Systems and methods for manipulating a virtual environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9864461-B2
Application number	US-201615224003-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 29, 2016
Priority date	Sep 26, 2014
Publication date	Jan 9, 2018
Grant date	Jan 9, 2018

Abstract

One variation of a method for manipulating virtual objects within a virtual environment includes: receiving a touch image from a handheld device, the touch image comprising representations of discrete inputs into a touch sensor integrated into the handheld device; extracting a first force magnitude of a first input at a first location on a first side of the handheld device from the touch image; extracting a second force magnitude of a second input at a second location on a second side of the handheld device from the touch image, the second side of the handheld device opposite the first side of the handheld device; transforming the first input and the second input into a gesture; assigning a magnitude to the gesture based on the first force magnitude; and manipulating a virtual object within a virtual environment based on a type and the magnitude of the gesture.

First claim

We claim:

1. A system for manipulating virtual objects within a virtual environment comprising:
a housing;
a first touch sensor area comprising:
a first touch sensor surface extending across a first region of the exterior of the housing;
a first array of sense electrodes patterned across a substrate; and
a first resistive layer interposed between the first touch sensor surface and the first array of sense electrodes, in contact with the first array of sense electrodes, and comprising a material exhibiting variations in local electrical resistance responsive to variations in force applied to the first touch sensor surface;

a second touch sensor area comprising:
a second touch sensor surface extending across a second region of the exterior of the housing opposite the first region;
a second array of sense electrodes; and
a second resistive layer interposed between the second touch sensor surface and the second array of sense electrodes, in contact with the second array of sense electrodes, and comprising the material;

a controller coupled to the housing and configured:
to scan the first array of sense electrodes and the second array of sense electrodes during a scan period;
to detect a first input of a first force magnitude at a first location on the first touch sensor surface based on a change in resistance values of a subset of sense electrodes in the first array of sense electrodes;
to detect a second input of a second force magnitude at a second location on the second touch sensor surface based on a change in resistance values of a subset of sense electrodes in the second array of sense electrodes; and
to generate a touch image defining the first location and the first magnitude of the first input and the second location and the second magnitude of the second input for the scan period.

2. The system of claim 1 :
wherein the first array of sense electrodes comprises a set of sense electrode and drive electrode pairs;
wherein the first resistive layer exhibits variations in electrical contact resistance over a subset of sense electrode and drive electrode pairs responsive to application of a force to the first touch sensor surface over the subset of sense electrode and drive electrode pairs; and
wherein the controller detects the first input on the first touch sensor surface based on a change in measured resistance across sense electrode and drive electrodes in the subset of sense electrode and drive electrode pairs and determines a force magnitude of the first input based on a magnitude of the change in measured resistance across sense electrode and drive electrodes in the subset of sense electrode and drive electrode pairs.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the housing defines a cylindrical section; and wherein the first touch sensor surface and the second touch sensor surface comprise a contiguous touch sensor surface spanning a cylindrical surface of the housing.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first touch sensor surface defines a first planar area on a first side of the housing, and wherein the second touch sensor surface defines a second planar area on a second side of the housing opposite the first side of the housing.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a computer system configured:
to receive a sequence of touch images corresponding to a sequence of sampling periods from the controller;
to track the first input and the second input across the sequence of touch images; and
to interpret increases in force magnitudes of the first input and the second input, an upward shift in the first location of the first input, and an upward shift in the second location of the second input across the sequence of touch images as a third input on a unsensed surface of the housing above and substantially perpendicular to the first touch sensor surface and to the second touch sensor surface.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the computer system is remote from the housing; and further comprising a transmitter arranged within the housing and configured to transmit the sequence of touch images to the computer system.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the computer system estimates a third force magnitude of the third input on the unsensed surface of the housing based on the force magnitudes of the first input and the second input, a magnitude of the upward shift in the first location of the first input, and a magnitude of the upward shift in the second location of the second input.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a sleeve defining a receptacle configured to transiently receive the housing, defining an external surface beyond the receptacle, and configured to communicate a force on the external surface into the first touch sensor surface when the housing is installed in the receptacle.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the sleeve defines a handed ergonomic overlay; and
further comprising a second sleeve defining a second receptacle configured to transiently receive the housing, defining a second external surface beyond the second receptacle, configured to communicate a force on the second external surface into the first touch sensor surface when the housing is installed in the second receptacle, and defining a form of a tool corresponding to a virtual tool within a virtual environment.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the sleeve comprises:
a rigid insert of a first durometer; and
a flexible substrate of a second durometer less than the first durometer, interposed between the receptacle and the rigid insert, configured to deform in response to application of a force on the rigid insert toward the receptacle, and configured to communicate a force applied to the rigid insert into the first touch sensor surface.

11. system of claim 1 , wherein the first touch sensor area comprises the first array of sense electrodes and the second touch sensor area comprises the second array of sense electrodes patterned across the substrate; and wherein the substrate is assembled into a three-dimensional structure within the housing to face the first touch sensor surface and the second touch sensor surface.

12. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a strap extending from the housing and configured to couple the housing to a hand of a user.

13. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an optical emitter coupled to the housing and configured to broadcast an optical signal detectable by an external tracking system to determine the position and orientation of the housing within a real space.

14. A method for manipulating virtual objects within a virtual environment comprising:
receiving a touch image from a handheld device, the touch image comprising representations of discrete inputs into a touch sensor integrated into the handheld device;
extracting a first force magnitude of a first input at a first location on a first side of the handheld device from the touch image;
extracting a second force magnitude of a second input at a second location on a second side of the handheld device from the touch image, the second side of the handheld device opposite the first side of the handheld device;
transforming the first input and the second input into a gesture;
assigning a magnitude to the gesture based on the first force magnitude; and
manipulating a virtual object within a virtual environment based on a type and the magnitude of the gesture.

15. The system of claim 14 :
further comprising extracting a third force magnitude of a third input at a third location on the second side of the handheld device from the touch image;
wherein transforming the first input and the second input

Assignees

• Sensel Inc
• Sensel Inc

Inventors

• Rosenberg Ilya Daniel
• Zarraga John Aaron
• Grau Alexander Meagher
• Watson Charles Robert

Classifications

• G06F3/04883

  for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text · CPC title

• G06F3/045

  using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact · CPC title

• G06F2203/04102

  Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper · CPC title

• G06F3/04842

  Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F2203/04105

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