Sensor fusion algorithms for a handheld controller that includes a force sensing resistor (FSR)

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10649583-B1
Application number	US-201916289420-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Feb 28, 2019
Priority date	Oct 11, 2016
Publication date	May 12, 2020
Grant date	May 12, 2020

Abstract

Logic of a handheld controller can implement sensor fusion algorithms based on force data provided by a force sensing resistor (FSR) in combination with touch sensor data provided by a touch sensor. An example sensor fusion algorithm can be used to pause calibration adjustments for the touch sensor—at least with respect to a high-level value that corresponds to a touch of a control—in response to a user pressing upon the control of the handheld controller with an above-threshold amount of force, which may be detected by a FSR associated with the control. For instance, calibration adjustments with respect to the high-level value can be paused in response to FSR values crossing a threshold value from below the threshold value to above the threshold value, and the calibration adjustments can be resumed in response to the FSR values crossing the threshold value in the opposite direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
one or more processors;
a handheld controller comprising a controller body, the controller body including:
at least one control that is configured to be pressed;
a touch sensor associated with the at least one control and configured to provide, to the one or more processors, touch sensor data indicative of a proximity of an object relative to the at least one control; and
a force sensing resistor (FSR) associated with the at least one control and configured to provide, to the one or more processors, force data indicative of an amount of force of a press of the at least one control; and

logic configured to:
perform calibration adjustments for the touch sensor by adjusting, in response to a criterion being satisfied, a high-level value indicative of the object contacting the at least one control;
determine a first digitized FSR value based at least in part on the force data provided by the FSR;
determine that the first digitized FSR value exceeds a threshold value indicative of a transition from the object contacting the at least one control without pressing upon the at least one control to the object pressing upon the at least one control;
pause the calibration adjustments in response to determining that the first digitized FSR value exceeds the threshold value;
determine a second digitized FSR value based at least in part on the force data provided by the FSR;
determine that the second digitized FSR value is less than or equal to the threshold value indicative of a transition from the object pressing upon the at least one control to the object contacting the at least one control without pressing upon the at least one control; and
resume the calibration adjustments in response to determining that the second digitized FSR value is less than or equal to the threshold value.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the touch sensor comprises a capacitive sensor configured to measure capacitance values based on a proximity of the object relative to the at least one control;
the high-level value represents a high-level capacitance value that corresponds to a capacitance value measured by the capacitive sensor at a time at which the object contacts the at least one control.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the FSR is configured to measure a range of values; and
the threshold value is about 5% to about 15% of the range of values.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the high-level value is set to an existing value at a time of determining that the first digitized FSR value exceeds the threshold value; and
pausing the calibration adjustments comprises refraining from increasing the high-level value to a value greater than the existing value.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein pausing the calibration adjustments comprises:
determining a maximum value among multiple first digitized proximity values determined based on the touch sensor data provided by the touch sensor prior to determining that the first digitized FSR value exceeds the threshold value;
determining a minimum value among multiple second digitized proximity values determined based on the touch sensor data provided by the touch sensor after determining that the first digitized FSR value exceeds the threshold value;
calculating an average value between the maximum value and the minimum value; and
refraining from increasing the high-level value to a value greater than the average value.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein performing the calibration adjustments for the touch sensor comprises:
determining an average proximity value based at least in part on the touch sensor data provided by the touch sensor over a previous number of samples;
comparing the average proximity value to the high-level value that is set to an existing value; and
if the average proximity value exceeds the existing value, adjusting the high-level value from the existing value to a new value that is greater than the existing value.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the object is a finger or a thumb, and wherein the at least one control is disposed on a head of the controller body and is configured to be pressed by the finger or the thumb.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the logic is further configured to:
determine a digitized proximity value based on the touch sensor data provided by the touch sensor; and
determine that the digitized proximity value exceeds the high-level value,
wherein pausing the calibration adjustments is further in response to determining that the digitized proximity value exceeds the high-level value.

9. A computer-implemented method comprising:
performing calibration adjustments for a touch sensor that is associated with at least one control of a handheld controller by adjusting, in response to a criterion being satisfied, a high-level value indicative of an object contacting the at least one control;
determining a first digitized force sensing resistor (FSR) value based at least in part on force data provided by a FSR that is associated with the at least one control;
determining that the first digitized FSR value exceeds a threshold value;
pausing the performing of the calibration adjustments in response to the determining that the first digitized FSR value exceeds the threshold value;
determining a second digitized FSR value based at least in part on the force data provided by the FSR;
determining that the second digitized FSR value is less than or equal to the threshold value; and
resuming the performing of the calibration adjustments in response to the determining that the second digitized FSR value is less than or equal to the threshold value.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein:
the touch sensor comprises a capacitive sensor configured to measure capacitance values based on a proximity of the object relative to the at least one control; and
the high-level value represents a high-level capacitance value that corresponds to a capacitance value measured by the capacitive sensor at a time at which the object contacts the at least one control.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein:
the FSR is configured to measure a range of values; and
the threshold value is about 5% to about 15% of the range of values.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein:
the high-level value is set to an existing value at a time of the determining that the first digitized FSR value exceeds the threshold value, the method further comprising; and
the pausing the performing of the calibration adjustments comprises refraining from increasing the high-level value to a value greater than the existing value.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein the pausing the performing of the calibration adjustments comprises:
determining a maximum value among multiple first digitized proximity values determined based on touch sensor data provided by the touch sensor prior to the determining that the first digitized FSR value exceeds the threshold value;
determining a minimum value among multiple second digitized proximity values determined based on the touch sensor data provided by the touch sensor after the determining that the first digitized FSR value exceeds the threshold value;
calculating an average value between the maximum value and the minimum value; and
refraining from increasing the high-level value to a value greater than the average value.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , further comprising:
determining a digitized proximity value based on touch sensor data provided by the touch sensor; and
determining that the dig

Assignees

• Valve Corp

Inventors

• Leinbaugh Jeffrey George

Classifications

• A63F2300/1056

  involving pressure sensitive buttons · CPC title

• A63F13/218

  using pressure sensors, e.g. generating a signal proportional to the pressure applied by the player · CPC title

• G06F2203/04108

  Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction · CPC title

• G06F2203/04105

  Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position · CPC title

• G06F3/0418 Primary

  for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment · CPC title