Tactile input mechanisms, artificial-reality systems, and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10996756-B1
Application number	US-201916427376-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	May 31, 2019
Priority date	May 31, 2019
Publication date	May 4, 2021
Grant date	May 4, 2021

Abstract

The disclosed tactile input mechanisms may include a bladder dimensioned to hold a fluid, a pressure sensor coupled to the bladder and configured to sense a pressure exerted against the bladder, and a fluidic valve coupled to the bladder and configured to vent the bladder in response to the sensed pressure reaching a predetermined threshold. Various other related systems and methods are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tactile input mechanism, comprising:
a bladder dimensioned to hold a fluid;
a pressure sensor coupled to the bladder and configured to sense a pressure exerted against the bladder, wherein the pressure sensor comprises:
a receiver electrode positioned adjacent to a first side of the bladder; and
at least one transmitter electrode positioned adjacent to a second, opposite side of the bladder, wherein the receiver electrode and the at least one transmitter electrode are positioned to move relative to each other when an internal pressure within the bladder changes; and

a fluidic valve coupled to the bladder and configured to vent the bladder in response to the sensed pressure reaching a predetermined threshold.

2. The tactile input mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the pressure sensor further comprises:
a control subsystem operably coupled to the receiver electrode and to the at least one transmitter electrode, wherein the control subsystem is configured to sense the pressure exerted against the bladder by measuring a capacitance between the receiver electrode and the at least one transmitter electrode.

3. The tactile input mechanism of claim 2 , wherein the at least one transmitter electrode comprises a plurality of transmitter electrodes positioned adjacent to the second, opposite side of the bladder.

4. The tactile input mechanism of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the receiver electrode or the transmitter electrode is positioned at least partially within the bladder.

5. The tactile input mechanism of claim 1 , further comprising a conduit coupling the fluidic valve to the bladder.

6. The tactile input mechanism of claim 1 , further comprising a glove, wherein the bladder is positioned within a finger portion of the glove.

7. The tactile input mechanism of claim 6 , wherein the bladder is positioned within a fingertip portion of the glove.

8. The tactile input mechanism of claim 6 , wherein the bladder is positioned within the glove adjacent to a surface dimensioned to contact a side of a user's index finger when the glove is donned by the user.

9. The tactile input mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the fluidic valve being configured to vent the bladder comprises the fluidic valve being configured to partially vent the bladder such that a portion of the fluid initially held by the bladder remains within the bladder after venting.

10. The tactile input mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined threshold is adjustable to enable the fluidic valve to vent the bladder in response to different sensed pressures.

11. The tactile input mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the fluidic valve is further configured to refill the bladder with air after venting.

12. An artificial-reality system, comprising:
a projector subsystem configured to project a virtual object on a physical surface or on an image of the physical surface;
a glove comprising at least one finger portion;
a bladder positioned within the finger portion of the glove;
a pressure sensor coupled to the bladder and configured to sense a pressure exerted against the bladder by the physical surface, wherein the pressure sensor comprises a receiver electrode positioned adjacent to a first side of the bladder and at least one transmitter electrode positioned adjacent to a second, opposite side of the bladder, wherein the receiver electrode and the at least one transmitter electrode are positioned to move relative to each other when an internal pressure within the bladder changes; and
a fluidic valve coupled to the bladder and configured to vent the bladder in response to the sensed pressure reaching a predetermined threshold.

13. The artificial-reality system of claim 12 , further comprising a cushion element positioned within or adjacent to the bladder in a location to cushion, relative to the physical surface, an intended user's finger when the glove is donned by the user.

14. The artificial-reality system of claim 12 , wherein the virtual object comprises a virtual keyboard.

15. The artificial-reality system of claim 12 , wherein the projector subsystem comprises one or more of:
a near-eye display;
a display screen at or adjacent to the physical surface; or
an optical projector.

16. The artificial-reality system of claim 12 , further comprising a tracking subsystem for tracking a position of at least the glove relative to the physical surface.

17. The artificial-reality system of claim 12 , wherein the at least one transmitter electrode comprises a plurality of transmitter electrodes positioned adjacent to the second, opposite side of the bladder.

18. The artificial-reality system of claim 12 , wherein:
the glove comprises five fingertip portions; and
the bladder comprises five bladders respectively positioned in the five fingertip portions of the glove.

19. A method for forming a tactile input mechanism, comprising:
operatively coupling a pressure sensor to a bladder by positioning a receiver electrode adjacent to a first side of the bladder and positioning at least one transmitter electrode adjacent to a second, opposite side of the bladder such that the receiver electrode and the at least one transmitter electrode are positioned to move relative to each other when an internal pressure within the bladder changes, wherein the pressure sensor is configured to sense a pressure exerted against the bladder; and
operatively coupling a fluidic valve in fluid communication with the bladder, wherein the fluidic valve is configured to vent the bladder in response to the sensed pressure reaching a predetermined threshold.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein:
positioning at least one transmitter electrode adjacent to a second, opposite side of the bladder comprises positioning a plurality of transmitter electrodes adjacent to the second, opposite side of the bladder.

Assignees

• Facebook Tech Llc

Inventors

• Ahne Adam
• Corson Nicholas Roy
• Stanley Andrew Arthur

Classifications

• G06F3/0304

  Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means (constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042) · CPC title

• G06F3/04886

  by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus · CPC title

• 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