Computer systems with finger devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11360558-B2
Application number	US-201916395806-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2019
Priority date	Jul 17, 2018
Publication date	Jun 14, 2022
Grant date	Jun 14, 2022

Abstract

A system may include finger devices. A touch sensor may be mounted in a finger device housing to gather input from an external object as the object moves along an exterior surface of the housing. The touch sensor may include capacitive sensor electrodes. Sensors such as force sensors, ultrasonic sensors, inertial measurement units, optical sensors, and other components may be used in gathering finger input from a user. Finger input from a user may be used to manipulate virtual objects in a mixed reality or virtual reality environment while a haptic output device in a finger device provides associated haptic output. A user may interact with real-world objects while computer-generated content is overlaid over some or all of the objects. Object rotations and other movements may be converted into input for a mixed reality or virtual reality system using force measurements or other sensors measurements made with the finger devices.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A finger device operable with a head-mounted device that is configured to display virtual content over a real-world object, the finger device comprising:
a housing configured to be coupled to a finger at a tip of the finger while leaving a finger pad at the tip of the finger exposed, wherein the finger device has a U-shaped housing having first and second sides coupled by a top portion;
a haptic output device coupled to the housing;
sensor circuitry coupled to the housing configured to gather finger position information as the finger interacts with the displayed virtual content, wherein the finger position information; and
control circuitry in the housing configured to determine a finger position relative to the real-world object based on the finger position information and to provide haptic output to the finger using the haptic output device based on the finger position.

2. The finger device defined in claim 1 wherein the sensor circuitry includes an inertial measurement unit configured to gather the finger position information while a user is interacting with the real-world object that is overlapped by the virtual content.

3. The finger device defined in claim 1 wherein the sensor circuitry includes strain gauge circuitry configured to gather a force measurement associated with a force generated by the finger as the finger contacts a surface of the real-world object while interacting with the displayed virtual content.

4. The finger device defined in claim 1 wherein the sensor circuitry comprises an ultrasonic sensor.

5. The finger device defined in claim 1 wherein the sensor circuitry comprises an image sensor.

6. The finger device defined in claim 1 wherein the sensor circuitry comprises a depth sensor.

7. The finger device defined in claim 6 wherein the control circuitry is configured to provide the haptic output with the haptic output device while the finger is selecting an item in an interactive list in the virtual content.

8. The finger device defined in claim 1 wherein the real-world object does not contain circuitry and wherein the sensor circuitry is configured to gather the finger position information as the finger interacts with the displayed virtual content while simultaneously moving the real-world object.

9. The finger device defined in claim 1 wherein the control circuitry is configured to provide the finger with different textures in different areas of the real-world object by providing different haptic output to the finger in the different areas using the haptic output device based on the finger position information.

10. The finger device defined in claim 1 wherein the virtual content comprises a virtual object and wherein the control circuitry is configured to move the virtual object in response to the finger position information.

11. A finger device configured to be worn on a finger of a user, comprising:
a housing configured to be coupled to a tip of the finger while leaving a finger pad at the tip of the finger exposed, wherein the housing has a top portion, first and second sides coupled to the top portion, and an elongated arm that extends from the first side toward the tip of the finger along a length of the finger;
a haptic output device coupled to the housing;
sensor circuitry configured to gather finger position information as the user moves the finger, wherein the sensor circuitry comprises a strain gauge on the elongated arm;
a touch sensor configured to gather touch input along an exterior surface of the housing; and
control circuitry configured to provide haptic output to the finger using the haptic output device based on the gathered touch input and the finger position information.

12. The finger device defined in claim 11 wherein the touch sensor includes an array of capacitive touch sensor electrodes extending along the housing, wherein the touch sensor is configured to gather the touch input from an additional finger touching the touch sensor, and wherein the control circuitry is configured to create haptic detents by providing the haptic output as the additional finger moves along the array of capacitive touch sensor electrodes.

13. The finger device defined in claim 11 wherein the housing is configured to receive the finger without covering a finger pad at a tip of the finger and wherein the touch sensor has an array of sensor elements that extend along the housing.

14. The finger device defined in claim 13 wherein the sensor circuitry comprises capacitive touch sensor electrodes.

15. The finger device defined in claim 14 wherein the sensor circuitry further comprises an additional sensor coupled to the housing that gathers information on interactions of the finger with external objects.

16. The finger device defined in claim 15 wherein the additional sensor coupled to the housing comprises an inertial measurement unit.

17. The finger device defined in claim 15 wherein the additional sensor coupled to the housing comprises an image sensor.

18. The finger device defined in claim 15 wherein the additional sensor coupled to the housing comprises a depth sensor.

19. The finger device defined in claim 13 wherein the sensor circuitry comprises sensor elements configured to gather touch input from an area on the finger that is adjacent to the housing and that is not overlapped by the housing.

20. The finger device defined in claim 13 wherein the sensor circuitry further comprises a force sensor configured to gather finger pinch input from the finger as the finger presses against another finger.

21. A finger device operable with a wireless electronic device and configured to be worn on a first finger of a user while receiving touch input from a second finger of the user, comprising:
a housing configured to be coupled to the first finger, wherein the housing is a U-shaped housing having first and second sides coupled by a top portion;
sensor circuitry to gather finger position information as the user moves the first finger;
a touch sensor configured to gather touch input along an exterior surface of the housing from the second finger, wherein the touch input includes finger swipes and wherein the touch sensor is selected from the group consisting of: a capacitive sensor, an optical sensor, and an ultrasonic sensor; and
control circuitry configured to wirelessly transmit the gathered touch input and finger position information to the wireless electronic device.

22. The finger device defined in claim 21 further comprising:
a haptic output device configured to provide haptic output.

23. The finger device defined in claim 22 wherein the control circuitry is configured to use the haptic output device to create detents as the second finger moves along the touch sensor.

24. The finger device defined in claim 23 wherein the control circuitry is configured to use the haptic output device to provide the first finger with haptic output based on the finger input.

25. The finger device defined in claim 24 wherein the sensor circuitry comprises an accelerometer and wherein the finger input comprises finger motion sensed with the accelerometer.

26. The finger device defined in claim 24 wherein the sensor circuitry comprises an inertial measurement unit.

27. The finger device defined in claim 24 wherein the sensor circuitry comprises a force sensor.

28. The finger device defined in claim 2

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Wang Paul X
• Georg Nicolai
• Blachnitzky Benjamin R
• Palkar Alhad A
• Islam Minhazul
• Lehmann Alex J
• Cordier Madeleine S
• Han Joon-Sup
• Sun Hongcheng
• Lee Sang E
• Lo Kevin Z
• Jonsson Lilli Ing-Marie
• Deliz Centeno Luis
• Pan Yuhao
• Dey Stephen E
• Dumontelle Paul N
• Atler Jonathan C
• Sun Tianjia
• Li Jian
• Zhang Chang

Classifications

• G06F3/013

  Eye tracking input arrangements (G06F3/015 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F3/03547

  Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface · CPC title

• G06F3/038

  Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry · CPC title

• G06F3/014 Primary

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

• G06F3/016

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