Handheld controller with trigger button and sensor retainer assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017192506-A1
Application number	US-201615173558-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 3, 2016
Priority date	Dec 30, 2015
Publication date	Jul 6, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Handheld controllers are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the controller includes a main body and a sensor assembly at least partially disposed in the main body. The sensor assembly can include a control surface (e.g., a button) configured to receive at least a portion of a user's finger. A sensor portion can be disposed between the control surface and a rear member. The sensor portion can comprise a foam layer, a backing layer and a sensor layer between the foam layer and the backing layer. The foam layer can be compressed toward the control surface to minimize an air gap between the sensor layer and the control surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A handheld controller, comprising:
a housing; and a button at least partially disposed in the housing, wherein the button includes a control member, a rear member and a sensor stack disposed between the control member and the rear member, wherein the sensor stack comprises—
a first layer including a compressible material;
a second layer including a sensor; and
a third layer, wherein the third layer and the control member have substantially the same shape, and wherein the rear member engages the third layer such that the first layer is compressed toward the control member, thereby minimizing a gap between the second layer and the control member.

2 . The handheld controller of claim 1 wherein the compressible material comprises a conductive foam.

3 . The handheld controller of claim 1 wherein the first layer is configured to have a compressed thickness less than 1 mm.

4 . The handheld controller of claim 1 wherein the compressible material has a dielectric constant different than the dielectric constant of air.

5 . The handheld controller of claim 1 wherein the sensor is a touch-sensitive sensor.

6 . The handheld controller of claim 1 wherein the sensor is a capacitive sensor.

7 . The handheld controller of claim 1 wherein the sensor is a first sensor, and further comprising a second sensor configured to detect movement of the button relative to the housing.

8 . The handheld controller of claim 7 wherein the second sensor comprises a Hall effect sensor configured to detect movement of a magnet coupled to the rear member.

9 . A handheld controller, comprising:
a main body; and a sensor assembly at least partially disposed in the main body, wherein the sensor assembly includes a control surface, a rear member and a sensor portion disposed between the control surface and the rear member, wherein the sensor portion comprises a foam layer, a backing layer and a sensor layer between the foam layer and the backing layer, and wherein the foam layer is compressed toward the control surface to minimize an air gap between the sensor layer and the control surface.

10 . The handheld controller of claim 9 wherein the backing layer and the control surface have substantially the same shape.

11 . The handheld controller of claim 9 wherein the sensor layer comprises a capacitive touch-sensitive layer.

12 . The handheld controller of claim 9 wherein the foam layer has a compressed thickness less than 1 mm.

13 . The handheld controller of claim 9 , further comprising a second sensor configured to detect movement of the control surface relative to the main body.

14 . The handheld controller of claim 13 wherein the second sensor comprises a Hall effect sensor configured to detect movement of a magnet disposed on a support structure extending from the control surface through the sensor portion toward the rear portion.

15 . The handheld controller of claim 13 , further comprising electronics in the main body configured to communicatively couple the sensor layer to a virtual reality system.

16 . A handheld controller, comprising:
a main body; a handle extending from the main body; a trigger button connected to the housing and positioned for engagement by a finger of a user, the trigger button comprising a control member and a sensor stack between immediately adjacent to the control memberwherein the sensor stack comprises—
a first layer including a compressible material;
a second layer including a sensor; and
a third layer, wherein the third layer and the control member have substantially the same shape, and wherein the rear member engages the third layer such that the first layer is compressed toward the control member, thereby minimizing a gap between the second layer and the control member.

17 . The handheld controller of claim 16 wherein the compressible material comprises a conductive foam.

18 . The handheld controller of claim 16 wherein the compressible material has a dielectric constant different than the dielectric constant of air.

19 . The handheld controller of claim 16 wherein the sensor is a capacitive sensor.

20 . The handheld controller of claim 16 wherein the sensor is first sensor, and further comprising a second sensor connected to the sensor stack and configured to detect movement of the trigger button relative to the housing.

Assignees

• Oculus Vr Llc

Inventors

• Andersen Blake Francis
• Hammerstein Julian James
• Higgins Jason Andrew

Classifications

• G06F3/0338

  with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks · CPC title

• G06F3/014 Primary

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

• G06F3/011

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

• 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

• 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