Facebook Patent | Hand-held controller using segmented capacitive touch trigger

Patent: Hand-held controller using segmented capacitive touch trigger

Publication Number: 10183217

Publication Date: 2019-01-22

Applicants: Facebook

Abstract

A hand-held controller includes a handle extending in a longitudinal direction. The handle is shaped and dimensioned to be grasped by a user’s hand. A trigger protrudes from an outer surface of the handle and moves relative to the handle responsive to pressing of the trigger by a finger of the user’s hand. The trigger includes a touch surface that comes into contact with the finger of the user’s hand to detect sliding of the finger of the user’s hand on the touch surface.

Background

The present disclosure generally relates to virtual reality (VR) controllers, and specifically to a hand-held controller using a segmented capacitive touch trigger.

VR systems may include a controller to translate movement of the user’s body into tangible action in a virtual world. Some controllers provide vibration feedback to Android or iOS VR headsets for motion-based gaming. A controller may be equipped with a gyroscope, an accelerometer, or terrestrial magnetic field sensor to trace motion back to a game, allowing intuitive gameplay as if the player is within the game.

Summary

Embodiments relate to a hand-held controller to track a user’s hand motion, position, natural gestures, and finger movement to create a sense of hand presence for more realistic and tactile VR. The controller may let the user make social gestures like point, wave, and give a thumbs-up or manipulate objects in the virtual space, pick up toys or fire laser guns with intuitive, natural hand movement.

In one embodiment, the hand-held controller includes a handle extending in a longitudinal direction. The handle is shaped and dimensioned to be grasped by a user’s hand. A trigger protrudes from an outer surface of the handle and moves relative to the handle responsive to pressing of the trigger by a finger of the user’s hand. The trigger includes a touch surface that comes into contact with the finger of the user’s hand to detect sliding of the finger of the user’s hand on the touch surface.

In one embodiment, the touch surface includes segmented tracks to generate distinct sensor signals indicating which of the segmented tracks come in contact with the finger.

In one embodiment, the hand-held controller includes a sensor interface circuit to receive the distinct sensor signals from the segmented tracks and process the distinct sensor signals to determine the sliding of the finger based on a sequence in which the distinct sensor signals indicate touching or disengaging of the finger and the segmented tracks.

In one embodiment, each of the segmented tracks is separated from a neighboring track by a spacing distance.

In one embodiment, each of the segmented tracks extends in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

In one embodiment, the touch surface is a capacitive touch surface.

In one embodiment, the hand-held controller includes a ring attached to an end of the handle. The ring has an annular surface. The annular surface defines a plane that forms a predetermined angle with respect to the longitudinal direction.

In one embodiment, the handle has a cylindrical shape.

In one embodiment, the touch surface is made of plastic or glass.

In one embodiment, the handle is made of engineering plastic.

In one embodiment, the trigger detects pressing of the trigger by the finger of the user’s hand.

In one embodiment, the hand-held controller includes a magnetic sensor embedded within the handle. The magnetic sensor detects a depth of motion of the trigger when the finger of the user’s hand presses the trigger in a direction towards the handle.

In one embodiment, the magnetic sensor is a Hall Effect sensor, a fluxgate magnetometer, or a magnetoresistance sensor.

In one embodiment, the hand-held controller includes a wireless communication interface to transmit wireless signals representing the haptic input received from the touch surface.