Virtual reality viewer and input mechanism
The present invention concerns virtual reality viewers for use with touchscreen enabled mobile devices. The virtual reality viewer comprises: a housing configured to receive a mobile electronic device within interior of the housing; and an input mechanism that is accessible from an exterior of the housing and that is moveable within the interior between a first position and an extended position, wherein a surface of the input mechanism is configured to contact the touch-screen of the mobile electronic device when in the position. The disclosed systems and methods facilitate receiving user inputs on the exterior of the housing and providing the user inputs to the touchscreen within the housing using the electro-mechanical input mechanism. Accordingly, the viewer can be used with a variety of smartphones without requiring switches or a wireless/cable connection between the input device and the smartphone.
1. A virtual reality viewer apparatus comprising:
a housing having a portion configured to receive a mobile electronic device having a touchscreen display, the housing further including two lenses;
an input device accessible from an exterior of the housing; and
a contact element located within an interior of the housing, the contact element coupled to the input device and configured to generate a detectable touch event at the touchscreen display of the mobile electronic device.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the contact element is configured to generate the detectable touch event at the touchscreen display while the mobile electronic device is located within the interior of the housing.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the input device comprises a tactile user input device.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the housing has a top surface, a bottom surface, a front surface, a back surface, and two side surfaces.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the back surface supports the two lenses.
6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the apparatus is configured to receive one or more user interactions during use of the apparatus.
7. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein at least a portion of the mobile electronic device is exposed on an exterior surface of the housing.
8. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the input device is located at an exterior of the housing.
9. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the input device is user accessible for interaction therewith.
10. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the input device is configured to detect a user action.
11. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the input device is configured to relay a signal based on a user action to the mobile electronic device.
12. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the input device is configured to sense a user interaction and transmit a signal based on the sensed user interaction to the touchscreen display via the touch screen input device and via a conductive lead that couples the input device and the touchscreen display.
13. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the input device includes a conductive material.
14. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein a contact element configured to contact the touchscreen display includes a conductive material.
15. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein a conductive lead extends through at least a portion of the housing.
16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the contact element is coupled via a conductive lead to the input device.
17. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the input device comprises a passive input device.
18. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the input device is configured to receive a user input at the exterior of the housing and provide the received user input, via the contact element, to the touchscreen display.
19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the touch event, based on the user input, is provided to the touchscreen display at a position located within a central portion of the touchscreen display.
20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the central portion of the touchscreen display is not viewable, via the two lenses, by either eye of a user.
21. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the contact element is configured to provide inputs to the mobile electronic device in a manner that does not disturb the field of view of the left eye or the right eye of a user.
22. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the contact element comprises a touchscreen input device.
23. The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the touchscreen input device is electrically coupled to the input device.
24. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the input device is configured to receive user interactions during use of the apparatus.
25. The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the input device is configured to sense the user interaction and transmit a signal based on the sensed user interaction to the touchscreen display via the touch screen input device and via a conductive lead that couples the input device and the touchscreen display.
26. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the conductive lead runs through at least a portion of the housing.
27. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the input device is exposed on an exterior surface of the housing.
28. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the input device is positioned at the exterior of the housing.
29. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the input device is user accessible such that a user can interact with the input device.
30. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the input device is configured to detect a user action.
31. The apparatus of claim 30 , wherein the input device is configured to relay a signal based on the user action to the touchscreen display.
32. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the input device comprises a conductive material.
33. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the contact element comprises a conductive material.