Virtual reality system with head-mounted display, camera and hand-held controllers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9898091-B2
Application number	US-201514729954-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 3, 2015
Priority date	Jun 3, 2015
Publication date	Feb 20, 2018
Grant date	Feb 20, 2018

Abstract

A virtual-reality system includes a head-mounted display (HMD), a forward-looking camera coupled to the HMD and a hand-held controller communicatively coupleable to the HMD. The hand-held controller includes a first user-input key, a grip, and an outward-facing surface coupled to the grip. The outward-facing surface includes a plurality of illumination sources which provide light that is detectable by the camera for sensing a position of the controller based on a user motion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A virtual-reality system comprising:
a head-mounted display (HMD);
a forward-looking camera coupled to the HIVID; and
a hand-held controller communicatively coupleable to the HIVID, the hand-held controller comprising:
a first user-input key;
a grip;
an outward-facing surface coupled to the grip; and
a plurality of illumination sources coupled to the outward-facing surface and configured to provide light that is detectable by the camera.

2. The virtual-reality system of claim 1 , wherein the forward-looking camera extends from a front surface of the HMD.

3. The virtual-reality system of claim 1 , wherein:
the hand-held controller further comprises a cage coupled to the grip;
the outward-facing surface comprises an outer surface of the cage; and
the plurality of illumination sources are coupled to the outer surface of the cage.

4. The virtual-reality system of claim 3 , wherein at least a portion of the plurality of illumination sources are positioned to be detectable to the forward-looking camera when the HIVID is worn by a user and the user holds the grip in a neutral position.

5. The virtual-reality system of claim 4 , wherein the cage is configured to be positioned above a user's hand when the user holds the grip in the neutral position.

6. The virtual-reality system of claim 3 , wherein the hand-held controller further comprises a user-input surface that includes the first user-input key.

7. The virtual-reality system of claim 6 , further comprising a structural web coupling the cage to the user-input surface.

8. The virtual-reality system of claim 7 , further comprising a second user-input key, wherein the second user-input key is a trigger mounted on at least one of the structural web and the grip at a position configured to be actuated by a middle finger of the user.

9. The virtual-reality system of claim 6 , wherein the user-input surface forms an inner front surface of the cage.

10. The virtual-reality system of claim 6 , wherein the grip is slanted at an angle with respect to the user-input surface.

11. The virtual-reality system of claim 6 , wherein:
the user-input surface comprises a plurality of user-input keys including the first user-input key, and
the user-input surface comprises a touch-sensitive surface partitioned into a plurality of sections, each section corresponding to a respective user-input key of the plurality of user-input keys and including at least one touch sensor to detect a touch on the corresponding section.

12. The virtual-reality system of claim 3 , wherein the grip is integrally formed with the cage.

13. The virtual-reality system of claim 3 , wherein the cage is detachably coupled to the grip.

14. The virtual-reality system of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of illumination sources comprises a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs); and
the forward-looking camera is configured to track light emitted by the LEDs.

15. The virtual-reality system of claim 14 , wherein:
the plurality of LEDs comprises a plurality of infrared LEDs; and
the forward-looking camera is configured to detect infrared light emitted by the infrared LEDs.

16. The virtual-reality system of claim 14 , further comprising:
a first power source to supply power to the HMD and the forward-looking camera; and
a second power source to supply power to the hand-held controller, including to the plurality of LEDs.

17. The virtual-reality system of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of illumination sources comprises a plurality of passive reflectors; and
the camera comprises an illumination source to provide light to the passive reflectors and a sensor to detect light reflected back to the camera by the passive reflectors.

18. The virtual-reality system of claim 1 , wherein the first user-input key is selected from the group consisting of a thumbstick, a button, a trigger, and a directional pad, and the button is selected from the group consisting of an A or X button, a B or Y button, a start button, a back button, a forward button, and a home button.

19. The virtual-reality system of claim 1 , wherein the forward-looking camera is external to and electrically coupleable to the HMD.

20. A virtual-reality system comprising:
a head-mounted display (HMD);
a forward-looking camera coupled to the HMD; and
two hand-held controllers, each communicatively coupleable to the HMD, and each comprising:
a respective user-input key;
a respective grip;
a respective outward-facing surface coupled to the respective grip; and
a respective plurality of illumination sources coupled to the respective outward-facing surface and configured to provide light that is detectable by the camera.

Assignees

• Oculus Vr Llc

Inventors

• Bristol Peter Wesley
• Chen Yi Yaun
• Higgins Jason Andrew
• Rogoza Benjamin E Tunberg
• Talati Sharvil Shailesh
• Konzen Neil Warren
• Webb James S

Classifications

• A63F13/24

  Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles · CPC title

• A63F13/214

  for locating contacts on a surface, e.g. floor mats or touch pads · CPC title

• G02B2027/0178

  Eyeglass type (eyeglass details G02C) · CPC title

• G02B2027/0187

  slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye · CPC title

• A63F13/00

  Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions · CPC title