wherein the thumb-index control data is processed to adjust the setting for the virtual environment, and wherein the pressure sensor data is processed to enable selection of the setting that is adjusted according to the thumb-index control data, the computing device being configured to render the virtual environment on a display.

2. The interface object of claim 1 , wherein the voltage read by the probe circuit varies based upon a location along a length of the index resistor at which the contact occurs.

3. The interface object of claim 2 , wherein the length of the index resistor defines a total resistance, and wherein the location along the length of the index resistor at which the contact occurs defines a portion of the total resistance, the portion of the total resistance defining the voltage read by the probe circuit.

4. The interface object of claim 1 , wherein the thumb contact is defined at substantially a distal end of the thumb portion of the interface object.

5. The interface object of claim 1 , wherein the index resistor is defined along a side surface of the index finger portion of the interface object.

6. The interface object of claim 1 ,
wherein the probe circuit continuously monitors the voltage over a time period during which the contact between the thumb contact and the index resistor occurs;
wherein the data processing module generates the thumb-index control data so as to indicate changes in the location along the length of the index resistor at which the contact between the thumb contact and the index resistor occurs.

7. The interface object of claim 1 , wherein the setting for the virtual environment is an audio setting.

8. The interface object of claim 1 , wherein the setting for the virtual environment defines a property of a virtual object defined for rendering in the virtual environment.

9. The interface object of claim 1 , wherein the display is a head-mounted display (HMD) that includes,
a viewing module including an inner side having a view port into a screen configured for rendering image content that defines a view of the virtual environment;
an HMD communications module for exchanging data with the computing device;
an image processing module for processing image data received from the computing device for rendering the image content on the screen;
a plurality of illumination elements integrated with an exterior housing of the viewing module, the plurality of illumination elements defined for image tracking of the HMD by a camera;
illumination logic for controlling the plurality of illumination elements to be active or inactive; and
at least one inertial sensor defined for inertial tracking of the HMD.

10. A method, comprising:
applying a current across an index resistor that is defined along a length of an index finger portion of a interface object;
reading a voltage, via a thumb contact, at a location along the length of the index resistor at which contact between the thumb contact and the index resistor occurs, the thumb contact being defined on a fingertip region of a thumb portion of the interface object;
processing the read voltage to generate thumb-index control data that is indicative of the location along the length of the index resistor at which the contact between the thumb contact and the index resistor occurs;
detecting, via a pressure sensor defined at the fingertip region of the thumb portion, a pressure applied to the fingertip region of the thumb portion;
processing a signal from the pressure sensor to generate pressure sensor data that quantifies the detected pressure applied to the fingertip region of the thumb portion during the contact between the thumb contact and the index resistor;
sending the thumb-index control data and the pressure sensor data to a computing device for processing to define a setting for a virtual environment, wherein the thumb-index control data is processed to adjust the setting for the virtual environment, and wherein the pressure sensor data is processed to enable selection of the setting that is adjusted according to the thumb-index control data, the computing device being configured to render the virtual environment on a display.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the read voltage varies based upon a location along a length of the index resistor at which the contact occurs.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the length of the index resistor defines a total resistance, and wherein the location along the length of the index resistor at which the contact occurs defines a portion of the total resistance, the portion of the total resistance defining the read voltage.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the thumb contact is defined at substantially a distal end of the thumb portion of the interface object.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the index resistor is defined along a side surface of the index finger portion of the interface object.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
continuously monitoring the voltage over a time period during which the contact between the thumb contact and the index resistor occurs;
wherein the thumb-index control data is generated so as to indicate changes in the location along the length of the index resistor at which the contact between the thumb contact and the index resistor occurs.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the setting for the virtual environment is an audio setting.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the setting for the virtual environment defines a property of a virtual object defined for rendering in the virtual environment.

18. The method of claim 10 ,
wherein the display is a head-mounted display (HMD) that includes an image processing module for processing image data to render image content on a screen of a viewing module of the HMD, the viewing module including an inner side having a view port into the screen that is configured for rendering the image content that defines a view of the virtual environment;
wherein the HMD is tracked by processing captured image data of a plurality of illuminating elements integrated with an exterior housing of the vi

Assignees

• Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc

Inventors

• Tokubo Todd
• Umminger Frederick

Classifications

• G06F3/017

  Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883) · CPC title

• A63F13/212

  using sensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat or leg activity · CPC title

• G02B2027/014

  comprising information/image processing systems · CPC title

• G06F3/0346

  with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a three-dimensional [3D] space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors · CPC title

• G06F3/012 Primary

  Head tracking input arrangements · CPC title