Systems and methods for electric discharge-based sensing via wearables donned by users of artificial reality systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10948976-B1
Application number	US-201916505467-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jul 8, 2019
Priority date	Feb 6, 2019
Publication date	Mar 16, 2021
Grant date	Mar 16, 2021

Abstract

A system may include a wearable dimensioned to be donned by a user of an artificial reality system. The system may also include an energy measuring device incorporated into the wearable. The energy measuring device may measure an electrical energy differential between a body of the user and a surface within an environment occupied by the user. The system may further include at least one processing device communicatively coupled to the energy measuring device. The processing device may detect, based at least in part on the electrical energy differential measured by the energy measuring device, an interaction between the user and the surface within the environment. In response to this detection, the processing device may generate an input command for the artificial reality system based at least in part on the interaction detected between the user and the surface. Various other systems and methods are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a wearable dimensioned to be donned by a user of an artificial reality system;
an energy measuring device incorporated into the wearable, wherein the energy measuring device measures an amount of electric charge transferred between a body of the user and a surface of an object capable of conducting an electric charge;
a body-charging device that charges the body of the user relative to the surface of the object, wherein the body-charging device comprises:
a grounding electrode that establishes an electrical reference to the surface; and
a charging electrode that electrically couples an output of the body-charging device to the body of the user; and
at least one processing device communicatively coupled to the energy measuring device, wherein the processing device:
detects, based at least in part on the amount of electric charge transfer measured by the energy measuring device, an interaction between the user and the surface of the object; and
in response to detecting the interaction between the user and the surface of the object, generates an input command for the artificial reality system based at least in part on the interaction detected between the user and the surface.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the amount of electric charge transfer comprises an amount of electric potential between the body of the user and the surface of the object;
the energy measuring device comprises an electrometer that:
electrically grounds to the body of the user; and
measures the amount of electric potential between the body of the user and the surface of the object; and

the processing device detects the interaction between the user and the surface based at least in part on the amount of electric potential measured by the electrometer.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein:
the amount of electric potential measured by the electrometer comprises an electric charge transferred from the body of the user to the surface of the object when the user touches the surface with a body part; and
the interaction between the user and the surface of the object comprises the touching of the surface by the body part of the user.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the processing device:
analyzes the amount of electric charge transfer measured by the electrometer; and
determines that the user has touched the surface based at least in part on the analysis of the amount of electric charge transfer measured by the electrometer.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the amount of electric charge transfer comprises an amount of electric current flowing from the surface of the object to the body of the user;
the energy measuring device comprises a current monitor that measures the amount of electric current flowing from the surface to the body of the user via a skin-touching electrode that electrically couples to the body of the user; and
the processing device detects the interaction between the user and the surface based at least in part on the amount of electric current flowing from the surface to the body of the user.

6. The system of claim 5 , further comprising:
a surface-charging device incorporated into the wearable, wherein the surface-charging device charges the surface of the object via a surface-charging electrode that electrically couples the surface-charging device to the surface; and
wherein the interaction between the user and the surface of the object comprises a touching of the surface by a body part of the user.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the processing device:
analyzes the amount of electric current measured by the current monitor; and
determines that the user has touched the surface based at least in part on the analysis of the electric current measured by the current monitor.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing device:
analyzes the amount of electric charge transfer measured by the energy measuring device via a machine learning model;
detects, within the amount of electric charge transfer via the machine learning model, a pattern indicative of the user touching the surface; and
determines, based at least in part on the pattern detected within the amount of electric charge transfer via the machine learning model, that the user has touched the surface.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the input command generated by the processing device facilitates modifying at least one virtual component of the artificial reality system to account for the interaction detected between the user and the surface.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the interaction between the user and the surface of the object comprises at least one of:
a touching of the body of the user to the surface; or
a releasing of the body of the user from the surface.

11. A wearable comprising:
a fastener dimensioned to facilitate securing the wearable to a user of an artificial reality system;
an energy measuring device that measures an amount of electric charge transferred between a body of the user and a surface of an object capable of conducting an electric charge;
a body-charging device that charges the body of the user relative to the surface of the object, wherein the body-charging device comprises:
a grounding electrode that establishes an electrical reference to the surface; and
a charging electrode that electrically couples an output of the body-charging device to the body of the user; and
at least one processing device communicatively coupled to the energy measuring device, wherein the processing device:
detects, based at least in part on the amount of electric charge transfer measured by the energy measuring device, an interaction between the user and the surface of the object; and
in response to detecting the interaction between the user and the surface of the object, generates an input command for the artificial reality system based at least in part on the interaction detected between the user and the surface.

12. The wearable of claim 11 , wherein:
the amount of electric charge transfer comprises an amount of electric potential between the body of the user and the surface of the object;
the energy measuring device comprises an electrometer that:
electrically grounds to the body of the user; and
measures the amount of electric potential between the body of the user and the surface of the object; and

the processing device detects the interaction between the user and the surface based at least in part on the amount of electric potential measured by the electrometer.

13. The wearable of claim 12 , wherein:
the amount of electric potential measured by the electrometer comprises an electric charge transferred from the body of the user to the surface of the object when the user touches the surface with a body part; and
the interaction between the user and the surface of the object comprises the touching of the surface by the body part of the user.

14. The wearable of claim 13 , wherein the processing device:
analyzes the amount of electric charge transfer measured by the electrometer; and
determines that the user has touched the surface based at least in part on the analysis of the amount of electric charge transfer measured by the electrometer.

15. The wearable of claim 11 , wherein:
the amount of electric charge transfer comprises an amount of electric current flowing from the surface of the object to the body of the user;
the energy measuring device comprises a current monitor that measures the amount of electric current flowing from the surface to the body of the user via a skin-touching electrode that electrically couples to the

Assignees

• Facebook Tech Llc

Inventors

• Whitmire Eric Michael
• Kienzle Wolf
• Perek David R
• Benko Hrvoje

Classifications

• G06F3/016 Primary

  Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user · CPC title

• G06F3/014

  Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves · CPC title

• G06F3/011 Primary

  Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00) · CPC title

• H02J7/00

  Circuit arrangements for charging or discharging batteries or for supplying loads from batteries · CPC title

• H02J50/10

  using inductive coupling · CPC title