Virtual reality system with head-mounted display, camera and hand-held controllers
View Patent ↗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.
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.